Spring Stampede '99

Legacy Review

Spring Stampede '99

April 11, 1999 from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

This is a bit of a strange location for what's always been a western/ranch themed PPV. When I think of stampeding cattle the Pacific Northwest is not what comes to mind. Tonight features the PPV debut of WCW's new, and final as their own company, logo. It's supposed to be a large vertical "c" with w's on either side of it, but I've always seen it as a giant oval flanked by a couple of small wings. Any resemblance to real letters is purely coincidental. In other words, I'm not a fan.

 

Juventud Guerrera def Blitzkrieg in 11:11- Blitzkrieg had recently debuted for WCW, getting his first big break at a fairly young age (mid 20s) after getting a few years of experience on the indys. The winner of this match gets a Cruiserweight title shot tomorrow night on Nitro. Code of Honor handshake to start even though Juvy's still mostly a heel, at least as far as the crowd is concerned. Lockup and hammerlock exchange. Standing switches. Juvy gets a drop toe hold into a cradle for 2. Blitzkrieg counters that into a reverse ankle lock. Another Juvy cradle for 2. Blitzkrieg complains to the ref about a mask pull. Both guys swap headlocks into a long speed run that leads to a bunch of flippy counters ending with Blitzkrieg hitting a backbreaker for 2. Chop exchange. Juvy gets a flying headscissors. Blitzkrieg shows he watched some classic Great Muta tape by hitting a corner handspring elbow. He follows up with mounted punches. After landing on the apron after a backdrop attempt Juvy pounds Blitzkrieg on the top turnbuckle from the apron. Springboard missile dropkick that connects on the side of Blitzkrieg's head! He rolls out to the floor. Juvy over the top rope tope suicida! Back in Juvy hits a brain buster for 2 and hooks on a surfboard. Blitzkrieg spins out of it into a cover for 2! Very nice. Kick combo from Blitzkrieg. A dropkick sends Juvy through the ropes to the floor. Blitzkrieg goes up top, but Juvy gets out of the drop zone. Blitzkrieg resets on another corner, comes down....right into a Juvy shotgun dropkick counter on the floor! Back in Blitzkrieg counters a tiltawhirl attempt into a Japanese armdrag. Juvy quickly powders again. Blitzkrieg crazy springboard moonsault to the floor! After a counter sequence in the ring Juvy hits a reverse DDT for 2. They both go up top and are clearly trying for something big, but Juvy looses both his footing and his grip and they end up collapsing back down to the mat. They did save it about as well as they could have. Blitzkrieg goes up top and tries a phoenix splash/sky twister press that misses. Juvy tries for the Juvy driver. Blitzkrieg counters with a small package for 2. They both go up top again and Blitzkrieg muffs what I think was supposed to be a hurricanrana for 2. Again they both go up top. Juvy counters, hooks up, and hits an avalanche Juvy driver! That most definitely gets the pin. Really good stuff, though I don't think quite as good as the reputation this match has built up over the years, especially with those fluffs down the stretch. I think everyone was just amazed a borderline great match could still happen in WCW. Despite his obvious potential this would be Blitzkrieg's only PPV match. He'd only stay with WCW until October then quietly retire early. This is just me making assumptions so don't take it as anything close to gospel, but I assume his heart just wasn't in it. If his Wiki page is to be believed, he's since worked as a computer technician and as a registered nurse not too far away from my neck of the woods, by Texas standards, in Austin. ***3/4

 

Hardcore Match: Bam Bam Bigelow def Hak (w/Chastity) in 11:33- The former ECW guys are still going at it. I'm thinking this is part of WCW laying the groundwork to start up their own Hardcore title after seeing the success WWF was having with their hardcore division, which would happen during the summer. Bigelow comes out with the mandatory cart of goodies but Hak tries to stop it in the aisle and that's where we begin. They brawl up to the western town dressed stage area. Hak gets a table out from under the stagecoach that was covered in hay! That's forward planning. He sets Bigelow up on the table and climbs the stagecoach. It's wobbly, but he hangs on. He splashes Bigelow through the table! While they recover Chastity is emptying Bigelow's cart out, throwing it all in the ring. Bigelow hits Hak with a piece of the broken table as they start fighting back toward the ring. Hak takes a crazy upside down bump into the cart. Bigelow gets a crutch and hits some shots with it before they get in the ring. As they both lay in some shots Tony decides to expose the whole game by saying those thin aluminum trash cans don't hurt any. Hak gets another table out and props it up between the ring and guardrail. Big trash can shot on Hak. Tony tries to reverse himself by claiming he meant the cans don't hurt "as much" as other objects. Bigelow gives Hak shots with a cookie sheet, broom, and salad bowl. They decide to actually try a wrestling move with a suplex fight, but Hak's knee gives out midstream. He goes out and gets a ladder. Bigelow tries to use it but Hak dropkicks it into him. He drops the ladder on Bigelow, goes up top, and swantons the ladder while it's on Bigelow! Bulldog into the ladder! Hak gets yet another table out. And a section of guardrail. That's new. Who knew they kept a spare section of guardrail down there for emergencies? While that's going on Chastity has to go over and fix the other table that had been propped up because it had fallen down. Hak sets the ladder up and tries to climb it. It's wobbly as all hell, barely holding upright, and Hak has to pretty much flop himself down through the table on the floor. Bigelow sets the ladder up in one corner and the guardrail piece in the other. Hak gets whipped into the ladder. Bigelow gets set up on the guardrail piece propped against the ropes. Hak goes up top and comes down with a legdrop. Bigelow moves and Hak ledgrops the guardrail! They pause for a bit to give Chastity time to get in with her signature fire extinguisher. It won't go off! Bigelow gets a hold of it and sprays Chastity out of the ring. Hak uses the distraction to whack Bigelow with *his* signature weapon, the kendo stick. Kendo assisted Russian leg sweep into the guardrail piece! Both guys climb up top. Bigelow hooks Hak up and hits an avalanche Greetings from Asbury Park through the table! That gets the pin! Fun match, way better than the three way they had with Raven at Uncensored. This one was much more than just hitting each other in the head over and over again. ***

 

Scotty Riggs def Mikey Whipwreck in 7:03- Been a while since we've seen Riggs on PPV. He has a new gimmick now, essentially a poor man's Narcissist Lex Luger or Dashing Cody Rhodes. Whipwreck still has no music. Lockup and Riggs gives Whipwreck a mocking soft slap in the corner. Armdrag from Riggs. Drop toe hold and he walks over Whipwreck. Frustrated Whipwreck gives him a couple of not at all soft slaps. He pounds Riggs in the corner. Flying back elbow and clothesline. A dropkick sends Riggs flopping to the floor. Guillotine legdrop on the apron from Whipwreck. He does a plancha into a hurricanrana on the floor! Riggs avoids another apron legdrop attempt. He knocks Whipwreck off the apron into the guardrail. Arrogant one finger cover in the ring for 1. A "boring" chant echos across the arena in response to Riggs' scintillating offense. Whipwreck gets a boot up in the corner. Shotgun dropkick off the second rope for 2. Russian leg sweep for 2. Whipwreck gets a hurricanrana but Riggs has a foot on the rope on the cover. Both guys hit the ropes, duck clothesline attempts, and Riggs hits a flying forearm that was his finisher now for the pin. *1/2

 

Konnan def Disco Inferno in 9:17- This all started as a fight over self-made music videos. I'm not kidding. Konnan takes the mic after Disco's entrance to run down his attire and calls him a "straight up strawberry". I was in my late teens at this time so I was pretty up on most of the lingo, but that one means nothing to me. I think Konnan was just making shit up out of thin air. When he turns to give the mic back Disco attacks from behind. Corner stomps and Disco does Konnan's own rolling clothesline as well as he can. Konnan works around to hit a bulldog. Basement dropkick. Mounted punches and mudhole stomps from Konnan. Tony: "He's literally stomping a mudhole in Disco!". LITERALLY. Konnan runs into a Disco back elbow. He knucklelocks Disco and does the lucha rope run up and toss with it. Another back elbow from Disco and he does some dancing. More dancing into a swinging neckbreaker. Konnan blocks a hiptoss so Disco clotheslines him instead. Elbow drop off the second rope for 2. Speed run and Konnan gets a hiptoss. Disco gets back up and tosses him out to the floor. I haven't mentioned it yet, but those floor mats are absolutely filthy tonight, like they haven't been washed in months. I guess money is starting to get tight. Disco gets run into the post, but five seconds later he's back on offense in the ring. Man, Disco has zero interest in selling tonight. Setup slam. Konnan dodges another second rope elbow and hits the rolling clothesline. After a series of counters Konnan's cradle DDT hits! Disco kicks out! Another Disco swinging neckbreaker for 2. After another long series of counters Konnan gives Disco his own Last Dance cutter for the pin! Pretty much what you'd expect from these two, but that stretch run wasn't too shabby. 3/4*

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Mysterio Jr (c) def Kidman in 15:32- Mysterio was the one to finally bring the improbable long (by this title's standards) reign of Kidman to an end on Nitro a couple of weeks ago. This is Kidman's rematch. Since Mysterio won the title an extra, and to me completely unnecessary, bit has been added to this: these two are now the tag team champs after upsetting Benoit and Malenko on another recent Nitro. Both guys are faces on top of being tag champ partners so Code of Honor handshake to start. Basic speed start. Kidman dodges a springboard moonsault and hits a forearm. Mysterio responds with his own forearm. They knucklelock and go into a crazy sequence flipping over each other all over the ring. Mysterio gets a flying headscissors. Kidman one ups with a slingshot flying headscissors. He backdrops Mysterio to the floor. Plancha! Kidman wheelbarrows Mysterio into the guardrail, then hops over to hit a legrop over the guardrail. They go back in just so Mysterio can flying headscissors Kidman back out again. He goes for a moonsault off the apron but Kidman catches him! Mysterio uses the guardrail to hit a flying headscissors, but accidentally legit whacks his head against the stairs on the way down. Springboard butt splash from Mysterio coming back in for 2. Lionsault for 2. Kidman catches Mysterio and hits a running powerbomb. Backbreaker. Sit out powerbomb for 2. He slides Mysterio back out to the floor. SSP off the apron! Kidman hurt his knee on the landing, but that doesn't go anywhere. Powerslam from Kidman back in. He tries coming off the top rope but Mysterio counters with a dropkick. He sets Kidman up top and bulldogs him off the top for 2. Spinning heel kick. Kidman gets a backdrop counter. Another powerslam for 2. Kidman hooks up a very unusual for these guys chinlock as commentary notes how methodical the match has gotten. I think Mysterio got knocked loopy when he hit his head on the stairs and they've both been fighting through it. Mysterio 360 clotheslines Kidman to the floor and hits a springboard senton. Now Mysterio tries coming off the top in the ring but Kidman counters with a clothesline. After another chinlock Mysterio hits a hurricanrana for 2. Now Mysterio goes for a chinlock. Kidman dodges and Mysterio goes shoulder first into the post. Mysterio does Kidman's faceplant counter to a pop up. Pedigree from Kidman. They both go up top and Kidman hits a sunset bomb for 2. Another bulldog off the top from Mysterio, the full version this time. That was a new finisher that he used to win the title. Slow cover and Kidman kicks out. Kidman hits a regular bulldog for 2. Mysterio hits a guillotine legdrop off the top. Moonsault for 2. Now Kidman does the pop up into a faceplant counter. He goes up top but Mysterio crotches him. Hurricanrana off the top! That gets Mysterio the pin to retain. Tried and true. This wasn't a bad match by any means, but it wasn't up to the standard you'd expect from these two. I think they were pressing to try to top what Juvy and Blitzkrieg did in the opener and in the end were trying too hard. Not to mention Mysterio likely getting messed up by that hit on the stairs. After that it devolved into a lot of spot, rest, spot, rest without anything to put it all together. **3/4

 

Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (w/Arn Anderson) def Raven and Perry Saturn in 14:11- This was supposed to be for the tag titles before the aforementioned title drop on Nitro just before this show, a move I really don't understand. Speaking of things I don't understand, Saturn is teaming back up with Raven after the wars they had back in the Flock days. No explanation is given. "Because shut up" I guess. Like bloody Ishizu, never explaining anything. Saturn and Raven come out with a table and set it up ringside. They're faces now by the way, and after Ric Flair's turn at Uncensored (more on that later) the Horsemen are once again heels. After some stalling Benoit and Saturn start. Cautious lockup and they go into a bunch of standing switch counters that end up dumping Saturn out to the floor. He fights both Horsemen off on the floor, then Raven and Saturn double team Benoit in the ring. Front suplex/splash off the top rope combo. Drop toe hold/elbow drop combo. Benoit dropkicks Raven to the floor, where Malenko and Arn attack him. Now it's the Horsemen's turn to double team. Double spinebuster on Raven and they make a wish on him. Malenko suplex for 2. Raven gets a small package, but ref Lil' Naitch's back is turned so there's no count. That kicks off a thread that runs the whole match, commentary questioning Naitch's impartiality because of his new relationship with Big Naitch Flair. It never goes anywhere in this match, but it is good setup for later. Benoit his a back suplex and short clothesline. Raven gets caught in the wrong corner to stay in peril. Eventually he gets a boot up in the corner and hits a clothesline. Tag to Saturn. He's got shots for everyone until Malenko puts him down with a straight right hand. Raven gets Malenko up and Saturn hits him with a doomsday device crossbody. Saturn hooks up for the DVD but Benoit cuts it off. Malenko dropkicks Saturn into a Benoit German suplex! Very nice. Benoit fights off a Raven Evenflow attempt and both tumble out to the floor. Malenko gets the cloverleaf on Saturn. Saturn fights over and gets a rope break. DVD on Malenko! Benoit breaks the pin up with the headbutt off the top rope! Arm drape cover from Malenko for 2. Now Saturn goes in peril as Benoit hits chops and a backbreaker. Horsemen double teams follow. Malenko hooks on a sleeper with a full grapevine when Saturn drops down. Raven runs in but Benoit runs him off. Malenko still lets go. Benoit hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Saturn gets a desperation sunset flip on Benoit but Malenko breaks it up. Back suplex from Saturn on Malenko and tag to Raven. He 360 clotheslines Malenko out. Someone puts a chair in the ring. Raven sets it up and drop toe holds Benoit into it. Meanwhile, Malenko's set up on the table on the floor. Saturn comes off the top, but Malenko dodges and Saturn goes through it. Malenko throws the chair into Raven's face. Raven hits the Evenflow! Arn comes in and puts the chair over the back of Raven's head. Benoit headbutt off the top into the chair! Insane. Malenko covers and gets the pin. Rock solid tag stuff that should have been for the titles. ***1/4

 

Tournament Final for the Vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Scott Steiner def WCW World Television Champion Booker T in 15:57- Just last month these two were wrestling for the TV title, won by Booker. Now they're in the finals of the tournament to crown a new US champion after Scott Hall was stripped by WCW President Flair. It's tempting to say it was because Hall was off on a rehab trip again, but it was actually a foot injury that would keep him out until October. Steiner's jawing with all the humanoids ringside when the bell rings. And quite a while after. When he finally gets in he and Booker jaw and shove. Booker takes some light swings and Steiner hides in the ropes. Then Steiner hops back out and leaps OVER THE BARRICADE to shout at some more fans. This is stalling as a high art. When they finally lock up Booker gets a quick waistlock takedown. Steiner fights on top during some grappling and forearms Booker in the back of the head. Speed run and Booker hits a dropkick. Armdrag and Steiner rolls out to the floor. Another lockup and Steiner hits some hard shots in the corner over the ref. Booker ducks a clothesline and hits a flying forearm. Hook kick and he tosses Steiner out again. Clothesline off the apron. He knocks Steiner around the guardrail. Back in Steiner wants a time out. Booker is disinclined to acquiesce. Means no. He stays on the attack with some ground and pound. Corner clotheslines. Mounted punches. Steiner uses that to lift Booker up, drop him on the top rope crotch first, and punch him down to the floor. Now it's Steiner's turn to knock Booker around ringside, including a couple of light chairshots. Clothesline, elbow drop and Steiner does some mocking pushups. Corner beatdown and Steiner pie faces the protesting ref. Backbreaker for 2 while the crowd chants something like "asshole" but I'm not sure what it is. Big belly to belly suplex and arrogant one knee cover for 2. Steiner flat tackles the ref for not counting 3. Straight on Greco Roman Nut Punt from Steiner, almost mocking the ref to DQ him. He hooks on a bear hug. Booker ties to power out, so Steiner switches to an overhead belly to belly that just about drops Booker on his head. Booker slips out of a suplex attempt and hits a DDT! Ripcord knee and swing kick from Booker. Clotheslines. He goes for a tackle and Steiner pulls the ref into the middle of it! Dead ref. Booker hits the scissors kick. Flapjack. Spinaroonie! Harlem side kick, but there's no ref to count. Booker picks the ref up, which only allows Steiner to hit him again! Booker hits a spinebuster and goes up top. Steiner hits the ropes to crotch him. Top rope Frankensteiner! Now he drags the ref up and helps him count. Booker still kicks out! Steiner gets some knucks or a spike out of his tights. Booker ducks a shot with it and hooks up for a suplex. Steiner hits him in the throat with the spike to counter! Steiner drags the ref back in, covers, and gets the pin. That worked really really well. Yeah, Steiner's heel antics were a bit much, but it works in context of his character and is a big reason he's gotten as hot as he is. Winning the US title at this point for him only feels like a box check stepping stone to bigger things. Booker continues to show how great he's gotten too. He won't be far behind. ***1/2

 

Goldberg def Kevin Nash (w/Lex Luger and Elizabeth) in 7:44- Goldberg is finally getting a chance to avenge his one and only loss at the hands of Nash (and a Scott Hall provided cattle prod) at Starrcade. After a long lockup Nash swings Goldberg into the corner and his his corner knees. Corner boot choke. And there's the elbow. Another boot choke. Two minutes in and the whole match has been in one corner. Elizabeth hops on the apron so Nash can low blow Goldberg. Short clothesline for 2. He whips Goldberg around the corners and hits a side suplex for 2. Goldberg ducks a big boot and hits a flying elbow for his first offense of the whole match. Suplex from Goldberg. He ducks Nash swings and hits a superkick. Nash leaps over a spear attempt and Goldberg spears the ref. That was such an obvious set up with the ref standing where he was. Luger hops on the apron with a chair and hits Goldberg with it. The straps are down. Goldberg low blow! Ref is still down. Luger comes in and gets big booted back out. Spear on Nash! Jackhammer. Done. The Goldberg formula to a T, but the crowd is still eating it up. Match is nothing special, but it deserves a bump for WCW era Nash jobbing clean as a sheet for once as Goldberg gets his revenge. *3/4

 

They use the show's TV commercial as the hype video for the main event. That's cost cutting. Hey, no Buffer! What a relief. After four intros from him there might have been five minutes left for the match. To set this up, Flair won the World title from Hogan at Uncensored, which normally would have been a very good thing, but it also came with one of the most ill-conceived and badly executed double turns ever. Since then Flair has been a heel and pretty much taken over Bischoff's old role as the power mad evil WCW President (he also won the right to be President "for life" when he won the World title), while Hogan is slowly creeping back to the return of the red and yellow we'll be seeing later in the year. Pretty much the opposite of what anyone outside WCW's booking committee wanted.

 

Four Corners Match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Diamond Dallas Page def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c), Sting and Hollywood Hogan in 17:27- We've got a couple of returns in this match. First, Sting is wrestling his first PPV match since Halloween Havoc last year. He's also back to classic Crow Sting, no more Wolfpac colors. Second, Randy Savage is making his return in this match as the special guest ref, and he's got the recently debuted Gorgeous George (female version) with him. We're at the kickoff of the Team Madness era. Hogan's still draped in NWO colors but he's clearly acting more face-like as he was at Uncensored. Quick pair offs with swaps after the bell. Hogan 360 clotheslines Flair to the floor. Sting tries to get DDP in the Scorpion Death Lock early but DDP grabs the ropes before it's fully on. Swinging neckbreaker on Sting from DDP for 2. Sting fights off an early Diamond Cutter attempt and hits a clohtesline. Meanwhile, Hogan and Flair are brawling halfway up the aisle. Clothesline off the top from Sting. Stinger Splash! Cover, but Flair breaks it up as he and Hogan return to the ring. Hogan clotheslines DDP while Sting slams Flair off the top rope. Now DDP and Sting go to the floor while Flair and Hogan fight in the ring. Flair chops. Hogan tries to get weightlifting belt shots in. Backdrop and clothesline on Flair from Hogan. Corner clothesline. Flair Flop! I should point out that Flair's wearing rare uncoordinated gear tonight, red trunks with black boots and kneepads. Hogan no sells more Flair chops. Mini Hulk up. Point! Three punches. Big boot. While that's happening Sting's getting DDP in the Scorpion. Hogan legdrop! Sting lets DDP go to break up Hogan's cover. DDP and Sting go to the floor again while Flair chop blocks Hogan and starts softening the knee up. Figure four! Sting and DDP are still wrapped up with each other on the floor. Hogan fights and reverses the hold on Flair. Now DDP gets in and breaks it up. Flair fights off a Cutter but DDP 360 clotheslines him out. DDP then puts Hogan in the post wraparound figure four! Sting eventually breaks it up. Hogan's knee is gone. The trainers run in to check and carry Hogan out because he can't put any weight on the knee. Any more doubt about Hogan being face again? Now Bischoff makes his way out to check on Hogan. The match continues in the ring with Sting and Flair doing their thing and DDP chilling in the corner letting them go at it. The Pete Dunne strategy. Always smart. Flair and Sting are doing their usual match formula, but man it's so good to see. A window to a bygone and better era. Corner whip and Flair Flip! Sting clotheslines him on the apron. Then DDP runs up and clotheslines Sting for 2! Slam/elbow drop combo from DDP for 2. DDP tries to keep Flair out of the ring but Flair eye rakes him. Discus clothesline on Flair from DDP for 2. Savage is counting old school slow. It's a bit jarring, but it's consistent for everyone. Corner elbows on Sting from DDP. Another Stinger Splash on DDP! DDP squeaks out of a press slam and tries the Cutter! Sting fights it off and faceplants DDP. Flair tries to interject himself and gets tossed to the floor again. DDP reverses a Sting tombstone and plants him! Flair breaks the pin up and tosses DDP over the top to the floor. Sting places Flair up top. Superplex! Slow Sting cover for 2. Back suplex from Flair. Flair hooks on a sleeper. DDP comes in and puts a sleeper on Flair! Sleeper daisy chain! Sting drops a jawbreaker and all three guys are down. DDP and Flair team up on Sting with jabs and chops. Sting starts hulking up off it. Double clothesline from Sting! He pummels both guys over and over. Stinger Splash on Flair! Scorpion! DDP breaks it up. Sting gets out of a DDP suplex and hits him with the Scorpion Death Drop! Flair pulls him off and drops a couple of knees in the groinal area. Figure four on Sting. Sting fights, hulks up, and rolls over to the ropes. Savage drags Flair back to the middle of the ring. Then he goes up top. Savage elbow onto Flair! The follow up is a bit confusing as to what exactly he was trying to accomplish. DDP ducks a Flair chop and hits the Cutter! DDP pins Flair and wins his first ever world title! Damn, that was a moment that deserved so much more of a build up. Not just in the match, but over the past weeks and months. It's totally out of nowhere, but it's also so well deserved. Of course, being end of life WCW they'll find a way to fuck it up royally. The win doesn't get much of a pop, I think the crowd was too shocked to react properly to it because, again, it was completely out of nowhere. But that was a very fun match, mostly well worked by everyone. It was a relief that Hogan didn't make the big hero return at the end of the match. ***1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW GRADE- Here you have it ladies and gentlemen, probably the last halfway good PPV WCW ever put on. Like DDP's title win, it comes out of nowhere as WCW had already been putting pure crap on PPV for nearly a solid year. Nothing on this show is going to make any best of lists, but there's quality matches to be found throughout and DDP's first world title win is a nice cherry on top. This is the kind of show WCW could have built off of to reset, reboot and revitalize the company, but sadly it wasn't to be.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B