Mayhem 2000

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

Mayhem

November 26, 2000

U.S. Cellular Arena

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

News & Notes: WCW made some big changes now Russo is gone. They appointed a new CEO after Halloween Havoc, and that man is Ric Flair! Ric said he would respect Sanders’ role as the Commissioner, but he reserved the right to veto any decision as he saw fit. Plus, Ric started another Lethal Lottery to crown a #1 Contender for after Mayhem. Sting won, but Scott Steiner attacked him afterward.

In other news, the stars of a show called Battle Dome invaded WCW television. A man named T-Money (Terry Crews) led the interruption. Since they showed up on Nitro, some WCW stars appeared on an episode of Battle Dome. This led to more confrontations and brawls. Meanwhile, David Flair got the results of the blood test, but it revealed Buff Bagwell wasn’t the father of Stacy’s baby. The search continues. To make matters worse, M.I. Smooth challenged David because he got him in trouble, and Smooth beat David up. Finally, WCW signed Bob Sapp to a developmental deal, but the company folds before it amounts to anything.

On a side note, WCW held a show in Germany called Millennium Final. Only one thing of note happened, and I will discuss it later.

A throng of fans greets Booker T when he arrives at the building. He signs a few autographs, but Booker says he will take care of the rest after he deals with Scott Steiner. Speaking of Steiner, he walks backstage with a pipe in his hand. Scott stops at the security sign-in, but he destroys their table with the pipe. Scott says he doesn’t sign in for anybody! This leads to the opening video. It focuses on how unstable and uncontrollable Scott Steiner is.

Then we see a clip of something that happened before they came on the air. Ric Flair addressed the crowd. He promised the fans a bunch of great matches tonight, and the crowd’s reaction made him feel honored to be the CEO. However, Madden thought CEO stood for cheat early and often. He didn’t trust Ric.

Now we get the entrances for Mike Sanders vs. Kwee Wee. Sanders says he doesn’t even know Kwee Wee anymore. He’s pretty in pink, so Sanders wants to show him how they handle beeyotches. With this said, Mike slaps Kwee Wee and awakens Angry Allan.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Mike Sanders (c) vs. Kwee Wee (w/ Paisley)

Storyline: Kwee Wee warned people not to make him angry. Otherwise, you might see his darker side, Angry Allan. If this wasn’t enough, Kwee Wee also found a surprising ally in Meng. Paisley even called Angry Allan Mini-Meng. This new partnership helped Kwee Wee earn a Cruiserweight title shot in a six-man Four Corners contest. As for the champion, Flair ordered Sanders to defend his belt at the PPV against Kwee Wee. Plus, Ric booked Sanders vs. Nash, but the Thrillers swarmed Kevin. Later, Sanders countered by making Kwee Wee face Goldberg. Bill took the match and won, but he warned Sanders to never do that again. He doesn’t fight other people’s battles. When Flair heard this, he made Sanders wrestle Goldberg. After Goldberg squashed him, Kwee Wee couldn’t team with Meng against Jindrak & O’Haire. Meng tried to go alone, but the Thrillers ambushed him.

The Match: Kwee Wee makes Sanders regroup after takedowns and knockdowns, so the Thrillers arrive to help. They attack Kwee Wee and double beal toss him into Sanders’ powerslam! Sensing trouble, Paisley fetches Meng and she dons an Afro wig to look like him. Meng brawls with the Thrillers, so Flair appears and makes the Thrillers head backstage. While this happens, Sanders controls things with a chinlock and a Cobra Clutch. Once Kwee Wee breaks free, he does a sunset flip over the ropes, but Sanders turns it into a hurricanrana. Back inside, Paisley slaps Sanders, and Kwee Wee uses her wig as a weapon! This allows Paisley to perform a handspring elbow on Sanders. When Kwee Wee tries to follow with a back suplex, Sanders drops behind him. Mike hits the 3.0 (Orton’s over-the-back backbreaker) for the win.

Thoughts: This was a lot of fun. They opened with a wild brawl and settled into a fast-paced contest with some nice spots. It did everything an opening bout needs to do. They excited the crowd and set a good pace.

Winner: Mike Sanders (7:50)

Next, Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair. He says Ric laid down the law, but he understands Flair has something to say about the previous contest. Ric lets the world know WCW represents wrestling! That includes winning and losing. As of now, unless you’re in the match or are a valet or manager, Flair won’t allow you at ringside! He says there won’t be any more interference tonight. There will only be winners and losers because WCW will give the fans the product. Gene calls this refreshing.

Meanwhile, Alex Wright and an injured Disqo meet with KroniK. Disqo says his back is in excruciating agony, and Konnan isn’t here tonight. Adams says he knows a good chiropractor, but Disqo’s back doesn’t concern him. Besides, they planned a Handicap fight, so it still works. Disqo says he never specified the handicap. He figured KroniK and Alex would face Rey and Kidman. Clark says this requires more money, so Alex digs into his pocket and hands KroniK cash. Adams claims the amount is only enough for one of them, but Disqo makes a counteroffer. He suggests both of them for half the time. Clark agrees. They get KroniK for seven minutes and thirty seconds. Wright calls this a terrible deal.

Next, Gene interviews Evan Karagias and Jamie Knoble. He says they formed their team out of necessity, and now they face 3 Count and the Jung Dragons. Evan claims 3 Count is jealous of him. He gets all the chicks while driving his Cadillac in North Cackalacky! When Jamie hears this, he interrupts Evan. Jamie didn’t realize Evan was from North Carolina. Karagias says he played high school football there and dated a cheerleader. Jamie realizes Evan is talking about his sister. She told him Evan cheated on her! Evan says that’s the past. Jamie needs to get his head in the match. As Evan walks away, Jamie says Evan played his sister, but Gene says it could have been worse. Being from North Carolina might have made them relatives.

Elsewhere, Crowbar walks backstage with some Nitro Girls. He tells them he’s the Hardcore champion, which impresses them. Crowbar wants to party, but he needs to get ready, so he asks them to put the champagne on ice. Once they leave, Crowbar enters his locker room and finds flowers from someone.

This leads to 3 Count’s entrance. Helms says he saw Evan’s promo, and he talked to some of Evan’s former girlfriends. They all said the same thing. Evan’s stick shift was just too small. Then they try to dance, but the Dragons interrupt them. Everyone brawls once the teams arrive.

3-Way Dance: 3 Count (Shane Helms & Shannon Moore) vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs. The Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi & Yun Yang) (w/ Leia Meow)

Storyline: Two teams fell apart during one fateful encounter. Helms and Moore had enough of Evan hogging the spotlight. Kaz and Yang grew tired of Jamie-San screwing up. When the Jung Dragons fought 3 Count, both teams kicked their problematic members to the curb. Leia Meow even took Jamie’s mask, so we learned he’s a white guy named Jamie Knoble. Later, Jamie and Evan wrestled. 3 Count jumped Evan afterward, so Jamie saved him with a chair. Next, Jamie and Yang faced off. This time, Evan returned the favor and rescued Jamie from a beating. This led to Evan and Jamie forming a team, so they booked this encounter. Then Moore, Karagias, and Yang had a 3-Way Dance, which Yang won while Evan brawled with Helms on the floor.

The Match: They fight until the Dragons send 3 Count outside and dive onto them. Then Evan fends off the Dragons and 3 Count, but Knoble falls to a wheel kick/German suplex combo by Helms and Moore. This allows the Dragons to take over with flips, kicks, and a backbreaker, but Moore scores a Rocker Dropper. Next, everyone hits big moves. Helms does a flying sunset flip to Kaz. Evan gives Moore a Karagias Driver. Kaz does a brainbuster on Evan. Jamie lands a Tombstone on Kaz. And Helms drops Kaz with the Nightmare on Helms Street. Afterward, everybody dives out of the ring, including Leia! Now the Dragons introduce a ladder, which ends poorly for Moore. However, Helms performs a flying splash to Yang off Kaz’s shoulders. Finally, the Dragons send Evan to the floor, but 3 Count ends it with their Samoan Drop/Neckbreaker combo on Yang.

Thoughts: I can’t call this boring, but it was a little messy. Even the commentators pointed out it was out of control. Scott James (Armstrong) stopped caring about the legal man, so it became hard to follow it. I wanted to enjoy this, but I can only call it decent.

Winners: 3 Count (10:53)

Tony says there is a commotion in the back. We head backstage to see Mike Awesome laid out on a broken table. Bam Bam Bigelow stands over him with a chair. He tells Awesome the 70s sucked. Then Bigelow tries to attack Mike, but A-Wall stops him and runs Bigelow off. Afterward, A-Wall stares at the fallen Mike Awesome. Tony wonders what this means for the planned Awesome/Bigelow contest.

Now Pam interviews Boogie Knights and KroniK. Pam asks the Boogie Knights if they are broke after hiring KroniK. This offends Wright. He calls her a dumb blonde and tells her to shut up. Why does she care about their money? Is she a gold digger? Then Disqo says Pam should know about the value of a buck. Ask her sugar daddy. Disqo also says time is money, so he predicts a victory in less than eight minutes. KroniK reminds him they are only there for seven and a half, but Disqo says his credit is good if they go over the time limit. Pam doubts this. She heard Disqo would steal money from his mom if he could.

Next, Gene interviews Jimmy Hart, who is on crutches. Gene calls this suspect. He even admonishes Jimmy for his recent comments about the women of Milwaukee. Jimmy says they misquoted him. He never said Milwaukee is where the men are men and the women are too! Nevertheless, Gene discusses Jimmy’s match against Mancow, but what’s with the cast on Hart’s leg? Jimmy says he wore this since the last encounter with Mancow. Gene starts to say the cast is as real as Major Gunns’ breasts, but Hart interrupts him. He has to find 3 Count so they can accompany him to the ring. While Jimmy says this, a producer tells him it’s time for his match, but Hart isn’t ready. Gene says Mancow will wrap one of those crutches around Jimmy’s gallbladder.

Meanwhile, the Thrillers complain to Sanders about Ric Flair. An angry O’Haire pounds on Mike’s desk, but Reno remains calm. He tells Mike not to worry about Big Cheeto or Crowface. Reno can handle them. Sanders tells him to take care of business.

Afterward, we get the entrances for Mancow vs. Jimmy Hart. Mancow brings his entourage of freaks. He says Flair allowed this because they didn’t sanction his contest. Plus, Mancow wears a t-shirt that says boy bands suck, so Stevie wonders if 3 Count saw it. As Stevie says this, Tony tells him the big guy with the gold nose is Turd the Bartender. This makes Stevie wheeze with laughter. As for Jimmy Hart, he tries to make peace and offers a handshake, so Mancow says Jimmy is as bad as Al Gore. He doesn’t know when to say goodbye. Mancow threatens to kick Jimmy’s hanging chad, but Hart hits him with a crutch when Mancow turns around.

Mancow (w/ Al Roker Jr., Freak, Jim Jesus, & Turd the Bartender) vs. Jimmy Hart

Storyline: Jimmy Hart paid for promo time on WCW TV. He wanted to promote his new hobby, which is calling out loud-mouthed radio hosts for a fight. After all, Jimmy knocked out Andy Kaufman years ago! Jimmy claimed Rick Dees, Howard Stern, and Casey Kasem sent requests to face him, but Hart called out Mancow while WCW was in Chicago. Mancow answered the call. He said Jimmy Hart had to wear a knee brace after their last encounter. When Mancow and Hart got physical, 3 Count helped Jimmy Hart beat him up. Later, Jimmy dared another DJ named Montana Taylor to fight, but Mancow wasn’t done. Mancow bought TV time to show footage of his retaliation. He jumped Jimmy and 3 Count with a trash can and caused a pull-apart brawl.

The Match: 3 Count arrives and brawls with the circus of freaks. While this happens, Mancow chokes Jimmy Hart, but Jimmy throws a low blow. He follows this with stomps and punches before grabbing the crutch. However, Jimmy taunts the fans, so Mancow decks him with the other crutch. Now Mancow rips off the fake cast and wraps it over his fist. He nails a running cast shot to Jimmy’s head and pins him.

Thoughts: The short length is the only positive thing about this. Who wanted to see this? The second Russo left, we went back to this crap again. As bad as Russo’s run was, he at least kept Jimmy Hart’s flights of fancy in check. They booked the last Hart/Mancow encounter before Russo returned.

Winner: Mancow (1:38)

Backstage, the EMTs work on Mike Awesome while Crowbar asks if he’s okay. Crowbar wonders what this means for Awesome’s match. He also tells them to take good care of his tag team partner.

Meanwhile, the Misfits in Action complain about not being able to accompany Rection to his match. Hugh tells them he wants it this way, so don’t let Flair’s ruling change their new attitude. Speaking of Flair, Ric enters the room and asks for a moment of A-Wall’s time. He says this is important. Elsewhere, Lance Storm talks with Bam Bam Bigelow.

Now Pam interviews the Filthy Animals. She says Konnan isn’t there, and Disqo paid KroniK to fight them. This doesn’t worry Rey. Every time Disqo has a plan, it fails, like Disqo failed at life. Then Rey says Konnan partied too hard with some freaks last night. That’s why he isn’t here. Rey and Kidman promise to hold it down, and he hopes Konnan makes it. With that said, Kidman talks about KroniK. He sarcastically says Adams and Clark are good wrestlers and then blows a raspberry. Plus, Kidman echoes Rey’s statement about Konnan.

Three the Hard Way for the Hardcore Title: Crowbar (c) vs. Big Vito vs. Reno

Storyline: Between successful Hardcore title defenses and helping the Thrillers deceive Nash, Reno was riding high, but he forgot about Vito. Big Vito attacked Reno and helped Crowbar become the new champ. However, Crowbar took exception to Vito taking credit for his win. They faced each other, and Crowbar won after Reno jumped Vito behind Crowbar’s back. Meanwhile, Bam Bam returned. Crowbar greeted his mentor, but Bigelow beat him up. This led to a match where Bigelow tried to injure Crowbar, so Awesome saved him. Elsewhere, Vito jumped Reno and told him Maria said hello. Reno and Bam Bam complained to Sanders, so Mike made Vito fight Scott Steiner. He also booked Reno & Bigelow vs. Crowbar & Awesome. Awesome powerbombed Crowbar onto Reno on a table, but Bigelow speared Awesome through another table. As this happened, Reno fell on top of Crowbar for the pin.

The Match: Reno and Vito fight before Crowbar arrives. Once he does, everyone trades stick and trash can shots. Vito absorbs them before fetching a bag. It has a traffic cone and a baseball bat inside. Vito uses it on Reno’s crotch. He also gives Crowbar a stick-assisted leg sweep and attacks his groin as well. After more stick attacks, Crowbar flapjacks Vito on a trash can, but Reno uses the bat on Crowbar. Now the action spills into the aisle and heads backstage. They scuffle around equipment cases and a refreshment table. Reno powerslams Vito onto the latter, but Maria steps between them. She says this ended a long time ago for her, so why is Reno taking it out on Vito? While she says this, Crowbar knocks a chair into Reno’s face with another chair and pins him. The commentators say Maria set Reno up.

Thoughts: The finish was the only interesting part. Everything else was repetitive weapon shots. These types of matches need to utilize unique locations and fun spots. It can’t comprise only weapon strikes. That’s dull.

Winner: Crowbar (7:50)

Buff Bagwell walks backstage. He asks some crew members for the equipment truck’s location. They point him in the right direction, so Buff tells them to watch what he has planned. Elsewhere, DDP and Nash talk while Kevin reads a magazine. I can barely hear Nash over Crowbar’s dubbed theme. DDP predicts a rough match, but Nash says the Perfect Event is S.O.L., and you know what that means! Instead of letting the joke lie, DDP explains it means shit outta luck. Then Nash starts to ask a question about James Bond, but they cut away from the segment.

Next, Gene interviews Ernest Miller and Miss Jones. Gene calls Jones tasty, so Miller threatens to break a foot off in Gene’s ass. This makes Gene change the subject to Shane Douglas. Cat says he doesn’t care about the Franchise. Shane can’t beat him, and Gene can’t stop him. In fact, no one in the business can stop Miller. He promises to whip Douglas’s ass all over the arena. Better yet, if Douglas beats him, Cat says he will crawl over, kiss his feet, and leave the country for a month. With that said, Miller calls Gene baldy and leaves. Gene says he could rock Miss Jones’ world with a shot of vitamin Gene. This makes the commentators lose it and start laughing.

While the participants of the next match arrive, Tony talks about the changes. KroniK is Disqo’s paid assassins, but he only has seven minutes and thirty seconds with them. Also, where is Konnan? They don’t get an answer, but Tygress joins the commentary table. Meanwhile, KroniK shows Disqo a stopwatch.

Handicap Match: The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr.) (w/ Tygress) vs. KroniK & Alex Wright (w/ Disqo)

Storyline: The Boogie Knights became fed up after losing to the Animals, so they hatched a new plan. They paid KroniK to beat up their enemies, including a referee Disqo pissed off during a match. Boogie Knights even hired KroniK to replace them in the Lethal Lottery because they didn’t want to wrestle Scott Steiner’s team. Later, Flair grew tired of them and booked the Boogie Knights against Goldberg. This didn’t stop them from hiring KroniK to attack Konnan again. Plus, Boogie Knights won the tag titles during the Millennium Final show, but Disqo suffered an injury. Afterward, Sanders ordered Wright to team with Elix Skipper and defend the belts against the Perfect Event. The Thrillers helped the Perfect Event win the gold. Undeterred, Wright paid KroniK to face Rey & Kidman, but he only had enough money for Clark. However, Adams helped Clark defeat them.

The Match: Alex makes Adams start, and Brian throws Kidman around. Billy answers with quick strikes and takedowns until Adams scores a full nelson slam. Now Wright returns, but Kidman takes him down too. Next, Clark and Rey enter the ring. Rey tries headscissors and bodyscissors, but Clark turns them into a slam and a powerbomb. This allows Wright to take control with frequent tags and triple-teaming in his corner. However, Wright’s decision to toy with Rey eats up all the time. KroniK leaves, despite Disqo offering his gold chain and watch. Meanwhile, Rey does a baseball slide to Alex’s crotch and gives him a Bronco Buster. Alex tries to fight, but the Animals end it with a Rydeen Bomb and the Nutcracker Suite.

Thoughts: This was fun, and I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t overly thrilling, but they accomplished their goals, so this was fine. Plus, the stuff with KroniK and Disqo amused me.

Winners: Rey & Kidman (7:46)

Backstage, Sanders assures the Thrillers everything is fine, despite Flair’s ruling. He says the phrase set it off around ten times and promises something special for the tag title match.

Afterward, Gene interviews Scott Steiner and Midajah. He says Steiner will face Booker T in Caged Heat with a straitjacket hanging overhead. However, Booker said Scott must kill him to stop him. Steiner says Booker would have died at Halloween Havoc if security hadn’t stopped him. If Booker wants death, death is ratings! Then Steiner says people think he is out of his mind and they say he has disconnected X and Y chromosomes. Most people can’t function in the state he is in. But when he’s out of his mind, he is at his best!

Now Shane Douglas and Torrie arrive for the match with Miller. Douglas said Cat made him want to puke. He also calls himself and Torrie twisted steel and sex appeal. They are the first couple of sports entertainment! As far as Miller, he invites Ernest to get his ass franchised. When Miller arrives, Cat brings up the twisted steel line. He promises to twist Shane’s ass all over Milwaukee.

Ernest the Cat Miller (w/ Miss Jones) vs. Shane Douglas (w/ Torrie Wilson)

Storyline: Since Douglas aided Sanders in a win at Halloween Havoc, Flair gave the Cat a chance for revenge on Sanders. Miller won, but Douglas appeared on the big screen afterward. He had Miss Jones backstage. She slapped Shane, so Douglas gave her a backbreaker. Shane ran away while Miller called for help. Then Douglas went on a vacation for two weeks. While he was gone, Miller faced Elix Skipper after Elix hit on Miss Jones. Cat also helped Konnan deal with the Boogie Knights. The next week, Shane returned. Douglas and Jarrett teamed up to break Buff Bagwell’s neck, but Miller thwarted them. Douglas challenged Miller for this match, but the Cat wanted to do it early. He donned his red slippers of death, so Douglas retreated while Miller danced. Later, Buff & Miller faced Douglas & Jarrett. Miller avoided a guitar, but Shane used a chain on Bagwell.

The Match: Cat and Shane scuffle in and out of the ring while Jones and Torrie get involved. Then Miller goes to the announce table and decks Mark Madden! Back inside, Shane takes control through cheap shots and Torrie’s interference. Miller tries to rally, but Shane scores a Manhattan Drop and a butterfly suplex. After more strike exchanges, Miller surprises Shane with the Feliner, but he is slow to cover. Miss Jones helps him, but he only gets two! This leads to a catfight between Jones and Torrie. Shane uses the distraction to fetch a chain, and he decks Miller, but Cat gets a foot on the ropes! Next, Miller blocks a DDT, and Jones puts a red slipper on Cat’s foot. Torrie attempts to throw the chain back to Shane, but it misses, and Miller kicks him with the slipper to win.

Thoughts: Parts of this amused me, but it wasn’t great. However, the commentary made this somewhat entertaining. So it was fine for what it was.

Winner: Ernest Miller (8:00)

Elsewhere, Jarrett finds all his guitars smashed to pieces. A crew member snitches on Bagwell, so Jeff asks where he is. They point him in the right direction, and Jarrett leaves.

Now Pamela interviews the Misfits in Action. She says tonight is the last match between Storm and Rection. The winner takes the gold and the war. Loco tells Hugh to remember what they talked about. Take no prisoners and eliminate Storm by any means necessary! Rection repeats this before saying Lance made it personal. This isn’t about America or Canada anymore. This is about Storm and Rection for the U.S. title! Storm made it about Major Gunns, but Cajun says he can keep that bitch. Rection only wants the belt, and he wants to break Storm’s bones. This isn’t over until the Misfits say it’s over. Once they leave, Pamela says the Misfits finally snapped.

Afterward, we get—oh, no! What is this!? They show the old Glacier promo. This time, it says blood will run colder. Glacier is coming back to WCW! The ice age returns! Madden wonders why they’re doing this again. It didn’t work the first time. Tony says this is giving him flashbacks. Stevie wonders if he hit his head earlier.

Next, Bam Bam Bigelow comes to the ring. He wants a forfeit victory because they sent Awesome to the hospital, but Ric Flair interrupts him. Ric says they signed Bigelow to wrestle for 10,000 people. Bam Bam thinks he makes the rules, but he doesn’t. In fact, Flair suspects Bam Bam attacked Awesome, so he has a surprise. Bam Bam will face A-Wall. He brings a table with him.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Sgt. A-Wall

Storyline: Bam Bam had to take some time off after suffering burns while saving some kids from a fire. When he returned to WCW, he came back with an attitude. Bigelow grew tired of sitting at home and wanted to get back into the action. As I mentioned earlier, he attacked Crowbar. Then Bigelow helped Luger beat up Goldberg. It led to a 3-Way Dance, between Bigelow, Luger, and Goldberg. This was a glorified Handicap Match, but Luger abandoned Bigelow. Later, they paired Bigelow and Awesome in the Lethal Lottery. They couldn’t get along because Bam Bam hurt Crowbar. Bigelow gave Awesome the Greetings after they lost, so Awesome interfered in Bigelow vs. Crowbar. This caused a backstage brawl between Bam Bam and Awesome. Bigelow also teamed with Reno against Awesome and Crowbar. Meanwhile, A-Wall dealt with the M.I.A. drama, which I’ll explain before the next contest.

The Match: They tussle around the ring before A-Wall hits, bites, and chokes Bigelow. Bam Bam answers with a Samoan Drop, but A-Wall uses more chokes and strikes. He even rakes the eyes and looks for a belly-to-belly. Bam Bam reverses it into a pin for two before nailing a DDT. However, he misses a flying headbutt. Now they kick and punch each other until A-Wall avoids the Greetings. This allows him to fetch the table and bring it inside. Plus, he does a spinebuster and goes for the chokeslam. Bigelow blocks it and gives A-Wall Greetings from Asbury Park for the victory.

Thoughts: This was dull, and they robbed us of the only good spot they had. Bigelow prevented the use of the table. The crowd didn’t care, and neither did I.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow (5:41)

Bam Bam collapses after the bell, so the ref calls for help. While he’s on the mat, Stevie Ray leaves the announce table the check on him. Then the EMTs arrive, so Madden tells them not to show this.

They cut to a Buff Bagwell interview instead. Gene expresses concern for Bam Bam before addressing Bagwell. He went through a similar situation not that long ago. Buff agrees, but he stumbles over his words. It sounded like he said cervical dicks, whatever that means. Plus, Buff mocks Jarrett. He says Jeff might be the Chosen One, but he has nothing to choose from. Jarrett has no guitars and no game plan. This makes Buff laugh as he leaves the room.

Back at ringside, Tony says Bam Bam is dizzy and might have a concussion. The EMTs put a neck brace on him while asking if Bam Bam can hear them. They show a recap of the Storm/Rection feud, as the EMTs continue their work.

This leads to Lance Storm’s entrance. He has taped ribs, so Madden says Gorbachev injured them during a celebrity hockey game. Storm says he is risking his health to end Rection for good. Lance claims he has cracked ribs and bulging discs, but Tony says this is the first time he heard about this. Storm also says the only thing he hasn’t taken from Rection is his country, but he doesn’t want that. With that said, Lance asks everyone to rise for the anthem. Unsurprisingly, Rection interrupts it. As Rection passes Bigelow’s stretcher, Bam Bam leaps off it and attacks Hugh. Stevie remembers we saw Storm and Bigelow talking earlier, so Stevie calls Bigelow an egg-sucking dog. Madden calls this a miracle.

U.S. Title Match: Gen. Rection vs. Lance Storm (c) (w/ Major Gunns)

Storyline: The WCW roster celebrated Hugh’s big win, but Storm said Rection didn’t beat him. He wanted a rematch, and Hugh agreed. Then Storm tried to recruit Meng to help him with the M.I.A., but Storm slapped Meng when Meng lost to A-Wall. This was a mistake. Now Storm had an angry Meng and Kwee Wee on his case. This made Lance lose his patience. He demanded his shot at Rection early. They banned everyone from ringside, but Major Gunns showed up. She threw in the towel when Storm put Rection in the Maple Leaf, so Lance became the new champ. Afterward, Gunns revealed she had joined Team Canada! The drama almost spelled the end of the M.I.A., but Rection rallied them to keep fighting. Meanwhile, Storm challenged Booker for the WCW title in an excellent match. Plus, Rection & Meng defeated Storm & Duggan when Rection pinned Duggan.

The Match: They fight inside and outside the ring, and Storm targets Hugh’s leg. He uses the rail, the steps, and the ring post to injure the limb. Plus, Storm grabs leg holds. When Rection fights back, Storm gives him a low dropkick and continues the leg work. This lasts until Storm accidentally crotches himself on the post. However, Storm ends a rally with a chop block and looks for a suplex. It gets blocked and reversed before Hugh scores a powerslam. Now Rection climbs the turnbuckles, so Gunns crotches him. This opens the door for Storm’s back superplex, but Rection knocks Storm down and lands No Laughing Matter for the win.

Thoughts: This was okay. The storytelling wasn’t bad, and the action was solid, but I wouldn’t call it exciting. The problem is, it underwhelmed me as the end of a feud. They should have stopped with last month’s encounter.

Winner: Gen. Rection (New Champion) (6:25)

Meanwhile, Mike Sanders approaches Dillinger and his security crew. Mike says he has everything handled, so Dillinger can send his guys home. Dillinger makes a sarcastic retort as Sanders leaves. Tony wonders what this was about. What is Sanders planning? Then the commentators discuss the rest of the card before they show a Starrcade commercial.

Now Jarrett arrives for his fight with Bagwell. Jeff tells all the Milwaukee slap nuts to listen. Buff pulled a stunt in the back because he only has a few brain cells. Bagwell thought he pulled a fast one. Next, Jarrett flubs a line about being a superstar, so the commentators mock him. Once Jarrett recovers, he calls Buff a big damn goof, but Jarrett says he came prepared. Tony asks what he means.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Buff Bagwell

Storyline: Jarrett challenged Ric Flair’s authority. He said Flair as the CEO was a big joke, so Ric made Jeff team with Vampiro against Sting and Awesome. Sting and Jarrett brawled to the back, but it wasn’t over. Next, Jarrett and Steiner faced Bagwell and Sting. Jeff blasted Buff with a guitar and let Steiner put him in the Recliner. Later, Tenay interviewed Buff. He said he wanted a chance to be WCW’s chosen one, not Jarrett. Jeff said Buff had no respect for a veteran like him, so he told Sanders to book Buff against Goldberg. Meanwhile, Jarrett antagonized the Flair family. Jeff tricked David into thinking he was the father of Stacy’s baby before hitting David with a guitar. Buff brawled with Jarrett afterward and threw him off the stage, so Jarrett turned to Shane Douglas. They tried to break Buff’s neck and attacked him with a chain.

The Match: After exchanging strikes and taunts, Buff lands a swinging neckbreaker and a Vader Bomb. Then he takes Jeff outside, hits him with a foam guitar toy, and chokes Jarrett with a cable. However, Jarrett counters with a low blow and uses a chair on Bagwell. Now Jeff focuses on Buff’s bad neck before they trade sleeper holds. When Buff rallies, he scores a double-arm DDT, but he misses a Blockbuster. Nevertheless, Buff recovers with a tornado DDT. Afterward, Jeff wipes out the ref by accident, which allows David Flair to attack Jeff! He gives Jarrett a DDT on a chair and leaves. Bagwell covers, but it only gets two! More back-and-forth action leads to another DDT by Bagwell. Plus, Jeff tumbles out of the ring. While on the floor, Jeff grabs a hidden guitar. He blasts Buff with it and covers for the three.

Thoughts: This was fine, but the ending has become cliché. Jarrett wins another match with a guitar shot. I’m so surprised. It’s hard to care at this point. This was forgettable.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett (11:10)

Now Sanders comes to the ring before the tag title bout. He goes to the announce table, hugs Madden, and joins the commentary team. Sanders says he has a plan, but he won’t tell them what it is. Nash and DDP enter next. They aren’t calling themselves the Insiders yet. Once they arrive, the Thrillers come out in security t-shirts. Sanders says this is his plan. They have official business, so Flair can’t remove them!

Tag Team Title Match: Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Perfect Event (c) (w/ Mike Sanders)

Storyline: It seemed Stasiak had enough of Nash and quit the Thrillers. Shawn made it appear like he paid KroniK to take out members of the Thrillers. Then Stasiak cost Nash a chance to win the WCW Title, so they booked Stasiak vs. Nash. Shawn showed up with KroniK, but Sanders made them leave. However, it was a swerve. Stasiak and the Thrillers swarmed Nash and beat him up. They said they didn’t need a coach. Next, Sanders put Nash in a Four Corners contest against other Thrillers. It was a glorified Handicap fight and another ambush. Meanwhile, Sanders helped the Perfect Event win the tag titles, so Nash challenged them to face him and his new partner, Diamond Dallas Page! Flair convinced DDP to return, and DDP joined Nash. Finally, DDP fought Stasiak in a Lumberjack Match, but the Thrillers helped Shawn win.

The Match: Nash and DDP make the Event regroup twice with strikes and Snake Eyes. When Kevin and Dallas follow them, the Thrillers strike. This draws Flair to the ring with Dillinger’s security crew. They make the Thrillers leave, but Sanders pulls out a manager’s license and says he can stay. Now DDP and Stasiak do some chain wrestling before the Perfect Event takes control with double-teaming. They land a double slingshot suplex and use frequent tags. Page rallies with a sunset flip that exposes Shawn’s butt, but he blocks it. Afterward, Chuck and Shawn use more double-teaming and sleeper holds, but Page escapes and tags Nash. Kevin cleans house and gives Stasiak a Jackknife while DDP does a Cutter on Chuck. When Nash covers, Sanders pulls the ref outside, so Page hits another Cutter on Mike. This allows Nash to cover Chuck for the victory.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. It was a solid tag bout with a hot finish. Plus, they gave the Perfect Event enough offense to look good for once. They also kept it at a good length.

Winners: Nash & DDP (New Champions) (14:55)

Pamela asks Luger if he has any butterflies because of his match with Goldberg. After all, many people tried and failed to defeat him. This question offends Luger. He says he would expose her as a two-bit nothing happening interviewer if he wasn’t so focused on his match. Luger tells her to shut up and hold the mic. As far as Goldberg, he had his chance. This could have been for the heavyweight title, but Goldberg blew it! Now it’s just a big retirement party for Bill. Luger calls himself the Michael Jordan of WCW. He made Goldberg, and now he will break him.

Michael Buffer introduces this co-main event. He says two former world champions are looking for a victory in their quest to become champs again. Then Buffer says let’s bring them on instead of his usual catchphrase. During the entrances, Madden tries to explain why Goldberg still has to match his old streak after Russo left. They say Russo tied the stipulation to himself. Therefore, only Russo could reverse it. (That argument doesn’t work, but okay.)

Goldberg vs. Lex Luger

Storyline: Flair reinstated Luger because Lex helped David, but Luger’s ego soon grew out of control. He threatened Mark Madden for implying he gained body fat. Then Lex put Ross Forman in the Rack because he didn’t include him in WCW’s magazine. But Luger’s boldest move was his promise to end Goldberg’s streak. Bill’s career is still on the line if he loses. Later, Luger ripped up a copy of Goldberg’s book. Plus, Lex made a deal with Flair. Lex faced Booker for the WCW Title. If he won, his encounter with Goldberg would be for the gold. Lex used this idea to manipulate Goldberg into interfering. After all, it would give Goldberg a championship shot without having to match his original streak. Bill showed up, but Scott Steiner jabbed him in the eye. A blinded Goldberg cost Luger the victory, but was it an accident?

The Match: Goldberg focuses on Luger’s arm to begin, but Lex escapes. Then Luger lands an ineffective back suplex. When Goldberg rises, Lex pokes him in the eye and uses clotheslines and strikes. Goldberg returns the shots, but Luger boots him in the face and nails the running forearm. Now Lex takes Bill outside and rams him into the rail. He follows with axehandles and punches, but Goldberg answers with a powerslam. With Lex down, Goldberg looks for a spear, so Luger pulls the ref into it. Nevertheless, Goldberg mows down both men! He continues with a Jackhammer, and a new ref arrives to count the three.

Thoughts: This was fine, but it was unremarkable. The finish gave Luger an excuse to say they robbed him. He can always claim they should have disqualified Goldberg for spearing the ref, so this served its purpose. However, it disappointed me as a co-main event.

Winner: Goldberg (5:53)

Next, the cage lowers for the main event. Buffer says his catchphrase this time, so I guess WCW could only afford one use. Also, Buffer’s voice cracks when he talks about the straitjacket. Meanwhile, Steiner attacks Booker before Buffer finishes, but Michael continues talking.

Straitjacket Caged Heat Match for the WCW Title: Scott Steiner (w/ Midajah) vs. Booker T (c)

Storyline: Steiner bullied his way into Awesome’s title match, but Booker won. Afterward, Scott Steiner attacked security and jumped Sting the following week, so Flair had enough. He booked this match and added the straitjacket stipulation. Furthermore, Ric threatened to fire Scott if he harmed another non-wrestler. Steiner tried his best to control his temper, but he still threatened refs and Mike Sanders. Flair didn’t help matters when he paired Steiner with Sting in the Lethal Lottery, but they made it to the finals. When Sting won, Steiner put him in a straitjacket and beat him up. Meanwhile, Booker also lost his cool. He hit Steiner and Sting with a chair, but he apologized to Sting. Booker even scuffled with Goldberg after the Luger fight, but they patched their differences. Finally, Booker jumped Steiner while Stevie Ray interviewed him, so Flair barred Booker and Steiner from fighting before the PPV.

The Match: They brawl until Booker hits a Harlem Sidekick, but Steiner answers with suplexes and a backbreaker. He does push-ups instead of pinning Booker, which causes an argument with the ref. Unfazed, Steiner uses a Samoan Drop and turns a bear hug into a Manhattan Drop. Now Booker nails a missile dropkick. However, Steiner lands a super Samoan Drop. Then Scott goes after the straitjacket, but Booker pulls him into an electric chair drop. With Steiner down, Booker tries to put the jacket on him. It takes two attempts because Booker puts it on backward the first time.

Once he secures it, Booker grabs a chair, but Steiner busts through the jacket! He tears off the sleeves and looks for a Recliner. Booker evades it and performs a Book End, but his slow cover gets two. An axe kick and Spinaroonie follow, but Steiner whacks Booker with a chair. He also uses a full nelson drop and makes Booker pass out to a Recliner!

Thoughts: I liked this. At first, I didn’t care for the straitjacket stipulation, but the sight of Steiner ripping off the sleeves was cool. I even enjoyed the finish, and it’s nice to see Steiner get his big win.

Winner: Scott Steiner (New Champion) (13:10)

Stevie Ray says Booker never quit, so he thinks the ref is on the take. While he says this, Steiner attacks Booker’s knee with the chair. He also removes the knee brace. When the officials try to stop him, Steiner hits them with the chair. He continues the assault as the show ends.

The Good:

• Booker/Steiner

• The opener

• The tag title match

The Bad:

• Mancow vs. Jimmy Hart

• Too many matches and too many segments

Observations:

• Russo left, yet they somehow made the shows even more bloated and chaotic. This PPV had twelve matches and a ridiculous amount of backstage shenanigans!

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Scott Steiner. This was his night, and I loved the image of him ripping out of the straitjacket.

Final Thoughts:

Only the Mancow match was terrible, but the rest was lackluster. This felt more like a long episode of TV than a PPV, and it wasn’t even a good episode. It was far from the worst show of the year, but it’s one you will forget by the end of it.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s Massacre on 34^th Street. Look for it next Sunday!