Fall Brawl '99

Legacy Review

Fall Brawl '99

September 12, 1999 from the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

WCW was no stranger to change at the top of the company. The first few years after the Turner buyout of Jim Crockett Promotions they rotated through the clueless Jim Herd, the awesome but interim Kip Frey, and the cloth-eared Bill Watts. Eric Bischoff took the top spot on a provisional basis with a lot of help and oversight at the start of ’93, then got full control in ’94 and finally provided some stability, along with big swings like the Hogan signing, the creation of Nitro, and turning the whole wrestling world upside down with the NWO angle. But all of that was more and more in the past. Over the past couple of years WCW had been on a slow slide downward, in a lot of ways only propped up in ’98 by Goldberg and the undefeated streak. So far 1999 has been an utter disaster, with one terrible show after another causing cratering attendance and ratings, and commiserate money losses. As fall hit Turner execs finally said enough was enough, and on September 10 Bischoff was formally relieved of his position at the top of WCW. He was replaced by a little known VP named Bill Busch, and an even bigger move was in the offing to try to turn things around. But that hasn’t happened yet.

 

What we’re getting tonight is a cobbled together card loosely based on where storylines were going before Bischoff left, and I’m sure more than a few guys bending the ear of the new boss trying to protect their spot. It's the epitome of placeholder. Consequently, this is the first ever Fall Brawl PPV to not feature a War Games match. In fact this will be the first full year with no War Games match put on by WCW at all since 1990.

 

I wlll say, I like the tron embedded into the large show logo on the entrance stage. Cool look that wasn't common at the time. The new Fall Brawl logo looks like it could be the logo for a special attraction college football game, which might be deliberate.

 

The Filthy Animals def Vampiro & Insane Clown Posse in 14:14- First up tonight is a straight up rematch of Road Wild's opening match. The only thing missing is Raven in the Vampiro/ICP corner, due to Raven no longer being with the company. He got his release soon after Road Wild, and was back in ECW in preparation for moving to the WWF. Vampiro comes out wearing an ICP hockey jersey, matching his partners. Then ReyRey comes out dressed the same as Kidman. Guerrero does not play along. Speaking of ReyRey, he's dyed his hair blond. That's, er, an interesting look. Lots of extended discussion before and after the bell. The heel team then goes to the floor to stall some more. I wonder if they're waiting for someone in the back to tell them the finish, that's how last second this whole card was thrown together. After nearly the equivalent length of an international treaty negotiation we finally start with Kidman and Shaggy2Dope. Dope gets the quick edge before Kidman hits a dropkick. Dope dodges a dive in the corner and hits a clothesline. Kidman badly flips out of a back suplex attempt and forearms Dope. They take forever balancing themselves with Kidman holding Dope in a wheelbarrow before Mysterio comes in with a springboard dropkick. Ugly setup, good result. Guerrero then hits a slingshot senton to a pop. This crowd is pretty nuts for Eddie, way more than anyone else in the match. Springboard splash from Mysterio. But he lets Dope get away and tag his larger ICP partner Violent J. J tosses much smaller Mysterio around, slingshotting him into the heel corner. Mysterio gets a shotgun dropkick on Vampiro and gives him the shitty bronco buster. Reset tags to Kidman and J. Kidman goes nuts with a punch flurry and J hides behind the ref. DDT from J. Powerbomb from Vampiro for 2. Speed run and Vampiro tackles Kidman. Leg lariat off the top for 2. The ref gets FURIOUS at Mysterio for breaking the pin up. The cheap seats can hear him yelling, but then turns his back and lets the ICP beat Kidman down in their corner. No wonder WWF didn't bring this guy over when they bought the company out. Big chops from Vampiro. Running powerslam from Dope. Kidman gets J with a misdirection clothesline and gets a tag to Mysterio. Lionsault style moonsault from Mysterio for 2. After Mysterio does the 619 spin J clotheslines him 360 over the top to the floor. Mysterio gets run into the barricade. Unfortunately, Mysterio tweaked his chronically bad oft-injured left knee while going into it and legit can't even stand up. After a long discussion Vampiro tries putting an arm wringer on Mysterio but he can't even stay up for that. Vampiro then holds Mysterio up with a front facelock so Mysterio can push him back and tag out. They did about the best they could given the situation. Guerrero goes nuts pummeling Vampiro in the corner. Ugly clothesline. Vampiro counters a monkey flip attempt into a misdirection kick. Side suplex from J on Guerrero. Legdrop off the top that just about missed Guerrero completely from Dope for 2. Guerrero shakes that off and starts taking out the whole heel team until Vampiro hits him in the back of the head. Double team cutter from Vampiro and Dope. Dope goes up top. Kidman knocks him down to the floor. Vampiro goes up and gutwrenches Kidman off the top! Missile dropkick from Guerrero on Vampiro! Kidman hits the SSP on Vampiro and it's over. They weren't doing anything special before, but everyone adjusted pretty well after Mysterio's injury to bring it home. Fortunately this would turn out to be a scare for Mysterio rather than another major knee injury and he'd be back in action the next week. **1/4

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Lenny (c) (w/Lodi) def Kaz Hayashi in 12:09- Lenny (last name Lane temporarily erased) upset Mysterio for the Cruiserweight title the Nitro after Road Wild. So Lenny and Lodi, who are collectively known as the West Hollywood Blondes.....well, commentary doesn't ever say this, but they're a gay couple. 100%. Absolutely no question that's what they're going for. Billy and Chuck before Billy and Chuck. Needless to say they get nuclear heat in '90s North Carolina. Hayashi had been with WCW a year plus on excursion but this is his first real major match. Lenny twirls his pigtails, then tells Hayashi to back off so he and Lodi can bump asses some more. That's not a euphemism, they bump asses. Lenny then prances around the ring while some of the crowd chants "faggot" at him enough to hear it on TV. Lenny gets a quick waistlock takedown and Hayazhi takes a rope break. He seems to not like Lenny riding him the way he did and complains to the ref. Lenny cuts off a speed run to do some more camp prancing about and I don't think he can get the crowd more against him than they already are. Lenny tries to work Hayashi's arm. As soon as Hayashi fights back he runs and hides in the ropes. Hayashi gets some more strikes in and a very over the top sunset flip for 2. Shotgun dropkick and kip up from Hayashi. Flying headscissors and Lenny bails for the floor, then runs right into Lodi's waiting arms. Hayashi handspring dive onto both guys! Lodi trips Hayashi to cut off his momentum back in, but then Lenny can't connect with an elbow drop to save his life. Lenny blocks Hayashi kicks into a wheelbarrow slam for 2. He then goes nuts giving Hayashi the dreaded back rakes and even more dreaded chest rakes. Crazy thing is, from a distance Lenny really looks like a more effeminate Chris Jericho. Jericho even had his pigtail phase at this same time. A Hayashi comeback attempt is cut off with a back elbow, but then he drop toe holds Lenny into the middle turnbuckle. Hayashi tries some kind of springboard move but Lenny casually swats him back down to the mat. Lenny then covers Hayashi in a position that once again riles the crowd up. Kneelifts and a powerbomb from Lenny for 2. Hayashi low bridges Lenny back to the floor. Tope con hilo! Hayashi takes his time getting back in and Lodi attacks him from behind. He rolls Hayashi back in and Lenny covers for 2. Snap mare into a chinlock from Lenny. Hayashi fights back up, flips out of a German suplex attempt, leaps on Lenny shoulders, Lenny tries to counter but Hayashi manages to sort of victory roll him for 2. Lenny plants Hayashi with a misdirection bulldog. Speaking of Chris Jericho. Cover for 2. Hayashi tries to slide under but Lenny catches him. Hayashi flips around and hits a back suplex. Springboard bulldog from Hayashi into the corner. But he doesn't cover. Instead he puts Lenny up top for something even bigger. Lenny tries to fight, but Hayashi flips over and walks him across for a Liger Bomb! Lenny gets a foot on the rope to save the pin. Flying headscissors off the second rope from Hayashi for 2. Jawbreaker from Lenny. Lodi gets on the apron. Hayashi reverses a whip but Lenny hits the brakes and he and his partner hug. Hayashi dropkicks Lenny in the back! Full victory roll for 2. Backbreaker from Hayashi and he goes up top again. He sees Lodi on the apron so takes him out instead. Lodi snaps Hayashi over the top rope and Lenny rolls him up for a *long* 2. Skull crushing finale from Lenny! That gets the pin. That started rough, but it got better as it went on and ended up pretty good thanks to a nice stretch run. ***

 

Lenny would end up being stripped of the title by order of Turner execs in early October, who didn't like where the whole Lenny/Lodi thing was going and shut the entire angle down. Too much for family TV in the '90s. The on screen explanation on Nitro was Psychosis defeated Lenny in a house show match the previous weekend (that never happened), but later that evening Psychosis would be defeated by Disco Inferno for Disco's first Cruisereight title win.

 

Mean Gene is in the ring and brings out Sting for a confab. He's challenging Hulk Hogan for the World title later tonight. To sum up recent events, Hogan's been promising Sting and everyone else that he's put his Hollywood phase behind him and he's trustworthy again. However, Sting's longtime best friend Lex Luger has been very clearly stirring the pot between the two, trying to convince Sting that Hogan's still not to be trusted, all while being obviously positioned as the real bad guy. Sting says the friendship between him and Luger is *this close* to being over, and that Hogan's proven himself and he has no issue with Hogan until they step in the ring. I'm just noticing that someone in the crowd, I think a kid, is wearing a Jushin Thunder Liger mask. Big props to him and/or his parents for that. Zero reason to have that interview in the ring or eat up so much time for it.

 

No DQ: The First Family (w/Jimmy Hart) def The Revolution in 9:26- Jimmy Hart has resurrected the First Family name that he used for his original stable back in Memphis in the '70s. It's longtime Hart associate Brian Knobbs and Hart newcomer Hugh Morris representing them tonight. Shane Douglas and Dean Malenko are representing the proto-Radicalz Revolution in this one. Things get off to a great start when Douglas says "Saginaw, Michigan" on his intro, then realizing and correcting to Winston-Salem. Jump start as soon as everyone's in the ring. Morris and Douglas go to the floor while Malenko and Knobbs fight in the ring. Malenko fights off both First Family guys with a couple of low blows. Douglas inverted atomic drops Morris, then Malenko leg lariats him out of the ring as Revolution cleans house and the Family regroup on the floor. The Family decide to pose on the floor so the Revolution guys baseball slide them in the back. That was dumb. Hart escapes INTO the ring in that exchange which is amusing. The next couple of minutes is some generic around the ring brawling. Knobbs throws something at Douglas' head that flies all the way into the crowd. No one can figure out what it was. Douglas gives Knobbs some mounted punches in the ring as things settle down. Knobbs comes out of the corner with a clothesline and gives Douglas the dreaded pit stop. That sets Douglas off. Revolution drop toe hold/basement dropkick combo for 2. Morris tags in and walks into a Malenko armdrag and gets his arm stretched out good. Douglas gets a boot up in the corner on Morris and gives him the running reverse neck snap. Knobbs tags in and walks into a hiptoss. The Family guys need to figure out how to get out of the blocks better. Knobbs and Douglas trade some guardrail whips on the floor. The Revolution guys continue to completely school the Family in what's been an almost completely one sided match. Finally both Morris and Hart distract Douglas to let Knobbs hit him from behind and turn things around. Knobbs slams Douglas, takes forever to set himself up on the second rope, and comes down into Douglas' waiting boot. Both sides tag and Malenko runs wild. Hart gets punched off the apron and falls into Knobbs. Knobbs trips Malenko and Morris drops an elbow on him. Morris goes up top, hits the moonsault, and somehow the Family get the win after being behind all match. Bleh. *

 

WCW World Television Championship: Rick Steiner (c) def Perry Saturn in 9:23- Rick Steiner's improbable TV title reign has crossed 100 days and is now the longest in three years, despite putting on nothing but shitty match after shitty match. You'd think maybe after Scott got hurt again that'd kill Rick's momentum since Scott's singles push is what started it in the first place, but he's still here. Saturn is another Revolution member, one of two in a title match tonight. Rick gets a quick leg takedown and gives Saturn a forearm and eye rake. Steinerline! Saturn slides under and hits a superkick. Slam and springboard legdrop from Saturn and Rick takes a powder. Saturn TOPE SUICIDA! Not a usual move for him. Release German suplex back in from Saturn for 2. Rick pushes Nick Patrick around to give Saturn a Greco Roman Nut Punt, his usual turn things around move in this era. The typical broken down late '90s slow Rick offense follows, but Saturn is at least enthusiastically trying to sell it all. Rick pulls the floor pad up and hits a DDT on the concrete. Again. I hate that as a transitional move so, so much. That should be a move of instant death only used once in a very great while. He does it every damn match. Release German receipt from Rick back in for 2. Rick argues the count with Patrick and Saturn rolls him up for 2. A Steinerline quickly kills the momentum. Rick then puts on the shittiest half crab I've ever seen. Just sit down and bend the leg back a bit, it's fine I guess. Saturn takes a rope break and again at least is trying to make it look good. Rick puts it right back on, then gives up on it. Belly to belly suplex from Rick. A second. Rick places Saturn up top. Saturn makes him pay for it by hitting a missile dropkick. Springboard forearm. T-bone suplex for 2. Saturn tries to leapfrog but Rick catches and slams him for 2. Saturn pulls Rick in and hits the DVD! Rick kicks out! Saturn calls for the Rings. Rick fights out of another DVD attempt, lifts Saturn up and runs him upside down into the corner. He goes up top but Saturn crotches him. Rick fights off a superplex. The top rope Steiner bulldog hits and the title reign no one wants somehow continues. Rick would finally be defeated the next night on Nitro for the title. More on that later. It's sort of scary to say, but Saturn completely carried that match. Anything of any quality was almost solely thanks to him. Revolution falls to 0-2 tonight. 3/4*

 

Mean Gene is in the back with the Hulkster. Hogan swears on the red and yellow that he promised his kids he's done with Hollywood and he's never going to cross his kids. He's completely sick of all the accusations and promises to wrestle Sting straight up. "I'm going to train a bit, I'm going to say one little prayer, then I'm going to kick Sting's ass". No vitamins? During some more commentary vamping after there's a "We want Flair" chant. Pure WCW move to keep Flair off a card in North Carolina.

 

Berlyn (w/The Wall) def "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan in 7:58- Berlyn is the repackaged Alex Wright making his in-ring debut with this character, an angry German (or, in other words, a German) with a cane, goatee and very silly haircut that refuses to speak English. The Wall is the former Hellraiser from ECW who had just arrived in WCW. Get it? Berlin. The Wall. A decade after it fell WCW gets around to doing a pun on it. Nothing like timing. This was scheduled to be Berlyn taking on Buff Bagwell, but Bagwell threw a fit backstage and refused to do the job in this match. He's being replaced with the on screen explanation being Bagwell has not arrived at the arena yet for unknown reasons. Duggan is his surprise replacement. I guess putting all-American Duggan in with clear anti-American Berlyn makes some sense, but it's not going to help make the match watchable. After the usual Duggan 2x4 teasing Berlyn attacks him from behind. Dropkick from Berlyn that Duggan staggers back into the corner off of. Duggan then hiptosses Berlyn and hits some clotheslines. 360 clothesline and Berlyn goes to the floor. He takes his sweet time getting back in. When he does Duggan blocks his kick and hits an atomic drop. Another Duggan clothesline and Berlyn begs off. Berlyn counters a backdrop with a kick and gives Duggan a clothesline. Duggan did go down on that. I was honestly starting to wonder if he could even take a bump at all. Snap mare and boot eye rake from Berlyn. Duggan pops right back up and seems to want to go back on offense and they flail around a bit before Berlyn hits a European uppercut. Duggan's still not selling and slugs back. Berlyn grabs Duggan by the hair and literally leads him into the corner for another snap mare into a sleeper. This is like the infamous Alex Wright/Paul Roma match with Duggan playing Roma. Berlyn gets a boot up on Duggan in the corner that Duggan does a crazy extended flop off of. Once again Duggan sells for about two seconds before hulking back up. Now Duggan puts Berlyn in a front facelock and doesn't seem interested in letting go for anything. Berlyn drops down and tries to fireman's carry Duggan out, but Duggan completely refuses to do it and puts the facelock right back on. Finally Berlyn goes to the ropes, which in this case I think was 100% legit to force the ref to force Duggan to break the hold. Both guys stand around and stare after that. Clearly this is not working at all. Reset lockup and they try some hammerlocks but Duggan can't even get that right. They flop around on the mat and I'm amazed how awful this is. This is WORSE than Wright and Roma. Wright tries to keep Duggan down with a chinlock. And there we stay as they kill time, knowing the match is lost. Duggan forearms out and hits a backdrop. Berlyn rolls out again. On the other side of the ring, Wall has pulled the floor mats up. Wall clotheslines Duggan on the concrete! Back in the ring Duggan thinks Berlyn is going for another snap mare, then he has to turn around so Berlyn can hit a neckbreaker and mercifully get the pin. That was, no exaggeration, one of the worst non-gimmick matches you'll ever see. The infamous Heroes of Wrestling would take place the next month, and this would have fit right in there. MINUS FIVE STARS

 

We cut to the back and miracle of miracles, Buff Bagwell is here now. The agent at Gorilla tells Bagwell "Maybe you can be on time for once in your life". I smell a shoot comment. Bagwell runs into the ring and hugs Duggan. Duggan shoves Bagwell! End scene. For real. Nothing ever came of that at all, which is probably for the best. 

 

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Harlem Heat def The West Texas Rednecks (c) (w/Curt Hennig) in 13:05- The brother team of Barry and Kendall Windham defeated Harlem Heat to win the titles recently on Nitro, barely a week after Heat had won them at Road Wild. Barry is a legit Hall of Famer and was no stranger to titles though he was pretty well into to the "hanging on too long" portion of his career, but this would be the only close to major title his lesser brother Kendall would ever win. The Rednecks have ditched "Rap is Crap" since that feud is over, and now come out to a new Curt Hennig sung song. Kendall starts with Booker as we get a big "Harlem Heat" chant from the crowd in Horseman country. They hate Kendall more than they love Barry. Probably would have been true 10 years ago too. After some back and forth Kendall quickly bails when he sees a Booker side kick coming. Hennig helps hold Booker up for Kendall to attack, but Booker quickly comes back with a forearm and clothesline. Barry tags in and takes a side kick. Ray rolls through some punches and inverted atomic drops both Rednecks. An eye rake lets the Rednecks get in control a bit. Kendall offense and Ray selling. It's as ugly as you'd expect. Barry tags in and hits a DDT. Double clothesline from the Rednecks for 2. Ray comes back with a powerslam on Barry and both sides tag. Booker side kick on Kendall. Side suplex for 2. Hennig tries to distract but it doesn't work and Booker hits another side kick, but he ends up in the wrong corner and tossed to the floor. Hennig pounds away on him on the floor. Kneedrop from Kendall back in for 2. Booker comes back and Kendall does the most ridiculous sell of a kick to the gut ever. Booker hits the scissors kick, even though Kendall went down before Booker even made contact and Booker awkwardly landed on his back instead. Spinaroonie. Barry runs in and takes Booker out with a clothesline. Hennig does some more work on the floor while another useless WCW ref lets it all happen. I know that's normal but it seems more egregious tonight than usual. Back suplex from Barry for 2. He sets Booker up for the superplex and hits it for 2. Flying clothesline from Kendall for 2. Booker floats over in the corner and cradles Kendall for 2. Front facelock from Kendall so we all know what's coming. Phantom tag spot, go. Sleeper from Barry. Horrible clothesline off the second rope from Kendall for 2. ANOTHER phantom tag spot. That's desperation. Ray ignores the ref and goes nuts on the Rednecks anyway. Hennig takes a shot. After a lot of fumbling around Hennig hits Ray with his cowbell, which is how they won the titles. Kendall covers, but the ref is distracted by the fighting on the floor. Booker goes up top and missile dropkicks Kendall. Cover and Booker gets the pin for Harlem Heat's 9th WCW tag title win! That's easily the record. Three out of the four guys in this match were either past it or never had it, and not even nearing his peak Booker was capable of carrying that much. 3/4*

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Sid Vicious def Chris Benoit (c) in 11:48- Since coming back to WCW and getting the "Millennium Man" moniker Sid's been riding an undefeated streak, a weak attempt to recreate Goldberg's. He's stated to be 79-0 since his return going into this match. He's only been back two and a half months so I'm going out on a limb and saying that number's a tad inflated. Given that push and Benoit's usual WCW PPV record this seems like a foregone conclusion going in. Rough lockup and Benoit breaks clean in the corner. Another lockup and Sid tosses Benoit out of the corner across the ring. Benoit tries to outmaneuver Sid but badly loses a shoulderblock exchange and rolls out to rethink things. Reset lockup and it's time for the usual plodding Sid punchy chokey stuff. Benoit slides under Sid to get a dragon screw, then dropkicks the leg and starts working on Sid's knee. Smart. He wraps Sid up in a reverse Indian Death Lock and even uses the ropes for leverage. Sid eye rakes free and starts very slowly pounding away again. Benoit dodges in the corner and posts Sid's knee. He dropkicks the stairs into Sid's knee! Twice! His knee should be destroyed. Or a leg broken. Can you imagine Sid breaking a leg in the middle of a PPV match? I know, crazy to think about. Coming back in Benoit tries a reverse crossbody but Sid, already completely no selling the knee, catches him.. Benoit works free and hits a German. He goes for another but Sid fights free. Benoit tries for a crucifix but Sid blocks it and drops him. Sid does some weak lip service to shaking the knee off, then hooks Benoit in a cobra clutch. Benoit tries to fight so Sid slams him back down for 2. Sid then puts on the loosest double chinlock ever. It's almost as bad as Rick's half crab earlier. Sid blocks a Benoit sunset flip for 2. Benoit fights free again and dropkicks Sid's knee! Crossface! Sid clearly taps out but he's from an age of verbal submissions and not tap outs so he probably didn't know what he was doing. Does he ever? Sid literally stands back up in the crossface, then falls back down but with his foot on the bottom rope. Benoit says that's it. Sid dodges the headbutt off the top. Powerbomb and Sid wins the US title for the first time in his career. In fact, despite his previous runs there it's his first WCW title ever. Revolution finishes the night 0-3, killing any chance anyone would ever take them seriously. Benoit tried his damnedest but there's only so far anyone's ever going to drag Sid. *3/4

 

I mentioned earlier Rick Steiner losing the TV title the next night on Nitro. That was to Benoit, an attempt at getting Benoit some kind of rehab win after sacrificing him at the altar of Sid's mega push. However, that wouldn't last long either. 

 

Goldberg def Diamond Dallas Page in 9:04- DDP carried Goldberg to Goldberg's best match ever at Halloween Havoc '98, the match no one saw live on TV because WCW mistimed the show so bad it was cut off before it was over. I'm not expecting nearly as much here. The ref finds a chain on DDP during prematch checks. And a bunch of quarters. So he needed vending machine money. I got nothing for the chain. DDP tries to jump Goldberg but quickly gets jumped and falls out to the floor. Back in off a headlock and speed run DDP tries for an armdrag but Goldberg blocks or sidesteps it or something. DDP retreats to the corner to rerethink. DDP cranks Goldberg's arm a bit and puts on a headlock. Goldberg easily powers out. Off a shoulderblock DDP flops out of the ring again. He grabs a mic and tells the fans to stop chanting Goldberg or he's leaving. You all know how the crowd reacts to that. DDP starts to walk but Goldberg tracks him down in the crowd. Back in DDP tries a Diamond Cutter. Goldberg pushes out and hits a powerslam. DDP gives Goldberg a sneaky style low blow while at the exact same time eye poking the ref. He then takes another international object out of his tights and hits Goldberg with it. DDP doesn't cover, instead he plays to the crowd a bunch and goes into some heel 101 stompy chokey stuff. When Goldberg fights back DDP gets the ref's attention on something or other outside the ring, it's not clear, and hits Goldberg with the object from his tights again. Elbow drop for 2. Chinlock rope leverage game time as DDP continues to play the ref like a fiddle. Arm drops and Goldberg powers back up. Full Hulk up time. Big kick right in DDP's face. DDP counters a hiptoss into a DDT! Cover for 2. Double underhook suplex from Goldberg for 2. Here come the other Jersey Triad guys. Kanyon smashes what looks like a glass serving tray over Goldberg's head. DDP hits a uranage and covers for a long 2. DDP argues with the ref, allowing Kanyon and Bigelow to come in and attack. Goldberg double clotheslines them. Spear on DDP. Goldberg's bleeding somewhere on his neck from that tray shot. Jackhammer and it's over. As expected, not nearly on the level of their Halloween Havoc match, but still better than most of what Goldberg's been doing most of the year thanks to DDP. This would be the last gasp for the Jersey Triad as the group would be broken up right after this show. DDP and Kanyon would reunite for a short time in WWF during the Invasion angle and even win the WWF tag titles before being completely squashed by the Brothers of Destruction at Summerslam '01. **

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Sting def Hulk Hogan (c) in 13:55- Less than two years ago at Starrcade '97 this matchup was touted as the biggest and most important in WCW history. Then, of course, they managed to go and completely fuck up what should have been unfuckable in ways that could barely even be imagined of before they happened. Code of Honor handshake as Hogan hands the belt over to the ref. As soon as Hogan's music stops we get new music and Bret Hart makes his way to the ring, making his return to WCW after taking several months off following Owen Hart's death. He pals it up with both Sting and Hogan, seems to agree with Hogan that he's next in line, and leaves. Clearly he's reset back to a face after his layoff. That was the most low key way to bring Bret back I could possibly think of. Thanks for showing up I guess. Anyway, the bell rings and we're off. After a bunch of circling Hogan tosses the bandana away and we have a rough all around the ring lockup. Nick Patrick has to physically force a break. Hogan shoves Sting, pissed Sting didn't break on the ropes. Sting has some questions about that. Hogan sticks his finger in Sting's chest. Another long discussion follows. Lockup and Hogan tries a flash roll up but Sting fell into the ropes. Arm wringer tradeoff followed by hammerlock reversals. Hogan gets a drop toe hold into a facelock. It's almost Japan Hogan so far tonight, which is nice to see. And here's Hogan's chain workaround into a hammerlock. Sting reverses it and Hogan takes a rope break. Hogan powers Sting into the corner and lays in a bunch of knees so clearly the respectful wrestling portion of the match is over. Corner clothesline from Hogan. Slam and elbow drops for 2. Sting pops right back up. Now Sting hits a slam and a big leaping elbow drop for 2. To my amazement I have not hated this match so far. I don't expect that to last though. Test of strength knucklelock. Hogan doesn't stay in it long, kneeing Sting and wrapping up another arm wringer. Suplex from Hogan. Sting pops right back up! Classic. Mounted punches from Sting. Clothesline for 2. Hogan rolls out to get some space, but then drags Sting out with him. Slugfest on the floor. Sting takes some guardrail shots. Hogan slams Sting on the floor and drops an elbow. Now Sting gives Hogan some guardrail receipts. Hogan chokes Sting with a TV cable. There's still some Hollywood in there. He then drops a bunch of elbows on Sting's throat. Back suplex from Hogan back in for 2. Hogan then goes to an unusual submission holds, stretching Sting's arms out in a butterfly for a bit. Then he gives Sting's back some shots and hooks on an abdominal stretch. After being in that a bit Hogan rolls Sting up for 2. Face or not, Hogan whips out the dreaded back rake. Mounted punches from Hogan. And a bite to top it off. Sting ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody for 2. Stinger Splash! Another! He goes for three and Hogan dodges, fully Hulking Up. Three punches. Big boot. DDP comes in and takes the ref out as Hogan hits the legdrop! Diamond Cutter on Hogan! With an awful sell from Hogan. DDP puts Sting on top of Hogan and drags Patrick over. Hogan kicks out! Cutter on Patrick. Hogan pops up again and sees DDP. Now here's Bret back and he takes DDP out. Now Sid is in! Hogan big boots him. Finally, Lex Luger makes his inevitable run in as he's been an integral part of the feud. He also takes a big boot. While that's happening Sting slides in behind Hogan holding the bat! Hogan wants Sting to hit Luger with the bat. Sting attacks Hogan with the bat! He gives the bat to Luger and Luger clears the decks. Sting puts the Scorpion Death Lock on, backup ref Lil' Naitch runs in, and calls for the bell because Hogan's out. Sting wins the World title for what commentary says is the 9th time, but I only count 7 so who knows. The crowd still cheers it too because they had become completely numb to angles like this that would have been shocking turns 5 years prior. Sadly that was probably their best match yet, though still nowhere near good. Four separate guys ran in during the final couple of minutes of the match with only one of them having any reason to do so, and I think everyone saw Sting's turn coming. But before that I honestly didn't completely hate what they were doing. The execution was middling at best, but I liked where their heads were at layout wise. It was almost a Japan Hogan match for most of it. *1/4

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Pretty much the same crap WCW had been putting on PPV for months now, with slightly even more chaos due to the backstage situation. Ultimately almost nothing from this show would matter in the long run anyway, because in October WCW would steal from the WWF the man they thought was responsible for WWF's turnaround and would now get their house back in order- Vince Russo. Little did they know they got the guy that would hammer most of the final nails into the coffin.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+