Superbrawl IX

Legacy Review

Superbrawl IX

February 21, 1999 from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

WTF is this intro video? Did I accidentally turn on the wrong channel or order the wrong PPV? This is a Skinimax opening, not a wrestling PPV. To summarize, there's a decent looking blonde wrapped in bed sheets in a hotel room apologizing for "hurting you" and the anti-Goldberg shock stick is nearby, then she gets all excited when you present her with Superbrawl tickets. End scene. Who the hell thought of this and how the frak did it get actually made? The show proper thankfully starts after that. During the usual overlong ballyhoo we see the tag title belts are in a glass case on the entrance stage. More on that later.

 

Booker T def Disco Inferno in 9:19- Disco's recently become the newest member of NWO Wolfpac. Heenan likens him to the dog that keeps showing up to be fed and you eventually have to take him in. Not the worst analogy. Booker's singles breakout was one of the few bright spots of '98 for WCW, but he's been working back from an injury and hasn't been as featured since. As usual Disco stalls and hides at the start and they take forever before locking up. Basic start with Booker getting a hiptoss. Big "Disco sucks" chant from the crowd. Booker almost falls over giving Disco a shoulderblock. Kick and swinging neckbreaker from Disco. After a reset we get an arm wringer exchange. Booker gets a scoop slam, then sells I guess a kick from Disco that was nowhere near hitting. Disco gets an armdrag and poses. Booker nails him upside the head. Backdrop. Corner chops. Corner clothesline. Flying forearm for 2. Disco counters a backdrop with a knee and hooks on a sleeper. Booker flips him over to get out. Disco ducks the Harlem side kick and 360 clotheslines Booker to the floor. Back in Disco hits a setup slam and elbow off the second rope for 2. Booker comes back with a knee/kick combo. Scissors kick. Disco gets an inverted atomic drop. Spinebuster from Booker. Disco avoids another side kick and hits a clothesline with a 360 Booker sell. Booker counters a Chartbuster attempt and his a back suplex. Spinaroonie! The Harlem side kick hits. Booker goes up top to finish it. Disco joins him. Booker pushes him back down, hits the Harlem Hangover with his leg falling right on Disco's forehead, and gets the pin. Very disjointed match where they struggled to get on the same page, not uncommon in Disco matches. Booker didn't look overly interested in being in there with Disco, which I won't hold against him. *1/2

 

Chris Jericho (w/Ralphus) def Perry Saturn by countout in 11:17- Last month at Souled Out Jericho defeated Saturn in a "Loser Wears a Dress Match" with the help of suddenly crooked ref Scott Dickinson. For some reason Saturn has continued to wear dresses since even though I'm pretty sure the stipulation was for just one night. He was always an odd guy. Speaking of odd guys, Ralphus is also wearing a dress. Even put earrings on, the whole nine yards. Well, they're not too far from San Fransisco. He'd fit right in there. I think "bear" would be the correct term but I don't exactly frequent those circles. Ref Dickinson is also with Jericho on his entrance, making his return from a 30 day suspension to ref this match. Commentary isn't too clear, a common WCW issue, but I think the stip here is if Saturn wins Jericho has to start wearing the dress in perpetuity or until the booking committee loses interest. Is Saturn wearing eyeliner along with his dress? Guess he's going all in too. Jericho takes a mic before the bell and says all the usual stuff, nothing of note. Saturn jumps him with a clothesline and hits a backdrop. Jericho bails. Saturn hits a clothesline off the apron and whips Jericho over the guardrail into the crowd. They do a short crowd brawl. Coming back over Jericho tries to throw a cup in Saturn's face but it does nothing. Back in Saturn puts on a full nelson into an exploder suplex. He gives Jericho some trapped arm headbutts and hits a release northern lights suplex. Saturn avoids a Jericho dropkick and slingshots him back down to the floor. Plancha! Saturn decides to go after Ralphus. He tosses Ralphus in the ring and tears his dress off. Ralphus covers up his gut like he's covering up his boobs! OK, that's chuckle worthy. Jericho uses the distraction to dropkick Saturn in the back. Delayed suplex. Arrogant cover! Saturn uses that for a leg takedown and pounds Jericho's face into the mat. Back outside Jericho hits a dropkick off the top rope down to the floor. Setup slam back in. Jericho goes up top and does some kind of crazy corkscrew dive that Saturn easily avoids. I think that was Jericho having a laugh as much as anything else. Back kick and slam from Saturn. He hits a splash off the top rope and calls for the Rings of Saturn. Jericho rolls him up and tries to use rope leverage for 2. He flips out of a Saturn powerbomb attempt and hits a German suplex. Top rope fight. Jericho hits a crossbody. Saturn rolls over and hooks on the Rings! Jericho fights over and just gets a toe on the bottom rope. Saturn hits a falcon arrow. He tries a Lionsault that Jericho easily dodges. Jericho hits the proper Lionsault to Saturn's back. Cover for a long 2. Jericho eye pokes out of a DVD attempt. Saturn ducks a kick, scoops, and hits the DVD! No cover. Instead Saturn decides to DVD Dickinson for revenge too, then he leaves. The hell? After coming to Dickinson calls for the bell. It could be a DQ or a countout but the results online all say countout so whatever. The match was OK, but the finish was dumb and this whole angle is so freaking stupid. It's little wonder Jericho's about to bail for the WWF. **

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Kidman (c) def Chavo Guerrero Jr in 8:26- After some lockup shenanigans Chavo gives Kidman an eye rake over the ref. Kidman gets a flying headscissors, armdrag and dropkick. Chavo rolls out to think. Back in Kidman gets an atomic drop and clothesline and Chavo bails again. Back in Chavo begs off and offers a handshake. Kidman uses it for a short clothesline. They both end up on the apron and slug is out there. Chavo tights, er, jeans pulls Kidman down into the guardrail. Brain buster from Chavo back in for 2. A wild back elbow sends Kidman out to the floor again. Somersault plancha! Back in Chavo does some corner stomps and boot washes. Kidman dodges in the corner and hits a crossbody off the top for 2. Chavo gets a tiltawhirl backbreaker. Backdrop from Kidman. Back suplex from Chavo. He comes off the top rope but Kidman dropkicks him in midair. Chavo drop toe holds him into the middle turnbuckle. Hurricanrana off the top from Chavo for a long 2. Kidman spinebuster for 2. Chavo crotches Kidman on the top rope and hits a hangman's DDT for 2. Kidman counters a powerbomb into a faceplant. He goes back up top. Shooting star press! That gets the pin to retain as Kidman's unlikely underdog title reign continues. Fun little sprint. ***1/4

 

Before getting into the next couple of matches I need to take some time to set them up. The tag titles had been mired in some of the stupidest shit you've ever seen since the fall of '98. So stupid even I won't bother going into detail over it and I'm Mr Detail. For once it was a good thing they weren't defended on PPV for months so I could ignore it all. Long dumb story short, they were vacated in January when Rick Steiner got injured and WCW set up a tournament to fill the vacant titles. It was initially a normal tournament, but partway through the first round it was suddenly decided to make it double elimination, to my knowledge a first for a wrestling tournament. Might have been some NWO shenanigans, I don't remember. The NWO team of Curt Hennig and Barry Windham got to the finals from the winner's bracket, while the Four Horsemen team of Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko survived the loser's bracket to make it here (they lost to Hennig and Windham in the first round). Because it's double elimination if Benoit and Malenko win each team will have a loss, so a deciding second match will be held immediately after.

 

Tournament Final for the Vacant WCW World Tag Team Championship (Match 1): Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko def Curt Hennig and Barry Windham in 19:34- After the usual requisite heel stalling Malenko and Windham start. Quick takedown from Malenko. Windham tries to bail but Malenko cuts him off. Drop toe hold from Malenko into a mat exchange. Malenko back elbows out of a hammerlock. Reset with both sides tagging. Benoit and Hennig exchange chops. Test of strength with a nice Benoit bridge up into a straitjacket. Hennig takes a rope break. Pissed off shoving and slapping exchange and things break down into an out and out brawl. Hennig does a 180 sell (as much as he can do now) off a Benoit chop and goes to the floor. After some recovery time Windham tags back in. Big Benoit corner chops. The NWO work to double team Malenko. Windham hits a suplex. Mounted punches and hiptoss from Windham and the NWO team hit a double clothesline for 2. After a mat exchange with Hennig Malenko ends up in the wrong corner. He fights out, rolls and tags. Benoit comes in hot. Hennig does a nice almost classic Mr. Perfect sell off a corner whip. Backbreaker from Benoit. Snap suplex for 2. Malenko back suplex for 2. Benoit clotheslines Hennig and back elbows Windham off the apron. Throat slash, Benoit goes up top and the headbutt hits! Windham breaks the pin up. Malenko straddles Hennig on the top rope then dropkicks him off. After Windham helps him back in Hennig gets a low blow on Malenko. Tag to Windham and he hits a gutwrench suplex for 2 as Malenko goes in peril for a bit. The crowd starts to chant what sounds like "boring". Malenko gets the message and instantly fires off a comback and tags. Benoit does the snot blow on Hennig. With extra snot. Allergies. After a bit in peril Hennig gets an inverted atomic drop on Benoit. Windham gets Benoit up and hits the superplex. Malenko breaks the pin up. NWO double suplex for 2. Hennig does the classic snap mare/neck snap combo. Kneelift. Back suplex from Windham. Benoit slips out of a slam attempt and hits a German suplex on Hennig. Tag to Malenko. Hot tag run with Windham doing a great Shawn Michaels-esque spit sell off a dropkick. DONNYBROOK! Malenko gets Windham in the Cloverleaf! Hennig breaks it up. Benoit tries harder to make sure he has Hennig tied up and Malenko puts it on again! Windham taps! With all the talk from commentary about bringing back the tradition of the old NWA/WCW tag titles and division that was a fairly nice old school style matchup, even getting the longer time those matches tended to get. Not great, but solid. **1/2

 

Tournament Final for the Vacant WCW World Tag Team Championship (Match 2): Curt Hennig and Barry Windham def Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko in :20- Theoretically there's supposed to be a 30 second rest period between matches. In practice, this is WCW. Benoit and Malenko continue to beat Hennig down in the corner while behind them Windham slips his belt off. Oh hell, we're back to Skinimax. While the ref is tied up by Benoit and Hennig Windham wraps his belt around Malenko to choke him! Windham gets Malenko in a pinning position with the belt still around his throat covered by Windham's arm, the ref gets back, and counts the pin for the NWO team to win the titles. For fuck's sake. And that's how you piss away whatever goodwill you got from the first match. The crowd is pissed. Once again Benoit loses in a title match, which was becoming a recurring frustrating joke. Also the bell never rang to start the second match so your guess is as good as mine on the time. NR

 

Hair vs Mask Match: The Outsiders (w/Lex Luger and Elizabeth) def Rey Mysterio Jr and Konnan in 11:00- This was originally supposed to be Kevin Nash and Luger teaming up but Luger got legit hurt the week before so Scott Hall is stepping in even though he has another match later. None of the NWO wrestlers' hair is on the line here, if they lose it's Elizabeth that gets shaved bald. Kind of telegraphs the finish. Commentary makes a rare good point, it was exactly one year ago at this same show that Juventud Guerrera lost his mask in a match. After some typical prematch squabbling/stalling things settle down with Hall and Mysterio in to start. Hall mocks his size and tosses the toothpick. Mysterio spits back. Lockup and Hall easily tosses Mysterio into the corner. Another lockup and another toss. Third try and this time Mysterio gets an armdrag. Drop toe hold from Mysterio. He speeds around Hall and hits a springboard guillotine legdrop. Springboard butt splash and Mysterio knocks Nash off the apron. Hall catches a crossbody attempt and hits the fallaway slam. Tag to Nash. He tosses Mysterio across the ring. Mysterio desperately tries a sunset flip but Nash easily fights it off and tosses Mysterio again. Hall tags in and goes into mocking mode. Corner chops on one end, corner clothesline on the other. Hall calls that's it. Mysterio fights out of a Razor's Edge attempt and tags. Konnan with a fired up hot tag run. Nash hits him from behind on the apron and Hall drops Konnan with a clothesline because the Outsiders had already done 10 of the maximum 20 seconds of selling they'll do per tag match. Gotta spread it out. Nash hits the measured corner knees and elbows. Hall clotheslines Konnan from the apron. Konnan gets beat down in the wrong corner but manages to fight out. Hall ducks the rolling clothesline. Double clothesline. Both sides tag. Mysterio hits a pair of springboard dropkicks. He launches off Nash to dropkick Hall! Konnan then monkey flips Mysterio into Nash. Mysterio bronco buster on Hall. No no no no, don't do that. Hate that move. Luger trips Konnan and pulls him out into the guardrail. Mysterio moonsault on Nash. He's covering but the ref is distracted by Elizabeth. Hall comes in, plants Mysterio with the Razor's Edge, drapes Nash over, and Nash gets the pin. Meh. Mysterio worked his ass off if nothing else. *3/4

 

Per the stipulation, Mysterio has to unmask. Konnan helps him get the knots undone, then honorable Mysterio willingly finishes the job himself. For the rest of his WCW run Mysterio will wrestle unmasked, something WWE does not want you to remember even in this day and age when it's cool to bring back all the history again. After the mask is off Nash tells him to put it back on, then, as usual with Nash not taking anything or anyone seriously, puts the mask on himself and mugs for the camera.

 

WCW World Television Championship: Scott Steiner (c) def Diamond Dallas Page in 13:53- This seems like a pretty big step backward for DDP after the run he had at the last part of '98. On the other side, after an injury stalled his momentum right after his heel turn Steiner is now getting serious traction with his new Big Poppa Pump character. Both these guys will be World champs in fairly short order, and they should be. Steiner hit and injured Kimberly on TV, while also hitting on her, to turn this from a simple title match into a more personal feud. During his entrance Steiner brings a totally normal fan and not at all a plant into the ring. He's got a better eye than Godfather, I'll give him that. Tony: "Let's get a shot of her walking out again". TONY! It's a family show........And yes. DDP comes in hot. Steiner tries to run but DDP cuts him off and pounds on him. More shots in the ring and DDP shouts "Here's your hook up jack off!". They brawl on the mat in the ring and trade guardrail shots on the floor. Steiner back kicks DDP into the rail, then back elbows him off the apron back down into it. DDP snaps Steiner's throat over the top rope coming back in. Clothesline off the top rope from DDP. Russian leg sweep and Steiner bails again. Steiner's platonic partner Buff Bagwell makes his way out. They try to corner DDP in the ring. DDP pushes ref Lil' Naitch back and says bring it on. Inverted atomic drops from DDP on both. Double clothesline. Bagwell hits DDP from behind to stop his momentum. That starts off the next few minutes of Steiner and Bagwell trading off taking shots on DDP in the ring and on the floor. Steiner hits the clothesline and elbow drop combo for 2. He puts DDP in the tree of woe and chokes him upside down from the floor. DDP pulls up in the corner and tries to fire back. Steiner gets hits boots up in the corner and hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. He grounds DDP on the mat while Bagwell places a chair in the ring. Chairshot to DDP's back. Bagwell gets wire cutters and takes off the top turnbuckle pad, then starts to unhook the middle one. Meanwhile, Steiner tries for the Steiner Recliner but DDP low blows him. Lil' Naitch catches Bagwell Yano'ing the buckle pads and tosses him out. While Steiner's arguing that DDP 360 clotheslines him to the floor from behind. Plancha! Steiner whips DDP into the stairs. He tries another chairshot but Lil' Naitch takes it away. Steiner chases him around the ring and runs into a DDP clothesline. Coming back in Steiner crotches DDP on the top rope. Top rope Frankensteiner! DDP kicks out! DDP counters a hiptoss into a DDT! Slow arm drape cover for 2. Steiner counters a Diamond Cutter attempt and pushes DDP into the exposed turnbuckle. Steiner moves the middle pad off, then runs DDP upside down into the exposed corner three times, right on his shoulder and back. He goes for the Steiner Recliner. DDP does his best to fight it but Steiner gets it fully on. DDP won't give up, but he passes out and Lil' Naitch has to call it. Good stuff. The double team beatdown with Bagwell was a bit much, but it was isolated to a section of the match. You can always count on DDP for a great layout and for him to execute it well, and Steiner hadn't become completely useless in the ring just yet. ***

 

The stretcher comes out for DDP. Steiner turns it over before DDP can be put on but then leaves without further incident. DDP gets stretchered out.

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Scott Hall (w/Disco Inferno) def "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (c) in 8:19- Piper defeated Bret Hart for the title a couple of weeks prior on Nitro in one of the most ridiculous farces of a match you'll ever see, yet more proof they signed Bret with zero idea what the hell to do with him. That and I'm sure Hogan politicking against him. Hall takes so long on his entrance his music resets. Guess he needed a couple of extra drinks after already working a match tonight. Piper's music then starts up when he's barely halfway to the ring. Shoves and a Piper slap after the bell. Piper takes his sweet time getting his entrance gear off, then swirls his kilt around Hall's head to attack him. Piper tosses Hall with the kilt. Then he chokes Hall with his shirt. All with Hall's insane goofy selling of course. Short jabs from Piper. He hits a slooooooooooooow swinging neckbreaker. Hall grabs an arm and starts his usual early match arm stuff. Both guys pull hair. Piper is more effective. Disco gets on the apron. Piper muffs his hair and pops him back off. Both sides atomic drops from Piper on Hall as the goofy selling gets cranked up to 11. While Hall wobbles we get an eye poke exchange. Hall grabs Piper's tights and pulls him. I think Piper was supposed to go to the floor but the ropes got in the way. He gets there eventually. When he does he eye pokes Disco, but Hall jumps from behind. Stair "shots" for Piper with his head clearly a foot away from hitting anything. Back in Hall lays in more punches. Piper wants more. He gives Hall about the worst low blow ever to zero crowd reaction. Hall responds with his own low blow. The ref, of course, lets it all go. Hall puts Piper in the tree of woe and stomps away. Disco comes over and chokes before Piper gets himself free. Abdominal stretch time, with Disco assistance. The ref eventually catches it. Hall dodges a Piper elbow drop. He puts Piper on the top rope, but Piper uses that to climb up and gets the sleeper on. The crowd is absolutely comatose. Piper has his finish on and you could hear a penny drop, and it wouldn't be the start of Okada's music. Disco comes in and gets popped. Nash runs in and that finally wakes the crowd up a bit. While Nash has Piper distracted Hall pops him in the back of the head, gets some rope leverage, and gets the pin for his first ever WCW singles title. Talk about farces. That was utter trash, borderline MINUS FIVE STARS territory. DUD

 

After the bell Piper refuses to give up the belt. Hall gets it and takes a swing but Piper ducks it. Piper and Disco have a tug of war over the belt that Disco wins. Hall and Nash try to attack but Piper escapes, screams something totally unintelligible on the mic, and leaves.

 

Goldberg def Bam Bam Bigelow in 11:39- Bigelow made a surprise return to WCW in late '98 with one singular focus: Goldberg. Finally they get their match tonight. Undefeated streak over or no the crowd is still bonkers for Goldberg. Don't worry, WCW will take care of that before long. They let it soak a bit before chest to chest jawing, circling and locking up. Stalemate. Next lockup the ref has to force a break and Bigelow takes a cheap shot. Goldberg no sells a shoulderblock, catches Bigelow leaping and gives him a powerslam. Bigelow takes a powder. Back in Goldberg hits a tackle. He gives Bigelow a fireman's carry slam into a cross armbreaker. Bigelow gets to the ropes. Crazy standing dropckick from Goldberg that goes mostly over the top of Bigelow's head. He missed, but still damn impressive athletically. A 360 clothesline puts Bigelow back on the floor. Bigelow grabs Goldberg's leg and whacks it on the apron. He targets the knee on the floor and back in the ring. After a few minutes of knee work Bigelow drops a couple of his headbutts then puts on....a chinlock? Think we have submission hold ADD here. Goldberg's comeback is cut off with a knee shot, then Bigelow goes back to the chinlock. Ugh. Goldberg back suplexes free. Bigelow is still up first and hits a slam. He goes up top. The headbutt hits! Goldberg kicks out! Bigelow climbs up again, looking for a moonsault. Goldberg pulls him down before he can try it. Bigelow *just* dodges a spear. Speed run, Goldberg ducks a clothesline, spear! He hooks up for the jackhammer, then changes his mind. Superkick. A second spear. NOW he goes for the jackhammer, hits it, and good night. The more decent length matches Goldberg works the more he gets exposed as a two move guy. *

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hollywood Hogan (c) def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in 12:00- Again commentary and recaps aren't helpful here but I'm pretty sure Flair got this match for himself while he still had WCW Presidential powers. He still might. If he does it's never mentioned. Hogan comes out to Wolfpac music and is wearing split gear to represent he's the leader of all NWO factions now. Well, not NWO Japan. Flair's got a small bandage on his face from attacks during the build. He comes in I want to say all business, but honestly he looks more checked out than anything else. Hogan quickly hits a couple of shoulderblocks and tosses his bandana at Flair. Flair works into a hammerlock, gets Hogan in the corner and pops the first chop. "WOOOOOOOO!". Hogan gets shots in the corner and backdrops Flair. Corner clothesline. Flair Flop! Hogan tries his chops. Flair turns around and shows him how it's done. Snap mare/kneedrop combo. Hogan comes out of the corner with a clothesline. Flair Flip! Hogan gives Flair a guardrail shot and gets a chair. He taps Flair in the head with it. What is it with Hogan and weak ass chair shots? They then have a bit of a sloppy exchange on the floor as we see Flair, weak shot or no, is of course busted open. Hogan pounds the cut on the floor and bites it. Suplex from Hogan on the floor. Back in Flair gets slammed off the top rope. Hogan drops elbows and does some ground and pound. That fires Flair up! He hits more chops until Hogan decks him with a right. It's weightlifting belt whipping time. Flair fires up again. He goes for a leg tackle that doesn't come off well at all. Hogan swings the belt right into Flair's face! More belt shots. Belt wrap punch from Hogan. We go into another chop/punch exchange with both guys no selling. That gets the crowd fired up as much as they've been during any Hogan match in years. Flair goes into Dirtiest Player in the Game mode, giving Hogan an eye poke and a series of low blows. He takes the weightlifting belt off Hogan and gives him some whip receipts. Yapapi! Sorry, I don't know why I said that. Flair does a belt wrap punch, then tosses the belt down to the floor. Now Hogan's bleeding. Flair goes to work on it. A blonde woman makes her way down the aisle. This is a "mystery woman" that's been involved in the feud for reasons unknown. In fact it's Torrie Wilson, but we don't know that yet. She gets on the apron and slaps Flair. Flair catches Hogan's ambush attempt and back suplexes him as the woman parks it ringside. Flair gives Hogan mounted punches and hits a delayed suplex. Cover. Hogan's kickout squashes Lil' Naitch under Big Naitch. Hogan then drops an elbow on the ref for good measure. Big boot. Slam. Flair dodges the legdrop. Now a masked man makes his way down to the ring. Heenan thinks it's Bischoff. Meanwhile Flair's softened Hogan's knee up a bit and hooks on the figure four. The masked man gives Flair a stun gun shot! That thing's getting around. Hogan covers and gets the pin. Same. Old. Shit. Thanks to Flair the match wasn't horrible. Hogan, as usual with guys getting paired with Flair even in these days, seemed to be trying more than usual. **1/4

 

The woman hugs the man in the ring, then unmasks him.......oh bloody bollocking frelling hell it's David Flair. With an NWO shirt on. I swear I hear commentary groan before they kick into selling it mode. Think "It's me Austin!" and JR's "Aw son of a bitch" reaction, but with mostly silence and more pronounced at the same time. David Flair and the woman kiss as we thankfully get a truncated NWO celebration since the show's already out of time. So, that giant beatdown the NWO put on David Flair at Souled Out.....convinced him to switch sides? Pretty pathetic honestly. I don't think I really need to spell it out, but the "OH MY GOD HE'S NWO NOW" shocks had worn well past their sell by date. It also didn't help that David Flair hadn't shown a modicum of natural wrestling talent or charisma to this point. Think it's easy to see why Flair looked so checked out going into the match now.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- The sad thing is, this could have been a decent show. Not only that, it could have been the reset WCW desperately needed with some better booking decisions. Instead, it's all the same playbook they've been running ad nauseam since mid '96 no matter how stale it was now and how tired the fans had gotten of it. The NWO win everything they're in (except Disco but who cares about him), the heels win all the title matches that matter (sorry Cruiserweight title, you peaked in '97), and no one has anything to cheer for outside another expected Goldberg non-title win. '99 is starting out much like '98 ended.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+

No Way Out '01

Legacy Review

No Way Out '01

February 25, 2001 from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

 

After an all time great Royal Rumble the road to Wrestlemania X7 continues. This would turn out to be the final PPV put on by WWF while WCW was still a going concern. The end of an era is almost here. In fact it had already started, as a week after the Rumble WWF purchased the assets of nearly bankrupt ECW from their parent company.

 

WWF Hardcore Championship: The Big Show def Raven (def Billy Gunn def Raven) (c) in 4:20- Big Show made his surprise return from injury remedial OVW training in the Rumble. Raven brings out the usual shopping cart full of toys. Among the usual hardcore props I can also spot a partially deflated basketball (I didn't know Tom Brady played basketball), a Ouija board, and.....a stuffed monkey? When Show comes out a woman in a catsuit and mask tries to attack him but he cuts her off. Apparently this is an unknown woman who's been helping Raven recently, who would later be revealed to be Tori. Raven charges up the ramp with the classic oversized stop sign but Show cuts that off too and whacks Raven with it multiple times back down the ramp. That giant stop sign *never* worked for the Flock in WCW, why should Raven expect any different here? As they work toward the ring Raven dodges a charge and Show goes into the post. He hops on Show's back but Show easily flips him back off. Raven sets a fire extinguisher off in Show's face. Running baseball slide. A popcorn vendor runs in and attacks Raven! There's popcorn everywhere! Crunchy thumbtacks. The vendor is wearing a wig and fake mustache but is obviously Crash Holly. He gives Raven a bulldog for 2. 24/7 rule, it's allowed. Show powerslams Crash. He hits Raven with a GTR. Now Steve Blackman and Hardcore Holly run in! Both attack Show. From the other side Billy Gunn comes in and gives Raven a Fameasser! Gunn pins Raven to win the title! Crash rolls Gunn up for 2. Blackman and Hardcore double team Gunn until Show takes them both out. While they're fighting Raven covers Gunn and pins him to win the title back. Again Crash tries a roll up but can't get the pin. Show gorilla press slams Crash. The masked woman runs in again, this time followed by Molly Holly. Molly takes her out. Raven pummels Show with trash can shots. Show shrugs it all off, chokeslams Raven through a can, and pins him to win the Hardcore title for the first time. I appreciate them trying to do something different with the hardcore/24/7 rules, but this came off as a bit too much chaos. *1/2

 

After the bell Gunn tries to attack Show and they both completely fluff an over the top rope spot. Show looks legit pissed as he's walking out. The ring crew has its work cut out cleaning up that huge mess of popcorn in the ring between matches.

 

Fatal Four Way Match for the WWF Intercontinenal Championship: Chris Jericho (c) def Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and X-Pac in 12:18- Not the worst idea for an IC title match on a B PPV, throw together three of your best in-ring workers and let them go at it. And Pac. Even after nearly a year of off and on feuding watching Jericho and Benoit go at it never gets old. This is an odd four way as it's three heels against Jericho rather than an even split. Benoit and Guerrero are going in trying to work together as a team as the Radicalz were still nominally a thing at this point. Quick 2v2 jump start with Jericho and Guerrero in the ring and Benoit and Pac going to the floor. Benoit comes in to pull Jericho out of a pin attempt and nails the first big chops. The Radicalz team up on Jericho while the crowd chants "X-Pac sucks" just because he exists. Jericho gets a comeback flurry but runs into a Pac spin kick. The Radicalz pound Pac down. They seem to agree on a plan. Guerrero goes up top to hit the frog splash, but while he does Benoit counters Pac's offensive attempts into the crossface. Guerrero gets up top, sees that, and looks put out. Jericho pops back up to crotch Guerrero on the top rope and break the crossface up. Guerrero fights off a Pac superplex attempt. Flash frog splash! Jericho breaks the pin up. Benoit hits a short clothesline on Jericho for 2. Guerrero, behind Benoit's back, put Jericho's foot on the bottom rope. Benoit snap suplex on Pac for 2. Pac hits a leg lariat on Benoit. He goes for the bronco buster. Jericho cuts it off with a missile dropkick. Benoit runs Jericho over and plants him with a German suplex with a bridge. Guerrero breaks that up and doesn't even try to hide it this time. The Radicalz slug it out with each other! No more teamwork there. Guerrero counters a Benoit powerbomb attempt into a hurricanrana. Jericho suplexes Pac on the floor. Guerrero plants Benoit with a wicked Saito suplex for 2. Regular suplex from Guerrero and he goes up top again. Benoit fights up with him and hits a superplex. Pac and Jericho each cover for a simultaneous 2 count. Guerrero gives Pac a Cactus clothesline. Jericho double underhook backbreaker on Benoit for 2. Chop exchange. Jericho cradles Benoit for 2. Benoit hits a clothesline. Jericho tries the misdirection bulldog. Benoit blocks it and tries to counter into a German. Jericho fights it, but Benoit pounds back and hits it for just a 1 count. Benoit goes for another (not rolling Germans, he let go) but Jericho counters and rolls all the way into the Walls! Guerrero and Pac both run in and both get hooked in the Walls as well but no one taps. Former ECW star Justin Credible, who recently returned to WWF and formed an alliance with Pac, runs out and immediately gets popped off the apron. Benoit hits a dragon suplex on a distracted Jericho for 2. Pac and Credible take Benoit out. Jericho hits Guerrero with the Lionsault but Pac breaks the pin up. Pac low blow on Jericho. X-Factor! Benoit breaks the cover. Crossface on Pac! Guerrero breaks that up with a running neckbreaker. Benoit back suplex on Guerrero. The headbutt off the top hits! Pac takes Benoit out with a swing kick. Jericho comes up, cradles Pac, and gets a pin to retain! No less than you'd expect from these guys. ***3/4

 

Vince is in the back with William Regal, who since the Rumble has been named the new WWF Commissioner. Vince is unhappy with regal for booking Steph and Trish in a match with each other, then tells Regal "You'll know what to do". Regal indicates he does, but as soon as Vince leaves says "How the bloody hell should I know what he wants me to do?". I can picture a lot of Vince real life backstage talks going that exact same way.

 

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsely def Trish Stratus in 8:32- Evil Steph helped Vince drive Linda McMahon into a sanatorium so all was right in McMahonland....until Vince started shacking up with his new secretary Trish. Steph didn't like how that took attention away from her so here we are. This is Steph's first singles match since her women's title reign ended back in October. She charges in a half spears half leg takedowns Trish at the bell. Trish tries to get away so Steph pulls her off the ropes. Clotheslines and the mandatory women's hair toss follow. Steph pulls some more hair out of Trish's head, then tosses Trish out. Trish throws Steph over the barricade. Steph comes back up with a forearm and a clotheslineish off the barricade. Trish blocks an apron suplex and snaps Steph over the top rope. She slaps Steph in the corner and stomps her down. Running bulldog for 2. Lawler tries to dub it the "Trishdog". They'll come up with a MUCH better name for it using Trish's last name later. Steph tries to punch back. Trish DDTs her for 2. She climbs up and hangs Steph from the top rope in a straight choke hold. Steph uses that to flip Trish off the top rope. Trish gets tossed out again. Steph gives her some shots on the announce table, then grabs a pitcher of water and tosses it on Trish! Lawler gets all excited about a "wet t-shirt", but....Trish is wearing black. You're not going to see anything. That sets Trish off and she runs Steph into the announce table. Back in Trish runs into a Steph powerbomb for 2. Now things break down into Attitude Era T&A land as Steph pulls Trish's trunks down to spank her, then tries to rip Trish's top off. Both women charge and give each other a double faceplant. Regal makes his way down. He takes the ref out, puts Trish on top of Steph, wakes the ref up, but then seems to change his mind and puts Steph's foot on the rope. Again Regal puts the ref down. Trish gets in Regal's face, asking what the hell he's doing. That seems to set Regal's mind. He neckbreakers Trish, puts Steph on top of her, and Steph gets the pin. You know, most of that match before the T&A and overbooking kicked in was shockingly watchable. Decent even. Steph hit all her marks with no major issues, while this was the first real indication that Trish was developing into a pretty good worker. **1/4

 

Back in the back, Vince is PISSED at Regal. "I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHAT I WANTED!". Again, people not reading Vince's mind the way he wanted, I imagine a lot of real life meetings ended up this way. Vince's revenge is to book a tag match for Raw tomorrow night: Vince and Trish vs Regal and Steph.

 

Three Stages of Hell Match: Triple H def "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in 36:31- Putting a bow on this feud as we head into the home stretch of Wrestlemania season. For now. Austin picked up his record third career Rumble win last month and has a date with the WWF Champion in the main event at WM no matter what happens tonight, the title shot is not on the line. This is purely personal. For those not familiar, Three Stages of Hell, being done as far as I can remember for the first time ever tonight, is a best 2 out of 3 falls match, but each fall has a different stipulation.

FIRST FALL (normal rules)- After a short think Austin, as usual, charges in and we're on. HHH is the first one down. Austin does the mudhole stomps in the corner, then goes for mounted punches on the other side. HHH tries an inverted atomic drop counter but Austin blocks that into a clothesline. HHH then tries to hide in the ropes. They have a miscommunication or something not going right, ending up with Austin trying a Thesz Press too close to the ropes and clotheslining himself on them. HHH goes for an early Pedigree. Austin grabs an arm during the hook up and counters it with an armbar slam. Nice, that's a new one. Austin posts the arm and goes to work on it. Back in HHH tries for the Pedigree again but his arm gives out and Austin is back on it. The proper Thesz Press hits. Elbow drop for 2. Austin just gets HHH over for a spinebuster in another rough looking spot. He tries coming off the second rope but HHH gets a boot up. Swinging neckbreaker from HHH, then a hangman's neckbreaker. His target is clearly Austin's recently surgically repaired neck and he starts picking it apart. Then HHH shits gears and clips Austin's chronically bad knee. Knee post shot from HHH. He goes for another one but Austin pulls him into the post. Another clip to Austin's knee back in. After some more softening up HHH hooks on a figure four! He works his way over to get added rope leverage behind Hebner's back. After a bit Austin drags HHH back to the center, then slowly fights over to reverse it. HHH quickly grabs a rope break. Elbow drop from HHH and he's back on the knee. While grounded Austin pummels HHH in the face with the bottom of his good leg/knee brace. Buckle shots for HHH. Another Thesz Press/elbow drop combo for 2. HHH grabs a kick but Austin spins him into a clothesline. HHH blocks a Stunner and hits another neckbreaker for 2. Roll up exchange for near falls. HHH gets a low blow kick in the corner. He comes off the second rope....right into a Stunner! Fantastic. Austin gets the pin for the first fall!

SECOND FALL (Street Fight)- Austin tosses HHH to the floor and suplexes him twice on the ramp. HHH gets knocked around ringside and Austin nails him with a Spanish announce table monitor. He tosses a few chairs in the ring, including one right out from under one of the ringside officials. It's a padded chair so I figure that was pure Austin messing with him. HHH tries to escape through the crowd. Austin follows, pounds away on HHH on the arena steps, then tosses him back over and in the ring. HHH gets one of the chairs but Austin cuts it off. He takes the chair and goes NUTS on HHH with repeated chairshots. It's a small preview of him completely snapping at WM. One last chairshot to HHH's sternum for 2. Austin goes out and gets the bell. After some more ringside knockaround Austin gets a new toy: the barbed wire covered 2x4! It was one year ago at this PPV that HHH (theoretically) retired Mick Foley, this is a nice callback. HHH cuts of a shot, gets the 2x4, and nails Austin with it. Austin's bleeding. And getting it all over the announce table. A HHH punch sends Austin flopping over the announce table, sending JR and Lawler scrambling and cutting JR completely off the air. HHH pounds Austin on the table, then sets him up for a Pedigree. Austin backdrops HHH through the Spanish announce table! Absolute full speed on that. JR is back on. Austin gets a beer, pops it open, and smashes it over HHH's head. He pounds away on HHH on the floor and pushes Hebner away. "Get the fuck outta here!". Back in HHH whacks Austin with the bell! Arm drape cover for 2. HHH neckbreakers Austin onto a chair! Cover for 2. Another one onto the chair and another cover for 2. Austin hooks on a sleeper. HHH quickly back suplexes him onto the chair. HHH sets up for a Pedigree onto the chair. Austin backdrops him over the top to the floor! Chairshot to HHH's head! Now HHH is busted open. Austin picks up the stairs and runs them into HHH. HHH drop toe holds Austin into the stairs. He goes under the announce table and gets his trusty sledgehammer! He got that right from where JR is sitting. Lawler logically asks JR where the hell that came from and JR hilariously loses his shit over Lawler asking. Austin cuts a sledge shot off. He does some more mudhole stomps back in. Another sledge shot cut off. HHH counters a Stunner and off the rebound gets Austin with the sledge! Pedigree and HHH evens the match up. Nice booking with both guys beating each other at the other's perceived strength, even though anyone that watched his WCW years knows Austin was a TREMENDOUS technical wrestler before his body broke down, and HHH was a damn good brawler when he needed to be.

THIRD FALL (Steel Cage)- Hard to imagine what these guys can still do to each other after that last fall. They both take time to recover as the cage is lowered and quickly hooked on. Austin tries to attack first but HHH runs him into the cage. HHH does some ground and pound and sends Austin into the cage again. He gets the 2x4 and digs it into Austin's head! Austin paws around, manages to get a chair, and blind swings it at HHH to get free. Now HHH goes into the cage. Austin gets the 2x4 in his face! HHH goes down and Austin straight drops the 2x4 into his face, then digs it in again. HHH gets around and gives Austin a DDT into a chair! Both guys are doing great selling pure exhaustion this deep in and after what they've done to each other. HHH gets an arm drape cover for 2 before Austin slugs back. HUGE Austin punch flurry in the corner. Trips flop! Austin covers for 2. HHH climbs up the cage. JR notes that this is pin only, no escape rules. Austin follows and they take turns ramming each other into the top of the cage. Austin goes down first and gets crotched on the top rope. HHH stays up top. Austin gets up and gives him the Flair slam off the top rope! Another Stunner attempt is countered. Pedigree! Austin kicks out! HHH is shocked. He gives Austin a chairshot and hooks up for another one. Austin gets free and slingshots him into the cage! Stunner off the rebound! Austin's slow to cover and HHH kicks out! Austin gets the 2x4. HHH gets the sledge. They hit each other at the same time! HHH falls on top of Austin, and pins him! What a finish. That win got a bit of a pop too, which HHH also got during his entrance. This, to me, is a forgotten and criminally unheralded classic. For some reason whenever anyone talks about HHH or Austin's best matches this never gets mentioned, and it should. Now, did they have a couple of rough spots in the first fall? Yes. Were they calling spots so loud at points people down the road at the casinos could hear them? Also yes. But the pure awesomeness of the last two falls and the perfect structure of the match as a whole more than made up for it. *****

 

Both guys take a long time to recover after that war. Once they finally get some footing Austin gives HHH a Stunner for the road. But as Austin's leaving, he looks back from the top of the ramp at HHH with a look that is very clearly newfound respect. Intentional or not, it's great foreshadowing of where these two will be going after WM.

 

Tazz makes his full entrance to take Lawler's place in commentary before the next match.

 

Steven Richards (w/Ivory) def Jerry "The King" Lawler (w/The Kat) in 5:31- Cool down match, activate. The stipulation with this is, if Lawler wins, Kat gets to "express her nudity". I'd have no complaints. If Richards wins, Kat has to join Right to Censor. They jaw at each other after the bell before Lawler gets the first shots in. Richards powders but comes back in hot. Lawler blocks a hiptoss and hits a clothesline. Slam and fistdrop combo. Richards bails again. He rips his shirt off! Flagrant disrespect of the RTC uniform. When he gets back in Lawler tosses him back out. Lawler holds Ivory for Kat to slap her. Richards uses the distraction to push Lawler into the post, then rolls Lawler in and covers for 2. Richards loads up for the Goodfather's no more hos train. Lawler dodges and hits an excessive amount of mounted punches (25ish). Bulldog from Lawler for 2. Richards gets a suplex for 2. He goes out and gets a chair. Lawler low blows him and hits a pair of DDTs. Ivory distracts ref Teddy Long. The match degrades into a bunch of running in and Lawler dodging women's title belt shots from Richards. Finally Kat gets the belt, swings at Richards but hits Lawler instead, and Richards covers for the pin. All of RTC come in, wrap Kat up in a large sack, and carry her away screaming. 1/2*

 

Unfortunately, or fortunately, this angle wouldn't go anywhere else. Kat, according to various reports, either quit in disgust over this angle or was fired for being hard to work with backstage. Probably truth in both. In solidarity with his then real life wife Lawler would walk out with her. He wouldn't return until November. Kat would never be seen in WWF/E again. Which begs the obvious (storyline) question: What the hell did RTC do to her?

 

Triple Threat Tables Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The Dudley Boyz (c) def The Brothers of Destruction and Edge & Christian in 12:04- Unlike past tag tables matches you only have to put one guy through a table to win this one. Tazz remains on commentary in Lawler's place for the rest of the show. Taker and Kane are kind of slumming it here. Kane's debuting, at least for PPV, some new all black gear. During entrances E&C get caught between the other two teams on the ramp. Being the smart ones they escape sideways and let the other two teams duke it out. Taker tosses D'Von off the ramp while E&C set a table up ringside. They charge but run right into the BOD buzzsaw. The next few minutes are BOD dominating E&C all around ringside. The Dudleyz run back in with chairs and take BOD out. Finally in the ring for the first time the Dudleyz pound on E&C. E&C get Bubba Ray in the tree of woe and literally squash hits nuts with their feet. Double flapjack on D'Von. E&C go out and get chairs. Bubba Ray ducks a conchairto. He slingshots Edge into Christian, then Edge takes the Whazzup Drop. Get the tables time! Plenty to choose from. While he does BOD attack. Christian hits Bubba Ray with the Unprettier. E&C try to fight BOD but get overwhelmed again. Stereo clotheslines off the top rope from BOD. They then fight the Dudleyz to get a couple of tables in the ring. The crowd chants "We want tables". THEY'RE IN THE FRAKKING RING. And it's a TABLES MATCH for frell's sake. I loathe that chant. The Dudleyz and E&C put their issues aside to try to take the two monsters down, but naturally that alliance doesn't last long. Bubba Ray hot shots Edge. Christian gets set up for a 3D through a table. Taker cuts it off. He sets up to chokeslam Christian but get tackled down. E&C double suplex Taker, but Kane pulled the table out of the way to save the match. BOD chokeslam everyone and set the tables back up. Rikishi and Haku run in and attack BOD! They all brawl on the floor, essentially eliminating BOD from the match. I don't really get why you'd put BOD in the match in the first place when you know they'd be overwhelming favorites, just to find a reason to have them not win it. Anyway, Bubba Ray and Edge slow slug it out in the ring. Bubba Ray dodges an Edge charge and Edge crashes into a corner table, which doesn't break! Ouch. Not sure if that was supposed to be the finish or not, everyone looks kind of surprised. The Dudleyz recover, improvise by giving Christian a 3D through the other table, and it's over. Fine but nothing near spectacular. **1/2

 

WWF Championship: The Rock def Kurt Angle (c) in 16:53- During the build for this match Angle debuted a brand new submission finisher: the ankle lock. The crowd is NUTS for Rock. They take their time staring down and jawing to let the crowd soak in. Angle takes the belt off and tries to hit Rock with it. Rock ducks, slugs, and here we go. Clothesline out of the corner from Rock. Angle hits a knee to the gut. Rock gets a Russian leg sweep. I just noticed that the ring mat is all taped up and coming apart. This is well before the days when the mat was changed between every single match. Angle hits a clothesline and goes into the brawling mode he was in a lot during this first title reign. But then he does a drop toe hold into the ankle lock! Rock quickly grabs a rope. Some more back and forth brawling. Angle gets a ripcord belly to belly suplex! A second one! Rock responds with his own Owen Hart style snap belly to belly! Diving clothesline from Rock. He hooks on the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter! Angle crawls over and gets a rope break. Rock Samoan drop for 2. We get a glimpse of security literally manhandling someone out of the arena. The crowd boos but I have little doubt he deserved it. Angle tosses Rock over the top to the floor. Rock hurt his leg on the landing. Back in Rock gets a kick wham DDT! Big Show's music hits. I guess we're getting into the period where someone's music has to play whenever they run in. I'm not a fan of that. Show comes in, chokeslams ref Mike Chioda, chokeslams Angle, chokeslams Rock, and leaves. Well. Thanks for coming I guess. Hebner runs out to take over. Angle crawls over and covers Rock, but Hebner's with Chioda and by the time he sees and gets in Rock kicks out. He then goes out to help Chioda again. Rock uses that to get the belt and nail Angle with it! Cover for a long 2. Rock's still limping. The ankle lock is on! Rock tries to crawl to the ropes. Angle lets go and SMASHES Rock's leg into the mat, then puts it back on! "Tap out you son of a bitch! I'll fucking break your ankle!". Oh yeah, we're seeing the birth of KURT FUCKING ANGLE right before our eyes. Rock fades, but just manages to grab a rope for a break. They slug it out again. Rock spinebuster! Pad off. People's Elbow! Angle kicks out! Oh yeah, the crowd bit HARD on that. There's even a small "bullshit" chant. Angle gives Rock a low blow behind Hebner's back, then takes a top turnbuckle pad off. Angle counters a Rock Bottom and Rock goes into the exposed buckle! Angle Slam! Rock kicks out! Another great near fall. Rock tries to lay in the smackdown punches. Angle cuts it off by kicking Rock's bad ankle! Angle charges. Rock dodges and Angle goes into the buckle! Rock Bottom! That was supposed to be the finish, but Hebner fucks up and only counts 2 even though Angle didn't kick out. Small reset, Rock hits another Rock Bottom, gives Hebner a death stare, and gets the pin to win the title back! It's Rock's 6th WWF Title win, which strangely isn't celebrated on TV even though it breaks a tie with Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart for the most ever to this point. Of course, most of Rock's were the hotshots he and Mick Foley were doing in early '99 so that might have something to do with it. That was another fantastic match that doesn't get talked about as much as it should. They did a great job of working in real drama even though bacteria on Europa knew Angle was a dead champion walking. Rock is at his absolute peak in every way. He worked hard to help make Angle look good, and Angle is really starting to put the pieces together by this point. His first reign might not have been a booking success, but he clearly took everything he learned from months of working main events with the top guys to continuously get better and better. Hebner's screw up hurt but that shouldn't detract much from the amazing work these two guys did. Take away that and Show's pointless run in and we might be talking about two full monty matches on one show. ****1/2

 

It's now official. Wrestlemania X7, Houston Astrodome, Rock/Austin II. The perfect match to culminate an entire era.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Another fantastic show from one of the greatest Wrestlemania seasons ever. There is some junk on the undercard, and also several angle culs de sac (the correct plural) that didn't pan out (Rikishi and Haku attacking Brothers of Destruction, the Kat/RTC stuff, Show's interference in the main event), but the top matches delivered in spades. Like the Austin/Triple H match, I think this show as a whole doesn't get remembered as well as it should simply due to the sheer weight of the shows before and after it.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A-