Bash at the Beach ’97

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

Bash at the Beach

July 13, 1997

Ocean Center

Daytona Beach, Florida

News & Notes: WCW’s summer of celebrities continues! Hollywood & Hogan & Dennis Rodman face Lex Luger & The Giant. Randy Savage & Scott Hall wrestle Diamond Dallas Page & a mystery partner! Who could it be? Meanwhile, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper come to blows over the events of The Great American Bash. And Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan finally end their feud. I’ll explain the builds for each match when we get to them. These intro sections are getting too long. So the News & Notes portion will only include extra information and storylines not used on the show. I’ll spread the information out more in these reviews. This is a necessary change. Survivor Series ’97 is coming. That intro section will be long enough as it is.

Speculation ran rampant once DDP announced he had a mystery partner. WCW hyped an impact player joining the company. Was he the mystery man? On the June 30^th episode of Nitro, two new faces appeared in WCW. First, the camera spotted Raven in the crowd. Mike Tenay attempted an interview. But Raven ignored him. He tried a second time the following week. But Stevie Richards interrupted. Richards claimed Raven only spoke to him. Stevie asked Raven if he signed with WCW. So Raven slapped Richards and walked away. Then the impact player arrived at the end of the show. Curt Hennig (Mr. Perfect) walked down the aisle while a brawl erupted in the ring. Gene interviewed Curt the next week. He asked if Hennig was Page’s partner. Curt didn’t answer. Then Ric Flair greeted Hennig. He offered Curt a spot in the Four Horsemen. Curt was flattered, but he called himself a free agent.

I have a few other pieces of information before we begin. First, WCW held a special Saturday Nitro on June 28^th. It was an audio-only broadcast on the internet. (Fan-cam footage of the show exists online.) I’ll discuss the important results throughout this review. Next, we have the continuing heel turn of Eddie Guerrero. Eddie made his nephew Chavo fight his battles. He left him out to dry twice. Then they teamed to face Vicious & Delicious (Bagwell & Norton). Eddie walked away and let them beat Chavo. He claimed he was toughening the kid up. But Chavo had enough. He brawled with his uncle backstage. Meanwhile, Harlem Heat made some changes. Sherri cost them a match when she distracted Booker T. She sent him to take care of Vincent and left Stevie to lose a match. So Harlem Heat fired Sherri as their manager. (WCW let Sherri go because of her substance abuse issues.) Finally, I’ll discuss Konnan’s actions. Rey Mysterio had enough of The Outsiders attacking him. He challenged Nash to a match. Rey fought valiantly, but he lost. Then Konnan attacked Mysterio’s injured leg. Konnan also tried injuring Joe Gomez the next week. He hasn’t joined the nWo. But it’s coming.

We open with a video about the main event. Luger & The Giant are angry at Hogan & Rodman for their attacks. They show footage of those beatings while Luger & Giant cut promos on their opponents. The nWo humiliated and spray painted Luger while he was unconscious. The Giant says, “What comes around, goes around!” The Giant is coming for them! It’s Bash at the Beach!

Tony welcomes everyone while fireworks almost drown him out. It’s the premier summertime event in professional wrestling! (I’m sure Vince McMahon would beg to differ.) Schiavone is with Dusty and Bobby. Dusty didn’t get the Hawaiian shirt memo. Tony asks Heenan about DDP’s mystery partner. Bobby says no one is talking. He asked Curt Hennig and didn’t get an answer. Then Schiavone asks Dusty about the main event. Rhodes says it’s the nWo’s anniversary. But it might end tonight with a bad outing from Dennis Rodman. (Does he think the nWo will disband out of embarrassment if Rodman sucks?)

Mortis & Wrath (w/ James Vandenberg) vs. Glacier & Ernest Miller

Notes: Mortis & Wrath attacked Glacier again. But Ernest Miller saved him. (I see he’s back from that James Brown concert.) WCW then signed a tag team bout pitting Mortis & Wrath vs. Glacier & Miller. They hyped the encounter with a training montage of Miller. We met his karate Sensei. He was amusing with his curly mullet and American flag clothes. (Did this guy teach Ernest Rex Kwon Do?) Meanwhile, the two teams had multiple confrontations and brawls. Glacier & Miller cost Mortis & Wrath a match on Nitro. So Vandenberg promised vengeance. (On a side note, they dub over Mortis’ theme during the entrances. But it plays later. It’s also not edited anywhere else. This was odd.)

The Match: It begins with a brawl. Glacier & Miller fend off Mortis & Wrath with spin kicks and springboard kicks. Then Miller evades Wrath’s attacks and nails more kicks. But Wrath catches Ernest with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Wrath then attempts a tightrope elbow and misses it. Glacier & Miller capitalize with a double dropkick. However, Mortis & Wrath take control when they send Glacier outside. Wrath lands a cannonball and holds a chair to Glacier’s head. Mortis kicks it into Glacier’s face.

Mortis & Wrath use double-team moves. This includes a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo, and an inverted Boston Crab/diving leg drop. Then Mortis misses a moonsault and Miller uses the opportunity to attack. The Cat throws kicks until another brawl erupts. Wrath pulls Miller outside and Glacier gives Mortis a DDT. But Vandenberg places a chain on Mortis’ boot behind the ref’s back. James then distracts Glacier and eats a kick. When Glacier turns, Mortis nails a chain-assisted superkick for the win.

Thoughts: This was a fun opener. Wrath & Mortis had some great double-team moves. Miller threw some impressive-looking kicks. It also had a good pace and story. They worked well around Miller’s lack of experience. I didn’t have high expectations. But this match ended up quite solid.

Winners: Mortis & Wrath (9:47)

Miller does the Platoon pose over a fallen Glacier. (That was over-dramatic.) Meanwhile, Vandenberg says they finally broke that block of ice. (It was Glacier’s first pinfall loss.) When you stick your nose in their business, they rip it off and stick it down your throat!

DDP is on wcwwrestling.com. He answers fan questions while his dad stares a hole through the young intern. DDP scoffs when a fan named I Love Cows asks for the identity of Page’s mystery partner. Dallas jokes it’s DDD (Diamond Dallas Dad). Page isn’t telling someone named I Love Cows the real answer. He wants the next question. JJ in Atlanta (JJ Dillon?) wants to know if Kim will be ringside. DDP scoffs at that question too.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Ultimo Dragon

Notes: Syxx had multiple title defenses between The Great American Bash and Bash at the Beach. The Outsiders helped him win most of them. But Jericho got the job done on the Saturday Nitro special. Jericho challenged the winner of a Syxx vs. Mysterio match. Syxx defeated Rey and then faced Jericho immediately afterward. Jericho won the title in seconds from a tired Syxx. A defiant Syxx confronted Jericho on Nitro. He said, “You beat nothing until you got back to your hotel room that night!” Gene admonished him for his dirty joke. However, Syxx isn’t the next in line. Ultimo Dragon defeated Jericho on an earlier episode of Nitro. It earned him this shot at the belt.

The Match: They trade takedowns, mat holds, kicks, and athletic reversals. Then Jericho turns a hurricanrana into a double powerbomb. Next, they trade suplexes until Jericho lands a moonsault and a Tiger Driver. (Heenan wants to know if that’s a golf club.) Both men then tumble on an awkward superplex reversal. Jericho keeps blocking Dragon’s big moves. But Dragon also dropkicks Jericho out of the air twice. Jericho spills outside and Dragon fakes him out on a dive. Ultimo then lands an Asai Moonsault and Jericho almost gets counted out.

Back inside, Jericho catches Dragon on a handspring elbow and they trade pin attempts. After some chops and kicks, Jericho reverses an apron suplex. He follows with a slam and a Lionsault. It doesn’t get the pin, so Jericho attempts another one. Dragon dropkicks him. Then Jericho blocks a Tiger Suplex and a Dragon Sleeper. But Ultimo nails a clothesline and a moonsault. Jericho tries a powerbomb next, but Dragon turns it into a hurricanrana. Or does he? Jericho flips through one more time to get the pin.

Thoughts: This was fast-paced and quite good. There were a few shaky moments, but they hid them well. You can tell these two have wrestled many times before. It was solid and enjoyable cruiserweight action. But the crowd didn’t agree. Unfortunately, babyface Jericho isn’t working. The fans even chanted for Syxx. But we’re months away from Jericho’s heel turn.

Winner: Chris Jericho (12:55)

Gene says he walked on Daytona Beach in his tux. He claims he got strange looks, and he doesn’t understand why. Gene also plugs the hotline. You won’t believe who is backstage. Is one of them DDP’s mystery partner? Call the hotline and find out! Then Gene spots Raven in the crowd. He attempts an interview. Stevie Richards waves, so Gene acknowledges him. Raven sits in silence, so Gene tells him not to Mike Tenay him. But Raven finally speaks. He waxes poetic about fate, the human race, emotions, and dreams. So it is written and shall come to pass. Then Raven addresses rumors he’s DDP’s partner. Raven says it’s the same question people asked since his childhood. (People asked about DDP when he was a kid? How odd!) The question is, does Raven have any dreams to sell? Raven ends his promo by saying, “Quote the Raven, nevermore.” Gene accuses Raven of feeding him Edgar Allan Poe gibberish. But Stevie Richards interrupts before Gene can say more. Gene asks Stevie about his relationship with Raven. Stevie says he has a scoop. Richards asks Raven to reveal the secret he’ll give tomorrow on Nitro. Raven slaps Stevie for saying this, so Gene leaves.

The Steiner Brothers vs. The Great Muta & Masahiro Chono

Notes: JJ Dillon didn’t like how the #1 contender match went down at The Great American Bash. He ordered a rematch, much to Harlem Heat’s chagrin. Harlem Heat took out their frustrations on Vincent when he showed his face again. Then The Steiners won the rematch. They demanded their shot at Hall & Nash. The Outsiders made the Steiners sign a contract. But Rick & Scott didn’t read it first. They were duped! It stated The Steiners had to beat Muta & Chono before facing The Outsiders. (On a side note, the crab-cam from last year returns during The Steiners’ entrance.)

The Match: They brawl until the nWo sends The Steiners outside. But they return with stereo flying clotheslines. The nWo regroups and Scott faces Muta. They trade strikes until Scott lands a Tiger Bomb and a press slam. Then Rick faces Chono. Masahiro uses eye-rakes and a Mafia Kick. Rick answers with a backdrop and makes Chono regroup. This leads to Scott and Muta fighting again. But Chono blocks Scott’s superplex with an Electric Chair Drop. Muta capitalizes with a handspring elbow, a bulldog, a snap elbow, and more kicks. But Scott rallies with a super belly-to-belly and tags Rick. He cleans house and lands a flying bulldog on Muta. However, Chono breaks up the pin and a brawl erupts. The Steiners hand out more suplexes. Muta answers with a super Frankensteiner. Scott isn’t having any of that move stealing! He gives Muta a Frankensteiner. But Chono pulls the ref away from the pin. While the ref argues with Chono, The Steiners give Muta a Doomsday DDT for the victory.

Thoughts: I had high expectations, so I was slightly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad match. In fact, it became enjoyable by the end. I liked the finish. But there was more stalling than I’d like. That will be a theme tonight. This was good, but not great.

Winners: The Steiner Brothers (11:37)

The Steiners look into the camera and tell The Outsiders they’re coming for them. There’s no more hiding. Heenan says not to bet on it. Then the luchadores enter for the next match. Heenan yells, “Wait a minute. We need Tenay!” (That made me laugh.)

Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, & Lizmark Jr. vs. La Parka, Psychosis, & Villano IV (w/ Sonny Onoo)

Notes: La Parka had enough of playing nice. He started swinging chairs. The primary victim of his attacks was Super Calo. He broke a plastic chair over Calo’s head and a wooden one over his back. Parka also used a chair to defeat The Public Enemy. His antics caught the attention of Sonny Onoo. He added Parka to his list of clients. When Parka & Psychosis attacked Calo, Juvi made the save. But Juvi & Garza also had matches with the Villanos. This bout combines all the mini-feuds. But there is no Super Calo. They’re either selling the beatings La Parka gave him or he’s injured. Lizmark Jr. is in his place.

The Match: Hector Garza shows off with flying and springboard arm drags. He sends his opponents outside and gives Villano a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Then Parka and Juvi fight. Guerrera sends him outside, which leads to some miscommunication on Parka’s team. First, Onoo kicks Parka by accident. He soothes Parka’s anger with money. Then Parka’s teammates hit him with accidental clotheslines. They argue. Juvi’s team starts a wild brawl and Juvi dives onto the pile of bodies. Then they send the heel team to the floor and land a triple dive over the ropes! However, Psychosis takes control. He almost breaks Juvi’s neck with a super victory roll.

Another brawl erupts, which leads to the faces doing a rowboat Star on their opponents. Parka lifts Juvi into a rack and dumps him onto Lizmark to end it. Garza then sweeps Psychosis into double-dropkicking his partners. Everybody follows this by missing flying splashes! Next, Juvi’s team tries a double superplex. Parka’s team turns it into a tower of doom, but the faces dropkick them over the ropes. After this, Juvi vaults to the outside and backdrops Psychosis onto Parka. Everyone is outside, so Garza lands a corkscrew plancha onto the pile. During the chaos, Villano V switches places with his brother. (Did the Villanos invent twin magic?) But Villano hits the wrong man. Garza capitalizes with a missile dropkick and a standing moonsault for the win.

Thoughts: This was good fun. They used some unique spots and kept a fast pace. Plus, I liked the story of miscommunication on Parka’s team. Onoo using money to placate them gave me a laugh. It was a good mix of high-flying action, storytelling, and entertainment. The match had a little of everything. Plus, this had the right commentary team. They enjoyed it. If it happened on Nitro, Zbyszko would crap all over it. He doesn’t seem to like these bouts.

Winners: Juventud, Garza, & Lizmark Jr. (10:08)

After the match, we get highlights. Heenan says he’ll show Tony how to call a replay. Bobby says, “Take it, Tenay!” (Heenan is great on this show.)

Career Match: Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan (w/ Jacquelyn & Jimmy Hart)

Notes: This is a career match. The loser must retire. One way or another, this feud will finally end. They did most of the build through hype videos. They’ve feuded for over a year. So it doesn’t need much more. On the go-home Nitro, Sullivan broke a wooden chair over Benoit’s head. Kevin then fled the ring. But he knocked over Jackie as he ran. She didn’t take kindly to this. Sullivan and Jacquelyn argued. The arguing continues during the entrances. Jackie refuses to take Sullivan’s hand. (On a side note, there’s a reason this is a career match. Bischoff saw the real toll this storyline took on Sullivan. He told him to wrap up the feud and retire from in-ring competition. Eric didn’t want it to ruin Kevin. Also, if you’re wondering where Woman is, she’s gone. WCW released her because of the real drama with Sullivan.)

The Match: They brawl in and out of the ring. Jackie attacks Benoit. So both men use her as a weapon. She takes exception to this, but Sullivan shoves her aside. Then the fight heads to the beach set. They tear up a hut and Sullivan uses surfboards as weapons. Jimmy Hart climbs a lifeguard stand to get away from the action. So Benoit shoves it over. But this leaves him open to an attack. Both Kevin and Jackie hit Chris with a deck chair. They return to ringside and Sullivan lands a piledriver on the floor. He also gives Benoit a double stomp and uses more weapons. Then they trade more strikes and send each other into the rail and the apron.

Back in the ring, Benoit hits a snap suplex. But Sullivan counters with biting. He bites Benoit’s gut. Chris returns the favor and bites Sullivan’s ear. Chris wins the exchange and puts Kevin in a Crossface. Benoit does it twice, but Kevin keeps reaching the ropes. Once he’s free, Sullivan catches Chris in a tree of woe. Kevin then nails running knees and stomps. Meanwhile, Jackie grabs a wooden chair. Sullivan tells her to give it to him. So she does—over his head! The chair shatters and Benoit nails a flying headbutt for the victory.

Thoughts: It was mostly punching and kicking, but it had good intensity and story. Plus, I got a kick out of seeing Benoit tip over the lifeguard stand with Jimmy on it. This was no technical marvel, but I enjoyed it. On a side note, it’s good to see this feud finally end. It’s been a long time coming. And thus ends The Dungeon of Doom after two years.

Winner: Chris Benoit (13:11)

They show replays. Tony says he hopes Benoit will go after the title he deserves to get. (Wait a couple of years, Tony.) Then Jimmy Hart berates Sullivan. Jimmy says he let everybody down. Sullivan has enough and shoves him. Kevin grabs the remnants of the chair, so Jimmy bails. But he continues saying Sullivan let them down. Sullivan then walks away with tears in his eyes.

U.S. Title Match: Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Steve Mongo McMichael (w/ Queen Debra)

Notes: The Horsemen put Jarrett on probation for his blunder at The Great American Bash. Then Mongo had enough and attacked Jeff. He gave him a Tombstone and left him to lose a match. But The Horsemen appeared to help Jeff win a US title defense. Jarrett thanked Ric, but he insulted Arn, Mongo, & Benoit. This was a mistake. Flair kicked Jarrett out of the Horsemen. Ric implied he only let Jeff into the group because Debra found him attractive. But she doesn’t feel that way anymore. (Or does she?) An angry Jarrett threatened to put Flair out to pasture. Jarrett also jumped The Horsemen on two occasions. During Mongo’s entrance, McMichael tells Jarrett he never should have jumped in his chili. (What an odd way to phrase it. How does Debra feel about that?) Then both men pose with the belt, much to Jarrett’s chagrin.

The Match: Jarrett takes Mongo down before strutting and posing. But Mongo catches Jeff with a sidewalk slam and a chop block. After Jarrett regroups, they do a test of strength. Jarrett throws knees. But Mongo counters with a high-knee and a clothesline to the floor. Jeff then pulls McMichael to the floor and they brawl. They ram each other into the steps and Mongo chokes Jarrett with a cable. Steve follows with a sloppy press slam and a powerslam. Then Steve tries a running knee in the corner and misses. Jarrett pounces on the leg. Jeff nails chop blocks and attempts a Figure Four. So Debra climbs the apron to distract both Jeff and the referee. However, she holds the briefcase out to her side. Jarrett grabs it and clocks Mongo twice to get the win.

Thoughts: This was slow and sloppy. They filled it with stalling and posing. The finish was the only interesting part. Everything else wasn’t good. It was at least short, but that doesn’t help.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett (6:56)

The ending confused the commentators until they spot Debra applauding Jarrett. She says, “Am I not the best, or what?” Debra then hugs Jarrett. Rhodes yells, “Hush my mouth!” Heenan feels sick. Debra betrayed her husband! It even appalled Gene, but he’s seen this before in wrestling. Okerlund then plugs the hotline again. They’re still speculating about DDP’s partner. Also, he mentions unsigned wrestlers are backstage.

Then they show a commercial for Road Wild. (They changed the name because Harley-Davidson sued WCW over the Hog Wild trademark.) The Steiners greet other bikers on the road and ask where they’re going. They say they’re heading to Sturgis. The narrator then asks what happens when you mix bikers and wrestling. The answer is, somebody’s getting their ass kicked. Call to order now!

Next, Hollywood Hogan & Dennis Rodman cut a promo in black and white. Hogan says it’s finally nice to find another champion, a dog, and a fire hydrant in Dennis Rodman. (A fire hydrant!? What does that mean?) Daytona Beach doesn’t stand a chance. Rodman destroyed the whole town last night. Hogan then calls Rodman the man and lets him speak. Dennis says they’re going to tear the town apart. They need to accept it. Next, Hogan praises Rodman’s conscience. He saves lives by busting people in the skull. Dennis left the wart-infested Giant and the Hollywood wannabe Luger laying in the dust. But tonight, they take out the survivors. Hogan begs Rodman to leave him a piece of The Giant. Rodman says, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Hogan also believes all the sports world is watching. Everyone likes watching a natural disaster. He then follows that with the line of the night. Hogan tells Rodman he puts the icing on his cake. (Oh, my!) Finally, Hogan claims Rodman is nWo for life. (All joking aside, this was awful. They rambled for far too long.)

Hall & Savage enter for their match. The commentators wonder where Nash is. Hall has both tag belts. Then DDP enters the arena with Kimberly. Fireworks explode when Page poses. It makes Dusty yell, “Holy mackerel!” DDP then points to the entrance to welcome his mystery partner. It’s—Curt Hennig. (The fans seem disappointed. They wanted Sting.)

Randy Savage & Scott Hall (w/ Miss Elizabeth) vs. Diamond Dallas Page & Curt Hennig (w/ Kimberly)

Notes: Since Hall helped Savage win at The Great American Bash, DDP challenged them to a tag match. But DDP wouldn’t reveal the identity of his partner. He likes surprises. The following week, DDP faced Hall on Nitro. Hogan interfered, and the nWo attacked Page’s ribs with the WCW title belt. But Sting made the save. (Fans thought Sting was the mystery partner because of this. WCW had to know they’d want that.) Then Savage had a warm-up match on the go-home show. He faced what appeared to be La Parka. But this Parka was taller and skinnier than usual. Savage learned the truth when Parka hit a Diamond Cutter! He unmasked to reveal DDP and Page pinned Randy for the win. He then fled into the crowd. A furious Savage went on a rampage backstage. He threw hot coffee on Nick Patrick.

The Match: DDP flusters Savage with elbows, forearms, and clotheslines. So Randy regroups and grabs chairs and random debris. Then Hall tags and demands Hennig. He gets his wish and Hall mocks Curt for being pudgy. Hall also throws his toothpick, which leads to slaps. Hennig then nails a knee-lift, both types of an atomic drop, and a neck whip. Page continues with a pancake and knocks Savage to the floor. However, Page falls victim to attacks from the apron. Hall & Savage take turns working over Dallas with axehandles and attacks on his ribs. They also beat him up outside the ring. DDP finally rallies with punches and a Manhattan Drop and tags Curt. But Hennig hurts his back when he hits the ropes. DDP was hanging on them and Hennig almost tumbled to the floor. This angers Curt. He punches Page in the back of the head and leaves. Hall & Savage use the opening to nail an Outsiders Edge and a flying elbow for the win.

Thoughts: This was disappointing. The action wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much to the bout. It feels like they cut time from it. Plus, they botched the spot that pissed off Hennig. I believe Page was supposed to low-bridge him. But he didn’t pull the ropes down far enough. It didn’t look like enough to make Curt mad.

Winners: Randy Savage & Scott Hall (9:35)

Savage & Hall prevent Kimberly and the officials from approaching the ring. The commentators speculate about what happened. Was it a nWo plot or a misunderstanding? Then the nWo leaves, so Kim checks on her husband. The fans chant DDP as he stumbles out of the ring. Kimberly says Page picked a loser of a partner.

The nWo music plays for a moment, but it changes to Piper’s theme. The WCW sound guys are too used to playing that music multiple times.

Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair

Notes: Piper wanted answers for what happened at The Great American Bash. Flair claimed the nWo jumped him backstage. But Piper wasn’t convinced. He made some jokes at Ric’s expense. So the other Horsemen took exception. They confronted Roddy. Flair told Piper not to push them. He didn’t listen. Since Piper attacked Mongo & Benoit, Flair attacked Roddy. The fight was on, so Flair spent the next two weeks mocking Piper. These segments involved mannequins dressed in kilts and women who questioned Roddy’s manhood. Then Piper returned on the go-home Nitro. He brawled with Flair and ripped Ric’s suit. He left Flair in his boxer shorts. The fight continued until The Horsemen stopped Piper. It was a strange build for a weird feud. Flair is back to fighting the nWo next month. So why is this happening? Also, these two faced each other on the Saturday Nitro special. Piper won. So this is even more pointless. But that show was audio-only. I guess it doesn’t count.

The Match: Piper controls the bout with punches, chops, slaps, and clotheslines. Flair flops and regroups until he lures Roddy to the floor. They ram each other into the rail and trade eye-pokes. But Piper maintains control, and Flair begs off. However, Ric takes control and attacks Piper’s leg. He puts Roddy in the Figure Four and slaps him. But Roddy reverses it and Ric breaks free. Flair then fends off another Piper rally with a low-blow until the fight spills outside once more. This leads to more eye-pokes and chops. When they return to the ring, Flair counters a sleeper with a jawbreaker. He also tries some dirty tactics. But Roddy slams him off the turnbuckles and puts Flair in the Figure Four! Ric reaches the ropes and retrieves a fist weapon from his boot. (Heenan calls it a hand protector.) Ric swings, but Piper catches it and hits Ric with the object! This draws out The Horsemen. Piper evades Benoit, but Mongo hits a Tombstone. Flair is slow to cover, so Piper kicks out! Roddy then absorbs some chops and throws wild punches. He follows with a sleeper and Flair passes out.

Thoughts: I didn’t expect much from this bout. I knew it would be mostly punches, chops, and eye-rakes. I was correct. But I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’m not calling it a great match. But they played the crowd well. The fans were hot for it. It had entertainment value. I still don’t know why they had this feud, but it’s fine.

Winner: Roddy Piper (13:26)

Michael Buffer introduces the main event. He calls it a tag team match the world has waited for. Buffer also thinks tens of millions are watching. (It did well, but not that well.) Then Michael says Luger is famous for his Rack of Doom! (Who writes Buffer’s cue cards?) Next, Michael introduces the nWo team. He seems surprised by Randy Savage’s presence and adds him to the announcement. Buffer says Rodman is so good because he’s as bad as he wants to be. And that’s very very bad. Buffer also calls Hogan 275 pounds of talent, power, and danger! (These introductions are ridiculous.)

Lex Luger & The Giant vs. Hollywood Hogan & Dennis Rodman (w/ Randy Savage)

Notes: They announced this match before The Great American Bash. The bout almost happened early. The Giant even grabbed Rodman for the chokeslam. But Hogan stopped it. Hogan & Rodman then knocked Luger & Giant out with the WCW belt and spray painted them. Then Luger, Giant, & DDP faced The Outsiders & Savage. It ended in more belt attacks. Luger & The Giant cut a promo on Hogan & Rodman. Luger reminded Hogan he beat him with The Rack. The Giant threatened to slap Rodman & Hogan until he saw whose hair dye flew out first. They also interrupted a Hogan promo on the go-home show. Hogan bailed, so Luger put Bischoff in The Rack. Meanwhile, The Giant chokeslammed other nWo members while Hogan cowered.

The Match: Luger and Hogan trade holds and shoulder blocks before posing. They both stall often and try a test of strength. This leads to more punches, eye-rakes, choking, and a slam. When Luger takes control, Hogan tags Rodman! He keeps his shades and bandanna on and stalls as much as Hogan and Luger. Then Rodman finally hits an arm drag that astounds the commentators. Rodman follows with leapfrogs and shoulder blocks. But he tags when Luger hits a clothesline. Next, Hogan and The Giant fight for a while. Hogan throws punches and clotheslines. But he bails when The Giant calls for a chokeslam. Then they do a test of strength and Giant lands an atomic drop.

Hogan then tags Rodman. He tries more leapfrogs and ends up in The Giant’s bear hug. Giant then hits an atomic drop and spanks Rodman! But Hogan clips The Giant’s knee and Hogan & Rodman begin double-teaming him. They use a double clothesline, a double hip toss, and a dog pile. But Luger makes a tag and cleans house with clotheslines. Rodman cuts this off with a kick to the back. Savage also attacks from behind. This allows Hogan to hit a slam and the leg drop. However, Hogan makes a nonchalant cover and Luger kicks out! Hogan & Rodman try more double-teaming. So The Giant has enough. He ignores the ref and cleans house with headbutts. Then a clearly fake and Nash-sized Sting attacks The Giant with a bat! Hogan & Rodman have control until a miscommunication. It allows Luger to put Hogan in The Rack and Hollywood submits!

Thoughts: This was 80% stalling and posing. It had some entertaining moments. But it wasn’t great. Rodman didn’t do too badly. They kept him to simple moves. However, the match dragged and fell flat. Plus, the Sting part was ridiculous. The commentators acted as if it fooled them. It makes them look stupid because that Sting was a foot taller than usual. (They’ll look even worse next month. But we’ll get to that.) I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt. The crowd was hot for it. But I didn’t like this.

Winners: Luger & The Giant (22:19)

Rodman attacks, so Luger puts him in The Rack too. Savage is next. He gets the same. Tony is so angry he tells Luger to Rack Sting as well. Hogan, Rodman, & Savage then retreat. Tony says goodnight while Hogan complains Luger & Giant cheated.

The Good:

• The opener was fun.

• Jericho/Dragon was good.

• The lucha six-man was entertaining.

• Benoit/Sullivan had good intensity and story.

The Bad:

• The main event fell flat.

• The DDP tag-match was disappointing.

• Mongo/Jarrett was bad.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to the participants of the lucha six-man tag. They brought their working boots and put on an entertaining match.

Final Thoughts:

The first half of this show was great. But it slowly declined in quality as it progressed. It feels as if they front-loaded the event with the workrate. The second portion was more about entertainment and characters. It might have been better to mix it up more. I can’t fault them for using Rodman. It resulted in a successful PPV. But I didn’t care much for the main event. This show was a mixed bag.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s SummerSlam ’97. Look for it next Sunday!