New Blood Rising

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

New Blood Rising

August 13, 2000

Pacific Coliseum

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

News & Notes: Vince Russo wanted to explain what happened at Bash at the Beach. He even did an interview with Tony Schiavone, but WCW executives refused to show it on Thunder. They made them redo the segment because WCW’s lawyers wouldn’t let Russo speak his mind about Hogan. We never got an on-air reason for Russo’s actions, but Vince had some things to say about the triple threat between Nash, Goldberg, and Scott Steiner. I’ll mention those later.

Now let me discuss some debuts. First, we have the flamboyant and mesmerizing Kwee Wee. He was a wardrobe designer backstage who caught Paisley’s attention. They initially called him Kiwi, but his gimmick was too close to the SNL character by the same name, so they changed it. Kwee Wee has a wife named Papaya and a mean streak if you make him angry. His interactions with Paisley caused a feud with the Artist. Then there is Above Average Mike Sanders. He used Jarrett’s guitar to defeat Crowbar, but Jarrett made him pay for it. The poor guy couldn’t catch a break afterward. Daffney and Kanyon also jumped him throughout the night. Later, Mike challenged Smiley to a Hardcore match, but he knocked himself out with a chair. Next, there is Primetime Elix Skipper. He first showed up as Skip Over, but M.I. Smooth suggested he use his real name.

Meanwhile, there are a few extra storylines to cover. In my last review, I mentioned the Crowbar/Daffney saga. It appears Crowbar developed feelings for Daffney, but he’s having trouble telling her about them. Daffney stood up for Crowbar after Sanders cheated to beat him. Plus, she made her own Crowbar t-shirt. These things only fueled Crowbar’s growing attraction, but he still lost his nerve. To make matters worse, M.I. Smooth delivered flowers to Daffney from a secret admirer who isn’t Crowbar. When Crowbar confronted him, Smooth told Crowbar he better make a move before it’s too late. Elsewhere, Lenny Lane lobbied to get his job back. Cat gave him a chance in a Tables Match with the Wall. The Wall laid down for him to help a friend, so Cat fired the Wall, but he returned under a new name. I’ll elaborate before the Gunns/Hancock bout.

The opening video focuses on two matches. It covers Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett and Nash vs. Goldberg vs. Scott Steiner. First, Jeff Jarrett invited everybody to Slapnuts Theater, which included injuring Booker T’s knee and attacking his wife with a guitar. So Booker vowed to make the Chosen Scum pay. Jarrett will have to kill Booker to take his gold. Meanwhile, Goldberg and Kevin Nash don’t like each other, and Scott Steiner doesn’t care about anybody. Plus, Nash said he might not be professional tonight.

Then we hear some fans’ predictions before Tony welcomes viewers to the show. While he does his introductions, Tank Abbott brings 3 Count into the arena. Tank wears a 3 Count t-shirt, but he cut holes over his nipples. This bothers Scott Hudson. Tank also leads 3 Count in singing their song until the Jung Dragons interrupt. These teams will wrestle in a double Ladder Match. The Dragons want to take 3 Count’s recording contract so they never sing again, but 3 Count wants their gold record back.

Double Ladder Match for the Gold Record & Recording Contract: 3 Count (w/ Tank Abbott) vs. The Jung Dragons

Storyline: 3 Count and Tank Abbott showed up to Nitro in tuxedos because they supposedly earned a gold record. They tried to hang it above the ring, but the Jung Dragons shoved the ladder over and stole the record with the Great Muta’s help. Later, the Dragons and Muta fought Tank and 3 Count. Tank used one of the performing circles to block Muta’s mist and knocked out Yang for the victory. However, the Dragons retained the stolen record in a Ladder Match. 3 Count wanted a rematch after Evan injured his ankle. This time, the Dragons said 3 Count’s recording contract should be on the line. They wanted to prevent 3 Count from unleashing their new song upon the world. Tank Abbott claimed he helped write and record it.

The Match: They don’t take long to grab the ladders. Soon we get multiple powerbomb attempts before 3 Count piles the Dragons on a ladder in the corner. After Moore splashes them, everyone brawls. Plus, both teams nail a springboard Doomsday Device. Afterward, Jamie-San answers with a dive onto 3 Count, but 3 Count hits moves off the ladder. We see a reverse DDT, neckbreaker, and superplex. Now the Dragons finally rally. Yang performs an Asai Moonsault, Kaz and Yang land splashes, and Jamie grabs the record! However, Tank catches it when Jamie loses his grip, so the Dragons clear the ring with the ladder. Jamie also does a guillotine leg drop on Evan and a powerbomb to Moore. Next, Helms and Kaz climb, but Tank wipes out both men to stop Kaz. This allows Evan to ascend and pull down the contract for the win.

Thoughts: The rules for this weren’t clear. Isn’t this a draw since the Dragons got the record and 3 Count grabbed the contract? Sure, Tank took the record away, but is that official? WCW is terrible about clarifying or remembering the rules. The action was good, but the structure and presentation were off. So I can only call this decent.

Winners: 3 Count (11:32)

Tank walks away with the record and the contract, but he doesn’t wait on 3 Count. The commentators wonder where he is going with those items.

Backstage, the Cat finds the Filthy Animals in his office, which pisses him off. He tells them to get off his phone and return the tag team titles! Then Konnan calls him Little Richard, which makes Miller angrier. He wants them to leave, but the Animals ask to referee the Four Corners bout for the tag team championship, and they want the winners on Nitro. Miller wonders what’s in it for him, so Rey says he will get the belts back. Plus, the Animals promise to help Ernest in his match against Muta. They guarantee a win if he gives them what they want. This intrigues the Cat, so he agrees. Afterward, Disco says word to your mother and offers Cat a fist bump, but Miller tells him to get the hell out of his office.

This leads to the entrances for Miller vs. Muta. The Cat says he knows Muta doesn’t understand English, so he will break it down for him. Miller says, “You are the Great Muta, and I will kick your great ass!” He decks Muta with the microphone and begins the fight.

Ernest the Cat Miller vs. The Great Muta

Storyline: Muta competed in the U.S. title tournament. Then Muta faced Tank Abbott. During the bout, the Jung Dragons and Ernest Miller got involved, so Muta spit mist in Miller’s face. Vampiro offered to kick Muta’s ass for Miller, and he asked the Cat to be the referee. However, it was a setup. Muta attacked Miller and joined Vampiro’s Dark Carnival. Vampiro formed the group after reuniting with the ICP and making the Demon his disciple. Their attack made the Cat so angry, he called his mama to complain. Plus, Miller booked Vampiro and Muta against KroniK as punishment, which sparked a feud between the teams. Later, Muta cost Miller a chance at the U.S. title, but Miller got revenge by choking Muta with his karate belt. Finally, Miller and Sting wrestled Vampiro and Muta. Cat’s team won, but Muta used the red mist and attacked Miller.

The Match: After exchanging strikes, Muta takes Miller to the mat for some holds. He also lands kicks and a handspring elbow while Tygress comes to the ring. The distraction allows the Cat to take Muta outside and choke him with a cable. Back inside, Miller uses a throat thrust and more kicks, but Muta catches one of them. He turns it into a Dragon Screw before hooking a leg submission. Next, Muta nails a backbreaker and attempts the moonsault. It misses, but Muta recovers and sprays the green mist into Ernest’s face. While the ref helps the Cat clear his eyes, Tygress gives Muta a weak flying chair shot. This only earns Miller a two, but rapid kicks and the Feliner are enough for the victory.

Thoughts: This wasn’t good. You could tell Muta wanted to wrestle at a different pace than Miller, so they weren’t on the same page. To make matters worse, Tygress’ interference was poor, which made Muta look weak in defeat. This didn’t do Muta any favors. I like the Cat, but this was bad.

Winner: Ernest Miller (6:47)

Elsewhere, Buff Bagwell looks for his mom, but he can’t find her. The reason is, Kanyon has her on a forklift! He brings her to the ring for his fight against Buff Bagwell. After asking the fans who is better than Kanyon, Chris announces he changed the name of this bout. Kanyon looked all over the second-rate country of Canada, but he couldn’t find a pole big enough for Judy. Therefore, this is now a Judy Bagwell on a Forklift Match! When Buff hears this, he rushes to the ring.

Judy Bagwell on a Forklift Match: Buff Bagwell vs. Positively Kanyon

Storyline: The Cat offered Kanyon Buff Bagwell’s #1 Contender shot because Buff was late to Nitro. But Buff eventually arrived with his mom, so Kanyon gave Judy a Kanyon Cutter! Buff kept bringing Judy to shows, so Kanyon did more Cutters. He even wrestled her and kidnapped her! Since Judy wouldn’t learn her place in wrestling, Kanyon suggested a Judy on a Pole Match. If he wins, she becomes his valet. He wants to make her his version of Kimberly. Plus, Chris tried to break Buff’s neck with a Cutter on a chair. Later, Kanyon also terrorized Pamela Paulshock and gave Mean Gene a Cutter. This led to Bagwell & Gene vs. Kanyon and a mystery partner. He chose Mark Madden! Gene pinned Madden to win, but Kanyon attacked afterward. He hit Buff with a Cutter and choked Mean Gene until Stevie Ray stopped him.

The Match: They brawl into the crowd for a moment before returning to the ring. Buff scores a swinging neckbreaker and corner punches, but Kanyon answers with a low blow. Then he lands a second-rope Russian Leg Sweep. Now Kanyon removes a turnbuckle pad before hitting a sit-out Alabama Slam. Both men fail to use the exposed buckle, so Kanyon hooks a Kanyon Clutch (Cobra Clutch) instead. When Buff escapes, Kanyon shoves him into the metal buckle and nails a Kanyon Cutter, but it only gets a two! Next, DDP’s music plays, but it brings us David Arquette! He decks Bagwell with Kanyon’s hard hat, yet this still isn’t enough, so David gets on the apron. Buff pulls him into the ring and takes out David and Kanyon with a double clothesline. He follows with a double Blockbuster to get the win.

Thoughts: This was okay. The action wasn’t bad, but it was short and forgettable. People remember this for its silliness, not the contest. Kanyon’s character work has been great throughout the feud, despite its ridiculous nature. So I didn’t dislike this as I expected.

Winner: Buff Bagwell (6:45)

Buff lowers Judy and frees her from the forklift before they hug. Kanyon also hugs David Arquette, but then he gives David a Kanyon Cutter and a rude gesture!

Meanwhile, a motorcade arrives, and Lance Storm gets out of a limo. The fans applaud as Storm enters the building. Madden drapes a Canadian flag over himself when he sees this, so Tony mocks him.

Plus, Tony announces Goldberg had a motorcycle accident in Sturgis. They don’t know if he will be there tonight.

Now the Filthy Animals enter the arena to referee the tag title contest. Everyone except Konnan wears referee shirts. Rey even has devil horns on his head. While the rest of the Animals get in the ring, Konnan joins the commentary table. He buries everyone during their entrances. Once everybody appears, Disco announces he is the in-ring official. The other Animals will work as enforcers. If anyone lays a hand on him, he will disqualify and fine them before making them wrestle bears in Alaska.

Four Corners Match for the Tag Team Titles: KroniK (c) vs. The Perfect Event vs. Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire vs. M.I.A. (General Rection & Corporal Cajun)

Storyline: The M.I.A. received their title shot after Bash at the Beach, but the Filthy Animals and the Perfect Event ruined things. This wasn’t the last time the Animals crashed the party. They tried to earn a spot in this bout by competing in a Caged Heat contest, but they lost. So the Animals tried a new tactic. They stole KroniK’s tag belts twice, despite the M.I.A. helping KroniK get them back. Meanwhile, Jindrak & O’Haire fought KroniK for the belts, and they thought they won after a controversial finish. When they received a rematch, Jindrak & O’Haire allied with the Perfect Event to beat up KroniK. This led to KroniK vs. all four men, but KroniK’s opponents couldn’t get along. The alliance fell apart because both teams wanted to score the pin. While they scuffled, Vampiro and Muta attacked KroniK because they also desired a shot at the gold.

The Match: KroniK and the Perfect Event fight back and forth until Adams scores a full nelson slam. Next, Jindrak & O’Haire try their hand against MIA and KroniK. Clark hits a tilt-a-whirl slam on O’Haire, but Sean recovers and nails a sit-out bomb on Rection. All the while, Disco does slow counts, to everyone’s chagrin. Plus, the Animals try to do Bronco Busters. Once that settles, MIA takes control, but the Perfect Event and Jindrak & O’Haire stop this. They suplex Clark before O’Haire lands a Seanton Bomb. Later, KroniK takes over only for Vampiro & Muta to attack them! Unfortunately, more Disco shenanigans prevent the Perfect Event from capitalizing. This allows KroniK to hit their finishers on the Perfect Event, but Disco won’t count. So Lt. Loco decks Disco and swipes his referee shirt as KroniK does the High Times. Loco counts the three.

Thoughts: This was an overbooked and nonsensical mess. The bout contained some good action, but the Animals’ stuff brought this down. I kind of get the story they tried to tell, but it was still tiresome. Then they had a dumb finish. Apparently, taking a referee shirt makes you the official.

Winners: KroniK (12:22)

Pamela interviews Jarrett. She says Jeff wore down Booker T, but can he take the title tonight? Instead of answering, Jarrett asks her where the Jurassic slap ass is. Did Okerlund send her out here because she wore Gene’s ass out last night? Before she can answer, Jeff realizes he doesn’t want to know. The thought makes him want to puke. Then Jarrett says Booker isn’t there yet. He looked for his ass all day long. When Booker gets there, he better have eyes in the back of his head because the title is coming back around Jarrett’s waist. He calls this a guarantee from the Chosen One. Jarrett is the man with all the stroke, so Jeff calls Pam Barbie and tells her to choke on that.

Now it’s time for Shane Douglas vs. Billy Kidman. Shane and Torrie come to the ring, and Douglas grabs a mic. He says Kidman is a boy and labels Kidman’s recent behavior as cute. Billy entertained the low-life fans with sex tapes, so Torrie doesn’t deserve a scum like Kidman. Shane also says he’s tired of being in this country, but he has no problem taking some skin off Kidman’s ass with a strap. Meanwhile, Tony explains the rules. This Strap Match will end with a pinfall. They don’t have to touch the corners.

Strap Match: Billy Kidman vs. Shane Douglas (w/ Torrie Wilson)

Storyline: Storm turned on Kidman after he caught Kidman clowning around during the Canadian anthem, but that wasn’t the last of Kidman’s worries. Douglas and Torrie taunted Kidman, so Billy struck back. He leaked a sex tape of himself and Torrie. Then Shane and Torrie tried to make their own movie, but Kidman swapped the tapes. Footage of Shane complaining about impotency aired instead. This led to Douglas vs. Kidman in a Viagra on a Pole contest. Shane won and shoved Viagra into Kidman’s mouth. So Billy took advantage of the situation and invited Nitro Girl Siren to his hotel room. This drew the ire of her boyfriend, Reno. Later, Kidman embarrassed Torrie with a mock appreciation night. He showed humiliating footage of an overweight Torrie from high school. Finally, Kidman wrestled Reno, and Douglas attacked Kidman with a belt. Vito saved Kidman because Vito has a past with Reno.

The Match: They brawl out of the ring where Kidman pulls the strap into Shane’s crotch and yanks him into the post. Back inside, Torrie causes a distraction to allow Shane to take control. He chokes and whips Kidman before ripping at his face with the strap. More whipping follows until Kidman scores a boot in the corner and a diving hurricanrana. He also lands a Rydeen Bomb and a tornado bulldog. Next, Torrie interferes again, so Kidman shoves Douglas into her shoe attack. After avoiding a Pittsburgh Plunge, Kidman uses an inside cradle for two. However, Torrie sneaks into the ring to reverse the pin. Afterward, Shane nails the Plunge for two. When it doesn’t work, Torrie climbs on the apron again. This time, Kidman pushes Shane into her and hits the Kid Crusher for the three.

Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. It wasn’t outstanding, but they had the best match so far. Plus, it had the least amount of shenanigans, so that’s a positive. However, it doesn’t change the fact this feud was awful. Kidman came off far worse than Douglas, yet Billy was the babyface.

Winner: Kidman (8:22)

Torrie tries to attack with a chair, so Kidman puts the strap on her arm and spanks her with it. This continues until Douglas attacks. He wraps the strap around Kidman’s throat and hangs him in the corner. The commentators react in horror, but Vito runs to rescue Kidman. He chases Shane and Torrie out of the ring. However, Reno jumps Vito from behind and they brawl. Vito knocks him down, so Reno retreats.

Meanwhile, Booker T arrives at the arena. As a limping Booker unloads his car, Jeff Jarrett appears. He rams Booker’s head into the roof and slams the door on Booker’s bad knee. Madden says he heard something snap!

ROTC Mud Wrestling Match: Major Gunns vs. Miss Hancock

Storyline: Hancock bossed David around and told him to win gold for her. First, he failed to capture the Hardcore belt. Then David fought Loco for the Cruiser title. Gunns and Hancock scuffled when Gunns tried to give David mouth-to-mouth, so Gunns challenged Hancock to a Rip off the Camouflage Mud Match. Later, Gunns and Hancock had an arm wrestling contest with David as the ref. David helped Hancock win and Hancock attacked Gunns, so the Wall came to her rescue. The Cat had fired Wall for helping Lenny Lane, but he joined the Misfits as Sgt. A-Wall. This led to A-Wall wrestling David Flair and putting him through tables. Meanwhile, Gunns and Tygress also got into a tussle in a mud pit, so Tygress allied with Hancock against Gunns. She helped Hancock put Gunns through a table during a mixed tag team tables encounter.

The Match: Hancock offers a handshake, but Gunns takes her to the mat. After tussling, Hancock nails a handspring elbow, but Gunns answers with pin attempts. Next, they tear off some clothes before Hancock does a diving crossbody and a kip-up! However, Hancock holds her gut in pain when she misses another crossbody. Now they fight down the aisle and strip off more clothes. The action moves to the mud pit, and Hancock backdrops Gunns into the mud. When she stops to laugh, Gunns pulls her into the muck, so Hancock rams Gunns into the sandbags. After doing this, Hancock stops and clutches her stomach in agony. She collapses, so Gunns rolls her up for the victory.

Thoughts: I thought the point was to rip off the camouflage. Why were they doing pins? Also, why compete in the ring if it’s a mud fight? WCW creates these stipulations and gimmicks and then can’t figure out how they work. Once again, this company’s disorganization rears its head. This was bad, but I’ll give Hancock credit. She did okay for an inexperienced wrestler. Stacy was certainly better than Major Gunns.

Winner: Major Gunns (6:43)

Major Gunns stops her celebration once she realizes something is seriously wrong with Miss Hancock. She shows concern as David Flair runs to check on his girlfriend. He calls for help, and the EMTs arrive. The commentators don’t know what happened.

Backstage, Pamela starts to interview the Dark Carnival, but it sounds like Muta is coughing up a hairball. Once he stops, Pam talks about everything Vampiro did to Sting. Vampiro says Sting’s nine lives ticked down to zero. The Juggalo Army has a fate for Sting that will make his dance with fire look like child’s play. Tonight is the Demon’s test. Vampiro wants to see if the Demon has a heart black enough to walk and hang with the Dark Carnival. He hopes for the Demon’s sake he will prove him wrong. Then Vampiro shoves the Demon before they leave.

Meanwhile, the EMTs lead Hancock’s stretcher toward the ambulance. Tony says her severe abdominal pains weren’t part of the match. He even calls her by her real name, Stacy Keibler. All the commentators break the 4^th wall, which is annoying.

Now we get the entrances for Sting vs. the Demon. They dub over “God of Thunder” again, despite the fact it remains intact on the TV episodes. I don’t get it. Once the Demon arrives, Sting repels from the ceiling, and they brawl in the aisle.

Sting vs. The Demon

Storyline: After Bash at the Beach, the Demon appeared to be under Vampiro’s spell. He even attacked Asya on Vampiro’s orders. Then Vampiro sent the Demon after Sting because Sting stalked Vampiro. Sting wore a ski mask to hide his burned face, but he eventually removed it to reveal—he looked fine. Sting wanted Vampiro, but Vamp said Sting had to go through the Demon first. Meanwhile, Sting aided Booker and Nash in their feuds, but this put Sting on the wrong side of Scott Steiner. Scott clocked Sting with a pipe, which led to a Pipe on a Pole Match. All the while, the Dark Carnival used this to their advantage. They jumped Sting, shoved him in the Demon’s casket, and set it on fire. Later, Sting teamed with Miller against Vampiro and Muta. After the bout, the Demon jumped Sting and placed him in the Scorpion Deathlock.

The Match: The Demon throws some punches, but Sting keeps ramming him into the rail. Then he takes the Demon into the ring for a Stinger Splash and a Scorpion Death Drop. This is enough for the three.

Thoughts: What was the point of that? This was a waste of both men. The win does nothing for Sting, and it makes the Demon look even worse than he already did.

Winner: Sting (0:52)

After the bell, Vampiro and Muta attack Sting. They drag him to the ramp and choke Sting with his repelling cable, so KroniK comes to the rescue. While this happens, the Demon walks by them and does nothing to help. He stares at the brawl and wonders what he should do. Once KroniK sends the Carnival packing, Adams grabs a mic. He says he heard Vancouver is down with the KroniK. Therefore, if Muta and Vampiro aren’t busy later, they will give them a shot at the gold. Vampiro and Muta accept.

Backstage, a trainer checks on Booker T’s knee. When Booker sees the cameraman, he tells him to leave. Even the trainer tells the guy to get lost.

Now Mike Awesome arrives to face Lance Storm. Lance gets a full security escort during his entrance. He holds his three titles while Tony sings Lance’s praises for his recent success. Next, Storm takes Penzer’s mic. He is glad to be in front of real wrestling fans in the greatest country in the world. However, Lance feared a terrorist attack backstage, hence the need for security. It’s not his fault he threatened the American illusion. Storm also invokes a rule from the Canadian rule book. He names a special referee from Canada. The fans want Bret Hart, but Lance introduces Jacques Rougeau! Jacques stands by Storm’s side while they play the Canadian national anthem. Afterward, we learn Jacques will be the outside enforcer while Slick Johnson handles the in-ring duties.

Canadian Rules Match for the U.S. Title: Lance Storm (c) vs. Mike Awesome

Storyline: Storm won the tournament to become the U.S. champion, but he renamed the belt to the Canadian Heavyweight title. Lance also captured the Hardcore and Cruiserweight belts and gave them new names. The former is the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title (SHIT), and the latter is the 100 kilos and under championship. The Cat made him defend all three in one night, but Storm succeeded. Plus, Storm carried a Canadian rule book, yet he broke his own rules to win. Later, Storm failed to capture the WCW gold from Booker. Now Storm fights the man he beat in the tournament finals, Mike Awesome, but Mike has a new attitude and gimmick. He’s the Fat Chick Thriller! Mike even had a ham sandwich-loving girlfriend, Mighty Heidi. However, Heidi betrayed Awesome and helped Storm win a Flag match. She revealed she’s Canadian, so that’s why she helped Lance.

The Match: Awesome scores an underhook facebuster before they trade suplex counters. Mike also attempts an Awesome Bomb on a table, but Storm blocks it. Then Mike slips off the top rope, but he recovers for a clothesline. Next, Mike evades the Canadian Maple Leaf and nails a pop-up powerbomb for a three! However, Rougeau states Canadian rules require a five count!

Later, they fight back and forth before Awesome does an Alabama Slam with a jackknife pin. Plus, he locks Lance in a long Dragon Sleeper. Storm taps out, but Rougeau claims Canadian rules don’t allow for submissions. The contest can only end by pinfall.

This leads to more pin attempts and suplexes. Awesome lands a release German and a slingshot shoulder tackle. With Storm down, Awesome does the Awesome Splash and gets a five, yet Rougeau speaks up again. This time, he says you must answer a ten count after a pin.

Lance rises at eight, so Awesome brings the table into the ring. Before he can put Storm through it, Lance uses a low blow and a chair shot. Afterward, Storm places Mike on the table and climbs the ropes, but Awesome goes to meet him. He puts Lance through the table with a super belly-to-belly, which leaves both men down. Now Rougeau says the first man to his feet will be the champion. He enters the ring to help count, and Jacques decks Awesome behind Slick Johnson’s back. This allows Lance to reach his feet for the victory.

Thoughts: They should have let these two have a normal encounter. Most of this was amusing and good, but they made Storm look weak. He had a hell of a month on TV, so this took away from that. Furthermore, they ripped off Austin vs. Dude Love from Over the Edge ‘98. Russo had used this already in the past.

Winner: Lance Storm (11:28)

Madden goes crazy as Lance celebrates, but Tony calls this disgusting. Hudson says Storm went 1-3 against Awesome. Then Bret Hart’s music plays! He comes to the ring with his hands in his pockets. The commentators wonder what he thinks about this, but Bret hugs Lance and Jacques when he arrives. Hudson says, “Why, Bret? Why?”

Next, Pamela interviews Kevin Nash. She says Goldberg isn’t there because of his motorcycle accident. Nash says the key word is accident. What happened on the motorcycle is one thing. The real accident was pissing off Kevin Nash. Kevin had a feeling this would happen, so it looks like it will be him vs. Steiner. He says he got into the business for two things, and those are money and the belt. Nash promises he will go over tonight.

Now KroniK and the Dark Carnival arrive for the impromptu tag title match they agreed to earlier.

Tag Team Title Match: The Dark Carnival (Vampiro & The Great Muta) vs. KroniK (c)

The Match: Clark and Vampiro trade strikes until Bryan turns a hurricanrana into a powerbomb. Then Muta enters the fray. Adams avoids the handspring elbow and lands a full nelson slam. Afterward, KroniK makes Vampiro regroup with a powerslam and a big boot. However, Adams follows him and does a gorilla press on the floor. But this flurry doesn’t last. Muta returns and targets Adams’ knee. The Dark Carnival also uses ref distractions to attack Adams outside the ring. This lasts until Clark makes a hot tag. He cleans house and nails the Meltdown on Vampiro, so Muta tries the mist. It hits Mickey Jay by mistake! While the ref is down, KroniK attempts the High Times, but the Harris Brothers jump out of the crowd! They give Clark the H-Bomb and leave, and Muta scores a moonsault for the pin.

Thoughts: This was decent, but even this bout couldn’t go down without outside interference. Also, was anyone clamoring for a Harris Brothers return? I’m begging this show to have one contest that isn’t disappointing, but I have a feeling I won’t get my wish.

Winners: The Dark Carnival (New Champions) (9:06)

Now Pamela interviews Booker T. She says everyone saw what Jarrett did earlier. We know Booker’s heart will go on, but will his knee? Booker says he said it once, and he will say it a thousand times. Jarrett will have to kill him to take his gold. But Jeff made one mistake. Booker is still standing. Jarrett also made things personal when he attacked Booker’s wife, so Booker tells Jeff to remember one thing. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game!

Next, it’s time for Nash vs. Goldberg vs. Steiner. During the entrances, the commentators discuss Russo’s interview. He said he likes two out of these three men, and the one he dislikes isn’t there. The announcers also break kayfabe and talk about political stroke and booking plans. Meanwhile, Goldberg’s music plays twice, but he doesn’t appear, so Nash says to start the bout.

Triple Threat #1 Contender Match: Kevin Nash vs. Goldberg vs. Scott Steiner

Storyline: Despite helping Goldberg at Bash at the Beach, Steiner attacked him because he doesn’t want or need friends. In fact, Steiner targeted everyone except his brother Rick in his quest for the WCW title. He used a pipe on anyone who got in his way until he got suspended again. Scott even choked out Tenay during an interview because he didn’t like his questions. Plus, he had more fights with Nash, and Nash powerbombed Midajah, so Nash and Steiner had a Straitjacket Match. The Steiner Brothers attacked Kevin and put him in the jacket. Meanwhile, Nash and Goldberg did interviews with Hudson. Both men broke the 4^th wall and talked about their dislike for each other. Nash threatened to be unprofessional and guaranteed he would win. Goldberg called out Nash for his backstage politicking. When Schiavone interviewed Russo, Vince promised this bout would end the way WCW wanted.

The Match: Nash and Steiner brawl in and out of the ring until Goldberg arrives. He has his ribs taped, but he attacks Nash with a chair. Then Steiner gives Goldberg clotheslines and suplexes before Nash and Goldberg scuffle. They exchange strikes, but Steiner ends this with more suplexes. He also argues with the ref about his counts. Later, Nash fires back with clotheslines and a big boot to Goldberg. He follows with a Jackknife attempt, but Goldberg shoves him away and leaves the ring. Before Goldberg can exit, Russo confronts him. He tells Bill to get back in the ring, so Goldberg says fuck you and walks away. The commentators imply Goldberg is being unprofessional and doesn’t want to cooperate.

Meanwhile, Nash and Steiner continue fighting with a chair. Steiner scores more suplexes and a backbreaker, but Nash answers with Snake Eyes and tries a chokeslam. This brings out Midajah. She interferes, and everyone throws low blows. Plus, Midajah breaks up a pin, which allows Steiner to jump on Nash’s back. Nash breaks this by ramming Scott into the corner. With Steiner dazed, Nash ends it with a big boot and a Jackknife.

Thoughts: This was stupid. Nash, Goldberg, and Steiner probably could have had a fine encounter, but Russo had to do his dumb worked shoot nonsense. It already plagued the build for this contest, but it got even worse. Who cared? The fans didn’t give a crap about the behind the scenes stuff. They just wanted to see these guys fight. The peek behind the curtain only confused most of the viewers. Goldberg’s heel turn already hurt him. This did even more damage.

Winner: Kevin Nash (10:48)

WCW Title Match: Booker T (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett

Storyline: Everyone from Scott Steiner to Goldberg came after Booker’s title, and this left Booker battered and bruised. Meanwhile, Jarrett earned another shot in a four-way with Kanyon, Steiner, and Goldberg. Afterward, Jarrett terrorized everybody with guitars to insure his opportunity. He attacked Stevie Ray and Booker’s wife, Levestia. Jarrett pulled her over the guardrail and smashed a guitar over her head. All the while, Jarrett received surprising help from Rick Steiner. Later, Jarrett injured Booker’s knee during a Bunkhouse Brawl. He used the guitar and a Figure Four in the ropes. Sting helped avenge Booker by sending Jarrett to the hospital, but Jeff returned to attack Booker again. Finally, Booker stayed home to rest on the go-home Thunder, so Jeff went ballistic. He made Penzer read a statement before clocking Penzer with a guitar. Jarrett said all of this was on Booker’s head.

The Match: They scuffle in and out of the ring until Jarrett grabs a chair. He targets Booker’s knee and uses the post. Then Jeff puts Booker in a Boston Crab. When that doesn’t work, Jeff does more chair shots, but Booker rallies. He scores an axe kick and does the Spinaroonie. However, Booker accidentally clips the ref. This allows Jeff to break a guitar over Booker’s leg and put him in the Figure Four. Once Booker escapes, we get another ref bump. This leads to a fight over a table, and Booker puts Jeff through it with the Book End!

Now a new ref arrives, but he also goes down before Jarrett nails the Stroke on a chair. This brings out Charles Robinson, yet Jeff’s cover only gets a two! Next, Booker hits a swinging neckbreaker on the chair. It still isn’t enough. Afterward, Jarrett attempts a diving axehandle. Booker blocks it and lands the Book End after two tries. It earns him the three.

Thoughts: Finally, a good one! However, this also suffered from overbooking. They couldn’t allow these guys to go out and have a great contest without the extra stuff. It was still the match of the night, but even this was a slight disappointment.

Winner: Booker T (14:54)

Booker kisses the belt and celebrates, but some fans have had enough of this show. They throw trash into the ring, which annoys Booker.

The Good:

• The main event

The Bad:

• Miller/Muta

• Sting/Demon

• Nash/Goldberg/Steiner

• The worked shoots and 4^th wall breaking

Observations:

• Since they gave Hogan the new WCW belt they commissioned, they returned to using the original. WCW bent it back into shape, but the top was bent again within three weeks. I swear they made the thing from paper!

• WCW’s graphics department still can’t spell KroniK, despite KroniK wearing t-shirts on TV with the correct spelling.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Booker T. He had the best match on the show, and he had a good performance.

Final Thoughts:

This was terrible. Even the decent matches weren’t great. Then you had people going off script, using insider terms, and doing worked shoots. Most of this stuff went over the heads of the fans and annoyed them. How was that good TV? Why would anyone care outside of the people backstage? New Blood Rising is now my pick for the worst event of the year.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s SummerSlam 2000. Look for it next Sunday!