SuperBrawl VIII

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

SuperBrawl VIII

February 22, 1998

Cow Palace

San Francisco, California

News & Notes: After the botched Jackknife at Souled Out, JJ Dillon banned the powerbomb. He threatened to disqualify and fine anyone who uses it. JJ also said they would cuff Nash and escort him from the building if he did the Jackknife. This didn’t faze Nash. He gloated about what happened. Kevin now wanted people to call him Big Sexy the Giant Killer. Then Nash defied WCW and gave Ray Traylor the Jackknife. Dillinger and company cuffed Nash and led him away. On Thunder, Dillon announced they fined Nash $50,000. Hogan offered to pay Nash’s fines if he kept doing the move. So Nash did. He powerbombed a ref next. Nash even powerbombed The Public Enemy through a table. Next, Wayne Bloom felt Nash’s fury. They punished Kevin each time. When they cuffed him, Nash shouted Attica in protest. He felt WCW was targeting him. They were inconsistent in enforcing the new rule. Cruiserweights used powerbombs without a penalty. He might have a point.

Meanwhile, there is more nWo news. First, Dusty Rhodes explained his heel turn. He blamed the corporate suits in WCW. They relegated him to WCW’s b-shows. He was tired of carrying Tony Schiavone on commentary. Then Dusty kicked Lee Marshall out of the commentary booth on Thunder. He told Tony and Bobby to tell the truth. They were far too biased. Next, I want to discuss the nWo’s newest member. After Souled Out, Hogan called out Bret Hart for his actions at Starrcade. Hollywood threatened to make him pay for interfering in their business. It didn’t worry Bret. Hart believed Hogan was scared. He ducked him his entire career. Then the former Crush interrupted Bret’s promo. He’s now going by his real name, Brian Adams. Brian approached Bret and offered to watch his back. Bret appreciated the offer. He shook Adams’ hand. But Brian didn’t let go. He held Bret in place so the nWo could attack. Adams then removed his coat to reveal a nWo t-shirt!

On a side note, this show was supposed to contain a Zbyszko vs. Spicolli match. As I mentioned in my last review, Louie died before this PPV. They held a ten bell salute to him on Nitro. For some odd reason, Larry didn’t break character. He agreed to withhold his feelings on Spicolli out of respect to Louie’s family.

There was a time when darkness fell on WCW. One man was abandoned and vanished. Another one came to rule. But then, good and evil clashed. The darkness lifted and WCW became one again. Now, the battle continues. The purveyor of good emerges from the shadows to enter the ring. He seeks to vindicate a wrong that must be right. The man with hatred in his heart seeks to destroy the vindicator from the sky. Can he do so without destroying all that surrounds him? Tonight we will find out! It’s SuperBrawl VIII.

Tony Schiavone welcomes everyone to San Francisco. Two men will enter the ring. One man will walk out the real heavyweight champion of the world! The title is vacant. Sting and Hogan will vie for the WCW title. But there are questions surrounding the nWo and Randy Savage. Tenay believes SuperBrawl will answer those questions. We finally crown a champion tonight. Then Tony and Bobby speculate about why Luger and Savage were talking with each other on Thunder. Heenan doesn’t know why. But he knows tonight is a must-win situation for Hogan. Tony calls it the biggest rematch in the history of our sport! (There’s a surprise.)

Meanwhile, Booker T enters for his match. He gets a great reaction. Penzer announces there are two TV title matches. Martel will defend against Booker. The winner faces Saturn afterward. The Flock arrives and takes their seats a minute into the bout.

TV Title Match: Booker T vs. Rick Martel (c)

Notes: Booker and Martel’s problems with The Flock continued. Martel saved Booker from a Flock beating. But Saturn tried to cause dissension. He shoved Booker and Martel into each other to cause an argument. Then Booker interfered in Saturn’s business again. So The Flock jumped Booker on Raven’s orders. They tried to take the TV belt from him and give it to Perry. Next, WCW booked a TV title bout between Booker and Martel. However, Martel was fed up with The Flock. He challenged Saturn when Perry’s original opponent got attacked. Saturn made Martel tap. Despite this, Martel recovered and won the TV belt from Booker! Saturn interfered, so Booker questioned if Martel could beat him on his own. The tensions between these three men led Dillon to make a compromise. Booker gets a rematch with Martel. Saturn will face the winner.

The Match: Martel wants a handshake. Booker slaps his hand and then ducks Martel’s surprise attack. Then Booker controls the action. He uses a backdrop, clotheslines, heel kicks, and thrust kicks. Booker also uses multiple armbars. Martel answers with his own strikes, but Booker hip tosses Rick onto the ropes. (He injures his knee on this move, but Martel continues.) Despite the injury, Rick backdrops Booker over the ropes. He then knocks Booker off the apron with a forearm. It sends Booker into the railing. He hurts his back, so Martel pounces. Rick focuses on Booker’s back with axehandles, stomps, and forearms. Booker answers with a side slam, but he misses an elbow. That’s okay. Booker does a Spinaroonie and nails a jumping forearm. Then Martel catches Booker with a powerslam and a spinebuster. He continues with the Quebec Crab, but Booker grabs the ropes. Rick tries a springboard crossbody next. Booker reverses it and makes a few pin attempts. After this, Booker hits another jumping forearm, a scissor kick, and a spinebuster. However, Booker misses a flying crossbody. Martel uses the opening for a diving axehandle. But he jumps into a Harlem Sidekick. It gains Booker a victory.

Thoughts: This was a solid bout. You appreciate it more when you realize Martel wrestled most of it with a torn MCL. Kudos to Rick for powering through the pain. He tore it pretty early in the action. It also helps the fans were hot for this. They reacted well to Booker’s moves and his win. The problem is, that wasn’t the original plan. Martel was supposed to win. They called an audible after the injury. Now, Booker and Saturn have to call a match on the fly.

Winner: Booker T (New Champion) (10:23)

TV Title Match: Booker T (c) vs. Perry Saturn

The Match: Saturn jumps Booker and puts him in The Rings of Saturn, but Booker grabs the ropes. Then Perry tries multiple pin attempts to end it early. Booker answers with a pin attempt of his own. But Saturn sends him to the floor. Perry then sends Booker into the rail and the post. Booker returns the favor, but he’s too tired to capitalize. So Saturn continues with more strikes. After a double down and Booker’s desperation powerslam, Saturn sends Booker outside again. Perry lands a slingshot crossbody and a Vader Bomb off the apron. Booker rallies with clotheslines and forearms. But Saturn nails a back superplex. He then tries a regular superplex, but Booker blocks it and drops Saturn. Booker follows with a missile dropkick and a heel kick. However, Perry fires back with suplexes and a springboard moonsault. Next, Booker does an awkward crossbody when he loses his footing. Saturn sidesteps it, but we get another double down on a collision. After this, they trade powerslams and spinebusters. But Booker misses a Harlem Hangover. Perry capitalizes with more suplexes until Booker flips out of one. This allows Booker to nail a Harlem Sidekick for the win.

Thoughts: This was slow. But there’s an excuse. They improvised this entire bout. Because of that, I can’t fault it. They told a good story about Booker’s fatigue. The crowd wasn’t as hot, but they reacted well to the win. WCW’s intention wasn’t to showcase Booker. It was a happy accident. This performance made him look great.

Winner: Booker T (14:23)

Chris Jericho is backstage with Mark Madden and Lee Marshall. (Did they get rid of Jeff Katz? We can hope!) Marshall asks if Jericho will take Juventud’s mask for his trophy collection. Chris says he’ll take it whether we want to see Juvi’s face or not. He will remain the Cruiserweight champion.

Then La Parka enters for his match. He’s impressed by seeing his face on the screen. Parka also dances with his chair and threatens the fans. (For some reason, WWE dubbed over Parka’s theme. They don’t do it anywhere else.) Next, Disco Inferno arrives. A security guard laughs at him. The ref prevents La Parka from hitting Disco with a chair. So Parka throws it at Disco instead.

Disco Inferno vs. La Parka

Notes: Losing streaks frustrated both Disco and La Parka. Disco lost to Scott Hall after Dusty Rhodes interfered. Mr. Inferno then submitted to the Rings of Saturn. Meanwhile, Hugh Morrus defeated La Parka. Parka took the loss well. By that, I mean he attacked Morrus with a chair. Then Disco broke his losing streak. He defeated Yuji Nagata. This must have made La Parka jealous. Parka used his trusty chair on Disco. Since Disco beat Nagata, Parka tried his hand against Yuji. But Disco cost La Parka the win by giving Parka a Chartbuster. La Parka didn’t take this sitting down! He beat the crap out of Disco before his bout with Saturn. Parka danced on his chair afterward. Poor Disco tried to get revenge, but Parka thwarted him with another chair shot.

The Match: Disco avoids a charging La Parka. Then they trade clotheslines and powerslams. Parka takes control with a short-arm clothesline and a wheel kick. Disco regroups, so Parka nails a corkscrew plancha. Meanwhile, Parka mocks Disco’s dancing every chance he gets. After this, Parka rams Disco into the rail and drops him on it. But after Parka misses a flying splash, Disco takes him to the floor. Disco then repeats the railing spots Parka did to him. (Come on, Disco! That’s lazy.) But Parka regains control of the action with kicks, takedowns, and chinlocks. Then Parka takes Disco over the ropes with a bodyscissors. He follows with a tope suicida. (Heenan asks if that comes with chips and salsa.) When they return to the ring, Disco boots Parka on a corner charge. Inferno continues with a Manhattan Drop and a jumping clothesline. He also uses a swinging neckbreaker and corner stomps. However, Disco clips the ref by accident. Parka uses the opening to grab a chair. He rams Disco’s head into it and sits him down. But Disco crotches Parka on the top rope. He then attempts a superplex. Parka blocks it, so Disco throws him onto the chair instead. He follows with the Chartbuster for the win.

Thoughts: I hate to say it, but this disappointed me. It was slow. There were some good spots. But it dragged. I’m a La Parka fan, so I wanted to like it. However, it fell flat. There were even mild boring chants.

Winner: Disco Inferno (11:41)

WCW suspended Nick Patrick after Starrcade. But he pushed for reinstatement. Nick claimed he did nothing wrong. Hollywood Hogan agreed. He even offered to pay for Patrick’s lawyer. Hogan wanted Nick to referee the main event. Now, Gene is with JJ Dillon to get a decision. Dillon invites Patrick to join them. The lawyers met with the Executive Committee all day. They voted to reinstate Nick immediately. Patrick jumps around in celebration. He hugs Dillon and kisses Gene on the cheek. Nick calls it the happiest moment in his life. He also thanks the fans and his family. Patrick is so glad he can vindicate himself in the main event. Nick will call it down the middle. However, Dillon interrupts. He tells Nick he’s not the official for Hogan vs. Sting. JJ then walks away. Nick complains. He’s reinstated. That makes him the lead official. They shouldn’t draw straws! Also, Nick is worried about his back pay. Dillon said nothing about it! Patrick runs to find Dillon.

Bill Goldberg vs. Brad Armstrong

Notes: This is a special unannounced bout. Goldberg is still undefeated. His streak is going strong. Bill squashed several opponents on TV. These included: Nagata, Meng, Jim Powers, Glacier, Morrus, & Fit Finlay. Bill even defeated tonight’s opponent, Brad Armstrong. However, one match stood out among these squashes. Goldberg wrestled Steven Regal. Some say Regal went off-script and shot on Goldberg. Regal claims the office told him to make it competitive. Goldberg felt Regal tried to take advantage of him. The result was an awkward match. Regal took him to the mat and gave him stiff shots. Goldberg seemed lost. But Bill got the win. Either way, WCW wasn’t happy with Regal after the bout.

The Match: Armstrong grabs a waistlock. But Goldberg turns it into a full nelson and a leg trip. Then Armstrong fires back with forearms. Goldberg answers with knees, kicks, and a rolling leglock. After this, Goldberg hits a gorilla press powerslam and an overhead belly-to-belly. Brad rallies once more with stomps, punches, chops, and a Russian Leg Sweep. However, Goldberg no-sells it. He gets up and nails a pumphandle suplex, a spear, and a one-handed Jackhammer for the victory.

Thoughts: It was a squash, but that’s expected. Armstrong is a good choice of opponent. He has the skills to make Goldberg look good. Goldberg had some impressive spots. I enjoyed the gorilla press powerslam. This did what it needed to do. I didn’t mind it.

Winner: Goldberg (2:23)

Juventud Guerrera and Chris Jericho arrive for their Title vs. Mask Match. Jericho spots a fan’s sign. It says, “I’m a Jerichoholic.” (Chris started calling his fans this.) Jericho takes it from the fan—and rips it in half. Tony calls him a jerk. Chris also turns around to show off his vest. It has an airbrushed picture of himself on the back and it says, “Your role model.”

Cruiserweight Title vs. Mask Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera

Notes: Jericho’s attitude grew over the past month. First, he mockingly wished Mysterio a speedy recovery. Jericho did this while wearing Rey’s t-shirt. Jericho also added a new quirk. He wore his Cruiserweight title while wrestling. Chris refused to remove it until the refs made him. Then Jericho picked a new target. He attacked Juventud after Juvi defeated El Dandy. Chris claimed he was congratulating Guerrera on his win. An angry Juvi yelled at Chris in Spanish. Since Jericho speaks the language, he translated. Juvi wanted a title shot! Jericho was hesitant to give one to this flash in the pan. He compared Juvi to the one-hit-wonder, Dexys Midnight Runners. But Jericho was willing to defend his belt if Juvi’s mask was on the line. Next, Jericho refused to release a Lion Tamer on Chavo. So Juvi made the save. An angry Jericho tried more than once to remove Juvi’s mask. But Chris failed. Then Jericho claimed he might let Juventud keep it. After all, Juvi was far too ugly. Jericho couldn’t do that to his Jerichoholics. (On a side note, Jericho traded a wins with Dean Malenko during the build. Dean made Jericho tap in a tag match. Jericho returned the favor in a singles bout. Remember that. It sets up Jericho’s new feud.)

The Match: Jericho once again refuses to remove the belt. Chris uses strikes and arm wringers. But Juvi kicks Jericho in the gut. It knocks the wind out of him because of the belt. So Chris makes the ref take it away. Next, Juvi nails a headscissor takeover. He follows with a springboard wheel kick and a springboard hurricanrana. This leaves Jericho on the floor. He plays opossum to get counted out. Juvi realizes this and drops an elbow on Chris. Then they fight to the floor again when Jericho lands a springboard dropkick. Jericho vaults off the steps, but Juvi surprises Chris with a hotshot on the rail. They head back inside and Jericho catches Guerrera on a crossbody. He turns it into a Tombstone. Jericho covers with a cocky pin. It doesn’t work, so Chris uses a suplex, a senton, and a backbreaker. He bends Juvi over his knee and tells the ref, “Ask him! I heard him give up!” But Juvi breaks free and tries a hurricanrana. Jericho turns it into an electric chair drop and climbs the turnbuckles. However, Juvi dropkicks him to the floor. Jericho retreats, so Guerrera lands Air Juvi (springboard wheel kick to the floor). Then they return to the ring. Juvi hits a Michinoku Driver and the 450. He appears to get a three! The bell even rings.

But wait! Jericho grabbed the ropes. The ref notices and tells Juventud the match continues. Jericho nails a chop block while Juvi argues with the ref. Guerrera then turns a suplex into a victory roll. He also counters a powerbomb with a DDT. They head to the top where Jericho blocks a Super Frankensteiner. However, Juvi turns Jericho’s axehandle into a Manhattan Drop. Juvi then follows with a springboard hurricanrana. Jericho bridges out of the pin and lands a reverse suplex. He continues with a Lionsault, but it misses. Then Juvi turns Jericho’s Lion Tamer into a pin attempt. But he’s not as lucky the second time. Chris turns a hurricanrana into a Lion Tamer for the submission.

Thoughts: This was great. Jericho’s heel antics are entertaining. And the action was solid. I liked the false finish. But it took the air out of the crowd. They were hot until that point. However, it was still a good match. My only gripe is Juvi losing the mask. I don’t understand Bischoff’s obsession with unmasking Luchadores. Why not sell the masks at the merchandise stand?

Winner: Chris Jericho (13:29)

Jericho demands the ref raise his hand. Then he asks for a mic. Chris says he did it! He really did it! Jericho thanks his Jerichoholics. He dedicates his win to them. Juvi leaves the ring, so Jericho tells him to take off the mask, bro! He compares Guerrera to Quasimodo. Jericho calls him Quasi-Juice. Juvi pulls his hair over his face as he unties the mask. You hear Juventud tell his dad he’s sorry, and he loves him. (Juvi inherited his mask from his dad.) Jericho keeps mocking him. He says it’s taking too long. Chris rips the mask off Juvi’s face and walks away. Juvi is sad, but he poses on the turnbuckles and leaves.

The British Bulldog vs. Steve Mongo McMichael

Notes: Mongo was sick of the WWF guys coming into WCW. He complained, so The British Bulldog interrupted Mongo’s interview. McMichael challenged Bulldog to a match and lost. Mongo then demanded a rematch. It ended in a wild fight around the commentary booth. Next, McMichael waited for an opportune moment. While Davey saved Anvil from a beating, Mongo jumped The Bulldog with brass knuckles. But his plan failed. This led to McMichael vs. Anvil. Mongo tried to use the ring steps, so Bulldog stopped him. They brawled to the back. However, the fight wasn’t over. Bulldog had a match with Sick Boy in the same episode. McMichael returned to continue their scuffle. The next week, Mongo spotted Bulldog drinking coffee backstage. He slapped the cup out of Davey’s hand, and they fought again.

The Match: Bulldog catches Mongo with a drop toe hold and some strikes. McMichael answers with a tilt-a-whirl slam, strikes, and chokes. But he misses a leg drop. Davey pounces on him and attacks the leg. This leads to a Sharpshooter, but Mongo reaches the ropes. Then Steve uses an eye rake, more strikes, and rubs Bulldog’s face in the mat. When they head to the floor, Mongo rams Davey into the rail and the steps. (Are railing attacks the theme of the night?) Next, Steve pushes Bulldog against the post and throws a forearm. However, Bulldog moves and Mongo smashes the post with his arm! It hurts him, so Bulldog focuses on the injury. He rams it into the rail, the steps, and the turnbuckles. But Mongo whips Bulldog into an upside-down bump in the corner. He then attempts a three-point stance and his wrist gives out. Mongo uses his other hand to do it and nails chop blocks. When he tries for a Mongo Spike, his wrist fails him. So Bulldog grabs a Fujiwara Armbar. Mongo screams in pain until the ref stops the match.

Thoughts: This wasn’t great. I didn’t mind the stuff with Mongo’s arm. That was decent storytelling. But it didn’t make this enjoyable. I’m glad they kept it short. That’s the best I can say about it. They did the spot with Mongo’s forearm to write McMichael off of TV. He needs surgery.

Winner: The British Bulldog (6:10)

The commentators say they never saw Mongo tap. McMichael agrees. He grabs referee Scott Dickinson. Mongo says, “I didn’t tap!” Steve claims the ref gave Davey the match. He then shoves the referee down and storms away.

U.S. Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Chris Benoit

Notes: Mike Tenay interviewed Benoit about his recent wins. Tenay pointed out how Benoit hasn’t had any title shots. Chris said he didn’t need a belt. But DDP disagreed. Page said the promoters were overlooking Chris, as they did with him. So DDP offered Benoit a shot at the US title. The match happened on Thunder, but The Flock ruined it. Raven isn’t done with Benoit. DDP came to the rescue and handed out Diamond Cutters to the Flock members. Then Raven fought Benoit on Saturday Night. It ended in another brawl. However, Benoit wasn’t Raven’s only target. Raven recruited Mortis. He told him to ditch the spooky getup and take out Page. Mortis failed to do both. Because of this, Raven & The Flock attacked Mortis. Raven gave him an Even Flow on the ramp. Next, DDP saved Benoit from another Flock attack. But Chris said he didn’t need his help! DDP respected that. This led to DDP & Benoit fighting Raven & Saturn. There was a miscommunication between Benoit & Page. But they won when Benoit made Saturn tap out. Now, Benoit gets a rematch for the gold.

The Match: They slap hands out of respect and trade arm holds and pin attempts. After a DDP gutbuster, Benoit almost gets a Crossface. DDP regroups. Next, they counter back and forth through a knucklelock. Benoit then avoids a Diamond Cutter and regroups for a while. This annoys DDP, so they trade slaps and mounted punches. DDP follows with a wheelbarrow suplex. But Benoit fires back with dropkicks, clotheslines, and a head and wrist hold. Chris uses this hold multiple times, despite Page’s rallies. DDP dumps Benoit over the ropes and crotches him on the top rope. Then Page hits a superplex. After a double down, Dallas nails his tornado clothesline. He also sends Benoit outside for a breather and lands a flying clothesline. But Benoit catches DDP in the Crossface. Page grabs the ropes. They follow this with traded pin attempts and strikes. DDP does a belly-to-belly. Benoit answers with rolling German Suplexes. It gets a close two count. Benoit attempts a hip toss next, but Page turns it into a DDT. Then Page blocks a backslide. He flips Chris over into a Diamond Cutter for the three.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. It had a slower pace. But they built to a crescendo and had some good spots. Even the holds never lost the crowd. They rallied for Page when he was in trouble. And the fans reacted to the big spots. This was a solid encounter. Plus, I’m glad there was no Flock interference. They let them wrestle.

Winner: Diamond Dallas Page (15:46)

Tony talks about The Giant. He promised The Giant would be there tonight. But he received a note saying The Giant’s flight was delayed. Fans will have to wait until Nitro for an update. Tenay believes there was an improvement in Giant’s condition. Heenan doesn’t want to talk to either man. He tells them to roll the video about The Giant. It shows clips of The Giant doing his taunt and hitting chokeslams. Then we see the botched Jackknife in slow motion.

Then Savage enters the arena. Fans try to give him the too-sweet gesture. He waves them off. After Savage’s entrance, The Steiners’ music plays for a moment. Then it switches to Luger’s theme. Lex has his ribs taped. (Hey! That’s DDP’s gimmick.) Lex then poses in front of Lodi. He holds a sign that says, “Benoit, we knew you’d lose.”

No DQ Match: Lex Luger vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth)

Notes: The builds for this and the main event are intertwined. I’ll do my best to split the info between them. After Souled Out, an angry Savage interrupted a match to complain about Luger. He claimed Lex only won because of his friends and the nWo’s botched interference. Savage told Hogan he didn’t need or want his help. Because of this, Hogan told Savage he was on his own. But that didn’t stop Hogan from interrupting Savage vs. Sting. This led to more arguing and fighting between Hogan & Savage. We even got Hogan vs. Savage on Nitro. Hogan wanted to show Savage the nWo’s pecking order. Randy almost won until the nWo stopped it. They attacked Savage. Hogan then demanded an apology from Randy. Hollywood got a punch to the face instead. Meanwhile, Savage and Luger interfered in each other’s bouts and attacked with chairs. Both men were fed up, so they agreed to make their encounter no disqualification. But Hogan & Savage’s issues weren’t over. Bischoff made Hogan & Savage work together to face Sting & Luger. Unsurprisingly, it ended with Hogan and Savage fighting. Hogan & the nWo had enough. They caught Luger and Savage speaking backstage and jumped them. The nWo dragged an unconscious Savage into the arena. The attack also injured Luger’s ribs. When Tenay asked why Luger was talking with Savage, Lex refused to answer.

The Match: Luger avoids Savage’s attack and attempts a press slam. His ribs give out. So Savage pounces on the injury. He takes Lex outside and rams him into the rail. (There it is again! It is a theme!) Randy uses stomps, kicks, and shoulders to Luger’s midsection. Lex gets a desperation pin attempt. But Savage takes him to the floor again. Savage throws forearms, kicks, axehandles, and chair shots to Luger’s ribs. He also runs him into the rail again! Luger blocks and reverses one railing attack. However, Savage breaks his rally with more rib shots. Lex finally pops up after a suplex and runs on adrenaline. Luger nails a powerslam and puts Macho in The Rack. Liz breaks it by raking Luger’s eyes. This draws out the nWo. Both Luger and Savage fight them off, but someone rings the bell. (Did they forget it’s no DQ?) The camera misses Luger’s Rack. Savage submits while they focus on Hogan and the nWo.

Thoughts: This was slow and boring. It was punches and kicks and railing attacks. Then they botched the finish. The timekeeper rang the bell too early. The camera missed the ending because of this. They focused on the nWo while Savage submitted to The Rack. This was a mess.

Winner: Lex Luger (7:26)

Hogan says he’s glad Savage got beat. Hollywood calls Randy a piece of trash. He tells him he’s not family. Liz helps Savage out of the ring while Hogan and the nWo leave. Penzer announces Luger as the winner. But Lex doesn’t look happy.

The Outsiders enter the arena with Dusty Rhodes. Hall grabs a mic and does his usual survey. The nWo wins. It’s one more for the good guys. Tony says the survey and fifty cents will get Hall a cup of coffee. Schiavone also calls the fans knuckleheads for picking the nWo.

Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders (w/ Dusty Rhodes) vs. The Steiner Brothers (c) (w/ Ted DiBiase)

Notes: The Steiners faced multiple variations of the nWo’s b-team. Each time, there were problems between the brothers. Scotty got Rick disqualified in one encounter. On another occasion, a pose-off with Bagwell distracted Scott. Then Rick & Scott argued after getting shoved into each other. Meanwhile, The Outsiders felt WCW was conspiring against them. They moved Scott Hall’s title shot and banned Nash’s Jackknife. The Outsiders wanted to take out their frustrations on The Steiners. They challenged them on Nitro. During the bout, Rick made a blind tag when The Outsiders shoved Scotty into the corner. Rick then nailed the flying bulldog, and The Steiners won the belts! Scott Steiner seemed annoyed, but he hugged his brother. They even worked together for successful title defenses. Were the problems over? We shall see.

The Match: Rick and Scott Hall start. Hall throws his toothpick and they trade strikes, headlocks, and shoulder blocks. Rick answers with punches, Steinerlines, and suplexes. Nash enters the ring, but he gets the same. Rick then cleans house with clotheslines. Scotty enters to do their trademark pose. As Scott stands over Rick, he winks at The Outsiders. Then Scotty gives his brother an axehandle to the back of the head!! The commentators are in disbelief. Scott Steiner follows with a Tiger Bomb to Rick and knocks DiBiase off the apron. Dusty Rhodes runs Ted into the post. Then Scotty returns to the apron to watch Rick lose. But Rick kicks out of Hall’s pin! Rick fights out of the Outsiders’ corner with strikes. This ends when Nash nails a clothesline from the apron. Hall powers Rick up into The Outsiders Edge for the win. Scotty mocks his brother as this happens.

Thoughts: This was more of a storyline than a match. But I’m fine with that. Plus, I’m looking forward to Scott Steiner’s transformation into Big Poppa Pump. They built this turn for a while. It was well executed, but the fans cheered. That wasn’t the desired reaction. I’m also curious why they switched the titles before the PPV. It seems unnecessary.

Winners: The Outsiders (New Champions) (4:16)

The officials help DiBiase to the back. Scott Steiner celebrates with The Outsiders. Scotty throws the ref out of the ring and hands the belts to Hall & Nash. Then he raises The Outsiders’ hands. Scott hugs his new nWo teammates. Hall calls it one more for the good guys.

Next, we get a weird commercial for Uncensored. It looks like something you’d see on Nickelodeon. We get random clips of wrestlers fighting with props. A mechanical-sounding voice talks about all the things you’ll see. Rules are for fools! It’s WCW/nWo Uncensored!

Then Michael Buffer introduces the main event. It’s for the vacant unified WCW/nWo heavyweight championship! (Was there ever separate titles? What is Buffer talking about?) Buffer says his catchphrase. But Heenan says rumble is putting it mildly. This leads to Hogan’s entrance. He points at his picture on the screen, as La Parka did earlier. Heenan says Hogan is telling people to look at his big mouth. Sting is next. Buffer claims Sting walks to the beat of his own drummer. He also calls him the people’s champion. (Isn’t that DDP’s thing?)

WCW Title Match: Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan

Notes: I mentioned Savage vs. Sting earlier. Randy used an exposed turnbuckle and hit the flying elbow. But Hogan interrupted. He wanted to finish Sting himself. Sting attacked both men while Hogan and Savage argued. Then Sting came to Luger’s aid when Lex had a confrontation with Savage. The nWo used this as a trap. They dropped a giant net on Sting & Luger. The nWo attacked them while Hogan laughed. Next, Hogan and Sting scuffled again after Luger vs. Flair. After this, we had Hogan & Savage vs. Sting & Luger. Sting put Hogan in the Scorpion Deathlock. But the nWo intervened. Ric Flair and Bret Hart came to Sting & Luger’s aid. Finally, on the go-home Thunder, Savage was supposed to wrestle Sting again. But the nWo jumped Savage backstage. As I said, they dragged the unconscious Savage into the arena. The nWo dumped him in the ring. They put a Sting mask on Randy and spray-painted him. Hogan then dared Sting to come and fight him. He got his wish, but the nWo jumped Sting. Luger came to even the odds. They ran off the nWo and stood tall. The knocked-out Savage laid in the ring while this happened. (Shouldn’t this concern them? It’s not normal to be out that long.)

The Match: Sting runs to the ring and Hogan whips him with his weight-lifting belt. He then chokes Sting with the belt and Sting’s coat. Hogan wants Sting to tell him who the man is. Then they fight outside. Hogan uses strikes, back rakes, and railing attacks. (There’s a surprise.) Next, they fight through a knucklelock before Hogan uses slams and elbow drops. But Sting fires back with punches and a Manhattan Drop. He returns the favor to Hogan with the belt and the rail. However, Sting crashes on the railing with a missed Stinger Splash. Hogan capitalizes with more belt shots, eye rakes, biting, and punches. This continues until Sting nails a Stinger Splash and locks in a Scorpion Deathlock. Hogan reaches the ropes. So Sting does another Stinger Splash, but Hogan pulls the ref in the way!

Here comes Nick Patrick! He kicks Charles Robinson out of the ring as Hogan lands the leg drop. But Sting kicks out at two! Hogan complains about Patrick’s count. Then Hogan throws punches until Patrick pulls him away by the hair! Hogan is furious! After a back suplex, Hogan makes multiple pin attempts with a knucklelock. This leads to more traded strikes and railing attacks. A desperate Hogan nails a low blow, so Nick warns him. But Sting no-sells Hogan’s punches and flexes. He beats his chest and gives Hogan more Stinger Splashes. Then Sting lands a Scorpion Death Drop. Hogan kicks Nick Patrick on the way down. This opens the door for nWo interference. While Sting fights them off, Savage sneaks into the ring. Randy clocks Hogan with a spray paint can and leaves. Sting covers for the three.

Thoughts: This was better than their last match. But that isn’t saying much. WCW still couldn’t get it right. Hogan controlled 90% of this bout. Sting didn’t look strong. He needed Savage’s help to win. It wasn’t terrible. I didn’t hate most of it. But I don’t like how they booked this. Poor Sting. WCW always undercuts his title reigns.

Winner: Sting (New Champion) (16:33)

Sting finds the can of spray paint. He uses it to paint WCW on Hogan’s chest. Meanwhile, JJ Dillon hands the belt to Sting. (Did he not see the ending? Isn’t JJ mad about the shenanigans? Or did he give up?) Sting then leaves. You can see a fan enter the ring in the background. Security jumps him.

The Good:

• Booker T’s performance.

• Jericho vs. Juvi and Jericho’s heel work.

• DDP/Benoit was good.

The Bad:

• The main event wasn’t great.

• Mongo/Bulldog.

• Luger/Savage was a mess.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Booker T. He had a star-making performance. It wasn’t WCW’s intention, but he made the best of a bad situation. I’ll also give Jericho an honorable mention. He continues to be awesome.

Final Thoughts:

This was an above-average show. It contained good action and storyline advancement. Not everything was great. But the good outweighed the bad. I’ll call it an enjoyable program. They did a good job spreading out the good and the bad. Usually, WCW front-loads the PPV with the better stuff. They paced this event better. WCW’s booking is questionable, but their quality isn’t bad so far in 1998.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s Living Dangerously ’98. Look for it next Sunday.