Starrcade 2000

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

Starrcade

December 17, 2000

MCI Center

Washington, D.C.

News & Notes: WCW had three weeks after Mayhem to build toward Starrcade, so I only have a few extra storylines to discuss. First, the power struggle between Flair and Sanders continued. Ric made Sanders defend his Cruiserweight belt against Chavo, and Mike lost his gold. Then Sanders overstepped his bounds and found himself in a match with Sid. Mike wanted to shake hands and walk away, but Sid squashed him. Later, Mike made Chavo fight the Perfect Event in a Handicap Match, so Flair countered by pitting Sanders against DDP. In other news, Stacy Keibler tried to make peace with David Flair. She didn’t want to hurt him, and she would tell David who the baby’s father was when she was ready. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart kept calling out radio hosts for a fight. And finally, more Glacier vignettes aired, much to the commentators’ chagrin. He is coming back!

The opening video focuses on three main feuds. Alliances will form. Titles will change. The power will shift. Stars will rise. And champions will fall. Will the Natural Born Monkeys, as DDP calls them, be S.O.L.? Is this the end of Goldberg’s career, or is Luger next? Can Steiner beat the original madman, Sid, or will Sid kiss the champ’s ass? Madden calls this a Starrcade no one will ever forget.

Now Tony welcomes everyone to the show and introduces Hudson and Madden. While they discuss the card, we get the entrances for the first contest. It’s a three-way Ladder Match for a shot at Chavo’s Cruiserweight title. Tag teams are competing, but it might be every man for himself. Speaking of Chavo, he joins the commentary team for this bout. Once everybody arrives, they stand on the apron like it’s a normal tag encounter. That’s odd.

Cruiserweight #1 Contender Ladder Match: 3 Count (Shane Helms & Shannon Moore) vs. The Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi & Yun Yang) (w/ Leia Meow) vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias

Storyline: Knoble and Karagias attacked 3 Count with a ladder the night after Mayhem, so they booked this Ladder Match. Meanwhile, each team had their own issues in the past few weeks. Jamie had trouble keeping Evan focused. He wanted to pose and dance in the middle of the action. This caused losses to Jindrak & O’Haire and Alex Wright & Big Ron. As for the Dragons, Leia Meow whipped them into shape, and Miller helped them get multiple wins over Storm and Team Canada. Then we have 3 Count. They faced the Insiders for the tag titles, but they lost. Later, these teams had a 3-Way Dance. During the encounter, Helms debuted a new move he will soon call the Vertebreaker. It impressed Konnan, who was on commentary. However, Knoble and Karagias won the bout when Evan stole a pin from Jamie.

The Match: They don’t take long before they stop tagging and go for the ladders. While everyone heads toward the aisle, 3 Count pulls a ladder from under the ring and tries to sneak a win. The Dragons come back to stop them, which leads to moves off of and onto the ladder. This includes a scary flapjack where Kaz lands on his head. Next, Evan and Jamie argue over who will grab the contract, so the Dragons send them outside for dives. Everybody joins the action. Afterward, they create a ladder bridge across the ropes and do spots from it. Evan catches Kaz with a powerslam, and Moore hits a double springboard Showstopper (Fameasser). Helms even performs a neckbreaker on Knoble from the ladder.

Next, they set up two ladders. Knoble and Karagias climb, despite arguing again, but Leia pulls Knoble down and yells at him. Once Jamie shoves her away, the Dragons attack. They double powerbomb Evan and build a scaffold out of the ladders. As they climb, 3 Count fights them. Plus, the Dragons, Knoble, and Karagias take turns knocking each other off the ladders. This continues until 3 Count and the Dragons are on the ladder scaffold. Moore skins the cat into a headscissors on Yang and pulls himself onto the structure. They also hip toss Knoble from the top. This leaves 3 Count by themselves, so they take the contract together.

Thoughts: This was good fun, and it had some innovative spots. I was unsure about the stipulation at first. They had tag teams in the contest, but only one person got the championship match. This seemed convoluted, but they worked it into the story they told. It also set up an interesting scenario going forward. Which member of 3 Count will get the shot?

Winners: 3 Count (13:49)

The outcome annoys Chavo. He says he signed up to face one man after this match, so he might call his lawyers. Chavo doesn’t know who he will wrestle tomorrow on Nitro. However, Chavo says he will face either man because they already put themselves through punishment.

Meanwhile, Duggan polishes his 2×4. (No, this isn’t a euphemism!) Storm enters the room, so Jim says he doesn’t want any trouble. That isn’t why Lance is there. He says Jim joined Team Canada for the long haul. Plus, the American fans will never accept again after Jim turned his back on them. Even if they would, the office was looking for a pink slip for Duggan before Team Canada took him in. Lance tells Duggan Team Canada is his only hope for a paycheck to feed his family, so Duggan should think about it. As Storm leaves, he hands Duggan a Canadian jacket. Duggan looks conflicted.

Elsewhere, Jeff Jarrett and the Harris Brothers approach Sanders. Jeff says the Filthy Animals Street Fight is a joke. This should be a Bunkhouse Match instead! (What’s the difference?) Sanders says they already set the wheels in motion and promoted the contest. Jarrett doesn’t care. The Chosen One should get his way! In fact, Jarrett has an idea. They should combine the two into a Bunkhouse Street Fight. Sanders says this is a fine idea, so the Harris Brothers compliment him on a good job. Sanders shakes his head in disbelief once they leave.

Now we see KroniK sitting in a sauna while Clark talks on the phone. He tells the person on the other end to bring the cash and they will be there. When Clark hangs up, he tells Adams they are good to go. They will get the cash once they take care of this job. This worries Adams. He says they have a policy about getting paid upfront. But since this is a special job, he says they will make an exception. Clark agrees, and Adams says, “Wow, I’m baked.”

Afterward, Team Canada arrives for Storm’s match. Lance mocks Washington D.C. for the election woes and asks them to rise for the Canadian anthem. We almost hear the entire song, but Ernest Miller interrupts it. The Cat says he will represent the USA while he kicks Storm’s ass. Ernest also tells Storm to take Madden’s fat ass with him when he goes back to Canada. When Miller enters the ring, Storm bails outside, so Cat and Miss Jones dance.

Lance Storm (w/ Elix Skipper & Major Gunns) vs. Ernest the Cat Miller (w/ Miss Jones)

Storyline: Skipper hit on Miss Jones again, so Cat confronted him. While they argued, Storm clocked Miller with a chair. This was a mistake. Miller waged war on Team Canada. He cost them victories against the Jung Dragons. To make matters worse, Duggan kept screwing up. He pushed Storm’s patience to its limit. Then Storm & Gunns faced Cat & Miss Jones. The loser had to sing the anthem of the winner’s country. Team Canada lost, so Flair made Storm sing the American anthem. Miller and Jones threw a picnic in the aisle to watch the debacle. Duggan tried to help Storm, but they were both so bad Miller stopped them. Finally, Miller fought Duggan, but Duggan’s issues with Storm came to a head. Duggan had enough and removed his Canadian jersey, but Miller still won. Afterward, Storm knocked Miller out with a loaded superkick and left Duggan behind.

The Match: When Cat wins an exchange of holds, Major Gunns grabs his foot. He goes after her, so Storm stops him, but Gunns and Miss Jones enter the ring. They almost catfight until Storm and Miller make them leave, which garners boos. Next, they trade strikes and pin attempts before Storm grounds Miller with a chinlock. Once Cat escapes, he nails a low blow and the Johnny Cage splits punch. However, Elix interferes while Storm distracts the ref. Miller fends him off with a water bottle, but chaos erupts. Miss Jones accidentally kicks Slick Johnson, which leads to a catfight with Gunns. Meanwhile, Cat and Storm fight back and forth as Duggan arrives. Jim hesitates, but he decks Miller with the 2×4. Storm uses the momentum to roll Miller into a Canadian Maple Leaf for the submission.

Thoughts: This had good storytelling, but the action was basic and slow. It seemed they were filling time until the shenanigans, so the bout itself fell flat. Even the fans seemed more interested in Major Gunns and Miss Jones fighting than in what Storm and Miller were doing.

Winner: Lance Storm (7:25)

Duggan looks conflicted about his decision, but he joins Team Canada’s celebration. However, Storm and Skipper attack him. They beat up Duggan until Miller saves him with kicks. Once Miller clears the ring, he dons his red slippers and dances.

Meanwhile, Mike Awesome drives an ambulance into the arena.

Tony says they have a surprising new backstage interviewer. It’s Buff Bagwell. He claims WCW put him on the PPV to pop a rating. (PPVs get buyrates, not ratings, Buff.) Then he interviews the Filthy Animals because he thinks they are cool. When the Animals arrive, Buff gives them the bad news about Jarrett changing the match. Konnan doesn’t even know what a bunkhouse fight means. Are they going to hit them with milk buckets, tumbleweeds, and haystacks? He asks Kidman for his thoughts, but Kidman does his usual fart noise. Next, Konnan tells Jarrett to stick those guitars up his ass so he can find some rhythm. Konnan also accuses Jarrett of stroking himself. Buff loves this.

Elsewhere, Vito, Reno, and Marie walk down a hallway, but the Natural Born Thrillers confront them. Sanders tells Reno he can return to the big leagues once he’s done playing tee ball with these weeble wobbles. This makes Reno stop and turn around. He says he already told them to back off. Vito also says something, but WCW forgot their boom mic. I couldn’t understand him even with headphones. Once Vito finishes, they leave.

Now we see Daffney and Crowbar. Daffney didn’t wear her 70s threads, which makes Crowbar sad. This is the biggest show of the year, and he’s defending the Hardcore title! Daffney calls the 70s gimmick a poop sandwich, hold the bread. She thinks the 70s shtick is making Crowbar soft. Crowbar disagrees, but he can’t finish his sentence. Terry Funk sprays him with a fire extinguisher to begin their fight.

Hardcore Title Match: Terry Funk vs. Crowbar (c) (w/ Daffney)

Storyline: Crowbar continued getting mysterious gifts, including a golden wrench. Then Daffney returned to be at Crowbar’s side, but he seemed more interested in the Nitro Girls. Furthermore, he gave Daffney a supposed 70s makeover, but he put her in 60s clothes. Crowbar didn’t know the difference. This saddened Daffney because she wanted the old Crowbar. Meanwhile, A-Wall and Bigelow had a Hardcore #1 Contender bout. It ended in a no contest when Crowbar and Awesome interfered. Later, Norman Smiley realized Hardcore matches were his true calling, so he faced Meng. During the encounter, Smiley stole a sack of toys from a Santa Claus in the crowd. He used them as weapons, so Santa attacked everyone and revealed himself to be Terry Funk! Afterward, Funk challenged Crowbar. Crowbar said it would be an honor to face his idol, but Funk knocked him out with a chair.

The Match: Daffney screams while they fight in and around a truck full of random car parts. Crowbar hits Funk with a grill and almost knocks him off the back of the truck. Before he can succeed, Terry hip tosses Crowbar onto a nearby table. Next, Terry chases Daffney away and grabs a car door! He tries to hit Crowbar with it, but Crowbar takes it and uses it on Funk. Now Crowbar calls for handcuffs, but it backfires. Funk cuffs Crowbar’s hands and whacks him in the head with the door and a chair.

They head into the arena, where Funk gives him more shots to the head. Later, Terry sets up a table, so Daffney distracts him. This allows Crowbar to attack. He bites Funk and chokes him with the handcuff chain. Plus, Crowbar puts Funk through the table with a slingshot splash. It only earns a two, so Daffney throws a chair at Funk’s head. This also gets two. Once Funk recovers, he hits Crowbar in the gut with a chair and ends it with a piledriver on the car door.

Thoughts: This bout leaves me conflicted. The action was good, and I liked the finish. Plus, it told a decent story. With that said, the unprotected head shots and Daffney’s screaming made this uncomfortable to watch.

Winner: Terry Funk (New Champion) (10:21)

Backstage, Gene interviews Team Canada. He admonishes them for their appalling actions. They sucker-punched Duggan after he tried to help! Storm says a leopard can’t change its spots. Once an American, always an American. Lance realized a month ago Duggan had numbered days left in Team Canada and WCW. They used him to get one more job done because he’s nothing but a stupid, gullible American! And now they got rid of the trash, so Team Canada can grow stronger and better. With this said, Lance and Elix leave, but Gunns stays behind. She looks at Gene and says, “Gene, don’t blame yours—Canada. Blame yourself.” (Well said, Major Gunns.) Undeterred, Gene tells her to stick around and he’ll give her an opportunity to fly the Canadian flag on another pole. Gunns tells him you wish and walks away.

Meanwhile, Luger talks to himself while he unpacks his bag. He goes through his checklist. Lex has his gear and some workout equipment. After all, the fans want to see him pump up. Plus, he finds a pair of brass knuckles. Lex calls them his ace in the hole. He puts them on his hand and flexes while looking in the mirror. Lex even sticks out his tongue.

Now we get the entrances for Vito and Reno vs. KroniK. The commentators wonder who is paying KroniK, but Adams has the apparent answer. He says they are all about breaking necks and cashing checks. When they get the job done, they expect full payment from—Marie! She asks what Adams is talking about. Marie says she didn’t hire them!

Big Vito & Reno (w/ Marie) vs. KroniK

Storyline: We finally learned the truth about the connection between Vito and Reno. They are brothers, and Marie is their sister! Reno said his family ostracized him when he went to prison, but Marie wanted to reunite the brothers. Then someone paid KroniK to attack Reno and Vito, which brought them together. They saved each other from KroniK’s attacks. The problem was, this put Reno at odds with the Thrillers. They asked whose side he was on. The Thrillers wanted to use KroniK, but Reno’s actions ended any partnership they had. Later, they announced this bout for the PPV. However, Vito and Reno ran afoul of Bigelow when he hit on Marie. As a result, Bam Bam paid KroniK to fight Vito and Reno early. KroniK won and continued beating them up, so Vito fired back with a Kendo stick. This caused a pull-apart scuffle between the teams.

The Match: KroniK double-teams Reno, so Vito starts a brawl. Then Vito and Reno return the double-teaming. Vito scores a powerslam, and Reno does a swinging neckbreaker. Now Clark fires back with a butterfly suplex, but Vito answers with a mafia kick. While this happens, Adams threatens Marie. He wants his money. KroniK uses the distraction to take control. Clark does a cannonball off the apron, and Adams subdues Vito with a—titty claw? Vito tries to come back, but Adams drops him with a full nelson slam. Plus, Clark grabs a chinlock while the Thrillers appear on the stage. When Vito breaks free, KroniK double-teams him again. This time, Vito tags out after a double down. As Reno enters the ring, he grabs Vito and gives him Roll the Dice! Reno covers Vito and forces the ref to count the three while Marie yells at Reno.

Thoughts: This was slow and plodding, and the finish made no sense. The crowd couldn’t care less about the action, so the ending didn’t make them react. This entire storyline failed to captivate anybody. It’s a shame because Vito was getting over earlier in the year. This isn’t helping him.

Winners: No Contest (8:18)

As Reno leaves, he throws a bag of cash to KroniK. Tony asks if this was an elaborate plan to lure Vito in and screw him over. Then Reno celebrates with the Thrillers while KroniK continues attacking Vito. They give him the Meltdown and High Times, so the commentators ask if they are doing this part for free.

Next, Gene congratulates 3 Count on their big win, but he asks them who will face Chavo. The way Sugar Shane Helms sees it, 3 Count won the match. Therefore, 3 Count is the #1 Contender for the Cruiserweight title. When Helms says this, Chavo interrupts him. He says he saw 3 Count painting his house last week. Chavo also calls them 2 Count, which annoys Shane, so Chavo tells him to calm down. However, Chavo attacks them and shoves the belt in their faces. He says this is the workingman’s belt, and they haven’t worked hard enough for it yet! While he says this, Gene yells for security.

Elsewhere, Buff interviews General Rection and the Misfits. Before he talks about Hugh’s US title defense, Buff asks for Rection’s thoughts about Chavo’s actions. What’s going on? Is this the beginning of the end for the M.I.A.? (Buff adds an S to the end of M.I.A. to make it plural, which sounds weird.) Rection says this isn’t about Chavo. This is about Shane Douglas whining about Dominic DeNucci training him twenty years ago. Shane is crying about losing his meal ticket, but this is about Starrcade and the US championship! Douglas said he wanted to use the Misfits as a stepping stone, but that won’t happen. Before Rection leaves, he reminds Buff this isn’t about Chavo, so Buff says he believes him.

Now it’s time for Mike Awesome vs. Bam Bam in an Ambulance Match. During his entrance, Awesome takes off the 70s clothes. He also uses his regular theme, so the commentators wonder if he’s shedding the gimmick and going back to being the career killer.

Ambulance Match: Mike Awesome vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Storyline: The M.I.A. wanted a piece of Bigelow after Mayhem. Rection fought him, and A-Wall helped Hugh succeed by removing Bigelow’s table. This led to A-Wall vs. Bigelow in a Tables Match. While they fought, Awesome returned for revenge on Bam Bam, and A-Wall won. Later, Bigelow retaliated by jumping out of the back of an ambulance to ambush Awesome. Next, Bigelow and A-Wall had their Hardcore #1 Contender contest, but Awesome and Crowbar brawled with Bigelow. Since Bam Bam leaped out of an ambulance earlier, he gave Awesome an idea. Mike went back to his Career Killer roots and challenged Bam Bam to an Ambulance Match.

The Match: They trade strikes until Awesome scores a step-up back elbow. Then they brawl outside. Bigelow uses the rail and the post, so Awesome answers with the bell and a chair. The latter backfires on Awesome. Bigelow uses the chair before they head to the ambulance. While they fight near it, Bigelow puts his fist through a window with a missed punch! Now they return to the ring, which confuses the commentators. After a DDT, Bam Bam brings Awesome to the announce table and backdrops him onto it! Afterward, they move over to the ambulance. This time, they scuffle on the hood, and Bigelow removes the emergency lights! He decks Awesome and climbs onto the roof, but Mike smacks Bigelow with the lights. The shot knocks Bigelow down and he crashes through the roof of the vehicle! It counts as a victory for Awesome.

Thoughts: This was okay. Parts of it were nice, but it dragged. Plus, they had a dead crowd. A few fans even chanted boring. The finish was a cool idea, but they filmed it poorly. It confused the audience and the commentators because no one could see it. They only had low-angle camera shots. This contained decent action brought down by a bad presentation.

Winner: Mike Awesome (7:56)

Backstage, Gene interviews Reno and the Natural Born Thrillers. He berates Reno for breaking up his family again. Reno says, “Hey, Vito. Merry Christmas!” Then he says his family must have adopted him because the Thrillers are his real familia. Sanders even calls Vito a weeble wobble. Gene says Sanders makes him sick, but Mike has his own problems. Tonight, the Perfect Event faces the Insiders for the tag titles. Sanders tells the Perfect Event to give their thoughts. Palumbo calls DDP trailer trash, and Nash is a big goof. Stasiak says the Insiders ran their cake holes about winning the belts, but that won’t happen. The Insiders are losers. As they finish the promo, the Perfect Event says they have something special for Gene. However, Stasiak changes his mind and tells him not to worry about it. Gene threatens to slap the crap out of that wise ass.

Now Shane Douglas enters the arena with a mic in his hand, as always. He says even the low-IQ morons in D.C. can see something is missing from his side. He took twenty years of his life to become the best, and the fans won’t show him the respect he deserves! Shane blames General Rection for hurting Torrie, but he promises it won’t take thirty-six days to figure out who won this contest. He will put a hole in Rection’s heart in front of these D.C. morons.

U.S. Title Match: General Rection (c) vs. Shane Douglas

Storyline: Shane Douglas faced General Rection for the US belt. During the contest, Torrie jumped on Hugh’s back. He didn’t know who it was, so he squashed her in the corner and injured her. Hugh showed remorse, but Douglas didn’t buy it. Furthermore, Lt. Loco took exception to Rection’s remorse. He tried to shove the injured Torrie out of the ring, so Hugh argued with him. Loco thought the M.I.A. should show no mercy. Since they couldn’t agree, Loco left the M.I.A. in protest. He returned to being Chavo and captured the Cruiserweight title to prove himself. As this happened, Cajun maintained contact with Chavo behind Hugh’s back, which caused more tension among the Misfits. Rection said Chavo made his choice, so they should let him handle his own issues. Meanwhile, Douglas blamed Hugh for hurting Torrie and challenged him to this contest.

The Match: They exchange strikes before Hugh nails corner avalanches. When Douglas regroups, they scuffle around the announce table. Next, Shane pulls the ropes into Rection’s crotch, but Hugh rallies. He puts Shane in two bear hugs, which makes the crowd groan. Once Douglas breaks free, Hugh attempts the moonsault, but Shane crotches him. Hugh falls on his head, so Shane targets the neck. He uses the rolling neck snap, a piledriver, a swinging neckbreaker, and a head vice. When Hugh escapes, he scores a press slam. Now Shane bails, which leads to more brawling outside. Rection trips over the steps while trying to run Shane into the post, but the commentators act as if he succeeded. This leaves Shane bloody, so Shane goes for the chain. He drops it, but Chavo arrives and throws it to Douglas. However, Chavo tells the ref about the chain to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: Almost everything about this match failed. The action itself wasn’t bad, but they didn’t read the room. The long bear hug spots only agitated an already dead audience, and not in a good way. Then they had the nonsensical finish.

Winner: General Rection (by DQ) (9:46)

Shane keeps punching Hugh with the chain until he bleeds. Chavo jumps on him to stop it, but Shane decks Chavo with the chain. Then he gives Rection and Chavo the Franchiser. Once they are down, the M.I.A. rushes to help. They run Shane off and check on both men. Hugh looks at Chavo and says, “Why did you do it?” Chavo doesn’t answer, so Cajun helps him up while A-Wall does the same for Hugh.

Next, they go backstage to Mean Gene with Scott Steiner, so Tony says, “Well, here’s an interview.” Gene says they confined Steiner and Sid to their respective locker rooms. The first time Scott will see Sid is in the ring. Steiner says the keyword is beat. He even makes Gene repeat it. The first beat is he will beat up Sid for making the mistake of answering Flair’s invitation. He is the man with the largest arms and the genetic freak, so he will knock Sid’s ass out. The second beat is his freaks will take him to his hotel room and beat him. Getting horizontal with the champion of the world is a beautiful thing! Steiner says he will climb to the mountaintop. He has been hitting switches on bitches all his life, so he’s going straight for the big O.

Afterward, they air another Glacier vignette.

Now Buff interviews DDP and Kevin Nash. Everybody mocks the Natural Born Thrillers while Nash dons Bagwell’s hat. Buff says all the Thrillers combined aren’t making as much as DDP. Then Nash imitates a bitter old veteran. He says he remembers what it was like when he broke into the business. With that said, Nash gets a little more serious, but not by much. He calls the Thrillers jack-offs. Kevin even says DDP is Mr. Christmas. He’s going to bring the gift of the tag titles to the Insiders. When Nash finishes, DDP claims they found the fountain of youth. WCW tried to hold them back for years, but now they’re former world champions! Those monkeys won’t throw them out. If they want to get in it, come get it! As DDP walks away, Nash and Buff kill some time with bad jokes.

With the interviews out of the way, Jarrett enters the arena. He has something to say, so Tony asks what else is new. Jarrett says he proved the Chosen One has the stroke by changing the match. Sanders evened the playing field by making this a Bunkhouse Street Fight. Once the teams all arrive, we see the weapons. A popcorn machine sits outside, and there’s a bar counter in the ring! Meanwhile, Tygress joins the commentary team.

Bunkhouse Street Fight: Jeff Jarrett & The Harris Brothers vs. The Filthy Animals (Konnan, Billy Kidman, & Rey Mysterio Jr.) (w/ Tygress)

Storyline: The Harris Brothers have a new gig. They copied KroniK’s Soldiers of Fortune idea, but they work for beer and sandwiches. First, they aided the Boogie Knights. Then Jarrett bought their services. Jeff had issues with the Filthy Animals. They threw eggs at him during an interview, which led to Jarrett vs. Rey. As they fought, all the Animals interfered, so Jarrett smashed Rey with a guitar. This is why Jeff paid the Harris Brothers to even the odds. They helped Jeff defeat Konnan. However, the Animals retaliated. They tricked the Harris Brothers into eating laxative-laced sandwiches before an Elimination Match. Big Ron and Heavy D ran to the bathroom and left Jarrett to lose to the Animals. Later, Konnan did commentary on Thunder, so Jarrett and the Harris Brothers jumped out of the crowd and attacked him.

The Match: Everyone brawls with road signs, trash cans, and sticks. When Kidman gets Jarrett outside, he stuffs Jeff’s head into the popcorn machine. Back inside, Mysterio hits Bronco Busters on the Harris Brothers until they boot him in the crotch. Jeff also gives Kidman a low blow and looks to plant him on the bar. It fails, and Rey and Kidman double chokeslam Jarrett on the bar! Plus, Rey uses a wrong way sign to nail an Arabian Facebuster on Heavy D. When Rey goes for more, Jarrett powerbombs him into a plastic dumpster. The chaos is too much for the ref. He forces everyone to abide by tag rules.

Now Jarrett and the Harris Brothers control things with frequent tags and illegal switching. Jeff even puts a sleeper hold on Kidman. Once Kidman escapes, he tags Konnan, who cleans house. He uses rolling clotheslines and a facebuster, but the Harris Brothers grab him. They nail the H-Bomb and grab a table. While this happens, Rey crawls out of the dumpster and whacks everybody with a broom. Afterward, Rey wants to put Jarrett through a table, but the Harris Brothers plant Rey on it with the H-Bomb. Sensing trouble, Kidman low-bridges Ron and Don and gives Jeff the Kid Crusher. This leads to a Shooting Star Press attempt, but a Harris brother smashes a liquor bottle over his head. This allows Jarrett to land the Stroke for the three.

Thoughts: I liked most of this, but they should have made up their minds about the rules ahead of time. Why switch the dynamic in the middle of the contest? This worked fine as a Tornado Match. The confusing structure detracted from the otherwise fun action.

Winners: Jarrett & The Harris Brothers (12:31)

While Jarrett and the Harris Brothers celebrate, Hudson calls them the Nashville World Order. Then they air a commercial for WCW Sin. It’s the next PPV in January. The ad says you can’t imagine what will happen until you order it. (Trust me. No one imagined what would happen at the end of that event, nor would they want to.)

Now Buff interviews Goldberg’s trainer, Sgt. DeWayne Bruce. He asks if it’s okay to call him Sarge, and Bruce says yes. Buff talks about how everyone respects Sarge. He did a lot to build the talent at the Power Plant. One of those guys was Goldberg. How does Sarge feel about Goldberg’s match with Luger? Sarge says he wishes he was fighting Luger. Nothing has frustrated him as much as Luger in the last few weeks. As Sarge says this, Luger attacks him! Buff asks what Luger is doing, but Lex runs away. As Luger does this, Buff calls for help. Tony calls Luger a low-life.

Next, the commentators discuss Goldberg’s streak while the crew cleans up the ringside area. Once they finish, the Perfect Event arrives with Sanders. This won’t do. Flair interrupts them and warns Sanders. He has a manager’s license, so he can stay. However, if Sanders puts one foot in the ring to help, Flair will award the Insiders the match and the titles! When Flair leaves, Sanders goes to the announce table and says he doesn’t care what Flair says. He runs the company, not Ric!

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

Storylines: Nash and DDP celebrated their tag title win the night after Mayhem. They sent a shout-out to Hall before christening their team with a new name. Since Hall and Nash were the Outsiders, Nash and DDP are the Insiders! Then they faced Jindrak & O’Haire, but the Thrillers attacked with bats and swiped the belts. The Insiders got them back, but Sanders had a surprise. He showed footage that proved Nash pinned the wrong man at Mayhem. Therefore, Sanders made Flair return the titles to the Perfect Event. Ric relented, but he made this rematch. Next, Sanders booked the Insiders in a Four Corners Match, but KroniK’s deal with the Thrillers dissolved thanks to Reno. It was still a 3-Way Dance and a glorified handicap fight. The Insiders fought valiantly, but the Thrillers targeted Nash’s knee. Later, DDP wrestled Sanders, and the Thrillers swarmed the Insiders again.

The Match: Nash and Chuck trade offense in the corner before DDP scores a flying clothesline on Palumbo. This makes the Perfect Event regroup. When they return, DDP yanks Stasiak into the post and attempts Diamond Cutters. Chuck and Shawn avoid them until Chuck lands a belly-to-belly on DDP. Now they use ref distractions and frequent tags. DDP keeps fighting out of their corner, but they stomp him down to the mat. The Perfect Event chokes DDP on the ropes, but DDP fights back and nails the discus lariat. This opens the door for Nash’s hot tag. He cleans house with a big boot and a side slam to Stasiak. However, Sanders gives DDP a low blow outside the ring! While this happens, the Thrillers arrive. DDP fends them off and prevents O’Haire’s Seanton Bomb. This allows Nash to end it with a Jackknife after flipping off Palumbo.

Thoughts: This was well-crafted and had a nice finish. Plus, it’s the first contest to wake up this dead crowd. The show needed this after a few lackluster contests. I enjoyed this.

Winners: The Insiders (New Champions) (12:04)

After the win, Nash raises the belt and grabs a mic. He says, “Hey, yo! We got them again!”

Now Michael Buffer appears to introduce the co-main event. Since it isn’t the last match, he uses his secondary catchphrase. Buffer says, “Let’s bring them on!” He also claims everyone knows Luger for his Torture Rack of Doom! I don’t recall Luger ever calling it that. During Goldberg’s entrance, Luger yawns. We don’t see this. Tony mentions it on commentary.

No Holds Barred Match: Goldberg vs. Lex Luger

Storyline: Luger wanted the decision reversed after Mayhem. He said they should have disqualified Goldberg for spearing the ref, but Flair reminded him he pulled the ref into it. Afterward, Luger antagonized Goldberg. Lex spotted Goldberg’s trainer, Sgt. DeWayne Bruce, was in the crowd, so Luger insulted him. Later, he attacked Goldberg and Bruce with a chair. Plus, Lex tried to get Goldberg counted out by putting Bruce in the Rack during a match. DeWayne wanted to fight Luger as a result, but Sanders said he had to do something for him first. Sanders booked Bruce against Goldberg. The Thrillers stole Goldberg’s locker room monitor, so he didn’t know who his opponent was until he entered the arena. Goldberg reluctantly fought and defeated his mentor. Bruce got his match, but Lex ambushed Goldberg beforehand. He then refused to release the Rack on Bruce because Goldberg couldn’t stop him.

The Match: Goldberg attacks Lex when he arrives and they fight around ringside. Bill nails short-arm clotheslines and a powerslam, so Luger regroups and threatens to leave. When Goldberg goes to meet him, they brawl again. This time, Luger shoves Goldberg into the post and hurts Bill’s shoulder. While they scuffle, Sarge appears on the stage, but Buff tries to talk him out of interfering. Back inside, Luger hits Goldberg with strikes until Bill scores a shoulder tackle. When Goldberg tries a spear, Luger pulls the ref in front of him, so Goldberg stops short.

Now DeWayne attempts to grab Luger, but Lex decks him with the brass knuckles and clocks Goldberg with them. After hiding the knux, Luger covers and only gets two! Meanwhile, Bagwell climbs up for a Blockbuster. Unfortunately, Luger moves, and Buff hits Goldberg instead! This opens the door for the Rack, but Goldberg blocks it and lands a spinning neckbreaker. While this occurs, Buff helps Sarge to his feet—and knocks him out! Buff also chokes him. Nevertheless, Goldberg spears Luger and ends it with a Jackhammer.

Thoughts: This contained good action, but the stuff with Bagwell felt clunky and poorly executed. If Bagwell was on Luger’s side, why didn’t he try to stop the spear and Jackhammer instead of attacking Sarge? WCW sometimes has decent ideas for finishes, but they don’t know how to make them work in practice. This happens too often with them.

Winner: Goldberg (7:17)

While Goldberg celebrates, Buff whacks him with the chair. He continues beating on him before posing. The commentators ask why he did this. Did Buff align with Luger? They get their answer when Bagwell helps Luger to the back. Once they are gone, the ref raises Goldberg’s hand. Then Bill exits the ring and greets a young boy named Elijah. He met him on the Maury Povich Show and invited him to the PPV. Goldberg carries him backstage.

Now it’s time for the main event. They recap the Sid/Steiner feud. Sid is the original lunatic of WCW. He never lost the title, so he wants it back. During the introductions, they show a fan’s sign. It says, “Steiner is my booty daddy.” This makes Tony say, “What in the world?”

WCW Title Match: Scott Steiner (c) (w/ Midajah) vs. Sid Vicious

Storyline: Flair told Steiner he was the man, but he asked Scott to behave like a champion. He can’t run wild. Therefore, Flair flew in a special opponent to face Steiner at Starrcade. Before the mystery man arrived, Steiner ended Stevie Ray’s career in a Retirement Match. Afterward, the opponent revealed himself. It was Sid Vicious! This led to confrontations, so Sanders used Oklahoma to rile up Sid. When Sid attacked Oklahoma, Sanders had him arrested. However, this infuriated Steiner because he wanted Sid. So Scott threatened Flair and attacked Arn Anderson. Ric tried to suspend Steiner and strip him of the belt, but Arn talked him out of it. Flair barred Sid and Scott from fighting in the arena instead, so Sid dared Steiner to meet him in the parking lot. Finally, Sid got lost on the way to Thunder, but he arrived in time to brawl with Steiner.

The Match: They exchange strikes until Sid lands a side slam. Steiner regroups, but he returns to pose and calls for a test of strength. When Sid takes it, Steiner brings him to his knees. Then Sid fights back twice before suplexing Steiner to break the hold. Now they head outside, where Midajah and Scott use the pipe and a chair behind the ref’s back. Back inside, Steiner nails a clothesline, elbow drop, and backbreaker while also doing push-ups. After fending off a comeback, Steiner puts Sid in two Recliners, but he gets a rope break.

Next, Midajah tries a flying crossbody, which hits Steiner by mistake! This opens the door for Sid’s Cobra Clutch, but Steiner smacks the ref and knocks him out. With the ref down, Steiner uses the pipe again. Plus, Jarrett arrives, but he accidentally hits Scott with the guitar! A new ref comes to count the fall, so Jeff pulls him outside to fix his blunder. Nevertheless, the ref shoves Jarrett aside and counts Sid’s pin. It only gets two, and Steiner throws two low blows. He follows with a t-bone suplex and makes Sid pass out in the Recliner.

Thoughts: This was one of Sid’s better matches, but I can’t call it great. They overbooked the hell out of the finish, and I don’t think it needed it. They were doing well without the extra stuff. The interference detracted from this. If the ref was going to allow the low blows and chair shots, why did they need a ref bump? This is another example of WCW not having a producer who can craft decent finishes.

Winner: Scott Steiner (10:12)

The Good:

• The Ladder Match

• Perfect Event vs. The Insiders

• Most of the Bunkhouse Street Fight

The Bad:

• Rection vs. Douglas

• Some disappointing finishes

Observations:

• Writing this blog has given me a new appreciation for Nash. I’ve enjoyed more of his matches than I expected. Plus, I’m almost in 2001, and he’s still wrestling in the same style he always has. Where is this moment he supposedly becomes lazy? People see what they want to see.

• Steiner had some great title defenses on TV during the build. He stepped up his game after winning the title. Good for him.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to 3 Count, and especially Shannon Moore. He did some impressive spots during the Ladder Match.

Final Thoughts:

I’ve seen some people call this a decent PPV, but I can’t agree. Too much of this fell flat. This didn’t feel like WCW’s biggest show of the year. It seemed more like an extended TV episode. This wasn’t terrible, but it’s below average.

Thank you for reading. My next review will be bittersweet. We have reached the end of ECW. Join me as we bid farewell when I cover ECW’s Guilty as Charged 2001. Look for it next Sunday.