Bash at the Beach '98

Legacy Review

Bash at the Beach '98

July 12, 1998 from the Cox Arena in San Diego, CA

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

For the second straight year WCW is presenting the Summer of the Ringers. This year it has to be at least partially panic fueled as they continue fall behind the resurgent Steve Austin led WWF in the weekly TV ratings. We're also just 6 days removed from Goldberg completing his rise to the top and dethroning Hollywood Hogan as World champ on Nitro in the Georgia Dome. Because, why put a guaranteed PPV seller like that on PPV? A knock off effect of that is the US Title, held by Goldberg before that win, is now vacated.

 

I have to say, this is an awfully small looking arena, especially for what's nominally WCW's biggest PPV of the year now, as much as any of them are. The beach set is always awesome though. While commentary's hyping up how much media attention the basketball ringers are getting the crowd chants for Goldberg. Pretty good juxtaposition of what the company was prioritizing versus what the fans wanted.

Raven's Rules: Raven (w/Riggs and Lodi) def Saturn in 10:40- Saturn was kicked out of the non-conformist Flock for not conforming the last PPV. He never thought he was in the Flock to start with, he was just buddies with Raven, but Saturn's brain was always a bit askew to reality. Cockeyed even. Jump start in the aisle and Raven takes some guardrail shots. Saturn chokes Raven with his own shirt. As they're coming back in Saturn legit slips off the top rope. He quickly recovers and hits a dropkick. Drop toe hold into an ankle lock. Raven gets a quick rope break. Gutwrench suplex from Saturn. Raven dodges a legdrop off the top rope and hits a double underhook suplex. He goes out and gets a table from underneath the ring. Tony accidentally calls it a chair leading to much legit hilarity in the booth, including good guy Tony laughing at his own mistake. These three work so much smoother than when Dusty was in the mix. Saturn blocks an apron suplex attempt into the table and crotches Raven. Raven dodges a springboard move and Saturn crashes to the floor. He Russian leg sweeps Saturn into the guardrail! Leverage pin attempt back in for 2. Suplex from Raven. He hooks a sleeper on. Saturn jawbreakers out and lays in some corner kicks. Half and half suplex. Saturn goes out, gets a chair, and whacks Raven with it. Springboard legdrop onto the chair! Cover and Raven just kicks out. The Flock goons run in and are quickly disposed of by Saturn as usual. Raven ducks in the corner and Nick Patrick takes Saturn's kick. When he falls down he decides to hump the mat which is more than a little disturbing. Saturn goes out and bulldogs Raven into the stairs! He goes under the ring and gets a second table. Had to have his own I guess. He puts Raven on his table, then takes Raven's table and puts it on top. Raven's in a table sandwich. Saturn goes up top. Kanyon runs in and pulls Raven clear. A Saturn elbow off the top makes passing contact with the top table. Yeesh. Raven would have been safer staying where he was. Like facing down a stormtrooper, just stand still. He'll never hit you. Commentary is understandably confused as to why Kanyon would be saving Raven. Then Kanyon gives Raven a flatliner into the chair. OK then. The Flock goons get Saturn in the ring and drape Raven on top of him. Saturn kicks out! Raven drop toe holds Saturn into the chair for 2. Superkick from Saturn. Riggs runs in again and takes the DVD. Raven takes the opening, hits the Evenflow, and gets the pin. OKish. **

 

Juventud Guerrera def Kidman (w/Lodi) in 9:55- Second straight Flock match. Long rough lockup into a forearm tradeoff. Nice speed/counter run. Juvy hits some chops and a flying headscissors. Kidman gets 360 clotheslined to the floor. On the other side Lodi trips Juvy and pulls him out. Kidman's plancha takes out Lodi! Springboard plancha from Juvy onto both guys! More counters into a Kidman release German suplex. He tosses Juvy over the top and out then hot shots him on the guardrail. Juvy dodges Kidman coming off the apron and Kidman crashes into the guardrail. Juvy then backdrops him on the floor. Sunset bomb! Both guys go up top. Kidman hits an avalanche spinebuster! Cover for 2. Some more back and forth shots and Juvy counters a slam attempt into a cradle for 2. Dropkick from Kidman. Juvy hits the ropes but Kidman uses his momentum to kick him down to the floor. Another top rope fight and Kidman is crotched. Juvy hits a springboard hurricanrana for 2. Northern lights suplex for 2. Half and half suplex for 2. Kidman gets a springboard bulldog for 2. Bridge up/backslide spot. Kidman standing switches and goes for a German but Juvy lands on his feet. Juvy driver! Kidman kicks out! Kidman hits a spinebuster and goes up top. He goes for the seven year itch (a shooting star press) but Juvy dodges. Juvy goes up, hits the 450 splash and gets the pin! Damn nice stuff. Good to see someone in the Flock besides Raven can be taken seriously now. Kidman will become quite the internet darling before long if I remember right and be one of wrestling's most underrated/best kept secrets for a long time. ***3/4

 

Stevie Ray def Chavo Guerrero Jr in 1:35- We're fully into the "Chavo is nuts" angle now. He and uncle Eddie are having the classic lucha feud blowoff match, hair vs hair, right after this. So why does this match exist? Search me. Chavo comes out wearing an innertube and carrying a super soaker. After the bell Eddie comes out with a pair of scissors. Chavo takes a mic and dedicates this match to Eddie. Then he ducks a lockup and poses. And dances. He offers Ray a handshake. Ray takes it. Chavo squeezes his hand so hard Ray can't let go and goes to his knees. The ref calls for the bell. Chavo submitted to the handshake? Ray is furious. Eddie's also pissed that Chavo hasn't been softened up. That was extremely pointless. NR

Eddie hops in and we go right to the next match.

 

Hair vs Hair Match: Eddie Guerrero def Chavo Guerrero Jr in 11:54- Quick Chavo shoulderblock out of the lockup. He bites Eddie in the ass! Did he become a Bushwacker all of a sudden? Eddie runs up the aisle to get away. When he gets back in he pulls his tights open and wants Lil' Naitch to check the bite mark! Naitch damn near legit breaks out laughing when Eddie does that. Chavo is still goofing around. Eddie goes out and gets a chair. Chavo takes it and sits in it. Now Eddie offers a handshake. After much thinking Chavo takes it....and pulls Eddie into a clothesline! Big backdrop from Chavo. Eddie does his knees run and tries to hide. Chavo bits his ass again! Heenan, after asking, is shocked Tony says he's never been bitten in the ass. I'm not following that train of thought any further. Heenan keeps the bit going and now Tony just about legit breaks. Even Tenay gets in on the ribbing! It's good to hear the booth guys having a good time when WCW life was usually so miserable for them. Eddie hits a dropkick to the knee. He pounds on Chavo's back in the corner and hits a nice stiff dropkick to the back. Suplex and a basement dropkick. Slingshot senton. Eddie hooks on the Gory special. Chavo escapes but Eddie clotheslines him. Now he hooks on a camel clutch. European uppercuts and chops from Eddie. Chavo comes back with a flying headscissors and monkey flip and hits his own European uppercut. He goes for a crazy dive, rolls through after Eddie's dodge, and hits a tiltawhirl backbreaker. Eddie tights pulls Chavo to the floor. He pulls the mat up and goes for a suplex. Chavo blocks it and hits his own. Setup slam from Chavo back in. He goes up top. Eddie hits the ropes to crotch him. Superplex from Eddie. Chavo hits a corner hot shot. He goes for a frog splash but Eddie gets his knees up. Now Eddie hits Chavo's tornado DDT. Instead of covering he gets the scissors. Lil' Naitch stops him. Eddie goes up top. The frog splash misses! Chavo hits the tornado DDT! Now HE gets the scissors. Lil' Naitch grabs his arm. Eddie uses the distraction to wrap up a Paul Smackage for the pin! After the bell Chavo takes the clippers and goes nuts on his own hair because he's whackadoodle CRAZY. Even Eddie is shocked by how far gone he is. ***1/4

 

Konnan (w/Lex Luger and Kevin Nash) def Disco Inferno (w/Alex Wright) in 2:16- Lord what did we do to deserve this. Disco and Wright are now a team called the Dancing Fools. Well they dance (badly) and they are fools so it checks out. It's super casual day for Nash. He's dressed like he just rolled out of bed and threw whatever on. Both sides cut lengthy promos before the match and say nothing worth mentioning. Konnan hits some punches out of the gate and gets a hiptoss. Japanese armdrag. Drop toe hold into some stomps. Disco tries to dance out of a sunset flip but Konnan cradles him for 2. Rolling clothesline. Disco eye rakes Konnan and tosses him out. Wright gets some shots in. Luger comes around and puts Wright in the Torture Rack. While the ref is trying to break that up Nash comes in and jackknifes Disco. Konnan puts on an academic Tequila Sunrise and it's over. Little more than a Wolfpac self-booked ego trip, and the only thing the entire faction does tonight. DUD

The Giant def Kevin Greene in 6:58- NFL linebacker Kevin Greene is back for the third year running. It's like working a wrestling match or two has become his offseason conditioning program. His one year stint with the 49ers is done and he's going to be back with the Panthers this coming season. Greene is announced as the all time NFL sack leader for linebackers, which he still is today and 3rd all time in sacks overall behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White. Despite being with the Panthers he's in generic red and white gear tonight. Lots of caution at the start as Greene does a lot of dodging. Giant tries to trap him in the corner. Greene squirts away and gets the first shot in. Giant Dragonshouts Greene down to the floor. Damn, didn't think that had even been invented yet. Coming back in Greene kicks the top rope to crotch Giant. He hits some mounted punches. Giant lifts him out of that and hits a spinebuster. Elbow drop. Greene tries to slug back but Giant clubs him in the back. Big chop. Greene tries a crossbody but Giant catches him. Greene manages to use that to maneuver Giant over and snap him over the top rope. Headbutt from Giant. On the floor Giant gets run into the guardrail and posted. Greene hits a clothesline off the top! DIVING cover for 2. He chop blocks Giant. Three points stance and Greene charges Giant in the corner. Giant goozles him! Chokeslam and it's over. It's not good, but Greene hit all his spots right. Put him in with a better worker and it'd be a much better match. This would turn out to be Greene's last match. Kinda too bad. I think if he'd focused on wrestling full time he might have turned out pretty decent. 1/2*

 

Next up is a full recap of recent goings on in the Jericho/Malenko feud. Last week on Nitro JJ Dillon ordered no physical contact between the two before their match tonight. Jericho, ever the sly one, immediately goaded Malenko into attacking him by suggesting his dad had been sleeping around on the road and "that's why you and your brother look nothing alike". That got Malenko suspended and out of tonight's match.

Jericho makes his way out in a top hat and cane. He says that doofus Malenko got himself suspended, but all the Jerichoholics still need their fix so he's going to grace us with a little dancing. Dillon gets in the ring. He says maybe he misjudged Jericho and he clearly has a lot of fans. "Millions. There's Jerichoholics everywhere" Jericho confirms. Dillon says he's got a local wrestler lined up for Jericho to defend the title against tonight. Jericho says sure, he'll defend against whatever local indie jabroni jobber Dillon has in mind, as long as the match is no DQ. He needs to teach the kid some tricks. Dillon confirms that's a yes then signals for Jericho's opponent to come out.......it's Rey Mysterio! Mysterio had been out since January with the first of his many knee injuries, which in story was caused by Jericho. Jericho is not happy.

 

No DQ Match for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Mysterio Jr def Chris Jericho (c) in 6:00- Jericho swings at Mysterio with his cane but Mysterio ducks and lays in the beatdown. After his time off Mysterio looks way closer to how we'll get used to him in WWE, tanned and much more bulked up that he had been. Got some new tattoos while he was gone too. Backdrop and dropkick from Mysterio. Springboard legdrop for 2. Jericho tries to get some space on the floor. Mysterio follows and gives him a very rough flying headscissors into the guardrail. Ring rust and maybe the knee isn't quite 100% yet. Back in Jericho clips Mysterio's bad knee. Corner chops and he gives the knee some more shots. Mysterio dodges a corner dive. Jericho takes another walk, this time all the way up the aisle. Mysterio jumps him at the stage. Jericho climbs the lifeguard stand. Mysterio pulls him back down into the sand! Anakin Skywalker hates this match now. Mysterio climbs up and hits a flying headscissors off the stand. Jericho gets a handful of sand and throws it in Mysterio's face. Anakin *really* hates this match. Back in Mysterio hits a crossbody off the top but Jericho reverses it for 2. They go up top and Jericho hits an avalanche powerslam. He goes out, gets a chair and nails Mysterio's knee with it. He puts Mysterio's knee in the chair, takes his own leg pad off and goes up top. Mysterio dodges a kneedrop off the top! He gives Jericho some chairshots in the leg and dropkicks the chair against his leg. Jericho tries a pop up but Mysterio counters into a faceplant. Springboard attempt. Jericho counters into a Liontamer attempt! Mysterio gets to the ropes before it's on. Malenko comes out. Jericho tries for the Liontamer again. Mysterio counters into a cradle and gets the pin to win the title back! The second it's over Jericho charges out after Malenko and they fight in the back. OK match. They didn't get much time to really get anything going and Mysterio's knee probably still needs some tuning up. **1/4

 

WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) def Bret "Hitman" Hart by DQ in 8:28- I'm sure this is what WCW signed Bret Hart for, to challenge for the TV title. Continuing to put Booker in with great workers to keep learning is a good call though. Bret comes out to NWO Hollywood's music. Lockup and Booker hits a quick armdrag. Waistlock takedown into a pretty good mat exchange until Bret hits a back elbow. Booker flying forearm for 2. He hits a swing kick, then goes to snap mare Bret but Bret does a faceplant into the mat instead. Hiptoss reversals and Booker sends Bret out to the floor. Bret hot shots Booker into the guardrail. Back in Bret does some uncharacteristic slugging heavy offense. Booker reverses a whip into a spinebuster with a jackknife cover for 2. Bret pops up and 360 clotheslines Booker to the floor. Legdrop from Bret back in as he goes into more familiar FMOD move. Backbreaker, elbow off the second rope, Russian leg sweep. Bret hits some European uppercuts in the corner. Booker floats over in the corner and tries to rolling cradle Bret but it doesn't come off right on either end. It still gets a 2 count. Knee to the gut and side kick from Booker. Scissors kick! Flapjack and spinaroonie. He goes up and the missile dropkick hits! Bret just gets a foot on the rope to save the pin. He goes out and gets a chair. Booker tries a plancha but flies right into Bret's chair being used as a shield! That draws the DQ. Another OK match that didn't get enough time, though there was not anything I would call instant chemistry here to make me hopeful more time would lead to better things. Another victim of Bret's post-Montreal screwjob bad mental place most likely. **1/2

Bret continues the chair beatdown, mainly on Booker's braced knee. He puts on the post wraparound figure four! And leaves it on forever. Finally Stevie Ray saunters out in no hurry whatsoever. Bret lets go and leaves. Ray looks more annoyed at Booker than anything else. He blows off the doctor and forces Booker to come to the back with him, barely helping him walk.

The Bret/Booker thing would quickly be forgotten about as the next night on Nitro Bret would defeat DDP to win the vacant US title, his first WCW title. Well it's better than the TV title I guess.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Goldberg (c) def Curt Hennig in 3:50- Anyone that's watched his WCW run knows Hennig isn't a credible world title challenger against anyone anymore, much less peak streak Goldberg. He comes in with a giant brace on one of his legs. Goldberg's sporting one of his famous head wounds from headbutting a locker too hard during his usual warm up routine. Officially we're up to 111-0 for those keeping count. They go speed right out of the lockup. Goldberg barely brushes Hennig but Hennig still manages to do an insane flippy sell. That wasn't even a 360, that was more like 450. Man, that takes me back. Been a while since Hennig's been in good enough shape to do that, I'll give him that. Goldberg no sells chops and does his rolling leg takedown. Hennig goes out for a think. Goldberg grabs him by the hair and drags him back in. Hennig gets boots up in the corner. He goes up top but Golberg lifts, has a very hard time holding, but manages to slam him down. Hennig goes after Goldberg's leg and tries to pick it apart a bit. Another roll leg takedown from Goldberg. Hennig swings a clothesline right over the top of Goldberg's head but Goldberg still sells it. The Perfectplex hits and is kicked out of. Goldberg clothesline. Spear. Jackhammer and good night. This is the downside to putting the World title on Goldberg. I get how hot he'd gotten, I have no argument or issue with that. But he's still only really capable of doing extended squash matches, and that's ideally not what you want to have happening at the top of your card. 3/4*

Man, Buffer is really milking the hell out of his shit tonight. Even more than usual. To set up the main event: This is the second straight year Rodman has come in to team with Hogan at Bash at the Beach. Unlike last year there's also a ringer on the other side in the form of fellow NBA star Karl Malone. Malone's Utah Jazz had just lost to the Bulls in the finals for the second straight year, the last of the Jordan led Bulls' six championships. He and Rodman had butted heads quite a bit during the series, something WCW was now taking full advantage of. Malone's also a great contrast to the uber diva Rodman that loved preening for the media and skipping practices, a no nonsense hard working publicity shunning anti-diva. This was during the short period I actually gave a damn about basketball and I was a fan of both Malone and his Jazz teammate John Stockton. I would have loved for them to have won a title, but when you're up against Jordan's Bulls, the true greatest of all time player and team, there's not much anyone can do.

 

Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman (w/The Disciple) def Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone in 23:47- After the usual copious stalling the basketball guys start off. Hogan makes a big show of getting Rodman's sunglasses off. Multiple times Rodman goes in to lock up then hides in the ropes. They both reach out for a knucklelock and Malone slaps Rodman's arm away. Lockup and Rodman puts a headlock on. Malone pushes out. Rodman grabs the ropes to stop and bails. Hogan tags in. He and Malone get into a flex off. After more Hogan stalling we have a lockup. Malone puts on a kind of cobra clutch and drags Hogan around the ring in it. Malone slams Hogan! Hogan sells the hell out of it. DDP tags in. Finally, the wrestlers are in. Aw crap, he wants Rodman in. DDP wins lockup fights with Rodman doing a TON of heel 101 hair/bandana pull bitching. They spit at each other. Rodman gets a lockup takedown. Big shoulderblock collision with both guys flying back into the ropes. DDP does an ugly takedown out of a Rodman headlock. Rodman can't sit still long enough for DDP to properly put a headlock or chinlock or whatever that's supposed to be on. Speed run and Rodman does a couple of leapfrogs, then we have another extremely ugly collision. The crowd starts to boo the match in general. Tag to Malone. Rodman scurries away to tag Hogan. Hogan puts on a top wristlock. Malone powers out. Rodman runs in and hits Malone from behind. Hogan goes into his usual heel punchy/chokey offense. Rodman tags in and drops a couple of elbows. Malone does a couple of nice flop sells. Rodman holds Malone for Hogan to punch him, and when Malone goes down Rodman falls down too. Hogan hits a back suplex. Malone dodges an elbow drop and gets a tag to DDP. DDP comes in with a clothesline off the top rope. Hogan reverses a whip and DDP runs into Rodman, then gets clotheslined by Hogan. Hogan gets his weightlifting belt whips in. Rodman chokes DDP in the corner. Double clothesline on DDP for 2. Double big boot. DDP gets in the heel corner again with Disciple holding his tights to keep him there. He finally fights out but Hogan grabs his foot. Rodman hooks on a front facelock and we get the phantom tag spot bacteria in the galaxy of Andromeda could see coming. Big boot from Hogan. DDP dodges the legdrop. Tag to Malone. Clothesline and slams for everyone from him. After taking forever to get it set up, again thanks Rodman, Malone gives the heels a double noggin knocker. Malone big boot on Hogan. That's easy for him to do, he's all legs. DDP tags in. Running Diamond Cutter! Rodman is AGAIN slow on the uptake. Finally he gets in and takes a Cutter from Malone. While Lil' Naitch is tied up with that Disciple comes in and gives DDP essentially a Stone Cold Stunner. Someone's watching tape. Hogan drapes an arm over DDP and gets the pin. That is a SHIT booking decision. Hogan just had to get the win here. I get that he'd just lost to Goldberg and I'm 100% sure that was his argument, but it's one that should have been rejected. Getting the basketball ringers in is one thing. It's another thing to give them almost TWENTY FIVE MINUTES. Get them in, hit a few spots, and get them out quick before anyone realizes how little they can do or get tired or seeing them. Plus, especially in a match like this, send the crowd home happy for frak's sake. DUD

After the bell Malone Cutters Disciple. He and DDP have some words with Lil' Naitch, then Malone goes full Ken Shamrock and Cutters him! All of NWO Hollywood come out to celebrate in the aisle as we have a good 5 minutes or so left of time to kill. Not only did they cut everyone else's matches short tonight to make sure the main event had way too much time, they *still* ran short.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- There's a couple of decently worthwhile matches on the undercard and the main event is certainly a spectacle, but most everything here ranges from disappointing to outright terrible.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+