Halloween Havoc '98

Legacy Review

Halloween Havoc '98

October 25, 1998 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

The Night the PPV Feed Died

Despite the looming disaster that everyone saw coming in Hogan/Warrior II, by WCW's standards this is a very stacked card on paper. Almost Wrestlemania level. As I've gone over in detail in the past before, one of WCW's biggest problems was not having a definitive top WM level show, just whatever PPV they randomly felt like stacking up. However, as commentary goes over in the open they decided to add on a whole bunch of matches at the last minute. That will be important later. The Halloween Havoc set is always a good one. They've recycled those crypt-like structures to hold the trons for years now and they never get old. The giant pumpkin is also good, though the even larger gargoyle holding it with steam billowing out it's nose is on the good/hilariously bad border. 

 

Tony thinks we're cutting to David Penzer to kick things off, but instead it's the Nitro Girls for the first time ever on PPV. I think the general consensus is they could stay on Nitro. After that we're *still* not going to the first match. Instead Mean Gene brings out Rick Steiner, who will definitely absolutely no question finally have his one on one match with brother Scott later tonight. Buff Bagwell comes out during Rick's promo. He reminds Rick that he and Scott have broken up, and he's even left the whole NWO. He offers to be in Rick's corner tonight. Rick's initially reluctant but eventually he says yes. One born every minute.

WCW World Television Championship: Chris Jericho (c) def Raven in 7:49- Raven's been in a downward spiral after the forced breakup of the Flock, not winning a match since. He takes a mic after Jericho's entrance, says this match was thrown in at the last second without him being informed and as such he's not going to bother wrestling tonight. Jericho then takes the mic and says that's cool with him, but it also doesn't matter because he'd kick Raven's ass in two minutes anyway while also calling the Flock a bunch of stupid idiots (not wrong there). The provocation works as Raven charges in right into Jericho stomps. Jericho pulls Raven's leather jacket off and whips him with it. Clothesline. Arrogant cover! Raven hits a Cactus clothesline! He drops Jericho gut first onto the stairs, then runs up them and hits a dropkick. Back in Jericho hits a hot shot. The springboard dropkick sends Raven back to the floor. Jericho dives off the apron. Raven dodges and Jericho goes head first into the guardrail! At full speed too. Raven takes a whip into the guardrail. Back in Raven eye rakes Jericho and chokes him with his flannel shirt. Then he bites Jericho. Sleeper. Jericho back suplexes out and hits a senton. He goes over and takes the top turnbuckle pad off. Didn't have to undo any zipties, glad to see WCW's made that easier. Both guys reverse whips and hit kicks at the same time. Powerbomb from Raven. He slingshots Jericho into the exposed buckle! Diving clothesline for 2. Raven ducks a Jericho back kick and hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. Standing switch. Jericho rolls out of a German suplex attempt and goes for the Liontamer! He slowly gets it on but Raven manages to get to the ropes. Evenflow! Jericho kicks out! Raven's shocked and Jericho sneaks behind him for a roll up for 2. Low blow from Jericho. German suplex for 2. Kanyon, Raven's only friend left, comes out and gets on the apron. Jericho gets whipped into him. Raven hooks up for Evenflow again. Jericho counters into the Liontamer! Raven taps! Really good for the time they got, they used every minute they had fully. ***1/2

NWO Hollywood's music hits. Here come Bischoff and Hogan. Hogan's wearing an NWO Monday Nitro shirt. That really was going to be a thing way back in early '97 before the initial NWO-run Souled Out PPV bombed so bad the idea was dropped. Guess Hogan saved at least one of those shirts from the Devil's Anus all the championship shirts for Super Bowl losers fall into. Hogan talks about murderizing his own nephew Horace Hogan last week but mostly says nothing of note. Total waste of time, especially with doing it in the arena instead of backstage.

For those keeping track we're a couple minutes shy of 30 minutes into the show and so far have had one less than 8 minute match.

 

Wrath def Meng in 4:23- Meng refuses to let Wrath get in the ring unmolested so Wrath drags him out to the floor. Canonball senton off the apron from Wrath! Back in Meng likes the buckle shots he gets. Back and forth brawl. Meng no sells a clothesline. Wrath hits a clothesline off the second rope that puts him down. Tackle from Wrath. He hooks up a pumphandle to go for the Meltdown (move name calling back to his Adam Bomb days). Meng counters free and hits the kick OF FEAR (yes that's what it was called) for 2. Neckbreaker from Meng for 2. We get some more pretty dull back and forth brawling. Meng hits a back suplex for 2. Corner clothesline and inverted atomic drop. Wrath gets a sunset flip. That leads to a counter run ending with Wrath hitting a uranage for 2. He hauls Meng up for the Meltdown and that gets the pin. Bleh. 3/4*

 

Disco Inferno def Juventud Guerrera in 9:39- The winner of this gets a shot at Kidman's cruiserweight title later tonight. Disco is clearly too big for the cruiserweight division. In fact it's an open secret that he's using trick scales to "make weight" but no one's stopping it. Lockup and it's a quick Disco edge. He ducks a kick and hits a side suplex. Chops from Juvy and he gets a flying headscissors. They have an ugly sequence where Juvy leaps up for a fameasser but Disco blocks it, both guys clearly look lost, then they repeat the spot with Juvy hitting the fameasser this time. Juvy monkey flips Disco to the floor. Flying headscissors through the ropes. Back in Disco hits an inverted atomic drop and clothesline. Setup slam and elbow off the second rope for 2. After a chinlock Juvy rolls over a knee to the gut attempt into a cradle for 2. Leg lariat from Juvy. Disco backdrops Juvy over the top but Juvy lands on the apron and cutters Disco over the top rope. Disco sees a springboard move coming and gets the hell out of town. Juvy adjusts and hits a plancha, then weirdly lays on Disco on the floor for a long while. Counter run back in the ring and Juvy hits a half assed hurricanrana. More counters and Disco gives Juvy a hot shot, followed by a running neckbreaker. Disco counters a sunset flip and decides to do that oh so '90s dance move, the macarena. It's like looking in a time capsule. Juvy uses that to get a cradle for 2. Disco does a giant swing with maybe three rotations, then collapses right into Juvy's crotch because he's dizzy. Suplex from Disco. He goes up top and gets crotched. Top rope hurricanrana from Juvy. Leg lariat off the top for 2. Bulldog for 2. Disco counters Juvy, hits a leaping piledriver, and that gets a very sudden pin. Very disjointed match but it had a few small moments. *3/4

Nitro Girls interlude #2. After that Scott Steiner comes out with a mic, which is always dangerous. After trying out all his new catchphrases he offers Rick and Bagwell a tag match against him and the Giant, with the added bonus of they'll put the tag titles on the line. Officially the tag champs right now are Giant and Scott Hall, but the NWO always had whoever defend through a very loose interpretation of Freebird Rules. Giant comes out and confirms his willingness. JJ Dillon interrupts and confirms that's what they want to do. Dillon then asks that IF Scott and Giant lose and lose the titles, will Scott then agree to finally face his brother one on one? Scott says hell yes because there's no way he and Giant can lose. But......isn't that match already scheduled? We're adding an already scheduled match as a stipulation to an impromptu match? This is either extremely confused or we've done some kind of time travel where the consequence happens before the action. Also what's with having to do all these promos in the arena instead of backstage?

 

Alex Wright def Fit Finlay in 5:09- Commentary mentions something about Finlay injuring Wright's dad to retire him but then it's never brought up again. This is the second straight match it's almost impossible to tell who's supposed to be the heel and who's the face. If either. Wright does some messing around and a roll before the lockup. Finlay gets an arm takedown. Wright kips up and does a lucha style top rope armdrag. Finlay puts on a nerve pinch and hits an elbow to the nose. European uppercuts from Finlay. Wright responds with his own as the crowd chants "boring". He drops Finlay on the top rope. Short clothesline from Finlay. He gets a leg takedown, slingshots Wright into the ropes, then holds onto the legs and Wright's back gets stretched over his knees. Wright gets tossed over the top rope and Finlay runs his back into the apron. More "boring" chants as Wright slams Finlay on the floor. Finlay drops Wright on the guardrail. Sunset flip from Wright back in. Another uppercut from Finlay. Wright hits a crossbody and both guys tumble over the top rope to the floor. Back in Finlay casually sidesteps a Wright missile dropkick attempt. Corner dodge and Finlay posts his shoulder. Wright hits a neckbreaker and we have another sudden finish. Finlay lays in the ring for a bit after talking to the ref so I'm not sure if he didn't get hurt and they had to cut it short. Not exactly a showcase of the best of European style wrestling. *

 

Saturn def Lodi in 3:50- This is yet another unannounced impromptu match. After Saturn defeated Raven at Fall Brawl to disband the Flock, Saturn is now feuding with...ex-Flock members. Textbook definition of "creative has nothing else for you". I guess this is also revenge for that short period where Saturn had to be Lodi's slave. Saturn comes in dressed like someone you'd expect to find at the Blue Oyster. After the bell Lodi wants to make sure his precious signs are safe. Saturn is impatient. Lockup and Saturn goes right into arm wringers. Hammerlock tradeoffs and Lodi hides in the ropes, then runs off to get his signs from the ring assistant. Speed run back in and Saturn hits a facebreaker. Russian leg sweep. Lodi powders again. Saturn apron suplexes him back in and hits some chops. Corner whip and Lodi runs AGAIN. Saturn attacks him in the aisle and Lodi runs back into the ring. Belly to belly suplex from Saturn. Clothesline. Fisherman's buster. DVD and it's over. Complete squash that should have stayed on Nitro. Or Thunder. 1/4*

Nitro Girls interlude #3.

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Kidman (c) def Disco Inferno in 10:49- No one benefited more from the Flock's breakup than Kidman, who could stop being a useless goon and start showing he was actually a pretty damn good wrestler. He's actually in his second title reign, he and Juvy had traded it back and forth a few times the past couple of months, which made Disco's win earlier even more of a shock. Disco knows where his towel is. By amazing coincidence I just recently started reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy again. Lockup, Disco gets a hiptoss, Kidman dodges an elbow drop and hits a dropkick. Drop toe hold from Kidman into an ARMBAR. Disco hair pulls to try to get out with Kidman kipping up. Kidman pulls Disco's hair to get him down in return, then barely hits a slingshot flying headscissors. Disco drop toe holds Kidman into the ropes. Running neckbreaker for 2 and Disco knocks Kidman around a bit. A low bridge sends Kidman flying to the floor, all the way into the aisle. Kidman hits a bulldog on the floor. Back in Disco dodges a splash off the top rope. After the mandatory chinlock Kidman fights back with a misdirection clothesline. Disco hits a faceplant and stomps Kidman down in the corner. Back suplex for 2. Kidman dodges an elbow drop off the second rope. Sit out spinebuster for 2. Powerslam for 2. Disco dodges a dropkick. I've never, ever understood the logic of how that hurts the wrestler that misses. Kidman tries to counter but Disco gets him back down and hits the leaping piledriver, but he's gassed and both guys are down. Disco slowly manages to cover but it's enough time for Kidman to kick out. Disco is beside himself. Kidman tries for another bulldog but Disco counters it in midair. Front suplex for 2. He hooks up for the piledriver again and decides to whip the macarena out again. Kidman counters in midair into a faceplant. Shooting star press! Kidman gets the pin to retain! Not too shabby, though having Disco on offense for 90% of the match was certainly a choice. Not a good one. The cruiserweight division of '96-'97 is well and truly gone and I don't think it's coming back. **3/4

 

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Rick Steiner and Buff Bagwell def Scott Steiner and The Giant (c) in 8:24- Giant is still smoking. Man, I figured that had run its course by now. Guess not. Though it does have the cover of drunk Scott Hall being an infinitely worse gimmick. Bagwell's out in jeans. This is his first official match since April because of his neck injury. Commentary wonders if Bagwell's mom Judy is the one that made him see sense. Sadly that's far from the last time you'll be hearing her name. While everyone discusses who starts Giant cuts it short by jumping Rick. Big chop. Atomic drop. Scott declines tagging in. Giant hits a back suplex and now Scott tags in. He hits some running kicks and tosses Rick out. Giant gives Rick a headbutt on the floor. Back in Scott continues the beatdown. Rick ducks a clothesline, hits an inverted atomic drop, and lays in some ground and pound. Mounted punches. Rick blocks Scott's attempted atomic drop counter and hits another clothesline. Bagwell wants in. Rick says OK. Scott ducks a double clothesline. Bagwell kicks Rick right in the ghoolies. Oh my God what I shock I never ever saw that coming. Bagwell rejoins his NWO comrades, mugs for the camera as usual, and leaves. Scott gives Rick a straight low blow right in front of ref Lil' Naitch. Commentary talks about how Bagwell "fooled everyone". Please. We get a very extended and very dull two on one beatdown on Rick, which includes low blow #3 on him, again from Scott. Scott hooks Rick up and Giant goes up top. He has a hard time finding his footing. Once he does he unleashes the world's largest missile dropkick! Rick dodges and Scott takes it! Steinerline! Steinerline! Top rope bulldog on Giant! Rick covers and gets the pin to win the tag titles by himself! No one had been taking them seriously for months anyway so what the hell. Commentary wonders who Rick will pick as his partner. I'm not getting into that now but let's say that it didn't do the already credibility damaged tag titles any favors. The match itself had some OKish moments, but that long stretch of Rick getting beat down after the way too obvious Bagwell turn was dull as hell and drug the whole thing down. 1/2*

 

Rick Steiner def Scott Steiner in 4:46- Scott doesn't want to get back in the ring so Rick goes out and collects him. Giant makes a token effort to stop it but vacates the premises pretty quickly. Scott wants a time out in the ring. Rick gives him a punch instead. Clothesline. He runs Scott upside down into the corner. ANOTHER low blow from Scott. For fuck's sake find something new. Belly to belly suplex and clothesline from Scott. Rick catches Scott leapfrogging and tosses him! Straight belly to belly suplex. A guy in a mask and suit hops the rail and takes security out. Stevie Ray is also out though we only get a glimpse of him. He gives the guy in the mask his SLAPJACK OF INSTANT DEATH. The masked guy takes everyone out, including Naitch. The bell rings for what's assumed to be a DQ. The guy takes his mask off and it's Bagwell. That was a quick change to get into that suit and in position. Scott covers and Bagwell uses the unconscious Naitch to count. Rick kicks out! Scott hits a top rope Frankenstiner. Another forced count. Rick kicks out again! Bagwell tosses Naitch out of the ring. Rick clothesline on Scott! He takes Bagwell out. Top rope bulldog on Scott! Nick Patrick runs in and counts 3! I guess that earlier bell was inadvertent. With all the overbooking this was about as good as it was going to get. Typical WCW to never do a proper Steiner blowoff, everything had to be a mess. *1/4

 

Scott Hall def Kevin Nash by countout in 14:19- Kind of buried on this card is another long delayed blowoff, this time of the Outsiders breakup from earlier in the year. This should be a much bigger deal. As mentioned earlier they're still doing the horrendous drunk Scott Hall gimmick. Hall tosses his drink in Nash's face and jumps him. Nash gets knocked around the ringside area. Hall hits him with the mic and gives him a cable choke. Nash is bleeding from somewhere. I initially thought the mouth but I'm not sure. Hardcore anti-blood Turner means no one on commentary mentions it and the cameras show as little as possible. As Nash gets checked over and cleaned up by medical Hall gets a mic and brags. Nash pushes medical away and gets back in. Hall continues to wail away on him. Slam and Hall calls for the Razor's Edge. Nash pushes out, sending Hall into the corner. Hall lays in some more shots. Nash wants more. Corner clothesline from Hall. Nash reverses a corner whip and hits a side suplex. On knees slugfest. Nash hits a knee to the gut and finally starts to build some momentum. He hooks up for the jackknife. Hall quickly gets the hell out of town. He gets back in and we have a pretty hard reset and lockup. Nash wins that. Hall goes into his usual early match arm work. Nash uses that to hit a short clothesline. Faceplant. Nash hits a ton of his corner knees, switches corners and hits a ton more. More slow Nash beatdown as the match is starting to crawl and the very pro-Nash/Wolfpac crowd is getting pretty restless. Hall gets some ineffectual swings in. Big boot from Nash. The straps are down. Jackknife! Nash asks one more? He hits a second one, then stands over Hall and gives him a crotch chop. Then, against all logic and reason he steps out of the ring, walks up the aisle and leaves, taking a countout loss. The hell was that? This was the antithesis of the mid '90s WWF intra-Kliq matches when they would try really hard for each other. 3/4*

Nitro Girls interlude #4.

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Bret "Hitman" Hart (c) def Sting in 15:04- Another dream match coming too late and in the wrong era of WCW. Sting's grown a goatee. Completely forgot about that. He's dyed it jet black too. Lots of stalling from Bret both before the bell and after. Finally Sting has enough, jumping Bret in the aisle and dragging him in. Mounted punches and a clothesline. Bret begs off. Inverted atomic drop from Sting. Bret slugs back and hits a DDT for 2. He hits his own inverted atomic drop, the #2 move of the night after a straight low blow, and a clothesline. Gut headbutt and snap legdrop for 2. Bret goes into his heel WCW punchy/chokey mode. He hits a bulldog. Sting gets a small package for 2. Bret Russian leg sweep. He comes off the second rope, but Sting counters with a leg takedown and hooks on the Scorpion Death Lock! But they're close to the ropes and Bret easily grabs one. Speed run. After landing from a leapfrog Bret grabs his knee. Sting tries to attack it but the ref backs him off. That was Bret's plan, as he gets some knucks out of his tights. Before he can use them Sting clotheslines him down. He sees the knucks, takes them and puts them on. He goes to hit Bret but the ref hooks his arm. Bret uses that opening to hit a *sigh* low blow. Think they've run that into the ground for months after tonight. Gut stomp and backbreaker from Bret. Elbow off the second rope. He tosses Sting out and beats him around the aisle. While Bret's giving Sting shots on the apron the ref tries to back him off. Then the ref gets close to Sting and takes a back elbow. After the ref goes down Bret legdrops him in the back of the head! OK, that's kind of funny. Sting goes into a comeback flurry. They have to do a lot of obvious positioning because the ref went down right in the middle of the ring and refuses to move. Bret gets crotched (again sigh) on the top rope and Sting hits a superplex, with both of them landing on the ref's legs. Look, I know you're supposed to be out but at least do a subtle little roll to give the guys some room to work. Sting hits a Stinger Splash to Bret's back, but apparently overshot and hit the post. He's draped over the top rope, completely out. Bret goes out and, after considering a chair and the belt, takes Sting's bat and works Sting over with it. Bat shot off the second rope. Bret drags the ref up, puts Sting in an academic Sharpshooter, we get the arm drops and it's over. Yet another Bret Hart WCW disappointment, something we're getting sadly used to by now. *1/2

Sting is still out and not moving at all in the middle of the ring so the ref calls for medics. After a couple of minutes they come out, and we stay with it as they strap Sting to the backboard, stretcher him to the back, into the ambulance and the ambulance driving off. Another 5+ minutes gone, circle that for later.

We get another replay of Hogan taking his nephew Horace Hogan out with a chair on Nitro last week, the old "look at what I'm willing to do to my family, what will I be willing to do to Warrior" tack. Horace needed 11 stitches on his head after.

 

Hollywood Hogan def The Warrior in 14:20- Here we go, what WCW is calling the "rematch of the decade", in this case the Wrestlemania 6 title vs title main event from 1990. It's the third or fourth match they've called that the last couple of years but who's counting. This whole thing has already been a debacle, from Warrior's over 20 minute debut promo on Nitro to baffling and horrible backstage segments where Hogan saw reflections of Warrior in a mirror when Warrior wasn't there. On the plus side, amazingly this isn't in the main event slot when you could easily see WCW doing that so small mercies there. They knew how ass this was going to be too. Warrior pauses after coming out then does his usual run to the ring. Hogan, no shock, stalls forever on the floor. The crowd, despite their hatred for Hogan, doesn't seem fully behind Warrior either. They go nose to nose in the ring. Hogan jaws, Warrior jacks his jaw and the bell rings to start. Circle and circle and finally lockup. Hogan hits some forearms and puts on an arm wringer. Warrior reverses it, hits a shoulderblock and Hogan rolls out. Stall and more circling. Warrior wants a test of strength but gets another lockup instead. Corner slugfest. Hogan chokes Warrior down, then knucklelocks him and drags him to the center, giving him the test of strength he wanted. And there they stay for a while. When Warrior fights back up Hogan switches to another arm wringer. They work in the criss cross spot they did every time during the build to and in their WM match. It stands out because you almost never saw a criss cross other than when they did it, and they did it EVERY SINGLE TIME. Hogan stops the crissing with a scoop slam. Warrior pops right back up and hits his own slam. He clotheslines Hogan 360 to the floor. Back and forth brawl on the floor and Hogan gets posted. Back in everyone maneuvers around to get in position and Nick Patrick goes down. Hogan gives him a knee. Pretty weak after the Bret Hart legdrop on the ref the last match. Hogan gives Warrior a few shots, hooks him up and calls for help. Giant runs in. Warrior dodges and Hogan takes a Giant big boot. Warrior fights Giant and the other NWO goons off. He covers Hogan but no ref. Hogan hits a back suplex. Patrick's up enough now to count 2. Weightlifting belt whipping time, that heel Hogan staple. After some words from Patrick Hogan puts it back on. Slam. Warrior dodges elbow drops, then rolls the other direction into Hogan, tripping him. They look unsure after that so I'm not sure if that was intended or not. Hogan dodges the big splash. More weak slugfest. Warrior takes Hogan's belt off and gives him some whips back. He wraps the belt around his fist and punches Hogan, then drops it. Hogan goes into his tights and gets a plastic bag out. We see a lighter. He's furiously trying to light something up. He makes to throw the flash paper at Warrior, but he didn't light it properly and there's nothing there. Total failure. Guess it happens to guys at his age. Warrior still reacts like it hit him. Hogan finally manages to get the damn thing lit in his hand, and Warrior kicks it away. Freaking hell. That's the blown spot this match is most known for. Hogan's since taken responsibility for not lighting the paper properly, a rare admission of error from him. It's bad, but it hitting right in no way would have saved this match. That was supposed to be the finish, or lead to it, so they have no idea what to do now. Warrior hits a couple of double ax handles off the top rope. Hogan's bleeding. He hits another gorram frakking frelling low blow on Warrior, enough is enough of that shit on this show. The legdrop hits. Horace Hogan is now out with a chair. Warrior dodges another legdrop and starts Warrioring up. Forever clotheslines. Bischoff is also out, gets on the apron and ties Patrick up. Literally, he's got him in a damn headlock. Horace comes in with his chair. He hits Warrior! Well, if it wasn't for Bagwell that'd be the most obvious turn on this show. Hogan covers and gets the pin to the total apathy of the crowd. He got his win back. He and Horace hug. Horace pours lighter fluid all over Warrior. Security run in and get the heels out before anything else in this match can misfire. This is well known as one of the most famous disasters in wrestling history, and its reputation is well earned. The blown flash paper spot gets the headline, but the whole match start to finish is a train wreck. MINUS FIVE STARS

After barely two months, that's essentially the end of Warrior in WCW. Despite the exorbitant amount of money WCW spent bringing him in they saw what they were getting for their investment and decided taking the salary cap hit was preferable to more of that. He'd make one last appearance on Nitro in early November and that was that. Warrior would fully retire right after. He wrestled one return match for an indy in Spain in 2008, but never appeared again for a major company until his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2014. After appearing on the Raw after that Wrestlemania he died the very next day.

Now we get to the other thing this show is most known for: the show has run long, so during the main event most PPV providers cut the feed to keep up with their own schedules, leaving buyers in the dark as to who won the match. The internet was taking off, but it's still something only a small percentage had access to check the results later that night or the next morning. It's no surprise either, with the multiple Nitro Girls segments, several in-arena promo segments that always take longer than backstage ones, 3-4 matches that were added to the card the day of the show for no good reason, and the long segment of Sting getting stretchered out. Due to this, WCW was forced to show the entire main event free on Nitro the next night, as much as basic cable is free, and refund money.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Goldberg (c) def Diamond Dallas Page in 10:28- DDP got the pin in the mockery of War Games at Fall Brawl to get this shot. There's extra story layered in as DDP was one of Goldberg's mentors when he broke in with WCW. Buffer's in Vegas so he goes into Buffer overdrive, listing off the Nevada Athletic Commission members, the attending physicians, the ref, the individual security guys, the truck drivers, and the guy working concessions in area 10-B. Probably a family friend. Goldberg gets the full security escort entrance. We're officially up to 154-0. Once again, it's a relief that they at least got the right match in the main event. The crowd is HOT for this one too, despite the shit they've had to sit through, and fairly split. They go nose to nose. Goldberg easily wins a couple of lockups. DDP gets an armdrag. Another rough lockup and both guys tumble through the ropes to the floor! Back in Goldberg gets an arm takedown. DDP tries to trip while he's down there but Goldberg flips over to escape, showing impressive agility. Another staredown and this thing is INTENSE. Goldberg gets the first real shots in and tries to put on a cross armbreaker. DDP gets a quick rope break. Jawbreaker from DDP. Early Diamond Cutter tease. Goldberg pushes free, sending DDP all the way out to the floor! DDP stays out there for a minute to have a think. Back in DDP fight out of a hammerlock into a drop toe hold. Really nice chain wrestling sequence there. He hits the ropes, tries a shoulderblock but bounces right off Goldberg, and goes out to the floor again! This time he snaps Goldberg over the top rope. Swinging neckbreaker. Russian leg sweep for 2. DDP works a front facelock to try to wear Goldberg down. Goldberg fights up, hits some knees and flips DDP over. Big Goldberg forearm. He ducks a DDP punch and hits a kidney punch. Suplex from Goldberg. Side suplex for 2. He hooks an armbar on and rolls into another armbreaker attempt. DDP takes another rope break. DDP gets a flying headscissors. No effect and Goldberg pops up with a superkick. DDP dodges a spear and Goldberg flies shoulder first into the post! DDP clothesline off the top for 2. On a speed run Goldberg uses his good arm to hit a uranage. DDP is still up first and makes the Diamond Cutter sign. Spear! Goldberg is down too with his hurt arm. He tries for the jackhammer but can't lift DDP up. Another try. DDP counters out! DIAMOND CUTTER! Huge pop for him hitting that. But DDP is too hurt to follow up right away. He crawls over and manages to cover. Goldberg kicks out! DDP hooks up for a suplex attempt. I'd call that a tactical error. Goldberg reverses. Jackhammer! 155-0. After the match Goldberg helps DDP up and they hug it out, with Goldberg still selling the arm. That is by far the best WCW main event in years. DDP carried Goldberg to his best match ever. Goldberg's streak had reached such mythic proportions it has a fantastic atmosphere with a red hot crowd that cared about both guys. Ideally this would have been the template and road map for WCW's recovery. Of course, with Bischoff running things and Hogan and Nash dominating backstage politics it was not to be. ***3/4

A good argument could be made for DDP winning here. Goldberg was still riding his streak momentum but a good chunk of the crowd clearly wanted DDP to win. I think if I was booking it I would have left it as is, but then have DDP win World War 3 to justify getting another shot then take Goldberg down at Starrcade. It turned out that would be what would happen, but not with DDP.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Good to nearly great matches bookend so it's not completely awful, but the bulk of the card is one degree of bad or another, most showing their impromptu nature, and is topped off by a legendary disaster. Hogan/Warrior II is one of those horrible matches everyone should still watch once just to see how bad it can be. DDP/Goldberg is also must watch to see what could have been if WCW had stayed on that course.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+

No Mercy 2000

Legacy Review

No Mercy 2000

October 22, 2000 from the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

A note that's probably not of interest to anyone but me: this is the first PPV to be held in this arena since the legendary 1992 Royal Rumble, the greatest Rumble match ever, when it was still known as the Knickerbocker Arena. There's been lots of house shows and weekly TV here but this is the first PPV since then.

Dudley Boyz Invitational Gauntlet Tables Match- Five teams will compete in this match, two at a time, and the only way to win is to put just one of your opponents through a table, not both. The Dudleyz were good sports and put themselves into the random draw for spots rather than just saying it's their match and they'll come out last. The opening two teams are Too Cool and Lo Down, the rather recent pairing of the increasingly irrelevant (and expanding sideways, not that I'm in a place to criticize that) D'Lo Brown and Chaz, formerly known as Mosh of the Headbangers. Every team the whole match brings a table to the ring with them. BYOT. Jump start with an extended brawl around the two tables in the ring. Sexay hits his dropkick off the second rope. Scotty gets set on a table then Lo Down immediately forget about him, choosing to use the other table as a swinging weapon on both Too Cool guys instead. After some suplex fights Scotty low blows Chaz with a table. Brown hits his spinebuster on Sexay. Chaz and Scotty fight up top. Scott punches Chaz off and Chaz goes through a table. For good measure on the other side Sexay dodges a Brown frog splash and Brown also goes through a table. Pause for replays and the tables to be cleaned up, then the next team is Tazz and Raven. Raven made his shock WWF debut at Unforgiven, where he and Tazz paired up as ex-ECW guys. They set a table up on the floor. Too Cool uses the opening to baseball slide them. Raven gets placed on a table. Scotty sets up on the apron to put Raven through it. Tazz hooks the Tazzmission on Scotty before he can! Sexay makes the save. Back on the floor Sexay sets Raven up for a powerbomb off the apron potentially through the table, but Sexay kicks the table and it prematurely breaks! "You fucked up" chant for that one. Scotty does the Worm under the other table set up in the ring onto Raven. The ECW guys come back and double suplex Sexay through the table, eliminating Too Cool. Next up are the guys that put this whole match together, the Dudley Boyz. Also ex-ECW guys. As soon as they hit the ring the brawl is on. I'm far from an expert on ECW, but I'm sure these guys all crossed paths at some point over there. Bubba Bomb on Tazz. Raven takes the Whazzup drop. Get the tables! Well, that is the whole point of the match. Tazz gives Bubba Ray a half and half suplex. Raven and D'Von have an ugly collision into the corner at the same time. Tazz gets set up. D'Von hits a legdrop off the top putting Tazz through the table and they're done. The final entrants are the Right to Censor team of the Goodfather and Bull Buchanan. The RTC guys get the quick brawl edge. Two tables get set up in the ring. D'Von and Goodfather have a very long brawl all over the floor. In the ring Bubba Ray ducks and Buchanan takes ref Jack Doan out with a clothesline. Bubba Ray powerbombs Buchanan through one of the tables, but Doan is still out. Goodfather comes in with a chair and nails Bubba Ray with it. He puts Bubba Ray onto the table wreckage and pulls Buchanan out. Doan comes to, sees Bubba Ray on table remains, and calls for the bell. The RTC's siren plays and Fink calls them the winners. BUT WAIT. Another ref runs in and explains to Doan what happened. Doan orders the match to restart. D'Von dodges a Goodfather no hoes train. 3D through the table! Now the match is over. The Dudleyz *finally* get their first win on PPV since FEBRUARY. In a match of their own creation, I sure hope so. The match itself wasn't that great. Most of the teams involved other than the Dudleyz didn't look very sure of themselves working a match like this. *1/4

Rikishi stares at us through the camera, then turns and walks through a door with his sledgehammer. That's right, we're at "I DID IT FOR THE ROCK". Rikishi turned heel by admitting that he was the one that ran Austin over a year ago, and he did it for the Rock because WWF hated Samoans or something. Goofing around with Too Cool most of the intervening year was also all part of the plan I guess. He's also temporarily taken the sledgehammer gimmick away from Triple H.

The next scheduled match is the APA and women's champ Lita teaming against T&A and Trish Stratus in an intergender match. The whole thing got started when T&A got involved in one of the APA's backstage poker nights, but didn't have the money to cover their losses so instead they offered up Trish in a round of strip poker. Trish also lost, and while the APA were admiring their winnings (understandable) T&A attacked them. Why Lita's hooked up with the APA, search me. Probably because she was already feuding with Trish I'd guess.

Lita is the first to come out for the match. The APA's music hits but no one shows up. We cut to the back and T&A is working them over backstage. Lita runs back to help but T&A block her at the entrance stage. Trish then runs in and jumps her from behind, then kicks her down the aisle. Bulldog from Trish in the ring. T&A set up to do more damage but the Hardyz run in to save Lita. The match never started since the APA never came out to the ring.

Edge and Christian are once again using food poisoning as an excuse, this time for not entering themselves into the Dudleyz' table gauntlet. They wish the Conquistadors luck tonight and also make a whole lot (I mean a LOT) of nuts jokes that might amuse a 7th grader. Not their best work.

 

Steel Cage Match: Chris Jericho def X-Pac in 10:40- During his prematch promo Jericho straight up says he hopes this feud can end. One he's right, and two I wish he had that kind of self awareness today, insisting on hanging on full time years past the point he needed to stop. Of course it's also AEW's fault for constantly continuing to put titles on him at 54 years old. He's also far from the first person to do it. Pac's finally out of DX colors and into the black, silver and red he'll keep for a while. DX is essentially dead, it's just no one will admit it yet. Just like Jericho's full time career in 2024. Jericho baseball slides Pac through the door! They do the generic ringside brawl while the crowd gets the mandatory "X-Pac sucks" chant in. Jericho dodges a running chairshot. After he gets in Pac slams the door into his face, then he gets in himself. Escape only rules tonight by the way. Pac hits some corner chops and already goes for the door. Jericho grabs his leg. Pac swings around and gives him a reverse enzuguri. Back kick on Jericho against the ropes. Pac goes to climb. Jericho springboard dropkicks him down! Suplex from Jericho and Pac gets thrown into the cage. Misdirection bulldog. Jericho uses a corner whip reversal to leap on the ropes and climb. Pac quickly follows. Jericho kicks Pac down and hits a missile dropkick off the top rope. A Lionsault attempt is countered. Pac goes for the door again. Jericho stops him, but this time he takes some cage shots. Pac charges and Jericho backdrops him upside down onto the cage! Pac is still up first and back on Jericho. Spinning heel kick. Pac covers but it's escape only. Corner kick combos and the shitty bronco buster hits to boos. Another climb attempt. Jericho uses the cage to lift Pac up from the top rope and powerbombs him back down! Pac gets run into the cage again. He wants a time out but gets a clothesline instead. Jericho climbs. Pac grabs his leg. Jericho hangs onto the cage top and tries to fight but Pac gets him down into the top rope. Again Pac goes for the door. When Jericho stops him he takes the conveniently placed chair and nails Jericho with it. This time Pac climbs. Jericho follows and they're both on the top of the cage. Jericho tries to put the Walls onto Pac on the cage top! Pac low blows and Jericho falls all the way down into the ring! Pac starts to climb down. He stands on top of the door. Jericho dropkicks the cage, sending Pac crotch first onto the door! Jericho walks out and wins! Again, Jericho dragged Pac to a reasonably good match. I like how the high spots using the cage gradually escalated throughout the match, it's well structured in that sense. ***

Edge and Christian may have had the nuts jokes, but there's seriously been like 80 low blows or crotchings on the top rope/cage already in this show, and we're only two plus matches in.

Commish Mick Foley is in his makeshift office for the night. Rikishi comes in and demands to know where Austin is. Foley promises Rikishi that if Austin doesn't make it in time he'll award the match to Rikishi by forfeit, but also tells Rikishi he better get dressed and watch out because Austin is always closer than you think.

Another "card subject to change" moment here. Originally Eddie Guerrero was going to defend the Intercontinental title against the freshly returned from injury Billy Gunn. Yes, we're getting another Billy Gunn singles push and it's going to go about as well as the last one did. However, Guerrero recently got injured on weekly TV. Nothing long term, but enough to keep him out of tonight's match. During Heat before the PPV the match was changed to Gunn and Chyna, who'd by now dumped Guerrero and had paired up with Gunn (professionally), against the Right to Censor team of Steven Richards and Val Venus.

 

Right to Censor def "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn and Chyna in 7:10- Gunn and Good Humor Venus start. It's the white pants. Venus gets the early edge before Gunn hits a clothesline, slam and kneedrop. Back and forth slugging in the corner. Off a corner whip Venus falls to the floor. Chyna comes down and whips him into the stairs. Back in Venus gives Gunn a hot shot. Richards tags in but runs into a press slam. Tag to Chyna. She tosses Richards around by his tie. The RTC try to double team but Chyna avoids it. Corner dodge and Gunn runs his shoulder, which is what he had injured, into the corner. Venus quickly gets on it and the RTC pick it apart. Richards hooks on an ARMBAR. Oh for frak's sake, they actually do arm drops off the armbar. Gunn fights back and hits a DDT, with the bad arm of course. Tags on both sides. Clotheslines from Chyna. The handspring elbow hits. Low blow from Chyna on Richards and Gunn hits the Fameasser. Chyna swinging neckbreaker on Venus. The Goodfather and Buchanan run in. Gunn goes to the floor to fight them off. Chyna hooks Venus up for the Pedigree. Eddie Guerrero runs in, nails Chyna with the Loaded Roses of Massive Heft +1, drapes Venus over, and the RTC get the win. *

Steph comes into Triple H's locker room and asks again if she can be ringside for his match. Trips says emphatically no, not with someone like Benoit. Steph says OK and gives him a tape of Benoit's crossface that he might find interesting. She leaves to go help her business partner Kurt Angle get ready for his match. That's right, the whole love triangle from Summerslam has ended up as one giant detente with Steph still with Trips in marriage, but also managing Angle. Trips says Angle better protect her tonight or else. There's a noticeable change in their chemistry versus their previous work, a pretty good indicator the real life dating has begun.

 

No Holds Barred: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Rikishi no contest in 10:30- Awfully early on the show to have this. This is Austin's first official match in nearly a year. Commentary says before the match Austin still hasn't arrived at the arena. Apparently Rikishi getting dressed for the match included putting on a muumuu. He demands Foley come out and keep his forfeit word. Foley does make his way out. We get a lot of weird close ups of both the wrestlers and a long one of commentary, a sure sign that something is being set up. Before Foley can say anything....glass shatter! Crappy new Austin music! Austin drives up to the arena in his truck, straight into the back, into the arena and all the way up to his front bumper almost touching the ring! The bell rings as Austin hops out and attacks Rikishi. He runs Rikishi into the truck, then the door into Rikishi. Rikishi gets tossed over the Spanish announce table. Austin chokes him with a headset cord. Barricade hop and the crowd brawl is on. Rikishi gets the edge thanks to a drink in Austin's face. On the way back down Austin takes his first bump back, practically throwing himself over the arena wall separating the bowl from the floor. Austin hooks up for a piledriver but Rikishi backdrops him onto the concrete. Austin takes his belt off and starts whipping Rikishi with it. He goes under the ring and finds a bullrope of all things. What would the ring crew need with that? Rikishi tries to get some space by tossing Austin over the Spanish announce table, but Austin comes right back down with a clothesline off the table. He gets in the ring and chokes Rikishi with the rope. Rikishi swings at Austin with one of the Spanish announce table monitors and hits a superkick. He gets a chair. Austin dodges a chairshot, takes the chair, and goes to town on Rikishi with it. While passing commentary he grabs JR's hat and puts it on! More chairshots. Rikishi's busted open. Now Austin gets the sledgehammer. He swings but Rikishi dodges, putting sledge dents into Austin's truck. Austin opens up the tailgate and whacks Rikishi with it. Another chairshot puts Rikishi in the truck bed. Tailgate closed, Austin gets in, pops open a beer, backs up and drives off. Short drive because he stops again right outside the arena. Good thing too, because between the busted headlight and the two giant holes in the windshield I don't think that thing is street legal. He gets Rikishi out and the beatdown continues. When Rikishi's where Austin wants him he gets back in the truck. He backs up. Spins the tires. Austin's going to ram Rikishi with the truck! He takes off.....and runs right into a police car crossing his path! That was a legit hit with Austin really in the truck too, no faking there. Pissed Austin backs the truck up and hits the cop car again! Every police car in the Albany PD speed into the area. The cops all get out and arrest Austin. Well, he'd been back a whole month so an arrest was probably overdue. The bell did ring to start the match but never to end it so count whatever point as the end. Still, it was way more an angle and crazy beatdown than an actual match so trying to rate it is pointless. It wasn't mind blowing but it got its point across, and Austin was probably still getting fully back in ring shape. NR

For those of you that missed the last five minutes, we get the full replay of it all.

 

WWF European Championship: William Regal (c) def Naked Mideon in 6:02- Dear lord, they really put Naked Mideon on PPV. Right. Mideon started showing up on weekly TV wearing nothing but a fanny back, boots and a lot of pixellation (and a thong because he wasn't ACTUALLY naked in the arena). Somehow this also turned him face. On the plus side, Regal is back with WWF after a long stint in rehab and a last dalliance with end of life WCW, this time to stay. They wasted little time in getting the European title on the perfect man for it. Before the match Regal takes the mic and says he had words with Foley and demanded that Mideon show a modicum of class and put some damn clothes on for this match. Foley agreed. Mideon comes out wearing a Taker shirt with the sleeves cut off and snap on pants that clearly won't stay on the whole match. Lockup! Regal tries to make Mideon wrestle with some arm wringers. Speed run and Mideon hits a hiptoss and clothesline. He teases taking the shirt off, getting that classic disgusted Regal look. European uppercut and headlock from Regal. Drop toe hold. Mideon gets a back elbow and slam, followed by an awful dropkick. Regal gets a boot up in the corner and runs Mideon's shoulder into the post. He works Mideon over on the apron. Wave to the crowd! Classic Regal. Regal barely backdrops Mideon over the top to the floor. The shirt is off! Back in Mideon hits a corner clothesline. Regal gets a suplex for 2 and grounds Mideon. After getting tossed out Mideon finds his fanny pack under the ring. When he gets back in, the pants are off and the pixels are on. Then to add even more onto it Mideon kisses Regal! Channeling Goldust I guess. Backdrop from Mideon. He goes up top but Regal crotches him on the turnbuckle. With zero protection. Regal starts to put the Regal Stretch on, realizes what that would entail and decides that's too much, and instead hits a neckbreaker to get the pin. Whatever the insane gimmicks, it's still Mideon and not even Regal was going to drag anything decent out of him. Total oil and water match. DUD

Earlier on Heat Angle presented an "interview" with the Rock where all of Rock's answers are edited clips from other interviews made to look bad. Many current mainstream media journalists are taking notes. Toward the end we see Rock in his dressing room disgustedly turning it off. We then cut to Kevin Kelley interviewing Los Conquistadors. Their English not so good, all they can say is "si" and "dos".

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Los Conquistadors def The Hardy Boyz (c) in 10:58- Recently on weekly TV Edge and Christian lost a "last shot" opportunity at the tag titles while the Hardyz were still champions. Coincidentally, almost immediately after Los Conquistadors made their triumphant return to the WWF after over a decade away. The gag, of course, being that EVERYONE knew it was Edge and Christian. Conquistadors do their silly march to the ring and then do a bunch of rolls after getting in, then hop out to have a word with Spanish commentary. Matt and Uno (Christian) start. Uno does a bunch of dodging and rolling, but rolls right into a Matt clothesline. Matt goes right for the mask and Uno rolls out. Tag to Dos (Edge). Fortunately it's easier than expected to tell them apart thanks to their difference in height and body type, and Edge's mask is tied much looser in the back for reasons we'll see later. Blind Hardyz tag and Jeff hits a clothesline. Flying headscissors and shotgun dropkick from Jeff. Dos gets some shots in to come back. Uno blind tags in but the Conquistadors run into each other. Dos gets clotheslined 360 to the floor. Jeff flips out of an Uno backdrop. Hardyz double elbow drop and senton for 2. Poetry in Motion hits on Uno. Dos runs in and gets drop toe holded into Uno. Again the Hardyz go for the mask. Uno makes the save and the Conquistadors hit a double dropkick. They load up for a dive. The Hardyz outmaneuver it and the Conquistadors run into each other again on the floor. Jeff goes for Uno's mask again. Dos grabs him and slides him into the post. Lots of generic offense follows from the Conquistadors. Uno tries to slingshot Jeff, but he goes right onto Dos and almost pins him. Powerslam on Jeff for 2. Dos setup slam and he goes up top. Jeff dodges a senton. Tag to Matt. Matt hot tag run. DONNYBROOK! Jeff does his running barricade dive on Dos. Uno springboard dive onto Jeff! Matt dives onto all three but mostly hits Jeff. Back in Matt gets hit with a reverse DDT. Jeff hits a swanton bomb to break the pin up. Matt Twist of Fate on Dos! Instead of covering he goes for the mask again. He manages to get it off.....and there's a backup mask on under the main mask! Matt fell victim to one of the classic blunders. Uno grabs Matt, hits the Unprettier, and Los Conquistadors get the pin to win the tag titles! They grab the belts and do their silly march right back out. The match is fine. Like with other times using a similar angle Edge and Christian had to work a very generic match to keep with the gimmick. And what commitment. They were always doing the little march and keeping right in line with all the right mannerisms. While the match isn't much, it is a very fun angle. **1/4

 

Triple H def Chris Benoit in 18:44- This got started when Benoit headbutted Steph, then later cost HHH a #1 contender's match. Benoit's glee at hurting, and being slapped by, Steph is more than a little uncomfortable today. With apologies to Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, this is probably the two best in-ring workers in the company at the time going at it. Anyone still doubting HHH needs to go back and look at his record in one on one PPV matches this year. There's a lot of snowflakes. Nice pop for HHH, followed by a "Triple H" chant after the bell. After the whole love triangle soap opera and the start of this Benoit feud he's turned face, for now. Lockup! Rough corner jockeying and Benoit gets the first shots in. HHH quickly attacks Benoit's knee. As far as I know Benoit didn't come in with a bad knee, this might be what HHH saw on the tape. He ducks a Benoit enzuguri attempt and plants the knee. Post shot for the knee. HHH clips the knee. Benoit tries to fight back on the mat but HHH shrugs it off and stays 100% focused on that knee. Kneebreaker. While going for a second one Benoit tries a sunset flip counter but HHH rolls through it. Drop toe hold and HHH goes to the classics playbook with an Indian death lock. Then he shows he's been watching Japanese tape by hooking on a Mutalock! It wasn't often, but every once in a while he'd drop this stuff in and it's always appreciated. Benoit ducks a clothesline and manages to dump HHH to the floor but also goes over himself. On the floor Benoit slingshots HHH into the post. Stairs shot for HHH and Benoit shakes the knee off. Back in Benoit hits some chops. Armbar slam on HHH and Benoit posts that shoulder. Now he has a target. HHH also has a hell of a wedgie. That's more than I needed to see. Hammerlock back suplex from Benoit for 2. Northern lights suplex for 2. He's still shaking the knee off. Big clothesline. HHH rolls out and lures Benoit into a stairs shot. Benoit hot shots HHH onto the English announce table! Snap suplex back in for 2. Benoit hooks on a modified armbar for a bit, then tries for a cross armbreaker. HHH locks his fingers to fight it off and Benoit lets go. Another hammerlock back suplex and Benoit says that's it. Headbutt off the top rope onto the bad arm! As usual Benoit's slow to get up after hitting that and HHH manages to grab him into a desperation small package for 2. HHH counters a suplex attempt into an inverted suplex! He slugs back and hits the high knee. Neckbreaker for 2. HHH hits a superplex. Slow cover for 2. He tries for the Pedigree. Benoit backdrops out. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROLLING GERMANS! HHH fights out after two. Benoit ducks a clothesline and hits a dragon suplex! HHH just gets a foot on the ropes! Another dragon suplex for 2. HHH hits the facebuster. Benoit gets the crossface on! HHH isn't quite laying flat and manages to fight back up. Another one possibly from the tape study. Benoit pounds him back down and gets HHH fully horizontal this time. HHH manages to fight up again and counters the crossface into a DVD! Very nice. Steph runs out. She slaps Benoit! Kick wham Pedig....no, Benoit counters out and tries for the crossface. Another counter into a Pedigree attempt, and another counter into a crossface attempt. This is great stuff. Steph has Chioda distracted, so HHH hits a low blow! Pedigree! It's over! Steph walks away looking very pleased with herself. Another fantastic 2000 HHH wrestling, I stress wrestling, match, taking nothing away from Benoit who was on as always. ****1/4

Edge and Christian celebrate with whoever they hired to put the Los Conquistadors outfits on after the match. E&C say they can't wait for Conquistadors' first defense, which will be tomorrow night on Raw against....Edge and Christian! It would turn out that the Hardyz would end up winning the titles back the next night thanks to more Conquistadors shenanigans.

 

No DQ Match for the WWF Championship: Kurt Angle (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) def The Rock (c) in 21:45- Commentary is surprised by the no DQ stip so I guess that's a last second addition. After a bit of staredown Steph gets on the apron to distract and Angle attacks. He punches Rock down to the floor and gives him a chairshot. No DQ. Rock comes back in the ring with a clothesline. Samoan drop for 2. Angle rolls out and walks all the way to the stage while we see HHH in the back watching it all closely. Rock runs up the aisle with a clothesline. He tosses Angle through the entrance stage! Both directions! Whip reversal and Rock goes into a box/light stack. Rock grabs a full size cardboard cutout of himself that someone in the crowd brought, puts it over Angle and punches it! Back in Angle stomps Rock down in the corner and Steph gets a choke in. Rock dodges in the corner and Angle knees the turnbuckle. Rock crotches Angle on the post despite Hebner's objections. Chairshot to Angle's knee. Rock hits a dragon screw and puts on, in its first ever PPV appearance, the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter. Angle's tapping out but Steph's on the apron again keeping Hebner occupied. Rock stares Steph down. She says something to him and Rock chases her. They go through the ring and Rock runs right into an Angle belly to belly suplex. More brawling beatdown from Angle. Flying forearm for 2. He grounds Rock with a chinlock. As we do the arm drops Steph is on screen as much, if not more than, the wrestlers. Rock fights up and momentum tosses Angle to the floor. Angle drops Rock on the barricade. Rock tosses Angle into the stairs. Angle gets bounced off the announce table and Rock gives him a water spit. As they get back in Steph gets the belt and puts it in the ring. Rock ducks an Angle belt shot. He hooks up for the Rock Bottom. Angle escapes and this time hits the belt shot! Cover. Rock kicks out! Angle gets crotched on the top rope and Rock hits a superplex. Arm drape over for 2. There's a bit of blood, it looks like Angle's cut open over his eye but the way the blood moves as the match goes it's hard to tell. Huge German suplex from Angle. He goes up top again. The moonsault misses! Still a thing of beauty though. Rock hits the spinny DDT with some extra spin for 2. Snap belly to belly from Rock. Spinebuster! Before he can go any further Steph gets in the ring. Rock Bottom on Steph! Elbow pad off! Angle just cuts off the People's Elbow. He was a bit late there. HHH comes out. He attacks Angle! Pedigree on Rock because why not. HHH carries Steph out. Angle covers after he's gone to massive boos. Rock kicks out! Angle tries to get some space by going to the floor but Rock follows him every time. Now Rikishi is out, with a massive head bandage and his face covered in dried blood. Angle decides to attack first. Rikishi tosses him back in the ring. For the Rock. Rock does the corner smackdown punches beatdown. Angle manages to get a low blow. Rock Bottom! Rock's slow to cover and Angle kicks out! Rikishi gets in the ring. He tries to squash Angle in the corner, but Rock gets in the way because he never wanted Rikishi's help and they both get it. Angle ducks a Rikishi superkick and Rock gets it! Rikishi is pissed at himself. He tries again. Angle dodges the superkick and hits the Angle Slam! That was nifty. Angle Slam on Rock! Angle gets the pin and wins his first world title! In contrast to the boos after HHH's interference, there was most definitely a crowd "1-2-3" count along with that and a bit of a pop. I think that speaks to general feeling on having Rikishi shoehorned into all of this. Angle is in tears celebrating by the stage while Rock is shocked and furious at Rikishi. End show. There is so much wrong with this match. Angle continues to work, or is being forced to work, a nothing but brawling style that is not where his strengths are. Most of the match was about Steph more than it was the wrestlers. Having Rikishi involved in this at all is stupid and unnecessary (as was Rikishi's whole heel turn as history will show) and was a whole new layer of overbooking onto something that was already overbooked. And yet......somehow it works pretty well in the end despite all that. It helps that Rock is going at about 110% speed nearly the entire match, he was working his ass off and looked as good as he ever has. He and Angle also clicked right away. Great chemistry between two great wrestlers can overcome almost anything. ***1/2

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Before the last two matches this felt more like a Raw than a PPV, albeit one with less promo time. Those last two matches delivered however. Angle's first WWF Title win is a big moment historically, even though it will be one of those infamous half assed first title reigns that's focused more on other people than the champion. Much like what Chris Jericho will go through almost exactly a year later.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-

Fall Brawl '98

Legacy Review

Fall Brawl '98

September 13, 1998 from the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

We're now past WCW's Summer of the Ringers, where NBA stars Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, as well as entertainer Jay Leno, all worked main event matches in a near desperate attempt to boost ratings and PPV buys following WWF moving back into first place in the Monday night ratings war. To mention nothing of the whole "Bischoff challenging Vince McMahon to a fight" debacle. However, there's another new entrant to WCW now making waves, none other than the Ultimate Warrior. Sorry, just Warrior. WWF still had the trademark on Ultimate Warrior. Warrior, after years of rumors and nearlys and Bischoff once even trying to create his own Warrior with the Renegade after talks fell through back in '95, made his shock WCW debut on Nitro in August. Things went south right from the start when he went over his allotted promo time by TWENTY minutes because he wouldn't stop rambling, forcing a quick rewrite of the rest of Nitro and some shock sticks or smelling salts to wake the crowd back up. Tonight he'll be wrestling his first ever WCW match, in War Games as part of Team WCW.

During the usual preshow hype from commentary there's a giant "WE WANT FLAIR" chant from the Flair country crowd that nearly drowns them out. Flair was still suspended due to his real life beef with Bischoff, but would make his surprise return the following night on Nitro. While that chant is going on commentary tries to explain the rules for this very complicated, very different, first ever three way War Games. I'll get into that when needed. While Mean Gene and his white jacket are adding onto the ballyhoo TV champ Chris Jericho comes out to interrupt him. He knows Gene Mean loves his scoops, and he's got a scoop. He challenged Goldberg to a title vs title match TONIGHT, and Goldberg accepted!

"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart def The Dancing Fools in 11:03- Bulldog and Anvil clearly don't want to be in WCW, and WCW doesn't look like they have much interest in them. They were all stuck with each other after the Montreal Screwjob. Lots of stalling after the bell before Wright and Bulldog start. And then Wright teases walking out because the crowd is annoying him. Finally we lock up. Wright turns a Bulldog headlock around into an armdrag. Bulldog does a heel 101 hair pull bitch. Yes, this is a heel vs heel match. Unless the Fools have turned face and I forgot about it. Wright is still heeling it up but Disco seems kinda tweeny here. Forearms in the corner from Bulldog. Wright turns around and hits some European uppercuts. Speed run and Bulldog hits a hiptoss, followed by a press slam. Tags on both sides. Anvil tosses Disco out of a lockup. Big shoulderblocks from Anvil. He tries to mock Disco's dancing. Key word tries. Disco gets a drop toe hold and hits some stomps. He slips out of a slam and gives Anvil a kneelift with a horrible Anvil sell. Disco gets trapped in the wrong corner. Wright gives Bulldog a shot in the back from the apron and tags in with more European uppercuts. Then he dances. Of course Bulldog cartwheels out of a monkey flip attempt but Wright gives him a leg lariat for 2. Big chops. Bulldog gets a back elbow up in the corner and hits a clothesline. Disco fistdrop off the second rope on Bulldog for 2. Inverted atomic drop. Bulldog uses Disco's momentum to toss him to the floor. Anvil ties him up in a tree of woe on the guardrail and kicks the stuffing out of him. Bulldog blocks a Disco sunset flip. He then gives Disco about the worst hot shot I've ever seen, dropping him down way too far away and Disco bounces off the second rope face first. Disco stays in peril while Anvil pulls the straps down. He bites Disco in the corner. The crowd's had enough and chants "We want Flair" again. In late '90s WCW that was their version of a CM Punk chant before Punk's WWE return. Anvil tries a slingshot....something and Disco trying to counter looks like a wide receiver that's supposed to run an in and does an out instead. Awful on both sides. Tag to Wright. Missile dropkick on Anvil. Dropkick for Bulldog. Anvil hits Wright from behind. Bulldog hooks him up for the powerslam. Disco makes the save and the Fools double team Bulldog. Off a rope run the ref literally has to drop down to avoid Wright. I have no idea if that was planned or if the ref was just saving himself. Wright ducks under a Bulldog leapfrog and runs shoulder first right into his teammate. What a dummkopf. Bulldog has to fight forever to get Disco up for the powerslam, manages to hit it, and it's over. Twice as long as it needed to be and fugly as hell. 1/2*

This was the match where Bulldog's back was injured by taking a bump badly off the trap door that Warrior will be using later in the show, so you can forgive some of his struggles later in the match. He ended up with a spine injury, in the hospital, and was almost paralyzed. WCW aided his recovery by terminating his contract due to injury. Fortunately he was able to recover enough to return to WWF a year later for one last run.

Mean Gene is in the back looking for answers concerning the absolutely positively finally going to happen Steiner brothers match tonight. He knocks and Scott Steiner, plus Buff Bagwell because they were always together in this period don't question their very manly relationship, come out. Scott says he's injured and has the two small band-aids on his arm plus the icepack on his tailbone to prove it. Bagwell says they have a letter from their doctor Cecil Schwartz certifying Scott can't wrestle tonight. JJ Dillon comes in to check things out. Dillon says it's unfortunate.....that they bothered to make all this up. He reminds Scott that he ruled at Road Wild that he will wrestle Rick tonight or he's BANNED FOR LIFE. Then Dillon punctuates it by tearing the letter up. Bagwell chases after Dillon while Scott tries to pick all the pieces up.

 

WCW World Television Championship: Chris Jericho (c) def "Goldberg" in 1:15- Jericho's music hits but he's nowhere to be seen. We cut to the back and the Jericho Personal Security guys are in front of Jericho's locker room. Jericho comes out and they walk, doing the full Goldberg mocking entrance. The problem is, no one knows where to go! They wander the bowels of the arena Spinal Tap style before finally figuring out the right way in. Classic Jericho. Jericho's pyro then won't go off right and he has a little tantrum about that. No one will admit it but this is easily the most entertaining thing WCW is putting on right now. Goldberg's music hits and the crowd reacts like they believe he's actually showing up. Hey, the pyro's working now. Typical. It's Gillberg! Well, WCW's version of Gillberg before there was a Gillberg. Complete with a plastic toy belt. I'm not sure who this guy is, I can't find anything online as to what his real name is. It's definitely not Duane Gill, that's all I can say. The bell rings and we have an official match. "Bullshit" chant from some of the crowd as Jericho does the full jobber match squash. Fake Goldberg hits a spear! No affect on Jericho and he kicks the fake down, berating him for actually hitting him. Liontamer on and quick tap out. It's a farce and really has no place on a proper PPV, but again this is about the only thing WCW's got that's genuinely enjoyable on some level right now so why not. NR

 

Ernest "The Cat" Miller def Norman Smiley in 5:04- These are the kinds of matches that get booked when so many guys are working War Games later. The story behind this is Miller has generally been a dick backstage and Smiley is trying to knock some sense into him. Both these guys do have interesting backgrounds. Miller is a legit former world karate champion, but with very little wrestling experience. Smiley's a shooter by rep, well versed in submissions and had extensive experience in Europe, Mexico and Japan before he came to WCW, but outside his holds isn't exactly the smoothest guy in the ring there's ever been. Miller takes a mic before the bell and gives Smiley a chance to walk away before someone gets hurt. Smiley is disinclined to acquiesce. Means no. Dropkick from Smiley and Miller goes to the floor. Smiley tries to follow on the floor but gets distracted by the ref and eats a superkick. Weak extended beatdown from Miller back in. Smiley finally has enough and hits a tiltawhirl suplex and legdrop. Miller begs off while Smiley fires up. Heel 101 eye poke from Miller. "Boring" chants start to echo around the arena as Miller continues to dominate the match's offense. Miller gets a drop toe hold and slam. His turn for some very basic offense. Delayed suplex from Smiley for 2. Miller fights off a superplex attempt and tries a springboard leaping kick that barely gets within believable contact range. Another wild roundhouse kick from Miller gets the pin. 1/4*

The brother vs brother match gets a full video package recap. Scott's heel turn happened back in February but he got hurt soon after, delaying the big blowoff match.

 

Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell ) no contest in 5:30- The band-aids are off. It's a miracle recovery. I'm not checking on the tailbone icepack. The bell rings and Scott, to the shock of no one, stalls on the floor. He comes in and they hockey fight slug it out! That's more like it. Steinerline from Rick! Ground and pound. Scott gets a couple of shots in that are no sold. Scott grabs a rope and powders. Rick chases. Scott climbs over the guardrail into the crowd to try to get away. Getting back in the ring Bagwell grabs Rick's boot like the annoying mosquito he is. Then he distracts the ref, allowing Scott to hit a low blow. Scott hits a couple of weak kicks and tosses Rick back out to the floor. Stair shot. Rail shot. As they get back in the ring someone in the crowd shouts "Michigan sucks!". Steinerline from Scott. Rick blocks a double underhook suplex. DDT! Bagwell gets on the apron. Rick grabs him and runs him into the turnbuckle. Scott grabs Rick and tosses him out again. Another stair shot. Rick pounds Scott down in the corner. Scott pushes away and checks on the still down Bagwell. Bagwell whines about his neck being hurt, which he was just coming off a legit neck injury and, at least on screen, hadn't been cleared to get back in the ring yet. The ref stops the match and calls for medical. Big "bullshit" chant from the crowd. There's no bell but I'm calling the match over here. Bad match, *terrible* non-finish, especially after teasing this match out for months. DUD

Medical takes forever checking on Bagwell while commentary all have somber voice on. I guess they're trying to convince people this is a legit injury, which it's anything but. After a solid 10 minutes the neck brace comes on and Bagwell takes the stretcher trip out. Bischoff comes out in his hoodie from gorilla to walk with the stretcher. Rick's even walking with them looking concerned. Yeah, they're going full worky shoot with this but it's not working at all. We continue following to the back and all the way to the ambulance. Bagwell gets loaded in and Scott gets in to ride with him. Rick turns his back....Scott AND BAGWELL jump out of the ambulance to attack him! Commentary tries to act shocked but no one else is. Bagwell, as always, quickly finds the camera to play into. End scene.

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Juventud Guerrera (c) def Silver King in 8:36- This was originally planned to be Juvy defending against Kaz Hayashi but it was changed the night before for unknown reasons. Is Silver King weight eligible for this division? Commentary is still ranting about Bagwell. Quick back and forth start. King begs off after a chop. Juvy does some arm work. King does a flippy escape and hits a shotgun dropkick. Juvy chops, King hits some hammy kicks. Extended speed run and Juvy gets a flying headscissors. King rolls out to the floor and tosses a chair around to feel better. They maneuver so Juvy can hit a springboard flying headscissors, followed by a clothesline for 2. Pop up dropkick from King. He helicopter spins Juvy into a hot shot. Tiltawhirl backbreaker for 2. King sets Juvy up almost like Samoa Joe's muscle buster and cracks Juvy over his shoulders for 2. Another dropkick sends Juvy to the floor. Springboard plancha from King. They try an elaborate sunset flip counter in the ring but it goes all wrong. King has to literally back up a few steps and then punches Juvy. Tony calls it a "smart move". They still look lost as King hits a chop. He goes for a popup powerbomb. Juvy counters into a hurricanrana with a cradle for 2! Clothesline from Juvy. Missile dropkick for 2. Juvy slides under but eats a King superkick for 2. Juvy dodges a big dive in the corner. Poisonrana off the top! King kicks out! It wasn't a full poisonrana, King flipped completely over instead of going on his head, but still unique for the time. Juvy goes for the Juvy Driver. King counters into a small package for 2. Snap suplex. Juvy dodges a springboard moonsault way before King even launched. Weak Juvy Driver setup. The 450 splash hits and it's over. Finally something halfway decent on this show. No better than that, there were some seriously sloppy moments, but it's still by far the best thing so far. **1/2

Drunk Scott Hall interrupts Konnan's internet interview. Yup, we've hit the period where WCW decided to turn Hall's real life alcoholism into an angle. Classy.

 

Raven's Rules: Perry Saturn def Raven in 14:04- They've been doing a whole deal where Saturn's had to be Lodi's slave because he lost matches (and watching the video recap of this Lodi is actually giving Buff Bagwell and Brian Christopher a run for the "Most Annoying Wrestler Ever" award), so the stipulation for tonight is if Saturn wins the Flock has to disband, but if Raven wins Saturn will be "subservient" to him for the rest of his career. Which hopefully means we'll get some kind of finality here because it's time for this feud to end. Kanyon, who came in as a Flock rival, has now nonsensically joined the group and will be handcuffed to the ring for this match. Raven won't get out of promo position after the bell so Saturn drags him up. Raven was ready though, using that to give Saturn a hot shot for 2. Kneelift from Raven. After some chops Saturn pops out of the corner and lays on the beatdown. Superkick and slam for 2. Inverted atomic drop and a wild springboard crossbody for 2. Big splash off the top rope for 2. Lodi distracts and Raven attacks. Saturn punches Raven off the apron and Raven flies down into the guardrail. Over the top tope from Saturn! Lodi pulls Saturn down off the apron into the guardrail. Man, the guy working the ringside camera is trying to do MTV or something, he's shaking it all over the damn place. Like .8 Kevin Dunn. Back in Raven hits a pair of elbows off the second rope for 2. Saturn counters a Raven sunset flip for 2. Raven hits a clothesline that catches Saturn on the side of the head. Sleeper from Raven. Jawbreaker escape from Saturn. Snap mares from Raven. Saturn counters the third into a backslide for 2. Russian leg sweep double combo. Raven tries to leverage Saturn down for a pin, then crotches himself on Saturn's feet. Raven introduces the chair and drop toe holds Saturn into it. Here comes the rest of the Flock with a table. They set the table up on the floor. In the ring Kidman goes for a missile dropkick but misses and hits Raven. Everyone acts shocked but come on, this ALWAYS happens with the Flock. Especially Kidman. Kidman runs away! OK, maybe that actually was a turn. Saturn hits the DVD but the ref is distracted and Raven's able to kick out. The crowd's hot for this now, I'll give them that. Saturn ducks a clothesline and hits a half an half suplex. Belly to belly suplex. Springboard legdrop for 2. Michinoku driver for 2. Raven wraps up a desperation small package for 2. Rings of Saturn! Lodi grabs Saturn's foot to get Raven free. They try to set up a double team. Saturn fights both of them off. Corner whip reversals and down goes the ref. Conveniently right in front of Kanyon. Kanyon goes in the ref's pocket, gets the handcuff key, and frees himself. Flatliner to Saturn. He drapes Raven on top but the ref is still out. Kanyon goes out and puts himself back in the handcuffs! OK, credit for attention to detail there. He gets the ref moving. Saturn kicks out! HUGE pop for the kickout too. Low blow from Saturn. He picks Lodi up off the top rope and DVDs him through the table! Raven grabs Saturn coming back in and hits Evenflow! Saturn kicks out again! DVD! Saturn gets the pin! And with that, the Flock as we know it is no more. Nevermore? It started rough but the second half was pretty damn good. They even managed to hook the crowd in, a rarity in WCW. Kind of relieved to have the Flock done too, all they ever did was screw up. ***1/4

Tony gives us an update he received from Hacksaw Jim Duggan's wife that Duggan's surgery was successful and his kidney cancer has been cleared out. 100% real news there, and nice of WCW to share it with everyone.

We next get very extended footage of the Malenko/Hennig cage match from Nitro. It ended up, as usual, as an NWO beatdown (including Stevie Ray, who had recently joined NWO Hollywood), before ARN ANDERSON made his shock return to save Malenko. Arn cut a promo after saying that he's not saying the Horsemen are back, but he'd be honored to have Malenko in the group.

 

Dean Malenko def Curt Hennig (w/Rick Rude) by DQ in 7:38- It's just clicked with me that everyone has been working their matches in ring #2 after Bulldog's unfortunate encounter with the trap door in ring #1. Jump start with Malenko firing away. He goes right for Hennig's knee that's been hurt forever. Hennig isn't even in his regular gear, he's wrestling in NWO shorts. "We want Flair" chant as Malenko works Hennig's knee over on the floor. Teasing the Horsemen reformation has definitely gotten Flair country riled up. Rude tries to get involved and takes a Malenko beatdown. Back in Malenko continues picking the knee apart. Hennig manages to get a boot up in the corner. He tries a slam but the knee gives out. He also almost dropped Malenko on his head there. Hennig eye pokes out of a leg hold and hits some chops. Malenko again gets right back on the knee. He goes for the cloverleaf but takes another Hennig eye poke. Hennig is getting to nearly classic Hennig level selling the knee which is nice to see. Rude pulls Hennig out of the ring to try to get him some space. After a bit Malenko chases and knocks Hennig around ringside some more. Back in Hennig begs off. Malenko responds by basement dropkicking the knee and the knee work continues. He hits a back suplex to mix things up. Rude hits Malenko in the back and Malenko takes a forearm from Hennig. He hooks up for the Perfectplex. The knee gives out again. Malenko with a Perfectplex! Rude comes in and draws the cheap DQ. Here comes Arn! Hennig and Rude were ready for him and hit Arn in his hurt neck, then target his arm. Everyone, every single person in the crowd, is expecting Flair to come out. When he doesn't you can almost hear the air go out of the arena. One more night. They had a plan for the match and stuck with it, but it was still no better than OK and the finish didn't do it any favors. *3/4

When Flair returned the following night on Nitro it did get the ball fully rolling for the next, and would be final, reformation of the Four Horsemen. Of course, it would turn out that it would be little more than another attempt by Bischoff to bury the legacy of the group and Flair one last time.

 

Konnan def Scott Hall (w/Vincent) in 12:03- Lord help us. This is a Hollywood vs Wolfpac battle. Hall comes out with a drink and Vincent looks less than happy with him. This is in such horrible taste considering Hall really WAS an alcoholic. Supposedly a recovering one but he hadn't gotten around to that part quite yet. Hall goes into the wrong ring, first guy all night to step foot in ring #1 since the first match, has trouble balancing himself on the second rope, staggers across rings, then slurs his way through a survey attempt. Konnan also does his prematch shtick of getting the crowd to repeat things they don't understand. Mentioning the NC State Wolfpack gets a cheap pop. They're normally a basketball school at best, but the football team had just managed to upset then #2 Florida State so they were on a high. The bell rings and Hall crosses rings to stall. Konnan gets in with him so Hall moves rings again. Lockup tease and toothpick flick. Contact and Hall does his usual early arm work with humiliation slapping. Konnan decks him with one punch. It's crazy how hot anyone associated with the Wolfpac was with the crowd, WCW completely backed into that being so big. Top wristlock leverage fight and Konnan pulls hair to get Hall down. Hall messes with Konnan teasing a test of strength knucklelock. Konnan has enough, decks him again, and hits the rolling clothesline. Hall rolls out and Konnan stomps him down into the gap between rings. Hall sneaks under the ring while he's down there. Vincent distracts. Hall tries to ambush from behind but gets laid out again. Hall rolls to the floor again for a think. And a drink. Hall counts along with the ref before getting back in. He grabs Konnan and butterflys his arms out. And there we stay. It looks like the crowd gets distracted by something going on up in the cheap seats. Eventually Konnan manages to reverse it. Hall backs the ref into the corner and hits a low blow behind him. Cover for 2. Fallaway slam for 2. Now it's abdominal stretch time. With another swig of the drink. Hall plays the rope leverage game with the ref. Finally he gets caught and lets go. Konnan tries his own abdominal stretch but Hall hiptosses out. Konnan dodges elbow drops and starts a comeback flurry. Hall gets a boot up in the corner and hits a clothesline. The back superplex hits. Hall calls for the Razor's Edge, then decides he needs another swig instead. Vincent argues with him. Konnan kicks the drink into Hall's face and hits an x-factor. Tequila Sunrise on and Hall taps. What you'd expect with the added awfulness of the "drunk Hall drinking through matches" angle. 1/4*

Right. New War Games rules. Let me try to explain, such as they are. As I mentioned, this is the first every three way War Games match, a WCW team and teams for both NWO factions. There's only three men on each team. A "random drawing" was held prior to the show to determine who the first two entrants will be for the initial 5 minute period. After that, it's still only one guy enters at a time at the start of each 2 minute period. The team is drawn at random, and the entrant is chosen by that team's captain. Now here's where things get really crazy/stupid: the match can end at any time. No more need to get everyone in, no Match Beyond, at any time anyone can get a submission or a pin. That's right, a pin. We're used to that now but back then this was the very first War Games that could be won by a pin. Then, to top it off, whoever gets the winning pin or submission will get a shot at Goldberg's World title at Halloween Havoc.

 

War Games: Team WCW def NWO Hollywood and NWO Wolfpac in 20:06- Buffer won't even say "Let the War Games begin!", instead he does his usual thing. What a hack. The first two entrants come out to this year's War Games music, not their own music. In another first the teams aren't ringside, everyone stays in the back until they come out to enter the match. Think they're going for Royal Rumble style surprise entries here.

P1. Diamond Dallas Page (WCW) and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Bret "Hitman" Hart (Hollywood)- We've got some priors here as Bret recently defeated DDP for the vacant US title. Lockup (in WAR GAMES?!) and Bret goes right into some arm work. DDP goes for a quick cover and they exchange slaps. Belly to belly suplex from DDP for 2. He hooks up for the Diamond Cutter and Bret quickly pushes out. He hot shots DDP onto the top turnbuckle. DDT. On DDP. After some back and forth slugging Bret hits a backbreaker. He goes for a suplex but DDP counters it into an arm takedown. Bret Russian leg sweep for 2. Small package for 2. All this going for pins early has already totally ruined the usual flow of this match. DDP hits a clothesline as the period ends.

P2. Stevie Ray (Hollywood)- It's two Hollywood guys and one WCW guy so you can guess how the next two minutes go. Nothing special happens. No pin attempts though so it feels more like War Games.

P3. Sting (Wolfpac)- It pretty much had to be a Wolfpac guy. Ray meets him as he gets in the ring and they pair off. Ray quickly switches ring to get away from the ring of the Trap Door of Back Shattering. Sting goes for his old dive across rings! He juuuust about manages to pull it off but it wasn't pretty. Ray takes the first cage shots while Bret and DDP clothesline each other. Bret hits DDP with a piledriver.

P4. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (WCW)- Piper has shots for everyone. Even his teammate DDP, because it's "every man for himself". Is it? First time anyone's mentioned it. Why even have teams then? This is such a mess, from a conception standpoint much less the match as it's happening. Sting gets Ray upside down in the gap between rings. Piper and DDP go at it some more. Everyone gets in ring #1, but only stay in the far side of it well away from the trap door and quickly move back to ring #2.

P5. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (Wolfpac)- Luger and Ray risk ring #1 as things fill up. Ray takes the former steel plate forearm and they move into ring #2. Watching people avoid that trap door like the plague is way more interesting than anything else happening here. Piper gets the sleeper on Ray in ring #1. That's safe.

P6. Kevin Nash (Wolfpac)- Nash breaks up Piper's sleeper on Ray and gives Piper his corner knees. Piper then saves Ray from a jackknife. Meanwhile, Hollywood Hogan sneaks into the match well before his time. And the refs let him enter. He's got a "slapjack" and hits everyone with it. I have no idea if that's a proper term for that thing or not but it's what they call it and you hit people with it so whatever. Luger has Bret in the Torture Rack. Hogan breaks that up. Bret and Hogan stare down but Ray clips Bret's knee. Everyone lays around while Hogan and Ray stand over them all. The period countdown goes to 0 but no one cares anymore. Hogan gives Nash the legdrop, in a weird position away from you know what in ring #1. They throw another countdown clock up on the screen like it matters. Another legdrop on Nash as the match grinds to a complete halt. The ring fills up with smoke. This had already been established as Warrior's thing. The smoke clears and Warrior's in the ring. Hogan jumps him from behind. So much for that. Extra strong smoke blast. It's a foggy day in London. Hogan's holding Warrior's coat up as the smoke clears. No Warrior. Warrior runs in from the back! "How did he do that?" says commentary. Warrior pounds Hogan down but Ray gets Warrior down. Disciple comes out and pulls Hogan out of the cage. Warrior Warriors up on Ray. He swings and misses completely with a clothesline. Ray still sells it. Warrior sees Hogan outside of the cage but the door's been locked again. Most of the wrestlers in the match are still laying in the ring like they're dead. Haven't moved since Hogan first came in. That slapjack thing must hit like an anvil. Warrior kicks a top section of cage off! He gets out and attacks Hogan and Disciple in the aisle. Security come in to break it up and Hogan and Disciple conduct a tactical withdrawal. Meanwhile, DDP Diamond Cutters Ray and gets the pin to win. The crowd's so confused they barely notice. Even with all this mess, DDP getting a World title shot is the right call. But hoo boy what a mess. Worst War Games ever. Bad changes, bad ideas, the whole thing servicing the awful Hogan/Warrior feud, half ass work in the ring, other than DDP's win there's zero redeeming features here. DUD

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- WCW presents a historically awful PPV, something we'll be seeing a lot of the next couple of years. The WCW version of Hogan vs Warrior is some of the most legendary horrendousness you'll ever see in wrestling, and it's just getting started.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D-

Unforgiven 2000

Legacy Review

Unforgiven 2000

September 24, 2000 from the First Union Center in Philadelphia, PA

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

This is the night Steve Austin returns (for real, not counting his Backlash cameo) and begins the hunt to find out what dumb SOB ran him over back at Survivor Series. The Triple H/Kurt Angle/Steph soap opera triangle is also continuing, though not as compelling as it was going into Summerslam. It's not directly connected to this show, but the night after this Raw will make its debut on TNN, later SpikeTV, moving off USA for the first time ever.

Right to Censor def The APA and The Dudley Boyz in 6:05- Val Venus, continuing his move into angry seriousness, has recently joined the RTC and is teaming with the original RTC trio of leader Stephen Richards, Bull Buchanan, and the Goodfather in this eight man match. Heh, Venus is in white pants. He was serious about his switch to white gear. D'Von and Goodfather start with some basic back and forth. Bubba Ray tags in with some corner jabs. Goodfather channels his past and goes for a Ho Train that Bubba Ray dodges. Bubba Ray gets a boot up in the corner on Buchanan, hits a clothesline and tags. Bradshaw stiffs Buchanan and gives him a swinging neckbreaker. Buchanan does his corner springboard reverse clothesline. JR talks about Bradshaw being in a bad mood because of how bad the Cowboys were doing. Yeah, 2000 and the following few years were not a fun time to be a Cowboys fan, I remember all too well. Two words: Quincy Carter. Venus hits a few shots on Bradshaw and brags to the crowd, giving Bradshaw an opening to knock him around. Fallaway slam from Bradshaw. Faarooq continues the punishment as the face team quick tags on Venus. Richards tries to hit D'Von from the apron, giving Venus an opening to hit a powerbomb. Back suplex from Goodfather for 2. D'Von dodges a Venus elbow drop and gets a tag to Bubba Ray. Bubba Bomb on Venus. Side suplex on Goodfather. DDT on Buchanan. Richards gets in the ring for the first time. Bubba Ray hooks up for a Bubba Bomb on him but Venus makes the save. Bubba Ray powerslam on Venus for 2. 8 MAN DONNYBROOK! The APA take the fight to the floor. The Dudleyz hit a doomsday device on Venus! Goodfather breaks the pin up. Richards gets in with a superkick on Bubba Ray. Venus covers and gets the pin. Another win for the new RTC, another PPV loss for the Dudleyz. It's a bit weird that Richards is doing the chickenshit heel thing of never wanting to wrestle, and yet his finisher has been a move of instant death. The match was paint by numbers 8 man tag stuff, nothing horribly awful but nothing near special. *1/2

After the bell the Dudleyz give Richards the Whazzup drop. Table time. The RTC make the save before Richards can be put through it. The APA help the Dudleyz fight the heels off. Everyone takes a shot on Richards when he's isolated. Richards gets wood and everyone's happy. Especially Bubba Ray.

I know I've mentioned this occasionally but this stat continues to blow my mind: since defeating the New Age Outlaws for the tag titles at No Way Out in February to cement a big transition in the tag division, the Dudleyz have lost 7 straight PPV matches of various types. Then they put someone through a table and no one cares anymore.

Trips and Steph's early show chill outs have gotten awkward. Steph's concerned about Trips' hurt ribs, but Trips promises to end Kurt Angle. Steph admits that maybe she was wrong about thinking Angle was her friend and she's completely with Trips again.

It's kind of crazy watching this now knowing this is about the time that Trips and Steph started dating in real life.

 

Strap Match: Tazz def Jerry "The King" Lawler in 5:07- The feud that started out with Lawler trying to save JR from Tazz's abuse, which turned him face, and saw the duo humiliate Tazz at Summerslam continues. I suspect this won't go well for Lawler. Lawler makes his entrance from the announce desk again. As soon as Lawler gets the strap on Tazz drags him down. Half and half suplex. Lawler gets tossed out to the floor. Tazz chokes him in front of JR and commentates it for JR. Heh, he's looking for the Candy Jar of Death. Not getting hit with that again. Lawler gets behind Tazz and chokes him! Strap whips on Tazz. Back in Tazz low blows to get out of more choking and gives Lawler some strap shots. More choking. The Philly crowd is strangely split and/or unengaged seeing as how Tazz is an ECW alumnus. Lawler fights back and hits a piledriver. Tazz pops right back up. Another piledriver. Tazz is back up again! A THIRD piledriver! Again no sold......NO Tazz flops down! Lawler goes for turnbuckles. He gets up to three before Tazz grabs a rope to stop him. Lawler wraps the strap around Tazz's throat and tries to piggyback him. The ref goes down in that exchange. Someone gets in the ring. IT'S RAVEN! RAVEN IS HERE! That wakes the Philly crowd up. Evenflow on Lawler! Tazz hooks the Tazzmission on. Arm drops and the ref calls it, I guess it's not touch the corners only rules. That match would have been much better served on Raw. Tazz as expected gets his win back even if his credibility was already shot. Raven's WWF debut was a great shock though. It also makes sense the ECW guys would gang up on Lawler. 1/4*

We cut to the waiting Kevin Kelley in the back, who's waiting no longer as the Stone Cold pickup drives in. Kelley very enthusiastically asks Austin how he feels. Austin says he's here to ask questions, not answer them, and tosses Kelley into a garage door! Yup, Austin's back.

Lawler had to be helped to the back after his match so Michael Cole replaces him on commentary. Cole and JR, this might be about the only time they were in the booth together during JR's heyday.

 

10 Minute Hardcore Battle Royale for the WWF Hardcore Championship- This is mostly the same as the Hardcore Battle Royale at Wrestlemania- pins and submissions count at any time during the match, there can be an unlimited number of title changes, and whoever is champion at the end of the time limit will be champion until at least tomorrow. The only differences are the time limit has been cut from 15 minutes to 10, and pins only count on whoever the current champion is. Steve Blackman is coming in as champion. Also participating: Al Snow (now European champ and going way over the top in celebrating European heritage), Crash Holly, Test (with Trish Stratus), Perry Saturn (with Terri popping right out of her very thin dress) and Funaki. Much smaller roster than the WM match too. Saturn tries to dive but Blackman whacks him out of the air with a trash can lid! Test presses Funaki down onto Blackman! Test powerbombs Blackman in the ring. Everyone runs into cut pins off and try their own. Saturn tries a northern lights suplex but Funaki breaks it up. Terri takes Head away from Snow! Saturn hits Trish with Head! Test hits Terri with Head! Snow gets Head back and takes Test and Saturn out. Crash tries a flying headscissors off the top rope but it doesn't go well at all. Funaki crossbody on Blackman for 2. Crash and Funaki do a team up of the underdogs and knock everyone to the floor. Funaki turns on Crash! Saturn crazy dive off the top to the floor on everyone as we go into the split up and fight on the floor portion of the match. Snow has a butterfly net. That's a new one. Though if I remember right you can actually damage enemies with one in Zelda: A Link to the Past. Snow grabs his head in the ring but we don't see what happened to hurt him. Test big boots a trash can into Blackman's face. Crash takes Test out with another trash can, covers Blackman, and gets a pin to finally get his baby back! He runs off like the match is over, and runs right into a Saturn trash can shot! Saturn pins Crash to win the title! Snow does a drive by with a trash can lid and covers for 2. More trash cans and lids are tossed around as everyone brawls in the stage area. They work their way into the crowd with not a whole lot worth mentioning happening. At under 3 minutes left they start to work back toward the ring. Saturn gets a kendo stick but just stands in the ring and poses with it. Blackman gets his tiny sticks from under the ring. Snow hits Test with a pizza box! The camera cuts quick but I think Test sells it too. Blackman goes nuts with his personal sticks. He gets the kendo stick and whacks Saturn in the head with it. Everyone runs in and takes kendo shots. Another head shot for Saturn. Blackman covers and gets the title back with one minute left! Blackman takes the belt and just walks away. Test and Snow attack him in the aisle. "One of these brain surgeons should go for a cover"-JR. No one does and Blackman survives still champion, as he came in. The match was pretty decent in the first half but bogged down bad the second half with a lot of obvious stalling toward the end. *1/4

Angle is in the back showing off his medals to I'm pretty sure Tony Garea and some rando. He walks away whistling.....and right up to Austin! Angle introduces himself as this is the first time they've ever been on screen together. Austin lets Angle ramble. Angle presents Austin with an honorary gold medal. He even lets Angle put it around his neck. After that he tells Angle he's going to store this in a special place.....RIGHT UP YOUR ASS! Austin attacks Angle! Old Stone Cold is a little ornery tonight. Hard to picture now, but man the comedy classics these two would be putting on backstage in less than a year's time.

 

Chris Jericho def X-Pac in 9:05- After their great feud Benoit at least temporarily got moved up the card, but Jericho's going to be stuck in midcard hell for a bit. JR says this could be a show stealer. Clearly he hasn't watched any Pac matches the past year or so. Jericho charges in and Pac slides out. "X-Pac sucks" chant. Rough lockup. Shoulderblock from Jericho and Pac wants some space. Pac does his flippy hiptoss escape but takes a couple of Jericho chops. More chops in the corner. Pac dodges in the corner, almost in slow motion, and hits a couple of corner kicks. Jericho counters a bronco buster setup with a clothesline. Spinning heel kick from Jericho. He goes for the springboard dropkick but Pac pushes him out to the floor! Spinning plancha from Pac. He tosses Jericho on the announce table, then almost squashes Mark Yeaton with Jericho. Baseball slide to keep Jericho on the floor. Back in Pac hits a spinning heel kick for 2. Jericho reverses a corner whip and goes for the misdirection bulldog. Pac dodges it and hooks on a sleeper. Jericho fights free and hooks his own sleeper on. Pac back suplexes out for 2. He chokes Jericho in the corner and does the shit move bronco buster. He gets up to gloat and Jericho powerbombs him off the ropes. Kick block and clothesline from Jericho. Flying forearm for 2. Jericho gets Pac down in the corner and does his own bronco buster! Corner dodge and Jericho posts his shoulder. Pac goes out and gets the numchucks that he used to attack Jericho with during the build. Jericho ducks a swing and rolls Pac up for 2. Jericho goes for a German suplex in the corner. Low blow from Pac to get free. X-Factor! Pac covers slowly and Jericho *just* kicks out! Powerbomb counter from Jericho and he goes for the Walls. It's on but Pac gets right to the ropes. Big swing kick from Pac for 2. Bulldog from Jericho. He goes for the Lionsault but Pac gets his knees up. Pac tries coming off the second rope. Jericho catches him and hooks the Walls on! Pac taps out! Jericho keeps the Walls on for a bit longer and a ref gaggle comes out to get him off. While they're discussing things with Jericho Pac attacks with the numchucks again. Not too shabby. Jericho got as much as was possible out of Pac. **3/4

Commissioner Mick Foley is in his office, which tonight looks like one of the arena admin offices decorated with a bunch of cacti. He's practicing his counts because he's the guest ref for the Angle/Triple H match tonight. Angle comes up and complains about Austin attacking him. Foley not only doesn't give a damn, just because Angle's a whiny little bitch he makes tonight's match no DQ, and that's *gavel tap* FINAL!

Austin walks into Rock's locker room. They stare down while Vince mentally counts the money that's going to make, then shake hands. Austin says he knows Rock didn't have anything to do with it because they're cool, but it was Rock's rental car and Rock must know something. Rock says he doesn't know, anyone could have gotten in the Rock's bag while the Rock was busy. They're interrupted by.....Joe. Joe who? Just Joe. Damn I'd forgotten all about this guy. He tells Austin he heard something Austin might want to hear about. Austin says he heard Just Joe was a sorry son of a bitch and punches him out! Austin's really making up for all the lost backstage beat downs the past year.

 

Steel Cage Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The Hardy Boyz def Edge & Christian (c) in 14:00- It's pin or both team members escape rules tonight, but in a unique twist to escape you have to go over the top of the cage, no door escape. As soon as the Hardyz get in the cage it's on. Matt DDTs Edge and both Hardyz gang up on Christian. Cole mentions Lita isn't out there tonight, probably due to injury from a prior attack. Christian gets hit with Poetry in Motion against the cage! Both Hardyz climb. E&C go up to pull them down. Jeff fights Christian off and gets to the top of the cage. He sets up for a crazy Jeff Hardy dive. Edge pushes him off! Jeff dangles off the top of the cage, then falls down to the floor! Well that makes things interesting. The Hardyz are halfway to winning, but now Matt is in there by himself. Edge realizes that and smiles. Matt crotches him on the top rope then goes after Christian. Cage shot for Christian. Twist of Fate! Edge breaks the pin up. Christian tries to climb and gets crotched, then Matt slingshots Edge into him. Edge gets rolled up off the ricochet for 2. Matt ties Edge up in the ropes, then climbs. He gets to the top. E&C chase, pull him down, and suplex him off the top of the cage back into the ring! Crazy spot, but also a small bump by their standards. Edge covers for 2. E&C dart throw Matt into the cage. Matt gets run into the cage again, knocking a climbing Jeff off! Jeff climbs again. Christian goes up to meet him. Jeff falls off the top to the floor again! While Matt continues to get beat on Jeff demands the key from the ref, then pushes him back into the cage to take it. Door unlocked and Jeff goes to come back in, and with a chair to boot. Christian comes over and slams the door into Jeff! Christian goes out the door to the floor, which doesn't count toward winning the match. Meanwhile Edge has continued the punishment on Matt and Matt is busted open. Christian comes back in with a chair and locks the door again. Matt takes more cage shots. Hey, there's two chairs in the ring. I think it's conchairto time. Matt dodges it and clotheslines them both! He drags himself up and starts to climb. He gets to the top again. E&C chase and Christian gets over the top. Jeff has a ladder! He tosses it at Christian and Christian falls to the floor! Well, Jeff might have been helping but it's tied 1-1 now. Edge drags Matt back into the cage. They both walk across the top rope. Edge bulldogs Matt back into the ring! Meanwhile, Jeff has the ladder set up on the floor and climbs it. Edge tries to knock it over but it's too far away from the cage. Jeff gets up to the top of the cage. Matt comes up and back suplexes Edge. Jeff walks across the top of the cage. Shirt off. Whisper in the Wind onto Edge AND Matt! That gets a "holy shit" chant. Lita's out! She low blows Chrisitan and climbs the cage, then hurricanranas Christian off the ladder from the cage! Edge throws a chair into Jeff's face and starts to climb. The Hardyz follow with both chairs. Brawl on the top of the cage. Conchairto on Edge and Edge falls back down into the ring! The Hardyz drop down to win the match and the titles! Well deserved big celebration for the title win. It's the Hardyz second title win but their first in over a year, just after their New Brood days. These teams had gotten so good, both with each other and in general, that it doesn't matter what kind of match it is, they're going to deliver. This one was definitely laid out in an interesting way. I think they knew they couldn't top TLC I straight up so they approached it from a different angle, and it works well but overall doesn't quite hit the "great" level. ***1/2

Austin pays Steph a visit, looking for Triple H. Steph says he's gone to see Foley, but Steph has a present for Austin. It's the very hat he was wearing when he was run over (which Steph really did hang onto the rest of the show that night). Austin is....less than appreciative. Steph then tells him that Shane knows who it was.

We then cut to Trips' visit to the commish. Trips says he wants to retire Angle the same way he retired Foley. He and Foley hate each other, but he wants to know that Foley will call it down the middle. Foley says he will.

Lawler's music hits and he comes back out to commentary. Cole leaves to give him his spot back.

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Eddie Guerrero (c) (w/Chyna) def Rikishi by DQ in 6:10- Chyna won the IC title at Summerslam, but then Eddie won it back in a triple threat match by "accidentally" pinning Chyna. That started to unleash Guerrero's Latino temper and natural heel self but he managed to rein it back in for Chyna. But then Chyna told him that she was going to be on the cover of Playboy and that was more than Guerrero could handle, sending him completely over the edge. Too Cool and Rikishi were often the outlets for Guerrero's rage. Chyna threatened to break up with Guerrero, so Guerrero got on one knee and broke out the ring to keep her with him. And here we are. JR says "the artwork is classy" of Chyna's Playboy spread, which makes me laugh. Guerrero tries some dodge and stick at the start to little avail. Rikishi tosses him over the top to the floor and runs him into the stairs. Guerrero tries a sunset flip back in and dodges the butt splash counter. He gives Rikishi a Spaceballs salute, grabs Chyna, and goes to leave. Chyna tells him to be a man and wrestle the damn match. She shoves Guerrero back toward the ring! He tries to run again and Chyna throws him back in the ring! Backdrop from Rikishi. Corner clothesline. Guerrero is down in the drop zone. Chyna pulls Guerrero out before he can take the stinkface. Guerrero pushes Chyna into Rikishi and runs. Dive off the top onto Rikishi. Back in he goes for the frog splash but Rikishi dodges. Corner avalanche. He gives Guerrero a sloppy pop up something. Samoan drop. Banzai drop. Chyna comes in to stop the count! She's extremely sorry after. Rikishi can't believe it. He goes out and gets in her face. He throws Chyna in the ring! Chyna gets shoved down. Superkick on Chyna! The ref calls for the bell. Rikishi doesn't care. Banzai drop on Chyna! Guerrero goes out to get the belt first, then checks on Chyna. Pretty sloppy match and the angle work was muddled at best. 1/2*

 

No DQ: Triple H (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) def Kurt Angle in 17:28- After being the top heel in WWF for a solid year this whole love triangle drama has given Trips a new sympathetic babyface edge. Commish Foley comes out first with his usual homemade ref shirt on. Not only is Raw moving to TNN starting tomorrow night, but the short lived talk show live from WWF New York, Sunday Night Heat, is also debuting this week on MTV. Angle takes the mic after his entrance and says today is Steph's birthday and wants the crowd to sing Happy Birthday. No one does except him. HHH's ribs are heavily taped up after Angle attacked them with HHH's own Mr. Sledgehammer. HHH even sells it during his water spit. Angle goes right for the bad ribs. HHH turns a corner whip into a short clothesline and knocks Angle around. Angle gets backdropped over the top to the floor! He almost got Randy Savage/Shawn Michaels height on that. HHH tries to throw Angle into the timekeeper's area but Angle hits the brakes way too soon. HHH clears off the Spanish announce table. Reversal and HHH goes into the barricade with a clothesline follow up from Angle. Nice guy Foley does a little table cleanup. Back in HHH full on spears Angle, not a usual move from him, and lays in some ground and pound. He goes for a double ax handle off the second rope. Angle grabs him coming down and gives him a belly to belly suplex. Extended back and forth brawl in the corner. Kick wham HHH DDT for 2. He's already arguing with Foley about the count. Angle comes from behind and hits a German suplex for 2. Now Angle doesn't like the count. He shoves Foley and Foley shoves back! The Philly crowd starts chanting for Foley, who I'm sure they and any other crowd would rather root for than either of these two. Back suplex from Angle for 2. Regular suplex for 2. Another back and forth corner brawl. Both guys duck clotheslines, then they lose their place badly. HHH literally grabs Angle and pulls him into a neckbreaker to get back on track. Speed run and HHH hits the Harley Race high knee. Suplex and kneedrop from HHH for 2. Corner whip reversal do-si-do and we get the Trips Flip out to the floor. Angle takes a stair shot. Now he clears off the English announce table. Angle goes for a suplex on the floor but HHH reverses and hits it. Chairshot to Angle's back. They get up onto the English announce table. Hope it holds this time..... HHH hooks up for the Pedigree. Low blow from Angle! BELLY TO BELLY TOSS ONTO THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE! Angle damn near lost his footing doing that but it was a nice recovery. Not going down with HHH, just tossing him, is also really smart psychology so he didn't take the hit too. Back in Angle gets back on the ribs. Steph comes over and seems to be asking him to stop. Huge running shoulderblock right into the ribs. HHH is putting on a selling clinic. A baseball slide sends HHH back to the floor. Steph checks on him. Angle doesn't care and gets back on him. Another hard running shoulder to the ribs. HHH suckers Angle in for another one, dodges and Angle goes shoulder first into the post. Sheesh, you can see HHH tell Angle to knee him back in the ribs. HHH gets set up on the top rope. Belly to belly superplex! HHH kicks out! Angle hooks on an abdominal stretch! A classic that's perfect thanks to HHH's hurt ribs. HHH fades down. Foley goes for arm drops and HHH fights out. Elbow drops from Angle into the bad ribs. Angle goes up top. Moonsault! HHH dodges! Slug back and HHH hits the facebuster. One arm Pedigree! HHH is too hurt and can't follow up. He calls Steph into the ring. He tells her to choose, me or him. Steph seems unsure, then low blows Angle! Full Pedigree! HHH gets the pin. Steph still seems unsure or shocked. HHH lays a huge, very aggressive kiss on his wife and Steph seems less than pleased about it. Good match, but not up to the level of what HHH had been doing for most of the year. Angle's athleticism is off the charts, but his lack of experience shows putting him in main event level matches this early. He'll get there. ***

Shane's music hits as he comes out to the ring for a semi-main promo segment. He says he wished Austin had come to him first so they could do this privately, but now he has to call the culprit out publicly. He says his investigation has been "impartial and objective", a huge red flag. He says it's someone that has a history of vehicular assault. He pulls up footage of no longer with WWF Ken Shamrock being run over by Steve Blackman. Seriously? Blackman? Like anyone's going to believe that. This is all due to Blackman and Shane's previous feud. Blackman comes out and Shane scurries away. Glass shatter! Austin's here! With new music. Austin hits all four corners then stares Blackman down. Shane sneaks back in the ring and mocks Blackman behind Austin's back. Stunner on Blackman! Shane gets in Blackman's face and pushes him out of the ring. Then he gets Austin's beer cooler and brings it into the ring. Austin says OK, we'll drink. After a few drinks......Stunner to Shane! With full beer spit sell. And a second one because why not, it's been a while. JR asks for a logical reason why it would be Blackman. Yeah, good luck finding logic in anything involving this angle. This was the first real sign that the whole thing was about to go completely off the rails.

And a third Stunner for Shane. Really making up for lost time.

 

Fatal Four Way Match for the WWF Championship: The Rock (c) def Chris Benoit, The Undertaker and Kane in 16:03- To my memory this is the first four way WWF Title match that's single fall rather than elimination. The full ref gaggle is in the ring to keep everyone separated before the match starts, a nice touch. The bell rings, all the refs but Hebner vacate the ring, and we quickly pair off, Kane with Rock, Taker with Benoit. Rock and Taker stare down but get jumped from behind by the two heels in the match. Rock and Benoit go to the floor while Taker and Kane slug it out in the ring. Full crowd brawl for Rock and Benoit. Kane hits a clothesline off the top rope on Taker for 2. Flying clothesline from Taker for 2. During all that Benoit and Rock have been fighting around the announce table. Big boot from Taker for 2. Swap time. Benoit comes in and jumps Taker, and they go to the floor. Rock comes in with Kane. Samoan drop for 2. Kane hits a powerslam for 2. Corner clothesline from Kane. Taker drops Benoit on the barricade and comes back in to attack Kane. Rock and Taker work together to double team Kane. Double clothesline and Kane goes 360 to the floor. Now Rock and Taker go at it as we go face vs face and heel vs heel. Side suplex from Taker for 2. He wraps Rock up for old school but Rock pulls him down off the ropes and clotheslines him 360 to the floor. Rock turns around right into a Kane clothesline. Tombstone scoop. Rock fights out and pushes Kane right into Hebner. Early ref bump. DDT from Rock. Cover but Hebner's out. Taker comes in with a chair. Chairshot to Rock. Now Benoit has a chair. Chairshot to Taker. He covers and Hebner counts 3 despite the fact Taker's clearly got a full leg wrapped around the bottom rope. The bell rings and Benoit's music hits. Fink does the AND NEWWWWWWWWW and everything. But wait. Here comes Foley. He grabs the belt away from Benoit and orders him back to the ring. The bell rings to restart the match. This is the second time in three PPVs they've done this exact thing with Benoit. It's WCW for him all over again. Benoit turns around in the aisle and sees all three guys staring him down. Everyone takes turns tossing Benoit into the noisy metal piece that makes up most of the stage. Taker drops an elbow on Benoit in the ring and covers. Rock pulls him out before 3. Now Benoit and Kane team up to pound on Taker, until Benoit low blows Kane from behind. Rock runs the stairs into Taker's face. Big Benoit chops on Rock in the ring. Speed run and Rock hits a snap belly to belly for 2. Benoit flew so far on that Rock barely kept up with him. ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLING GERMANS time. Benoit hits all three and gets a long 2 count. Straight drop back suplex and Benoit says that's it. The headbutt off the top hits! Rock kicks out! Rock hooks the crossface on Benoit! Taker comes in to break it up. He clotheslines Rock out. Kane chokeslam on Taker! Benoit breaks the pin up. Rock spinebuster on Kane. Pad off. Benoit cuts the People's Elbow off with a clothesline! Rock punches Benoit 360 and out. Taker Last Ride on Rock! Kane breaks the pin up. Taker and Kane take the fight to the floor again. Benoit comes over swinging chairs on both of them. Crossface on Rock! Rock tries to fight but slowly fades. Benoit shouts at him to tap. Taker gets back in to break it up. Chokeslam on Benoit! Taker covers but Kane pulls him out. They slug it out on the floor. Rock Bottom on Benoit! Taker tries to break it up, but Kane holds him back still trying to fight him and Rock gets the pin! The first half was awful clunky with all the two guys in/two guys out fighting, but they got going pretty good in the stretch run. ***1/4

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A pretty solid but standard B PPV, which for 2000 WWF is a slight disappointment with all the good PPVs they've had this year. It doesn't help that so much of the show is focused on Austin's search for his attacker, which we know will ultimately land like a squashed turd alongside other long term reveal disasters like the Black Scorpion and the Ministry of Darkness' Higher Power. Also disappointing was the Philly crowd, who sounded.....normal. We don't go to Philly for normal.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C+