Sin

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

Sin

January 14, 2001

Conseco Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, Indiana

News & Notes: After Starrcade, Steiner claimed Flair had no more opponents for him. He took out everyone Ric put in his way. With that said, Steiner suggested DDP as an opponent, but he said Page would need a sex change to find the balls to face him. However, Flair chose a different idea. He selected four wrestlers to compete for a shot, but they had to remain a secret so Steiner wouldn’t attack them. Jarrett won the spot, despite lying to Steiner about being in the running. Jeff had no choice but to lie. He would be one of three men in a 3-Way Dance for Steiner’s gold. The other would be a mystery man. He wore a black straitjacket and a hockey mask to hide his identity, but this only angered Steiner even more. As for the rest, I’ll explain before the main event.

Now for a quick rundown of some extra storylines. The Glacier vignettes continued. This excited Norman Smiley. He thinks a true hero is returning to WCW. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart called out more radio hosts. He confronted some local disc jockeys in Memphis. In other news, Hacksaw Jim Duggan saw the error of his ways. He begged the fans and wrestlers for forgiveness. General Rection accepted the apology and forgave him, but this caused issues with A-Wall and Cajun. They wondered why Hugh didn’t do the same for Chavo. And finally, Disqo had an injury, so WCW put him on commentary for an episode of Nitro. It was as bad as it sounds.

They open the PPV with a video about the seven deadly sins. Each member of the main events represents a different sin. The Natural Born Thrillers show envy. Totally Buff exhibits greed. Goldberg is wrath. The Insiders are pride. And Jarrett, Sid, and Steiner convey sloth, gluttony, and lust, respectively. While they show clips of each man, we hear Gregorian chanting. This is WCW Sin.

Afterward, Tony welcomes everyone to a brand new year and era in WCW. He calls this a crossroads for both America and WCW. Meanwhile, 3 Count speaks backstage. Helms tells Moore he can handle this on his own, so he wants Shannon to remain in the back.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. (c) vs. Shane Helms

Storyline: Flair made Helms and Moore wrestle each other after Starrcade. The winner would be the true #1 Contender to Chavo’s Cruiserweight title. Helms won, and Chavo attacked 3 Count afterward, but they fended him off. Then Chavo found a new tactic to get under Helms’ skin. Chavo defended his championship against Knoble and Moore, but Chavo said he would use his rematch clause at Sin if he lost the gold to either man. This would mean Helms wouldn’t get his shot. Chavo used this information to manipulate Helms into interfering in his matches to save his spot. Plus, Chavo knocked Helms out with a belt shot while 3 Count scuffled with Knoble & Karagias. When Chavo tried another ambush after beating Shannon Moore, Helms thwarted Chavo’s plans and sent him packing.

The Match: After some chain wrestling, Helms does a headscissor takeover and a fireman’s carry face crusher. Chavo sends him outside to stop this, but they brawl around the rail. Back inside, they trade pin attempts and counters until Chavo uses an Alabama Slam. Now Chavo slows the pace with a chinlock, but Helms breaks free. This allows Shane to nail an atomic drop, a neckbreaker, an X-Plex, and the Sugar Smack. They aren’t enough, so Helms goes for more. This time, they exchange dives to the floor before Shane lands a flying sunset flip. When it only gets two, Shane looks for the Vertebreaker, but Chavo avoids it. Nevertheless, Helms scores the Nightmare on Helms Street for another two. This leads to more reversals. Chavo ends it with a brainbuster, which earns him the victory.

Thoughts: This was an excellent opener. They built and escalated the action to a nice crescendo. Plus, I liked the counters toward the end. It wasn’t flashy, but this contained solid wrestling and told a good story.

Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr. (11:14)

Now the commentators reset and discuss the rest of the card. They talk about Goldberg & Sarge vs. Totally Buff. Tony says Sarge never competed in an event of this magnitude. Hudson says Sarge is on the international stage with Goldberg’s career in the palm of his hand. Then Tony and Scott speculate about the identity of Flair’s mystery man.

Speaking of Flair, Tenay waits for Ric’s limo to arrive while someone off-screen stifles a laugh. When the car arrives, Mike greets Flair and asks about the mystery man. Flair says he will decide when the time is right. Until then, he has the mystery man under lock and key. He has to keep his identity a secret because that’s what the show is about. However, Flair says the mystery man will rock Steiner’s world.

Meanwhile, Gene interviews the reformed Mamalukes while Vito shadowboxes. After Vito reminds Gene they are the Paisans, Gene talks about Sanders banning Johnny from ringside. When asked about it, Johnny says, “Whatever.” Next, Vito talks about his emotional rollercoaster. He wants to settle the score once and for all with his brother. It doesn’t matter what happens. Reno took his family, robbed his house, and stole his girl, but Vito will keep on surviving. He will always wind up on top. With that said, Vito tells Johnny to blow this joint, and they leave.

Reno vs. Big Vito

Storyline: Vito said Reno let their parents down at Starrcade, so he vowed to make Reno and the Thrillers pay. He ambushed Reno while Reno was ringside for a tag team battle royal. During the scuffle, Johnny the Bull returned to help Vito, and they reformed the Mamalukes. Later, Vito saved Kwee Wee when a frustrated Mike Sanders attacked him. Sanders wanted to punish Vito and Kwee Wee for this, so he booked them in a Minnesota Massacre contest against opponents which Sanders swore he chose randomly. However, someone switched the envelope with the participants’ names. The new envelope pitted members of the Thrillers against the Insiders. While they fought, Vito, Johnny, Kwee Wee, and Paisley prevented the Thrillers from interfering. Finally, Vito and Kwee Wee wrestled Palumbo and O’Haire. This time, Reno jumped Johnny and Vito and gave them Roll the Dice on the floor.

The Match: They exchange strikes, and Reno nails a powerslam. Then they scuffle in and out of the ring, and Vito scores a clothesline and a superplex. He follows with an enziguri and a back suplex, but Vito tumbles outside on a missed charge. Now Reno takes control with punches, kicks, headbutts, and clotheslines. This continues until Vito attempts a sunset flip and floors Reno with a Mafia Kick. Vito’s double-arm DDT and the Vito Special follow, but they aren’t enough. Afterward, we get a series of counters and suplexes before Reno ends it with Roll the Dice.

Thoughts: This started with some promise, but they lost their way. Vito and Reno ran out of ideas and repeated spots. Then it became nothing but punches and kicks. It wasn’t good. You can tell both men are still green.

Winner: Reno (8:41)

Backstage, Sanders and Brian Adams meet in a dark corner of the arena. Mike talks down to Adams and says he’s still the commissioner. He runs the show and calls the shots. Adams tells him to watch his tone or he’ll slap the taste out of his mouth, so Sanders says there is no need to be violent. In fact, Sanders offers him money to take care of some things for him. Mike hands him the cash and leaves before Clark arrives. Clark asks about the meeting, but Adams says it was the usual. When Clark hears this, he tells Adams someone else made a better offer. Adams agrees once he sees the wad of cash. The commentators wonder who made the counteroffer.

The Jung Dragons (w/ Leia Meow) vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias

Storyline: This match doesn’t have a build, so I’ll discuss what these men were up to in recent weeks. First, an angry Scott Steiner beat up the Dragons and Evan Karagias for being in his way. Then Jamie Knoble received a Cruiserweight title shot, but Chavo manipulated Helms into costing Knoble the win. Later, Knoble and Karagias competed in a tag team battle royal. They argued with each other after their elimination. The Dragons also entered the battle royal, and Leia yelled at them once they were out of the match. Next, Knoble wrestled Helms and lost, so Knoble and Karagias attacked 3 Count afterward. And finally, Knoble and Karagias tried to stop a rampaging Meng, but they paid the price for it.

The Match: Everybody exchanges takedowns until the Dragons send Knoble and Karagias outside for double Asai Moonsaults. Back inside, Evan dropkicks a flying Kaz before Knoble and Karagias give him a side slam/guillotine leg drop combo. Then they continue with a drop to hold into a low dropkick. Next, Evan scores a press slam into a spinebuster, but he almost screws up a springboard moonsault. This leads to the Dragons working on Knoble’s leg. Plus, Yang turns a Frankensteiner into a superbomb! When Yang covers, Evan breaks it up and lands a 450 on Yang. Now Kaz stops the pin and gives Evan a slingshot DDT. However, Knoble attacks him and reverses a Tombstone. After another save, Yang uses a rolling Samoan Drop on Jamie. He follows with a twisting moonsault. It misses, but Yang surprises Jamie with an inside cradle for three.

Thoughts: This was great. They kept a fine pace and showed off some nice spots, and I liked the counters and reversals. They even had a good finish. Tony Schiavone’s reaction to the contest ending with an inside cradle amused me.

Winners: The Jung Dragons (9:21)

Before the Dragons can celebrate, Knoble and Karagias jump them and send the Dragons to the floor. While the Dragons regroup, Leia gives Knoble and Karagias a thumbs-down gesture.

Elsewhere, a hot rod pulls into the arena. Hudson hopes for ZZ Top, but he gets Totally Buff instead. Luger and Bagwell brag about their ride while Lex flexes. Then they fist bump and discuss business. Buff says all they have to do is take care of the midget Sarge and they can end Goldberg’s career. And if this doesn’t work, Luger says they have a Plan B. Someone could get Goldberg disqualified! Either way, WCW has to fire Goldberg. Tony calls this devious.

Now it’s time for Sanders vs. Miller for the commissioner’s job. Sanders has a mic, and he explains things slowly for the Indianapolis audience. Unlike Miller, Mike isn’t doing this for the people. He wants the money that comes with the commissioner’s job. It doesn’t matter what these Cheese Whiz-sucking fans think! Mike also reminds everyone Miss Jones is on the line. This brings us Miller and Miss Jones. Ernest vows to become the commissioner again for the people. He could whoop the whole world with the crowd behind him! Miller proves this by posing to cheers. When Sanders tries, he receives boos.

For the Commissioner’s job: Ernest the Cat Miller (w/ Miss Jones) vs. Mike Sanders

Storyline: Miller spent the first two weeks after Starrcade battling Alex Wright and Scott Steiner. The latter was a WCW title match. Ernest almost succeeded when the mystery man distracted Steiner, but Scott won the contest. Later, Miller wrestled Reno, but he said he wanted Reno’s boss, Mike Sanders. Cat said he needed to be the commissioner again. Flair agreed with this sentiment. After all, Sanders cheated to win the commissioner’s job. Once Flair booked this encounter, Sanders sent the Harris Brothers after Miller. They used twin magic and a distraction to defeat the Cat. Then Sanders dropped a bombshell on Ernest. Mike said Miss Jones worked for WCW, not Miller. Therefore, Miss Jones must become Sanders’ assistant if he wins. Miss Jones told Sanders he wouldn’t last two minutes with her, and she threatened to kick Sanders’ ass if she had to work for him.

The Match: Sanders uses strikes and choking until Miller makes him regroup with a shoulder block. Since that didn’t work, Mike leads Cat on a chase and jumps him when he enters the ring. Sanders also does an eye rake and a low blow while fending off Miller’s kicks. With Ernest dazed, Sanders puts him in a Cobra Clutch, but Miller escapes. Now Sanders tries a sunset flip, so Miller blocks it and lands a wiggly elbow drop. He follows with a splits punch, and Sanders begs off. It’s a trap. Mike yanks Miller outside and grabs a chair, but Miss Jones takes it and chases him. This brings out the Thrillers to interfere. However, KroniK stops them! Clark attacks Sanders and stuffs the money into Mike’s mouth. Once Sanders reaches his feet, Miller nails the Feliner for the three.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the finish, but the rest was basic and dull. This was mostly punching and choking. They at least kept it short, so it served its purpose, but it wasn’t good. Plus, the commissioner’s job is redundant, with Flair in charge. It will become even more pointless with the looming swerve on the horizon.

Winner: Ernest Miller (5:44)

While Miller dances with Miss Jones to celebrate, the commentators discuss KroniK’s actions. Did Miller make the better offer? If so, Hudson thinks the Cat will give KroniK their own dressing room.

Meanwhile, Flair snitches to Goldberg about the plans Totally Buff revealed earlier. He shows him footage of the segment. Goldberg says Luger and Bagwell have no clue, but what is their Plan B? This gives Flair an idea. He changes Goldberg’s match to a No DQ contest. Ric thinks Goldberg can handle Totally Buff. Goldberg likes this, so he hugs Flair. Then Goldberg leaves, but he meets a young man who wants an autograph. Goldberg signs his foam Goldberg figure and poses for a picture with him. (You should remember this for later.)

Now Mean Gene interviews Jeff Jarrett. Gene angers Jeff by suggesting Jarrett might turn on Scott Steiner to win the gold. After Jeff calls Gene a Jurassic slap nut, he tells Gene to stop stirring trouble. However, Gene doubles down on his comments. He says Jarrett lied in the past, and he dressed like the mystery man last week! This makes Jarrett threaten to use his guitar on Gene. Jarrett promises Steiner can trust him. And if Gene spreads more rumors, he will wear Jeff’s guitar! When Jarrett leaves, Gene says he was strangely defensive.

Afterward, Hacksaw Jim Duggan arrives in a referee’s shirt. It’s time for Team Canada vs. the Filthy Animals in a Penalty Box Match. Team Canada arrives in Awesome’s Canadian bus while they recap the feud. Once the video ends, Storm says he wants to be serious for a minute. He claims the Animals have Duggan in their back pocket, but it doesn’t matter. They will still issue Canadian justice! With that said, he asks everyone to rise for the Canadian anthem, but the Animals interrupt it. Konnan wears the same futuristic sunglasses Christian wears in the WWF, so Tony says he saw those somewhere. With everyone in place, Duggan explains the rules. If you do something wrong, you must enter the penalty box for one minute. This gives the other team a power play.

Penalty Box Match: Team Canada (Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, & Elix Skipper) (w/ Major Gunns) vs. The Filthy Animals (Konnan, Billy Kidman, & Rey Mysterio Jr.) (w/ Tygress)

Storyline: Storm got on the Animals’ bad side when he defeated Rey in a WCW title match qualifier. This led to Skipper vs. Konnan and Storm vs. Kidman. The Animals won both contests. Meanwhile, Team Canada lost one member, but they gained a new one. Duggan apologized for turning on America and asked for forgiveness. Elsewhere, Crowbar convinced Mike Awesome to ditch the 70s shtick and find his edge again. Awesome accomplished this goal by attacking Duggan and joining Team Canada! Afterward, Awesome converted his old bus into Team Canada’s new ride, but the Animals tagged it with graffiti. The vandalism angered Storm, so he challenged the Animals to this encounter. Later, Flair appointed Duggan as the special ref and made him promise to call it down the middle. Finally, Storm and Skipper wrestled Rey and Kidman. Team Canada succeeded when Storm made Rey tap out.

The Match: Storm and Rey trade takedowns before Duggan places Skipper in the box for attacking without a tag. He also sends Awesome in there when Mike bumps into him. While this happens, the Animals use hurricanranas, slingshot moves, and double-teaming. After more takedowns by the Animals, Awesome heads to the box again for pulling Kidman’s hair. Duggan even punishes Storm for arguing. Now the Animals score a DDT, and Konnan locks Elix in a seated octopus stretch. Undeterred, Skipper uses his agility to rally. He does a matrix dodge, a slingshot headscissors, and a missile dropkick.

As Skipper continues his attack, Gunns and Tygress fight. Duggan tells them to back off, and he relegates Kidman and Rey to the box for double-teaming. He even penalizes Gunns and Tygress when they squirt water on each other and start a catfight. Back in the ring, Kidman rallies with a Rydeen Bomb, but Storm answers with a jawbreaker. With Kidman down, Awesome tries to cut his hair with scissors, which lands Mike in the box. The same happens to Tygress for doing a Bronco Buster. Nevertheless, Rey and Kidman fight back with a springboard leg drop and the Kid Crusher. Awesome breaks up the pin and nails an Awesome Bomb, but Duggan puts him in the box for interfering. It doesn’t matter because Storm makes Kidman tap to the Maple Leaf.

Thoughts: I was unsure about the stipulation, but this ended up being pretty good. They worked it into an entertaining story. Plus, they had some nice spots. Also, Duggan did fine as a referee. I enjoyed this.

Winners: Team Canada (13:07)

Tenay interviews Sanders and the Thrillers, and Sanders blames his loss on KroniK. He says they made the biggest mistake of their lives. As for the Cat, Sanders says it isn’t over until the fat lady sings, and he didn’t hear Miller’s mama sing. Then Sanders reveals who will face the Insiders. It will be Palumbo and O’Haire. With that said, Tenay asks for their thoughts. Chuck calls himself and O’Haire the future of the business. They will own this place in five years once Nash and DDP aren’t around. You can’t stop time or the Thrillers. Next, O’Haire talks about wearing the Insiders’ blood. He calls himself twisted. Some people think he should be in jail, and they’re right! When Tenay hears this, he calls him a sicko. Meanwhile, the Insiders stretch before the match.

Now it’s time for a 3-Way Dance for the Hardcore title. Meng comes to the ring with the stolen Hardcore belt. Hudson wonders who could take it from him. This leads to Terry Funk’s entrance. He spots Daffney in the crowd, but she throws a drink in his face! It only angers Funk, and he pulls her over the rail. While this happens, Crowbar attacks with a chair.

3-Way Dance for the Hardcore Title: Meng vs. Crowbar (w/ Daffney) vs. Terry Funk (c)

Storyline: Crowbar’s loss at Starrcade made him realize Daffney was right. He ditched the 70s garb and helped Funk defeat Meng. Crowbar did this because he wanted to face Funk again with a clear head. Unfortunately, costing Meng the win pissed Meng off. Meng cost Crowbar a victory over Bam Bam Bigelow. This led to Crowbar vs. Meng in a Chair on a Pole Match, which Meng won. Later, Funk insulted Crowbar and called him a nobody, so Crowbar confronted him. While they argued, Meng ambushed them. He punched through a wooden chair to put a Death Grip on Crowbar. Plus, Meng swiped the Hardcore belt and dared them to come get it. Finally, Meng wrestled Heavy D. He fended off both Harris brothers to win, but they attacked him. They laid out Kwee Wee when he tried to help, so Meng put Ron and Don in the Death Grip.

The Match: The fight spills backstage and into the women’s restroom. Funk and Crowbar use a mop and bucket on each other before Funk rams Crowbar into the stall doors. Once Meng arrives, they hit each other with plastic and metal trash cans. Now they move into the hallway and run each other into a shutter door. When Crowbar and Funk get Meng down, they pile tables onto him. Back in the arena, Funk and Crowbar exchange head shots, and Funk ends up on a table. This allows Crowbar to land a guillotine leg drop on him! With Funk down, Crowbar focuses on Meng. He hits him with a snow shovel, and we hear an odd noise. It sounds like a deflating balloon!

As they fight, Funk introduces a section of guardrail and slams Crowbar onto it. It folds in half, but Crowbar isn’t done. He targets Funk’s knee with chair shots and a slingshot splash. Crowbar continues with a Figure Four, but Meng nails him with a flying splash and a piledriver. Since Meng won’t stop coming, Crowbar and Funk batter him with chair shots and a DDT. The problem is, they break up each other’s pins, and Crowbar stops Funk’s piledriver with a chair attack. When Crowbar turns toward Meng, Meng superkicks him and puts the Death Grip on Funk. He pushes Terry to the mat to pin him.

Thoughts: This was good fun, and it had a nice finish. They accomplished two goals. This portrayed Meng as a monster, and it told a fine story with Funk and Crowbar. However, it won’t lead to anything. We will see Meng in the WWF in a week. He leaves as the Hardcore champion.

Winner: Meng (New Champion) (11:41)

Backstage, Flair congratulates Ernest Miller on his win. Ric says he looks forward to working with him. Flair also thinks Sanders is gone forever. With that said, Ric tells Miller to take the rest of the night off. He offers him caviar and a limo, but the Cat only wants some collard greens and neck bones. Flair says he knows a place, so he sends Miller on his way and compliments Miss Jones.

Now Gene interviews Sid, who is wearing a hat that’s too small for him. Gene says people wanted Sid to win the belt at Starrcade, but Sid has another chance tonight. Sid agrees, and he takes great joy in the idea of making Steiner and Jarrett run. As far as the mystery man, he must be on the up and up because Flair picked him. But no matter what, his opponents must realize he’s the original madman. Sid promises to chokeslam them straight to hell. (They mute the word hell.) Once he does, Sid will stand alone as the WCW champion! This idea makes him laugh.

Afterward, the Thrillers and Sanders arrive for the tag title contest. Sanders has a mic, but Tony says he isn’t the commissioner anymore. Schiavone calls this grossly unfair. The ref can’t allow all the Thrillers to remain at ringside! To make matters worse, Sanders claims he will substitute any member of the Thrillers whenever he wants. Flair has none of this. He asks what Sanders is doing. Ric says the Insiders will face Palumbo and O’Haire. If the other Thrillers don’t leave, he will fine and suspend them!

Tag Team Title Match: The Natural Born Thrillers (Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire) (w/ Mike Sanders) vs. The Insiders (c)

Storyline: Sanders tried to announce the #1 Contenders for the tag titles, but Flair stopped him. Ric booked a battle royal to determine who would face the Insiders instead. It came down to Jindrak, O’Haire, Stasiak, and Palumbo, so Sanders ended the match. He claimed all four Thrillers won, so any combination of the four could contend for the gold. The Insiders wouldn’t know which two it would be until the PPV. Then the Thrillers screwed with the Insiders’ travel plans to make them miss Thunder. However, the Insiders jumped out of the Thrillers’ limo and attacked them. Later, we got the Minnesota Massacre Match I mentioned earlier. It had Last Man Standing rules. The Insiders faced Palumbo, O’Haire, and Sanders, and the Insiders succeeded. Finally, the Insiders teamed with Rection against Douglas, Jindrak, and Stasiak. Rection’s team prevailed, but the Thrillers ambushed the Insiders afterward.

The Match: DDP and Chuck exchange strikes and knockdowns until they tumble outside. Once they return, Nash and O’Haire face each other. Sean shakes off a big boot before the Thrillers double-team Nash. It doesn’t last because Nash hits Snake Eyes on Sean, and DDP scores a flying clothesline on Chuck. Now O’Haire gives DDP a cheap shot, which gives the Thrillers control. They land a double slingshot suplex and stomp DDP into their corner while taunting Nash. He doesn’t take the bait, and DDP reverses a Tombstone before tagging Kevin. Nash cleans house with forearms, big boots, and a side slam. Sensing trouble, the Thrillers run out, but it’s a distraction. This allows Totally Buff to interfere. Page chases Luger into the crowd, but Bagwell leaps out of the stands in a disguise. He nails Nash with a wrench, and O’Haire lands a Seanton Bomb for the win.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. They structured it well and built it to an exciting finish. It bordered on overbooking, but I think this had the right amount of chaos. Plus, I know how the ending ties into upcoming storylines, so the benefit of hindsight helps this contest.

Winners: The Natural Born Thrillers (New Champions) (11:16)

Page chases the new champs out of the ring with a chair while Tony asks why this happened. Why did Luger and Bagwell help the Thrillers?

When they get backstage, Tenay interviews the Thrillers. He says they are the new champions, but they had help from Buff Bagwell. Sanders says they didn’t ask Buff for help and they didn’t need it. It’s not their fault the Insiders couldn’t watch their own backs. Palumbo and O’Haire turned the Insiders inside out. Then Sanders says he isn’t the commissioner anymore, but they still have a lot to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Flair says it’s showtime. He climbs into his limo to go get the mystery man.

Back in the arena, Shane Douglas arrives for his First Blood Chain Match against General Rection. Shane points at the chain hanging above the ring. He says this started with a woman and exploded into so much more. Shane also calls the U.S. title a stepping stone to Steiner’s WCW gold. He will walk out with Rection’s belt, and no Indiana imbeciles can stop him! This leads to Hugh’s entrance. When he arrives, he tells the ref to check Shane for a hidden chain. The ref finds one in Douglas’ tights, so he takes it away.

First Blood Chain Match for the U.S. Title: Shane Douglas vs. General Rection (c)

Storyline: After Starrcade, Douglas hired KroniK to go after the Misfits in Action. They faced them, and KroniK used a chair to help Shane pin Hugh for the win. Then Douglas used his chain to reopen Rection’s cut from Starrcade. Afterward, Shane challenged Hugh to a Chain on a Pole Match, so Hugh attacked him and they brawled again. Next, Shane got in Flair’s face and demanded a shot at Sid for his spot in the Sin main event. Shane wrestled Sid, but he couldn’t beat him, despite using a low blow and his chain. Nevertheless, Shane refocused on his rivalry with Rection. He approached the Thrillers and had them take out A-Wall and Cajun, but Hugh turned to the Insiders. This led to the tag match I mentioned earlier. Rection pinned Douglas for the victory and stopped the Thrillers’ attack on the Insiders.

The Match: Hugh fends off strikes and works on Shane’s arm. He uses knucklelocks and armbars until Shane throws a low blow. It doesn’t work, so Shane targets Hugh’s leg. He nails a shinbreaker and puts Hugh in a Figure Four. Once Rection breaks free, they scuffle outside. Shane performs a crossbody off the rail, and they do some crowd brawling. It doesn’t last long before they return. Now Shane wraps Hugh’s leg around the post and does a standing Figure Four. He even hooks a chinlock, but Hugh escapes. This allows Hugh to fetch a ladder. He climbs and retrieves the chain, but Shane topples the ladder. As it falls, it nails the ref! With the ref down, Douglas pulls a chain from his boot and bloodies Rection. Shane hides his chain and grabs the one Hugh had. When the ref sees Rection bleeding, he calls for the bell.

Thoughts: I don’t understand what they went for. The stipulation only played into the finish, but they spent the rest of the contest wrestling in a normal style. This didn’t contain bad action. It contained poor psychology. Also, why did Shane need to hide chains? There are no disqualifications in this. None of this made sense.

Winner: Shane Douglas (New Champion) (11:36)

Next, Gene interviews Scott Steiner. He calls Midajah disarming and dangerous before talking about trust. Who can Steiner trust tonight? Scott says he can’t trust Sid, the mystery man, or Flair, but he can trust his freaks! Ever since Steiner won the title, Flair stacked the deck against him. However, Scott says he will go down as the greatest world champ of all time! If Flair sets them up, he will knock them down. Then Midajah speaks. She says she knows what it’s all about, so she asks Scott to tell them. Steiner says it’s all about his freaks and his peaks!

Meanwhile, Cajun and A-Wall try to calm General Rection. He says he can’t believe he lost his belt. The Misfits say Douglas robbed Hugh, but Rection says he has nothing. When Cajun says Hugh has heart, Rection ignores him and walks away.

Now Michael Buffer introduces the co-featured contest of the evening. This is a No Disqualifications Match, and the streak stipulation is in effect. If Goldberg’s team loses, no matter who takes the fall, they will ban Goldberg for the rest of his life! So let’s bring them on! During the introductions, no one can agree whether it’s Totally Buff or Totally Buffed. Bagwell said buffed on TV, but everyone else says buff.

No DQ Match: Totally Buff (Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell) vs. Goldberg & DeWayne Bruce

Storyline: Buff said WCW was holding him down, so he joined Luger to form a team called Totally Buff. Later, Buff wrestled Goldberg, but it was a trap. Totally Buff attacked Goldberg and DeWayne with a chair and challenged them to a tag match. After all, if they pin DeWayne, it counts as a loss for Goldberg! Next, Totally Buff hired KroniK to take out Goldberg while they broke DeWayne’s arm with a chair. On the following Nitro, Totally Buff went to Flair and had him book KroniK vs. Goldberg & Sarge. Since it was a sanctioned match, they refused to pay KroniK’s usual fee. This pissed off KroniK, but they still wrestled. However, Totally Buff attacked everybody with Sarge’s arm cast, including KroniK. It led to Totally Buff vs. KroniK. Goldberg interfered and targeted Luger, but he speared Adams when Luger moved. This allowed Totally Buff to retreat.

The Match: Goldberg and Bagwell exchange strikes, suplexes, and a powerslam. Once Goldberg has Bagwell down, Sarge enters the contest. He yells at Bagwell while throwing him around and hitting him with the cast. This lasts until Luger snaps Sarge’s head on the ropes. Now Totally Buff uses quick tags, ref distractions, and Bagwell’s double-arm DDT. Luger even nails the running forearm, but Sarge reverses a suplex. It allows him to make a hot tag. Goldberg cleans house with clotheslines and a pumphandle suplex. He also takes Luger outside, but Lex has an altercation with the young fan from earlier. When Goldberg tries to save the fan, the kid maces Goldberg! Bill blindly pulls him over the rail, and Luger stops security from grabbing him. While Goldberg tries to rally without his sight, Luger uses a chair. This opens the door for a doomsday Blockbuster, and Luger pins Goldberg.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this more than I expected. It wasn’t great, but I thought they crafted a decent story. Plus, the finish was nice. The only thing that detracted from the ending was Luger almost forgot he was the legal man. He had to come back to cover Goldberg. As for Goldberg, they did this to write him off TV for shoulder surgery. Even if the WWF bought out his contract, he wouldn’t have been ready for the invasion.

Winners: Totally Buff (11:53)

The result leaves the commentators in shock. They can’t believe some young punk helped end Goldberg’s career. Meanwhile, Slick Johnson grabs a bottle of water to help wash the mace out of Goldberg’s eyes. While this happens, Hudson calls Luger and Bagwell scum.

Now it’s time for the main event. Buffer does his usual shtick before Sid, Jarrett, and Steiner arrive. Steiner carries the new version of the big gold belt again, so they must have finally retired the beaten-up one. Once everybody is in place, Flair joins the party. He says he has the mystery man, but he never said when he would be there. Ric tells Steiner to defend his belt now against Jarrett and Sid. When Steiner hears this, he goes after Flair, but Jeff convinces him to return.

Four Corners Match for the WCW Title: Scott Steiner (c) (w/ Midajah) vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Sid Vicious vs. ????

Storyline: After Jarrett qualified, he swore he was there to watch Steiner’s back. It wasn’t about winning the gold. Then Jarrett threatened Flair when he wouldn’t reveal the mystery man’s identity, so Ric booked Jarrett vs. Sid for Jarrett’s spot in the main event. The encounter ended in a no contest because Steiner dressed as the mystery man and attacked Sid. This changed Flair’s plans. He turned this into a 4-Way by adding Sid to the mix. Next, Ric stirred the pot. He told Steiner that Jarrett wanted the WCW title. Ric made Steiner defend his gold against Jarrett. If they refused or didn’t try, Ric would strip Scott of the belt and suspend Jarrett. Tempers flared when Steiner and Jarrett wrestled, but Sid and the mystery man caused a DQ. Finally, Steiner faced Sid. This time, Jarrett dressed as the mystery man and ambushed Sid.

The Match: Steiner and Jarrett try to double-team Sid, but he fights back and nails a side slam and clotheslines. Then Jarrett whips Sid into Steiner’s boot, and Scott lands a belly-to-belly. Now the double-teaming works. They floor Sid before Steiner stops to do push-ups. Brawling outside follows, and they hotshot Sid on the rail. Steiner even uses the title as a weapon. After cutting off Sid’s comeback, Steiner performs a backbreaker, and Jarrett uses a diving fist drop. With Sid down, Steiner offers Jarrett a chance to pin him. It gets two. Afterward, Steiner and Jarrett attempt a double suplex, but Sid reverses it! A rejuvenated Sid throws big boots and lands a chokeslam.

Meanwhile, Flair fetches the mystery man from the limo. As they enter the arena, we cut back to the ring and—oh god! Sid has a broken leg, and it’s flopping around! The commentators sound shook, as Steiner buys time with his antics. Once the mystery man arrives, he attacks Sid, and Steiner pins Sid for the three.

Thoughts: It’s hard to rate this because the bout is incomplete. They had to end it early because of Sid’s injury. The mystery man did nothing more than a few kicks. What we got was fine, but it wasn’t thrilling. However, we will never know what the original finish was, so I have to call it a disappointment. (On a side note, they didn’t show the moment Sid broke his leg. It never aired on the PPV broadcast. We only saw the aftermath. They played the clip everyone remembers the next night on Nitro. Sid broke it by doing a diving big boot. He didn’t want to do it, but Johnny Ace convinced him.)

Winner: Scott Steiner (7:53)

The commentators don’t understand why the mystery man helped Steiner. As they say this, he unmasks himself to reveal—Road Warrior Animal! He hugs Steiner and poses on the turnbuckles. Hudson says he thought Animal was out of the sport, but he’s back. Hudson calls this disgusting. Then the show ends with Animal posing.

The Good:

• The opener

• Knoble & Karagias vs. Jung Dragons

• The Penalty Box Match

• Meng vs. Crowbar vs. Funk

• The tag title contest

The Bad:

• Sid’s injury

• The disappointing mystery man reveal

• Douglas vs. Rection

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Sid’s leg. (Relax. It’s a joke.) The real winner is Shane Helms. He put on a great opening match. Plus, I enjoyed the build for his contest. It was one of the better ones for this PPV. But in all seriousness, I will give Sid a shout-out. I can’t imagine the pain he felt.

Final Thoughts:

This is another PPV where I don’t understand the hate. Yeah, the main event put a damper on things, but the rest of the show wasn’t bad. In fact, it contained enough good stuff for me to call this a decent program. You could see WCW turning the ship around slowly. The episodes of TV were still a mess, but there were bright points.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s Royal Rumble 2001. Look for it next Sunday!