Unforgiven '01

Legacy Review

Unforgiven '01

September 23, 2001 from the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Paul Heyman

 

September 11, 2001. It's kind of scary to me, in the "I'm getting old" sense, how many adults are alive today that have no memory of that day or what a massive blow to the national psyche it was. I was in college and still remember large details of that day vividly more than pretty much any other day I can think of my entire four years there. I could write a whole article on that alone, but that's outside the purview of both this review and the whole blog in general. What is relevant here- it was the WWF that held the first large public event just two days after the attacks, a live Smackdown in Houston on the 13th, when many people were still reluctant to congregate in one place for fear of follow up attacks (MLB would stay shut down into the next week and the NFL postponed all of week 2), and the entire show was reworked to be a full patriotic showcase as well as a tribute to the fallen with most wrestling storylines taking a back seat. Now, barely two weeks after the attacks, the WWF is still holding this PPV on time and on schedule. 'Murica.

 

Away from larger real world events, here in our WWF bubble the Invasion angle continues, now headlining its third PPV. Once again there's been a bunch of title changes since the last time we were on PPV, as well as more roster movement and defections between the two companies. Both were in an attempt to give the whole angle some juice, but in reality all they did was make people numb to it all. By now I think consensus had been set among fans that the Invasion angle was a flop and there was likely no saving it unless WWF suddenly got in some of the really big names from WCW that they hadn't to this point. Fortunately the quality of the actual wrestling was helping to make up for some of it, like at Summerslam.

 

After the WWF signature we start right up with a rendition of America the Beautiful (black church version), which Vince always liked more than the National Anthem. USA! USA! USA! Following that we go to the normal show intro video, focused on the two world title rematches from Summerslam we'll be getting tonight. In fact, Kurt Angle is getting another shot at Steve Austin's WWF Championship in his hometown.

 

Fatal Four Way Elimination Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The Dudley Boyz (c) def The Hardy Boyz, The Hurricane & Lance Storm and The Big Show & Spike Dudley in 14:22- Hurricane is making his WWF PPV debut, and recently defeated Matt Hardy for the European title. Show and Spike are the ultimate little guy/big guy team. The Dudleyz defeated the Brothers of Destruction for the titles on the Raw before this show. Did I mention the Invasion had an insane amount of title hotshotting? As soon as the Dudleyz hop on the apron they're attacked and we're on. Start proper with Matt and D'Von in the ring. Hurricane quickly tags in to continue his feud with Matt. He gets a nice fireman's carry takedown and hits the superhero pose. Matt gets an armdrag and mocks said pose. Jeff tags in and is wrestling with a baseball cap on. OK then. Bubba Ray grabs Jeff's hair from the apron and pulls him over the top rope to the floor. And also makes him lose the cap in the process. Jeff pulls Bubba Ray down off the apron, maneuvers around Hurricane, dropkicks him in the back to send him into Bubba Ray (knocking him off the apron again), and rolls Hurricane up for 2. Spike DEMANDS to be tagged in. He has a beef with Hurricane for offering his girlfriend Molly Holly a superhero gimmick (which we know she'll later take). Spike tags in and Hurricane immediately bails, tagging in Storm. Storm backbreaker on Spike. Straight slam. Now Hurricane wants back in. Slam, pose, and Spike dodges an elbow drop. Inverted atomic drop and clothesline from Spike. Storm blind tags in and they hit Spike with a double team cutter. Show distracts Storm, which lets Spike roll Storm up for 2. Dropkick from Storm on Spike. Bubba Ray wants in to teach his little brother a lesson. The Dudleyz double flapjack Spike. Meanwhile on the apron, Hurricane gets the cape! THE CAPE IS ON! Crossbody off the top rope on Spike! He flies like a superhero! The cape is back off. Gutbuster on Spike followed by a half nelson cradle for 2. Spike tries to fight back on Storm but Storm jawbreakers him. Spike ducks and Storm takes out Hurricane! Dudley Dog on Storm! Tag to Show! Clotheslines for both Alliance teams. The Hardyz run in and we're DONNYBROOKING. Show tosses all the Alliance guys out and the Hardyz plancha them all. Spike climbs up top, then onto Show's shoulders, and dives down onto everyone! The crowd loves that. Oh shit. Show's pointing at the top rope. No. Freaking. Way. He's going up! Bubba Ray cuts him off! HUGE boos for that. Hurricane goozles Show! Yeah, that's not happening. Show swats him aside like a fly. Storm tries coming off the top rope, right into Show's waiting hand! Chokeslam! Pin and the Storm/Hurricane team are gone! Hurricane's got his mannerisms down right from the start, it's a lot of fun, but it's weird seeing him do it as a full heel. The Dudleyz immediately come in after the fall and start pounding on Show. Double back suplex! Show tags Spike in. Matt blind tags in on D'Von, helps Spike knock him out of the ring, then rolls Spike up for 2. Every team for themselves. Spike gets a victory roll on Matt for 2. He counters a Twist of Fate attempt into a Rude Awakening style neckbreaker for 2. Matt counters out of a Dudley Dog. Twist of Fate! Pin and Spike and Show are gone. It's down to the old rivals the Dudleyz and the Hardyz. Poetry in Motion on Bubba Ray. Jeff takes the shirt off. They go for Poetry in Motion on D'Von but Bubba Ray pulls Jeff down from the apron. Chops from Bubba Ray on Jeff as he goes in peril. Flying back elbow from D'Von. Big backdrop from Bubba Ray. They get ref Teddy Long tied up with Matt and hit Jeff with the Whazzup Drop. D'Von then grounds things with a chinlock. Arm drops and Jeff fights back up. D'Von counters with a powerslam for 2. Bubba Ray whips Jeff into the stairs and shouts "Get up you punk!". Cover by D'Von for a long 2. They keep Jeff isolated in their side of the ring, until Bubba Ray tries a corner whip and eats a springboard Whisper in the Wind. Both sides tag. Hot tag run from Matt. He DDTs D'Von for 2. Both Dudleyz end up on the floor. Matt moonsault off the top rope to the floor! Legdrop off the second rope back in. D'Von counters out of a Twist of Fate. 3D! D'Von covers. Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb to break the count up! Bubba Bomb on Matt. D'Von covers again and gets the pin. Fun stuff with everyone working hard, though a bit predictable in how it played out. I like the Bubba Bomb finally being treated like a potential finisher, because it's always looked like one. ***

 

RVD arrives at the arena. Steph arrives to try to walk him through his promo. She offers to help RVD any way she can since he's taking on her nemesis Chris Jericho tonight. RVD says he wants a dressing room befitting his superstar status. Steph tells him to take whichever one he wants.

 

Michael Cole is with Kurt Angle's family in the front row. And I thought RVD was bad at promos.

 

Perry Saturn def Raven (w/Terri) in 5:07- Well, I managed to avoid it in the Summerslam review. But now, I have no choice. I have to talk about Moppy. Dammit. So. Saturn fell in love with a mop, put a face on it and named it Moppy. It's like Al Snow but not a quarter as good. His eternal frenemy Raven from all the way back in their WCW days, along with his new bit of fluff Terri (who was with Saturn but switched sides when Saturn lost his everloving mind), tried to "help" him by putting Moppy through a woodchipper. Complete with Raven making screaming sounds for Moppy. That brings us to tonight. Saturn charges in, tackles Raven and pounds away on him. Springboard dropkick. Heyman: "He's fighting over the memory of a mop! A MOP for crying out loud!". Have to agree with him on that one. Seems the crowd does too as Saturn's getting nothing after they were red hot for the tag title match. Terri distracts and Raven baseball slides Saturn. Russian leg sweep into the barricade. Drop toe hold into the stairs. JR mentions the Flock from WCW and Heyman blames Saturn for being the one to break them up. Pretty much true. Bulldog back in the ring from Raven for 2. Saturn tries to slug back but Raven puts him in a cobra clutch! That's a new one for him. Arm drops and Saturn runs Raven into the corner to get free. Raven kneelifts him back out to the floor. He shoulderblocks Saturn to keep him out of the ring. Saturn responds by snapping Raven over the top rope. Sunset flip from Saturn, but Raven grabs the top rope to block it and get a leverage cover for 2. Raven tries a misdirection clothesline but Saturn dodges and hits a superkick. T-bone suplex. Clothesline. Belly to belly suplex. Saturn's bleeding from somewhere around his eye. Springboard flying forearm for 2. Saturn leapfrogs over a charging Raven, lets him bounce off the corner and rolls him up for 2. Raven hits a clothesline off the second rope for 2. Sunset flip from Raven for 2. Saturn rolls through that into a slingshot position and sends Raven into the corner. Twisting fisherman's suplex from Saturn and he gets the pin. Raven landed too close to the ropes on that and had to get his foot off the bottom rope. Technically it should have been a break. Pretty messy, but sadly still better than what either guy had been doing recently. *1/2

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Christian def Edge (c) in 11:53- After being teased for months the big Edge and Christian breakup finally happened after Summerslam, in Toronto of all places, all due to Christian being jealous over Edge's recent singles success. This is the one WWF vs WWF match tonight. "CHRISTIAN! CHRISTIAN! At last you're on your owwwwwwwnnnnnnn"....one of the greatest music intros ever. And the rest is pretty damn good too. Edge also has new post-breakup music from Rob Zombie that won't last long. Edge puts the belt down on the stage and strides in, a good message that this is about way more than the title. Christian attacks him as soon as he's in the ring. Edge gets a quick double leg takedown and takes his turn to pound away. Flapjack from Edge. He goes for a DDT but Christian escapes to the floor. Slugfest on the ramp. Edge knocks Christian down on the stage and slingshots him into one of the pillars that make up the stage area. Back in the ring Edge pounds Christian down all the turnbuckles in the corner. Christian begs off, then uses the opening to pull Edge shoulder first into the post. Barricade shot for Edge. Back in Christian screams at Edge to get up. He ducks an Edge punch and hits a neckbreaker for 2. Stiff kick to Edge's back and Christian soaks in some boos. He slams Edge by his hair a couple of times. Powerslam from Christian for 2. Chops in the corner. Edge chops back and yanks Christian into a Russian leg sweep. Edge fights off a Christian superplex attempt. He goes for an elbow off the top, sees Christian dodging, lands on his feet, and hits a German suplex for 2. Now Edge is bleeding from his eye area. What's going on with that tonight. In fact, Christian is bleeding some from his nose too. Christian hits a dropkick for 2. Simultaneous crossbody collision! It looks like Edge has a really good cut under one of his eyes. Christian tries mounted punches but Edge tosses him away and hits some clotheslines. Backdrop. Now he gives Christian a receipt by slamming him by his hair. After a long counter run Edge counters out of an Unprettier attempt for 2. Christian momentum tosses Edge over the top rope. Edge goes under the ring and sneaks to the other side! He climbs up top behind Christian. Crossbody for a long 2. Spear from Christian! Edge kicks out! Christian goes out and gets not one, but two chairs. He sets up for a one man conchairto. Edge dodges and trips Christian. Now Edge sets up for the conchairto. The ref takes the chair away! Christian uses the other chair to low blow Edge! Cover and Christian gets the pin to win the title! Decent match but nowhere near the level you'd be right to expect from these two. I think part of the issue was the first part was put together as a brawl rather than a pure wrestling match that would have suited them better, then getting that cut under his eye clearly messed Edge up. **3/4

 

WCW Tag Team Championship: The Brothers of Destruction (c) def KroniK (w/Steven Richards) in 10:21- KroniK originally formed in WCW and are recent arrivals in WWF. They're comprised of Brian Adams (formerly Crush in WWF) and Bryan Clarke (formerly Adam Bomb in WWF), and were brought in by Steven Richards as an attempt at revenge for Taker killing off Right to Censor. Taker's got a US flag on his singlet top. To the surprise of no one it's another jump start on the floor. Taker big boots Adams in the ring and hits a legdrop for 2 as we settle in. Adams manages to back elbow Taker but runs into a drop toe hold. Taker drops some elbows for 2. Kane tags in and stomps Adams down in the corner. Corner clothesline. Slam/elbow drop combo for 2. Adams gives Kane about the weakest back elbow you'll ever see. Backbreaker on Kane. Clarke tags in and gives Kane a bunch of shots in the corner. Bicycle kick from Clarke for 2. Kane responds with a neckbreaker. Shoulderbreaker from Kane. Taker cranks on Clarke's arm a bit and hits old school. He hooks on a cross armbreaker but Adams breaks it up. Clothesline from Clarke and Taker gets caught in the wrong corner. Dropkick from Adams for 2. Taker gets a boot up in the corner, hits the ropes, then he and Adams lose their place for a second. Taker quickly recovers to throw some more punches. After some more awkward exchanges Adams 360 clotheslines Taker to the floor. Taker drags Adams out and tries to push him into the post but Adams doesn't even bother trying to do it. For frak's sake. Clarke comes off the apron with a flying tackle on Taker. Kane runs over and gets beat down. Double tackle on Taker from KroniK back in. Taker slowly fights out of an Adams chinlock but runs into a slam. Leaping DDT from Taker on Clarke and tag to Kane. He takes out everyone. Big boots on both guys. Side suplex on Clarke. Goozle. Double goozle! KroniK weakly fight free. Triple clothesline! Kane sits up and tags Taker. Both KroniK guys are looking more and more lost as this match goes on. The BOD squash them both in the corner. Taker hooks up for a chokeslam on Clarke. Richards tries to run in but quickly gets decked by Taker. Adams needs a solid five seconds to get Taker into right position for a jawbreaker. Kane clothesline off the top on Adams. Taker chokeslam on Clarke and this one is mercifully over. This was only KroniK's second televised WWF match, and it would be their last. This match was so awful they worked themselves right out of a job. WWF had so much roster depth now they didn't need to bother keeping people around that clearly weren't going to work. DUD

 

In the back, Tazz annoys Booker and Shane by interrupting their prematch routine. Elsewhere, Coach directs Steph to the locker room RVD picked. Steph knocks on the door and lets RVD (and everyone else) know that it's her birthday tomorrow and it'd be the greatest present ever if RVD beats Jericho, saying his stay in the Alliance would be a very "pleasurable" one if he did. I guess we're forgetting about Trips while he's off injured. Unfortunately for Steph, Jericho is right behind her. The usual Jericho verbally abusing Steph hilarity ensues. 

 

WWF Hardcore Championship: Rob Van Dam (c) def Chris Jericho in 16:33- Two months into his WWF tenure and RVD has already fully earned his Mr. Pay Per View moniker. I got on him earlier for his lack of promo ability (blame the pot), but there no denying his ability in the ring. The crowd is nuts for RVD, he's gotten over with the WWF crowd in no time, they'll have no choice but to turn him face soon. He's also learned how to time his thumb point with his intro! Small but important step. Jericho gets a very nice pop too. Hardcore isn't exactly Jericho's wheelhouse, at least at this point of his career, and this title is not the direction he should be going in, but I won't argue getting him and RVD together no matter the reason. Lockup! In the Hardcore match. Wrestling is weird sometimes. They do some basic arm wringer tradeoffs into a mat exchange. Both guys hit armdrags. RVD rolls under and both guys try dropkicks at the same time! Reset and an appreciative round of applause from the crowd. Jericho grabs a couple of headlocks. RVD counters with a headscissors. Jericho works out and they do the bridge up/backslide spot with RVD getting a 2 count. Chops from Jericho to crank things up a bit. Another long counter run into some cradles, but this time they seem to lose a grip on things a bit and mutually agree to move on. Another big "RVD" chant from the crowd after that. RVD gets in Jericho's face about him getting more cheers and does the thumb point with the crowd chanting along. Jericho slaps him! Flying forearm from Jericho into some ground and pound. More dodges and Jericho hits an enzuguri for 2. RVD hops to the second rope and hits a leaping back kick. Time for the educated feet to go nuts. RVD does a bodyscissors cradle for 2. They have another small rough spot and Jericho hits a sort of flapjack. RVD goes out to the floor. Jericho goes for the springboard dropkick but RVD dodges and Jericho splats on the floor. RVD plancha! Cover on the floor for 2. He drapes Jericho over the barricade and goes for the legdrop off the apron. Jericho dodges! Jericho goes under the ring and gets a ladder out! He runs it into RVD's face! Then drops it on RVD! Back in RVD starts running through his corner shoulderblocks, but Jericho dodges the big one and RVD's shoulder goes into the post. Jericho makes sure it hit good by throwing him in again. Then Jericho brings the ladder into the ring. He suplexes RVD onto the ladder! Cover for 2. RVD reverses another attempt and gives Jericho a suplex receipt on the ladder. JR goes through his "HOW DO YOU LEARN HOW TO FALL ON A LADDER WITH YOUR KIDNEYS?" lines. Jericho dodges a dropkick and goes for the Walls! RVD flips free and hits a high kick. Rolling thunder splash for 2. He goes for a split legged moonsault but Jericho gets his knees up. Running bulldog from Jericho. He goes for the Lionsault, RVD dodges but Jericho lands on his feet, and RVD nails Jericho with another high swing kick. Now Jericho's bleeding somewhere around his eye! What in the world is going on with that tonight, almost every match someone's gotten inadvertently busted open in that area. RVD springs to the top. Jericho dodges the Five Star Frog Splash and wraps RVD up in a half nelson cradle for 2. Jericho charges with the ladder, but RVD ducks and drops him into the ladder with a drop toe hold. RVD props the ladder up in the corner, then goes out and gets a chair. Jericho gets slammed on the chair. RVD fully sets the ladder up and climbs. Jericho throws the chair into RVD's head, then climbs up and joins RVD. He grabs RVD's legs and wraps up a reverse Walls over the top of the ladder! Then he pushes RVD off the ladder, sending him down to the floor. Jericho steps from the ladder to the top rope and leaps off. RVD dodges and Jericho flies into the barricade! Jericho goes under the ring and grabs another chair. RVD goes for a tope suicida. Jericho blocks it with the chair! Cover from Jericho on the floor for 2 as we now get some "Y2J" chants. He runs RVD's shoulder into the post to start working on that hurt body part again. Back in RVD counters into another high kick for 2. Jericho hooks on a Fujiwara armbar! RVD grabs a rope, but it's no rope breaks since it's a Hardcore match. Instead he uses the ropes to drag himself and Jericho out to the floor. Stair shot for RVD's bad shoulder. Back in Jericho gives the shoulder some chairshots. Steph runs out and grabs the chair away from Jericho! Jericho swings at her with the chair! Steph just ducks in time to save her life. Jericho turns around and RVD hits the Van Daminator! Five Star Frog Splash! RVD gets the pin to retain! Mr. PPV delivers on PPV again, with Jericho showing his adaptability and working essentially an RVD style match beautifully. You'd like to see it without interference, but it plays into the Steph/Jericho feud and actually gets Steph a rare point up on Jericho so it's more forgivable. RVD's selling of the hurt shoulder was spotty too but that's RVD for you. Other than that, hell of a match. ****1/4

 

Wonder if Steph kept her promise about making sure RVD's stay with the Alliance would be "pleasurable" if he won?

 

Handicap Match for the WCW Championship: The Rock (c) def Booker T and Shane McMahon in 15:24- World title rematch from Summerslam #1 tonight, where Rock defeated Booker for the first Big Gold Belt change under the WWF banner. WCW owner Shane tried to interfere in that match and I'm sure would again tonight so he's being fully added in here to stack the odds against Rock and try to make what's clearly a foregone conclusion maybe seem less so. During the video package we get clips of Booker complaining about being disrespected since coming to WWF. He's not wrong. He was not taken seriously at all for a long while. Vince and WWF clearly thought they had to completely tear him down before attempting to build him back up, which is a shame because he easily could have walked in an instant star like RVD did. Quick sluggy start with Rock getting the upper hand. Swinging neckbreaker from Rock for 2. Shane broke the pin up, showing the handicap advantage early. Back suplex from Rock and again Shane runs in. Booker goes ahead and tags Shane in. Rock's back on his feet and Shane runs. Rock does a good job of cutting him off getting back in the ring. Booker kicks Rock from the apron and Shane clotheslines him. JR wonders what the greats that have held the WCW Title would think of Shane as champion. I'm amazed he never name drops David Arquette during that thought. Booker hits a side suplex for 2, then holds Rock down for Shane to get some shots in. Rock reverses a whip and tosses Shane across the ring. Shane is still back up first, dancing and jabbing. Rock punches him down and hooks on the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter. Booker quickly runs in and breaks it up. Shane pulls the top rope down to send Rock crashing to the floor. Flying clothesline off the barricade from Shane. Booker works ref Nick Patrick to let Shane crotch Rock on the top rope. Rock sidesteps Booker and momentum tosses him over the top rope. As soon as he does Shane attacks him from behind again, sending Rock to the floor. Rock dodges a Booker chairshot swing and Booker hits the post instead, but Shane joins him and the two on one quickly gets Rock down again. Booker slingshots Rock into the post. Snap mare/kneedrop combo from Booker back in. Spinaroonie! Rock rolls Booker up right after for 2! Clothesline from Booker and he tosses Rock out again. Booker sets up the Spanish announce table. JR is all over Patrick for letting the Alliance team do essentially whatever they want. Shane sets up on top but Rock fights free from the Spanish table before he can jump. Clothesline for Shane from Rock. Booker superkicks Rock back on the Spanish table, but then he brings Rock back in the ring. No tables will be broken tonight. Small sigh of relief and thank you prayer from Spanish commentary probably. Samoan drop from Rock. Shane has the belt and brings it in the ring. Rock ducks and Shane takes Booker out with the belt! Shane recovers and gives Rock a belt shot! Again Patrick lets it go and JR is furious. He's just reffing how WCW did their last few years, they let everything go no matter the match type. Booker crawls over and covers Rock for 2. Shane tags in and goes up top. Rock dodges the elbow drop! Shane crawls and tags Booker back in. Rock slugs away on both of them. Double clothesline from Rock. Full corner smackdown punches on Shane. DDT on Booker for 2. Shane comes out of the corner with a clothesline. Shane kip up! He sets Rock up in the middle. Elbow pad off. Shane starts going for his own elbow. Rock pops up and cuts him off! Rock Bottom! Spinebuster on Booker! Test runs in and murders Rock with a clothesline! Big boot on Rock on the floor. Bradshaw runs in and chases Test off! Guess that checks "run in" off our mandatory main event checklist. Patrick carries Rock back into the ring and tells Booker to cover! Guess they are going with the crooked ref stuff after all. WWF ref Mike Chioda comes out and yells at Patrick, but Patrick points out this is a WCW Title match and he's the WCW ref assigned for it. Shane covers Rock. Chioda pulls Shane out of the ring! This is getting silly. While the refs argue on the floor Booker covers Rock. Patrick gets in but Rock kicks at 2. Chioda tackles Patrick out of the ring! Booker nails Chioda! This is getting very silly. Booker hooks Rock up for the Bookend but Rock fights out. Rock Bottom! But there's no ref. Here comes Hebner! He runs in and counts 3 for Rock to retain! Everyone in the match did their parts fine if unspectacularly, but all the overbooking was ridiculous and unnecessary. WWF's days of not taking Booker seriously are definitely coming to a middle. **1/4

 

In Commissioner Regal's office, the Commish is considering banning everyone from ringside for the next match to protect his buddy Tajiri's hurt ribs, but Tajiri and his new girlfriend Torrie Wilson beg and Regal relents. We then get some footage of Stacy Keibler shaving her legs. Look, Stacy's hot as hell, but that's one end of things no guy needs to see. I'd say no guy wants to see but that's probably considered high end content on some website somewhere. Not for me.

 

WCW United States Championship: Rhyno def Tajiri (c) (w/Torrie Wilson) in 4:50- I guess there were no women available for the cool down match. Tajiri defeated supposed Alliance MVP Kanyon for the US Title a couple of weeks prior on Raw. As mentioned, Tajiri's coming into this match with hurt ribs thanks to a GORE. Lockup! Tajiri quickly momentum tosses Rhyno out to the floor. Asai moonsault! Superkick from Tajiri back in. He's already sold the ribs more than RVD did the shoulder. Big corner chops from Tajiri. Rhyno reverses a corner whip and rams his shoulder right into Tajiri's ribs. Tajiri goes down in a heap. Powerslam from Rhyno for 2. Tajiri takes advantage of Rhyno playing with his food to cradle him for 2. Rhyno responds with a belly to belly suplex for 2. Tajiri flips out of a powerbomb attempt and hits a hurricanrana. Leg lariat for 2. Handspring elbow for 2. Rhyno plants Tajiri with a spinebuster for 2. He continues to punish the ribs as Torrie gets on the apron. Rhyno chases her around and into the ring. One of Torrie's shoes gives out while she's in the ring and she can't get up. Rhyno sets up to murder her. Tajiri cuts it off with a kick to the head! Rhyno kicks out! Tajiri goes for a tornado DDT. Rhyno blocks it, but Tajiri uses that to hook on an octopus hold, then gets around the ropes and puts on the full tarantula. Rhyno ducks a kick and hits a half an half suplex. GORE GORE GORE! Rhyno gets the pin and takes the US Title. This could have been a really good power vs speed match, both guys were plenty capable, but they got screwed by the card placement and lack of time. *1/4

 

Our main event is world title rematch #2 from Summerslam. The build for this rematch included the legendary "Milkomania" segment on Raw when Angle drove in a milk truck and drenched the Alliance, playing off Austin's beer truck spraydown of the Rock a few years prior. It also included Austin stealing Angle's gold medals and throwing them into a river. After that Angle kidnapped and blindfolded Austin, and threatened to throw him in the river if Austin didn't give him another title match. When Austin said yes Angle pushed him into a kiddie pool.

 

WWF Championship: Kurt Angle def "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (c) in 23:54- As expected, Angle gets a huge reaction in his hometown. Full US flag gear for Angle tonight too on this first post-9/11 PPV. Angle meets Austin on the ramp and it's on before Fink's half done with Austin's intro. Unlike Buffer he knows when to stop. Angle pounds Austin around ringside. When they get in the ring the bell rings to officially start. Austin looks extremely tentative in his response and Angle takes advantage of that. Angle Thesz press! He places Austin on the top rope and chops the hell out of him. Austin eventually tumbles down to the floor. On the top rope on the other side Angle pounds the shit out of Austin again and hits a superplex. Cover for 2. Austin reverses a whip and hooks on a sleeper for his first real offense of the match. After a bit Angle jawbreakers free and 360 clotheslines Austin back out. Austin grabs the belt and tries to walk. Angle tracks him down on the stage and continues the punishment. He tosses Austin off the ramp to the floor! Double middle finger in Austin's face and Angle continues to pound on him against the back guardrail. He picks Austin up and literally carries him back to the ring. Austin doesn't want to stay in the ring so Angle gives him some post shots. Angle pulls up the floor mat, exposing the concrete. Austin runs up from behind and knees him in the back. Austin sets up for a piledriver on the exposed floor. Angle backdrops out. Austin's busted open in that same around the eye place a lot of guys have been tonight, but I think this time it was intentional. Now Angle tries for a piledriver and Austin backdrops out. Suplex fight on the floor. Austin wins and drops Angle chest first on the Spanish announce table. Then does it again. And, after an Angle comeback flurry, again. We get a POV of a cameraman getting tossed down by Austin just because. Finally they're back in the ring. This has been an Attitude Era floor brawl style main event so far for sure, way more than their Summerslam match was. Austin cuts off a comeback with a knee to the gut and drops a knee on angle. More knees to Angle's neck with Austin using his knee braces to full advantage as a weapon. He takes a moment to go out and antagonize Angle's family ringside while continuing the punishment. Double ax handle off the second rope from Austin. He slows things down for a bit with a chinlock. When Angle fights back up Austin tries another knee to the gut, but Angle counters this time into a roll up for 2. Austin then has a kind of ugly counter to that into a cover for 2. Both guys take turns pounding on the back of each other's necks in the corner. Angle German suplex! Two! Three! But Angle hurt his own neck on that one after all of Austin's focus on it. He's still up first and climbs up for the moonsault. Austin gets up and crotches him. He goes for a back superplex, but Angle counters into a cover for 2. Spinebuster from Austin. He stomps Angle in the general near groinal area. Hebner reads him the riot act for it. Austin pounds Angle down in the corner and tosses Hebner aside for trying to stop him. Angle punts Austin right in the nuts while Hebner's back is turned! DDT from Angle. Austin lays on the floor for a long time but gets back in on his own before being counted out. Angle hits a Stunner! Austin kicks out! THE STRAPS ARE DOWN! Austin *just* slips out of an Angle Slam. Austin hits an Angle Slam! Angle kicks out! Austin tries to set Angle up for a piledriver but Angle keeps deadweighting him. Austin gets him up and hits the piledriver! That might be the last one in WWF for a very long time due to the ban. Angle still kicks out at 2. Austin goes nuts pounding away on Angle's neck and sets up to finish it. Double bird kick wh...NO Angle grabs Austin's kick and puts the ankle lock on! AUSTIN TAPS! Angle wins the WWF Title for the second time, in his hometown! Austin's 5th title reign ends at 175 days, which crazily enough was his longest one thanks to Attitude Era hotshotting. The match was really good again, but not quite as good as their Summerslam match despite a better ending. ***3/4

 

After the bell Angle's family and the whole WWF locker room come into the ring for a massive celebration. WWF is definitely trying to give us a big feel good moment after 9/11, and I have zero issue with that. I've seen some criticize this booking, but 1. again, WWF was doing their small part for some national healing and that's more than fine with me, and b. Angle came within a whisker of winning the title at Summerslam and Austin got himself DQ'd there to save it, so it's not like this was out of nowhere. However, the celebration would be short lived as Austin would win the title back two weeks later on Raw with help from WWF Commish Regal, who flipped to the Alliance that night. That would be Austin's 6th WWF Title win, tying him with Rock for the most ever at that point.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Once again the Invasion angle as a whole is not going so well, but there's still enough good matches and individual moments happening to help make these shows not be a total loss. Despite everything the roster clearly remains motivated as most everyone was working hard out there.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B- 

Road Wild '99

Legacy Review

Road Wild '99

August 14, 1999 from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, SD

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

Welcome to the fourth and and what would be final trip by WCW to the world's largest motorcycle rally and the accompanying biker crowd. This was always a pure Eric Bischoff project/indulgence as he was a huge biker guy. Somewhat ironically, this would also turn out to be the final WCW PPV with him in full control of the company.

 

The big headline going into this show is the recent return of Hollywood Hogan for the first time since Spring Stampede. Only natural as he was the big draw for the Sturgis biker crowd since he was also a biker guy. After clearly leaning back more face his last couple of months before the layoff, Hogan came back as a full face the Nitro after Bash at the Beach and, as Hogan did, immediately defeated new World champ Randy Savage for the title, ending Savage's final ever world title reign at one whole day. It would also turn out to be Hogan's last WCW World title win. He then jumped into a feud with former champ and former NWO stablemate Kevin Nash. One thing I should mention I haven't really the last couple of reviews, the NWO has finally been pushed to the back burner over the summer of '99, about a year and a half later than it should have been. As the feud progressed both men agreed to put their careers on the line over the title tonight. And to cap off the face turn, on the last Nitro before this show Hogan brought back the red and yellow. Somehow I suspect turning the clock back to 1995 isn't going to fix what's been ailing WCW. Another important note is that Ric Flair is no longer in the position of heel WCW President, which is a plus in all ways possible. Story wise the company is now under more normal leadership again with Dusty Rhodes heading up a new championship committee.

 

WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr, Kidman and Eddie Guerrero def Insane Clown Posse and Vampiro (w/Raven) in 12:20- Insane Clown Posse (Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J) are a full time rap group and part time wrestlers, having worked the occasional match on the indy circuit, not to mention running and working their own backyard promotion. I don't know if people nowadays understand just how big a thing amateur backyard wrestling was in the '90s. They also had a short run with WWF in the summer of '98 that included a short 8 man tag match on Raw, but of course it's WCW that puts them in the ring on a PPV. Their Deadpool stablemate Vampiro is making his WCW PPV debut even though he'd been with the company for a while after coming out of CMLL. Their group targeted the luchadores and cruiserweights when they came in, which supposedly was going to lead to Shaggy 2 Dope winning the Cruiserweight title at some point. Thankfully that at least didn't happen, but it might only because of the change in company leadership that was coming. The face team jumps before the bell and we're on. Vampiro gets isolated in the ring with all three of them. What great job they did positioning hard camera for this show. Gives us a great look at the Sturgis rally food stands. That's freaking hilarious. Talk about half assed. More interesting than what's happening in the ring too. Eventually Vampire gets a comeback on Guerrero and Guerrero gets stuck in the wrong corner to get pounded down by ICP. Tenay mentions the main reason ICP is wrestling, they'll be featured on the new WCW Mayhem album coming out later in the year. Both ICP guys tag in and continue to keep Guerrero in peril. Nice delayed suplex from Dope followed by an elbow drop. Guerrero uses a knucklelock with Vampiro to hop to the top rope and hit a hurricanrana, but J cuts the tag off and keeps Guerrero in their corner. Rock Bottom style side slam from Vampiro for 2. Double delayed suplex from ICP. Guerrero manages to crotch Dope on the top rope and superplexes him. Tags on both sides and Mysterio comes in with a splash and moonsault on J. Raven pulls Mysterio out and tosses him into the stairs. Vamprio gives Mysterio the Vampiro Spike on the ring platform. I like how Vampiro scoops Mysterio up and tosses him in the ring like he's a little doll. J continues the punishment on Mysterio back in. Kneebreaker from J. He knows a wrestling move. Vampiro absolutely TOSSES Mysterio across the ring with a powerbomb. Dope powerslams Mysterio for 2. Mysterio gets tossed out again and Raven....talks to him. Might be reciting some of his poetry. That's worse than the beatdown Mysterio's gotten in the match. Vogon poetry is clearly the third worst in the universe, but Raven's is probably right after. Big clothesline from Dope back in. Mysterio gets a boot up in the corner, climbs up top and hits a split legged moonsault. Tag to Kidman. DONNYBROOK! Guerrero misses a plancha attempt on Vampiro while Mysterio gives J the shitty bronco buster. Vampiro accidentally superkicks Dope. Shooting star press on Dope from Kidman and that gets the pin. It wasn't pretty, but overall it was decent formula tag stuff. ICP looked competent at least. **1/2

 

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Harlem Heat def The Jersey Triad (c) in 13:06- After going their separate ways for the past year, WCW's most successful team of all time in terms of tag title wins are back together. Just in time to challenge for the titles again as faces at Sturgis, a place where they haven't exactly been made to feel welcome in the past. Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow are defending for the Triad tonight as DDP has other business later on. Bigelow's belt falls off as he's walking down the aisle. He does have a very large waist. Kanyon runs down the crowd on the mic after their entrance in an attempt to get Harlem Heat cheered. And it seems to work some, Heat's reception does seem a bit warmer. Sturgis gets progressive. Another jump start as soon as everyone's in. The faces clear the ring and do get some cheers. The Triad regroup/stall on the floor and we reset with Kanyon and Ray. Kanyon works Ray over with some basic stuff before Ray press slams him. Bigelow runs in, gets slammed, and the Triad go to the floor again. Booker tags in and quickly pounds Kanyon down in the corner. Kanyon back elbows out of a hammerlock. Speed run and Booker hits a dropkick for 2. Kanyon retreats to his corner and tags Bigelow in. He and Ray play to the crowd forever before locking up. Shoulderblock standoffs. Clothesline from Ray. Bigelow responds with a quick headbutt to Ray's gut. Kanyon hits a double ax handle off the top rope and a series of elbow drops. Both Triad guys squash Ray in the corner as Ray is kept in peril for a while. Ray gets a comeback slam on Kanyon but misses an elbow drop. Bigelow goes up top from the apron. Ray counters Kanyon and slingshots him into Bigelow! Tag to Booker! Running forearm on Kanyon. Side kick for 2. He goes for the scissors kick but Bigelow pulls the top rope down, sending Booker down to the floor. Kanyon hits the avalanche legdrop for 2. He goes for it again and Booker counters it into a powerbomb. Tags on both sides. Ray's comeback is stalled by the numbers game. DDP runs in and gets on the apron. Ray reverses and Bigelow gets whipped into him. Missile dropkick from Booker, Ray covers and gets the pin for the titles! It's Heat's 8th WCW World tag title win, breaking a tie with the Steiner Brothers for the record. *3/4

 

The Revolution def The West Texas Rednecks (w/Kendall Windham) in 10:57- More 6 man action here. The Revolution are the initial iteration of the group that would become the Radicalz, with Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn and recently returned to WCW from ECW Shane Douglas in action for them tonight. The West Texas Rednecks are still coming out to "Rap is Crap", which admittedly is borderline comedy gold. Saturn makes me like him more than he ever has, taking a mic and basically saying "We don't give a shit about your music wars, we just want to wrestle, so figure out who's going to get their ass kicked". When he's done we get full team jump start #3 tonight with a quick ring cleanout by Revolution. Reset with Windham and Malenko. Quick armdrag from Malenko. Corner clothesline. Malenko/Saturn double back elbow. Saturn grounds Windham with a headlock, then Douglas lets Windham escape and gets caught in the heel corner. Big boot from Duncum. Douglas responds with a powerslam. Chops from Saturn on Duncum. Saturn gives Windham a t-bone and a belly to belly suplex. Kendall hits Saturn in the back from the floor and Windham hits the flying lariat. Hennig gets the snap mare/neck snap combo. Saturn comes back to plant Duncum with a German suplex and tags Malenko. Suplex from Malenko and he gives Duncum some ground and pound. Douglas hooks up for the Pittsburgh Plunge but Hennig comes in and breaks it up. Kendall and Hennig work Douglas over on the floor. Douglas lifts Hennig and crotches him on the post. He goes up top but Hennig, already recovered, slams him off. Nuts of steel. Back suplex from Windham for 2. Mounted punches and clothesline from Windham for 2. Duncum hits a shoulderbreaker for 2. Kendall chokes Douglas with his rope. Duncum suplex for 2. DDT from Windham for 2. Douglas/Windham midring collision, but Douglas falls to the wrong part of the ring and has no chance to tag. Douglas dodges Duncum in the corner and gets a tag to Saturn. Huge clothesline on Duncum. Everyone in the pool! Malenko gets the cloverleaf on Hennig. Kendall comes in and breaks it up. Saturn hits Duncum with the DVD and gets the pin to win. Fine enough. **

 

Buff Bagwell def Ernest "The Cat" Miller (w/Sonny Oono) in 7:27- Hoo boy. I doubt this one will be for the faint of heart or otherwise queasy. Miller and Oono have actually tried to dress up a bit for the crowd. Miller even has Confederate flags on his gloves. I'm not sure if that's going to work as a heel move here. One thing I will give Miller I haven't mentioned before, he does have distinctive music. You could count the number of guys with that in WCW on one Confederate flag gloved hand. Tony praises Bagwell for "always being in a good mood". That's because he doesn't have the brains to know any better. Bagwell tries to talk but Miller keeps stealing the mic away. Then Miller goes out and jaws with the crowd. It's Stallfest 2000 and the bell hasn't even rung yet. The bell rings and....more stalling. Lockup and quick Miller hiptoss. Then he seems to have some kind of spasm attack, I'm not sure. I think he's mocking motorcycle riding but in the weirdest way possible. Scoop and slam from Miller. The crowd chants "pussycat" at Miller. I guess that's some kind of insult in biker circles. A simple "pussy" would be better. Now it's Bagwell's turn for a hiptoss and slams, followed by a clothesline and Miller rolls out. Back in Miller offers a handshake, and after some more crowd playing gets the jump on Bagwell. Corner beatdown. Bagwell slips out of a move and hits a couple of dropkicks. Miller straight low blows Bagwell to get free from the corner, then hits a superkick. Oono comes over and weakly chokes Bagwell with Bagwell barely reacting to it. Heel 101 punchy chokey eye rakey stuff from Miller follows with the odd kick mixed in. Bagwell blocks a suplex and hits his own to turn things around. Regular and inverted atomic drops. Bagwell crossbody for 2. Miller gets him with a jawbreaker and calls Oono onto the apron. Bagwell reverses the whip so Miller runs into the Loaded Briefcase of Death (which I guess has replaced the Loaded Red Shoe of Dancing Doom), rolls Miller up, and gets the pin. Miller beats Bagwell down a bit after the bell to get his heat back. Met expectations. DUD

 

No DQ Match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Chris Benoit (c) def Diamond Dallas Page in 12:14- A rare smart move to get these guys back together. This was a hot feud (which also included Raven) that produced some great matches in early '98. On the most recent Nitro Benoit ended the national nightmare of David Flair as US champ, finally winning his long overdue first singles gold in WCW. Of course simply reigniting the feud wasn't enough, for some reason DDP has also been insulting Benoit's mother to rile him up more, but that doesn't play into the match at all. DDP jaws after the bell. Benoit responds with a kick and fists. DDP goes for a quick powerbomb but Benoit slugs himself free. A baseball slide almost sends DDP off the ring platform. A chop finishes the job. DDP catches Benoit trying to leap off the platform and runs his back into it. Back in DDP tries to German suplex Benoit off a Bret bump. Benoit tries to fight free, so DDP reverses into a belly to belly suplex for 2. DDP starts focusing on Benoit's back, then drops him face first out of a fireman's carry for 2. Gutwrench into a gutbuster. Knees to the gut from DDP. Benoit counters into a roll up for 2. Counter cradle from DDP for 2, then he hits a clothesline. DDP starts getting cocky and Benoit fires back, but he runs into a DDP spinebuster for 2. DDP fights to try to pin Benoit's arms down for a leverage pin. Benoit again counters with a cradle, and again DDP is back up with a clothesline. Again DDP starts getting cocky and slows things way down. DDP side suplex for 2. Benoit spins free of another side suplex attempt, tries a backslide, but DDP blocks it so Benoit hits a jawbreaker instead. Benoit goes up top but DDP crotches him and pulls him down into the tree of woe. DDP slaps ref Lil' Naitch, forcibly takes Naitch's belt off and whips Benoit with it. Finally taking advantage of no DQ. He chokes Benoit with the belt and.....um, yeah, I'm not going there. But you can't help but think it. Cover for a long 2. Snap mares by the belt. DDP puts Benoit up in a Canadian backbreaker and pulls on the belt to hang him! Benoit uses the ropes to flip over and kick free. He gets the belt off and whips DDP with it. German for 2. Another German for 2. Number 3 and again a 2 count. Throat slash! Kanyon comes out and pushes Benoit off the top rope right into a DDP uranage for 2. DDP gets whipped into Kanyon and Benoit rolls him up for 2. Clothesline from DDP for 2. Now Bigelow is out and splashes Benoit off the top rope. DDP covers. Benoit kicks out! Benoit avoids a triple team and we get much people falling into crotches hilarity. Headbutt off the top on DDP! Benoit covers and gets the pin to retain! All the more impressive that he fought off all three Jersey Triad guys with none of his honorable Revolution stablemates helping him. That was as good as it possibly could have been in this environment. ***1/2

 

Contest time! These things always go good on wrestling shows. WCW is giving away a custom Road Wild American IronHorse motorcycle. I am anything but a biker guy, but I know enough to know Harley and the other big bike names. What the hell is an American IronHorse? Well, it's a company that had barely started in 1995 so clearly they were really wanting some extra publicity. It didn't work as the company went belly up in 2006. Everything late '90s WCW touched died eventually. The winner's first name is Darnell, which greatly amuses Heenan. Thankfully they don't try to call him live or anything.

 

Sid Vicious def Sting in 10:40- Sid is now being billed as the Millennium Man with 2000 fast approaching. Again, if you didn't live through it you have no idea how massive that calendar change was in general culture. I'm forever jaded and uncaring about New Year's because nothing can ever compare to 2000. I don't remember the details and of course commentary isn't very enlightening, but Sting is the one that took the title of WCW President away from Flair. Because he's a good guy he's focused on being a wrestler and is leaving all the decisions to JJ Dillon and the Dusty Rhodes led championship committee. Lockup! Quick corner shots from Sid. Sting dodges and gets Sid caught in the corner. Stinger Splash! Another! 360 clothesline and Sid goes out to the floor. Sting pushes him partially over the guardrail and the biker crowd is more than happy to help Sid over the rest of the way. Good luck to security trying to hold those guys back. Back in Sid dodges another Stinger Splash attempt. Powerslam for 2. Backbreaker for 2 and we go into the usual slow, plodding Sid beatdown. Sid tosses Sting out and drops him on the guardrail. He tries a leverage pin back in but the ref catches him. Sting fights out of a chinlock. Midring collision and Sting does his usual head first flop down into his opponent's crotch. Sid goes up top and Sting slams him off. Sting moves to hit the ropes but Sid puts his knees up early and Sting trips over him, going down in a heap! I don't think that was what they were going for. After a protracted discussion on the mat Sting slams Sid, then they repeat the spot and Sid gets his knees up at the right time this time to block Sting's splash. Snake eyes from Sid. Sting runs into a big boot. Sid goes up top again and this time Sting superplexes him. Sid might want to stop trying that. Another Stinger Splash hits. Another. On a third go Sting leaps into a goozle. Chokeslam from Sid and he gets the pin. Typical Sid match. He overpromised and underdelivered in big matches more consistently than anyone else in wrestling history. Plus Sting's give a shit had been pretty much broken since his mega push ended with the giant clusterfuck that was Starrcade '97 and the months immediately after. 3/4*

 

Goldberg def WCW World Television Champion Rick Steiner in 5:39- This screams "placeholder feud" while they continue to try to rebuild Goldberg after the end of the undefeated streak, though Rick had been getting his biggest singles push in literally a decade, riding the coattails of Scott Steiner's successful singles breakout. The sun's about fully set as we hit the last part of the card. The bell rings and we're immediately slugging it out. Clothesline from Goldberg and Rick just about falls on his head (on purpose). Coming off the ropes Rick leaps in the air to do....something, but Goldberg just straight runs him over and knocks him down. Not sure if that's what either guy was expecting. They are laying into each other, I'll give them that. Rick always liked to work stiff and Goldberg didn't know any better. Superkick from Goldberg and Rick rolls out for a think. Coming back in Rick shoves the ref into Goldberg then gives Goldberg a Greco Roman Nut Punt. While Goldberg's down Rick pulls his knee brace off, then hits Goldberg with it. Once again, putting a no DQ stip on a match in this era of WCW really meant nothing, they were all worked essentially as no DQ. Rick wraps the brace around his forearm and hits Goldberg with it again, then drops an elbow with it. Clothesline with the brace. Come on ref, what the hell are we doing here. Tony tries to argue the knee brace isn't a foreign object because Goldberg wore it to the ring. Nice try, Tony. More and more and more shots with the knee brace. Rick eventually starts to work on Goldberg's knee. With the brace as a weapon, of course. Braceless belly to belly suplex from Rick for 2, then he picks the brace back up and runs it into Goldberg's head again. DDT from Rick. NOT onto the brace. Goldberg finally has enough and starts slugging back. Press powerslam. Spear. Jackhammer. Done. Goldberg Formula 101. Utter trash, and a mockery of normal wrestling rules to boot. DUD

 

In the lead up to intros for the next match I swear I see a guy in the crowd that has a tan line like he's been wearing a bikini top. And not a small guy either. I don't want to know. But I had to see it so I'm mentioning it to try to spread the pain around a little bit. 

 

Hardcore Match: "Macho Man" Randy Savage def Dennis Rodman in 11:30- For the third straight summer Rodman is spending part of the NBA offseason wrestling for WCW, and for the first time in a singles match. It will also be the last time. Rodman tried to kidnap Gorgeous George on Nitro to get this going so Savage is keeping all his women away from the ring tonight. Obviously this is Hardcore stips because they'll need all the smoke and mirrors they can get their hands on. It's just about fully dark now, giving the show a better look that it had in daylight. Rodman takes a mic on the floor and asks Savage "Where's my bitch?". He tosses the mic to Savage and Savage says "Tonight you're my bitch!". Debate point Savage. Rodman, knowing he can't win a battle of wits, gets in the ring and attacks Savage with the mic. He drags Savage out and knocks him around ringside a bit. Post, guardrail, and lighting tower. Back in Rodman drops Savage with a back elbow. Short clothesline. Once again commentary is aghast that Rodman knows how to stand in a ring. Russian leg sweep from Rodman! "Executed to perfection" says Tenay. Not exactly a super hard one to pull off. Rodman gets on the ref for not counting to 3. This isn't the NBA, you can't intimidate/pay the refs to do whatever you want them to do. Rodman decks the ref! That didn't take long. Fortunately there's a backup ref all set to go. Savage grabs one of the 15 pieces of metal dangling off Rodman's face. Take your choice really. A headbutt puts Rodman down. Now Savage goes into a bunch of chokey stuff. He barely gets Rodman up to drop him throat first on the top rope. Savage goes outside and punches out a photographer! OK, that's different. Points for that. Commentary says the victim is the new editor of WCW Magazine. Bet he's regretting his career choices right now. Wonder if he negotiated hazard pay. Savage takes his camera and nails Rodman with it. Cover for 2. Now Savage has issues with the count and takes ref #2 out. Ref #3 is immediately in the ring and immediately gets taken out by Savage too. Rodman backdrops Savage over the top rope to the floor! He about landed on the corpse of the WCW Magazine editor too. Ref #4 has also entered the match. Savage grabs Rodman, drags him out to the floor and starts beating slowly him up the aisle. They go up the ramp to the stage area. Out of nowhere Rodman tosses Savage across the stage. They go down the back side of the stage. Savage goes into a portapotty and tosses out the guy that was using it! Fortunately his pants were on. I cannot imagine how utterly foul the portapotties at a place like Surgis must be. The ones in trackside campgrounds at the NASCAR races I used to go to in the '90s were bad enough. Savage puts Rodman in the portapotty, closes the door and tips it over! There's shit pouring out of it, and it could well be real shit. You could not pay me enough to do a spot like that. They come back up the stage. Tony: "Rodman should wipe his feet before coming up here". A running double ax handle to the back sends Rodman rolling back down the ramp. They get back to the ring and Rodman climbs up the ropes. Savage ducks and Rodman flying clotheslines the ref. Four down. It's a pure ref massacre. Refs are getting slaughtered like Iranian nuclear facilites. Rodman hooks a sleeper on Savage as Gorgeous George makes her way into the ring. Savage jawbreakers free. George hands Savage a chain. Nick Patrick is the last ref standing and he joins the match. George runs up and low blows Rodman. Punch with the chain from Savage and he gets the pin to win. Yeah it's awful, but really it could have been a lot worse. Savage walked Rodman through it step by step and Savage's famously manically detailed layouts helped a lot too. 1/2*

 

Retirement Match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) def Kevin Nash in 12:16- This is a good example of how Hogan sauntering in with all his demands (or I'm sure "requests" in his mind) messed everything up. Nash was the big face in the company, got screwed out of the title by heel Savage, then Hogan wanted to be a face again so Nash had to quickly flip back heel. Almost as bad as Rock coming in and screwing up everything for Wrestlemania 41 at the near last second. Nash was still head booker at this point so I'm sure he would have done whatever Hogan wanted anyway, regardless of Hogan's creative control clause. Nash is still coming out to the Wolfpac music even though, again, everything NWO had finally been just about phased out. For now. Along with the yellow and red, American Made is back as Hogan's music. Both guys take their sweet time after the bell. Nash wins the early lockups. Hogan tosses his bandana off! Now he's pissed. And, consequently, Hogan wins the next lockup. Long headlock from Nash that Hogan can't get free from. Eventually he back suplexes out and Nash rolls out to think. Coming back in Nash wants a test of strength. So far this has been the most generic formula face Hogan main event you could possibly have. As expected, Hogan initially loses then fights back up. Nash uses the opening to hit a knee to the gut and goes into slow beatdown mode. Corner boot choke. Vintage Nash measured corner elbows. He spends too much time setting up the big one and Hogan dodges. Big corner punches from Hogan. They trade off eye pokes and Nash hits a forearm to Hogan's back. Side suplex for 2. They go outside and back in doing nothing at all of note other than Hogan's exaggerated flop after getting back in the ring. This time Nash hits the picture perfect corner elbow. Big boot. Jackknife. Gee, I wonder what's coming. Yup, it's Hulk Up time. No selling, point, three punches, big boot, legdrop, good night. Pure Goldberg formula and pure Hogan formula on the same show. I'm surprised the universe didn't implode. With that loss, Nash's career is over......which will last a whole two months before he comes back. 1/4*

 

OVERALL SHOW GRADE- The Sturgis shows weren't exactly known as bastions of wrestling quality and this last one is no exception. Pretty much nothing here will matter in the long run either, because the next time WCW was on PPV Bischoff would be gone (for now) and plans in motion for the next era of WCW. It's almost time to put the final nails in the coffin.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D 

Summerslam '01

Legacy Review

Summerslam '01

August 19, 2001 from the Compaq Center (AKA the Shark Tank) in San Jose, CA

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Paul Heyman

 

This year's "biggest show of the summer" and #2 WWF PPV is wholly concerned with month #2 of the Invasion angle. At last month's appropriately titled Invasion, team WCW/ECW won the night in both the win/loss record, as well as in impact thanks to the not really shocking and more perplexing defection of WWF Champion Steve Austin to their side, doubling down on his ill-advised heel run. In the month since the WCW/ECW team has taken on the official name of the Alliance, which if nothing else makes my life easier. Like Invasion, tonight's card is almost all WWF vs Alliance matches. There's also been a ton of secondary title changes since Invasion, something that will be a hallmark of the angle, constant hotshotting of the non-top titles between the two "companies" to the point that title changes became almost meaningless. The other big headline for this show is the return of the Rock to PPV for the first time since Wrestlemania after finishing filming of his first movie, The Scorpion King. It won't be his last.

 

Let the bodies hit the floor. Bodies by Drowning Pool, the official theme song of Summerslam, available now on iTunes and Spotify.....er, no, too early. Available on Napster or any other peer to peer pirating software of your choice. Fairly simple and standard stage setup tonight after so many great ones this year, but they have kept the separate entrances for each side in the interpromotional war from Invasion, which I very much like.

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Edge def Lance Storm (c) in 11:16- Storm defeated Albert for the IC title the Raw after Invasion to bring the title to the Alliance, and add another title to his career trophy case, what would be his only singles title win in WWF/E. After winning King of the Ring a couple of months ago Edge's singles breakout is now on in full. As usual, Storm gets interrupted trying to be serious for a minute. Has he tried not being serious? Maybe someone would let him finish. Lockup! Storm switches to a waistlock, and they switch around a couple of times before Storm hits a back elbow. Speed run and Edge hits a flapjack, followed by a dropkick and he 360 clotheslines Storm to the floor. Storm tries to attack from the apron but Edge slides under him and drops him face first on the Hardest Part of the Ring TM. Crossbody from Edge off the top for 2. Edge tries a suplex but Storm blocks it, drops Edge on the top rope, then back elbows him off the apron into the barricade. Back in Storm jaws in Edge's face and slaps him. Very un-Canadian. Except for Scott. That guy's a dick (one for my fellow old school South Park fans). Edge ducks under and gets a flash roll up for 2. Front drop suplex from Storm for 2. He keeps Edge grounded with some knees and mocking kicks. Storm dodges a dropkick and goes for a half crab, which has been his match winning submission hold lately. Edge pushes him into the corner and small packages him for 2. Another knee to the gut from Storm for 2. In the corner Storm again goes to mocking slaps and cuts off Edge's comeback with a knee to the gut. Edge tries to work around Storm for a crucifix but Storm blocks it and hits a rolling fireman's carry slam (AKA the first stage of Kenny Omega's You Can't Escape) for a long 2. Now Storm starts laying in knees to Edge's back and cranks back a half STF with his knee in Edge's back. Another comeback cut off with a back kick to the gut. Senton from Storm for 2. Abdominal stretch time. They do some hiptoss counter do-si-dos that put Storm on the apron. Storm tries coming off the top rope, but Edge catches him into a powerslam! Quick slugfest as Edge finally builds come momentum. Backdrop. Leg lariat for 2. Another counter run and Edge reverse DDTs Storm for 2. Storm tries a hurricanrana, but Edge blocks it into a powerbomb! Drop toe hold from Storm into the half crab! Edge slowwwwwwly crawls toward the corner and gets a rope break. He puts a half crab on Storm! Storm knocks the ref down as Christian runs into the ring. Storm dodges and Christian spears Edge! Storm superkick on Christian and he covers Edge. Edge kicks out! Edge blocks a superkick. Counter run into an Edge DDT, and he gets the pin to win the title! It's actually Edge's second IC title win, he had a cup of coffee with it back in '99. Christian hands Edge the belt and they hug, but everyone can see the eventual turn coming. Solidly good match, but kind of a letdown because the great first few minutes made it seem as if something even better was coming. ***

 

I want to appreciate Test's promo explaining his turn to the Alliance, but I can't help but be distracted how Bubba Ray death stares Michael Cole down unblinkingly the entire time Test is talking.

 

The Dudley Boyz and Test def The APA and Spike Dudley (w/Molly Holly) in 7:18- Spike had already broken off from his big brothers before the Invasion angle started, so he stayed with WWF when the Dudleyz went back to the ECW side. Spike and Molly are still in an on screen relationship. Test cost the APA the WWF tag titles to DDP and Kanyon on Smackdown not long before this. Bubba Ray and Faarooq start. Quick Dudley reverse 3D after a D'Von blind tag in. D'Von hits the flying back elbow but runs into a Faarooq spinebuster. Test ends up on the wrong side of an APA beatdown. Bubba Ray has to save him and Bradshaw ends up in the Alliance corner. Bradshaw gives D'Von a stiff shot to the back and hits a DDT for 2. Spike tags in and small packages D'Von for 2. Bubba Ray comes in and hot shots Spike with HUGE elevation. Spike, predictably, goes in peril. Spike tries to DDT Test but gets planted instead. The Dudleyz decide to go ahead and get the tables out because why not. Test presses Spike up to drop him into the table. Spike saves himself with an eye rake and falls on Test for 2. Huge double team flapjack from the Dudleyz on Spike for 2. Spike dodges a D'Von splash off the second rope. Both sides tag with Test and Bradshaw coming in. Hot tag run from Bradshaw. Both Dudleyz go down and it's DONNYBROOK time. Bradshaw ducks Test's big boot and hits a powerbomb. Bubba Ray pulls Bradshaw out of the ring to save the pin. Spike tries for the Dudley Dog on Test but Test blocks it and drops Spike through the table on the floor! Bradshaw Clothesline from Hell on Test! But WCW ref Nick Patrick is in the floor checking on Spike. Shane McMahon runs in with a chair, waffles Bradshaw with a it, and Test covers for the pin. Solid 6 man stuff. The finish seems dumb in a vacuum, but will actually lead to something later in the show. **1/4

 

Matt Hardy and Lita are among the group congratulating Edge in the WWF locker room. That'd be an awkward scene in a few years. Christian comes in and tried to step all over Edge's thunder by saying he just talked to Commish Regal and got a European title shot tomorrow night on Raw against....Matt Hardy. Elsewhere, Sean Stasiak storms into Debra's locker room and asks for advice on how to impress Austin because he's been blowing it lately. He decides his tights are bad luck. "They're pink, there's stars on the front, and it says Mecca on the back. I don't even know what Mecca means!". Pretty funny actually. Sadly it's all ruined by having to listen to Debra talk so much. 

 

Title vs Title: WCW Cruiserweight Champion X-Pac def WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Tajiri in 7:33- The first of two title vs title matches tonight, and to be clear neither are unification matches. We aren't there yet. This is also a WWF vs WWF battle despite a WCW title being involved. Another issue with the Invasion, the titles crossing company lines so often to the point no one cared anymore. Like almost every other title involved tonight, both of these were recently won. Pac, as WWF LW champ, defeated Kidman in a title vs title match for the Cruiserweight title on Raw at the end of July to win back the title he actively tried to ruin back in his Syxx days. The next week, Tajiri defeated him for just the LW title, so this is a rematch of that match. Clear? Excellent. The bell rings and the "X-Pac sucks" chants start right up. They had to put Pac up against at WWF guy, as we saw at Invasion even with a pro-WWF crowd against an Alliance opponent he's going to get booed. Two for three on proper lockups so far tonight. Pac maneuvers around into an armdrag. Tajiri escapes a knucklelock and hits a standing moonsault to a nice pop. He was quickly becoming a big time cult favorite. Pac tries a leg takedown into his usual mocking riding, but Tajiri reverses it and slaps him right in the back of the head. Speed run into more counters and Tajiri gets a hurricanrana that sends Pac to the floor. Baseball slide. Asai moonsault! Oh yeah, this crowd loves Tajiri. As they should. Pac lifts Tajiri, crotches him against the post, and kicks him in the back for good measure. Back in Pac dodges a Tajiri flip in and hits a leg lariat. Surfboard from Pac! I'll give him credit, that's a new one. Tajiri tries another hurricanrana but Pac blocks it into a powerbomb for 2. He sets Tajiri up in the corner and you know what's coming. Pac loads up for the shitty bronco buster. Tajiri gets up and literally kicks Pac in the ass, and Pac FLIES up all the way into the tree of woe! Basement dropkick from Tajiri as Pac dangles in the corner! Nice back kick from Tajiri. Handspring elbow for 2. Tarantula! Crossbody off the top, but Pac rolls through it for a 2 count. They maneuver around on and off the top rope and Tajiri pulls Pac down with a very unique pinning combination hold for 2, almost a reverse surfboard. Tajiri then slingshots Pac into the corner and hits a German suplex for 2. Pac knocks Tajiri back to the floor. Tope con hilo from Pac! Back in Tajiri tries the handspring elbow again, but Pac ducks down and comes back up with an X-Factor! Tajiri kicks out and cradles Pac for 2. Albert saunters his way out but stays in the aisle. Tajiri flips out of a powerbomb attempt and drops Pac with a kick. That gets Albert up on the apron. Tajiri gives him the red mist! But Pac uses the distraction for a low blow, the X-Factor hits again and Pac gets the pin to get the LW title back. Good match with Tajiri being his usual awesome self and Pac looking much more motivated than usual being in there with him, but let down by another distraction finish. ***1/4

 

At WWF New York, Saturn laments the supposed kidnapping of Moppy. I'm stopping right there. Nope. Nope. Moving on.

 

Chris Jericho def Rhyno (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) in 12:34- This is the feud where Rhyno GORED Jericho through the original "oval" Smackdown set, destroying it forever and bringing on the era of the Smackdown Fist, the greatest weekly TV set ever. But the main feud is really Jericho vs Steph with Jericho now fully into verbally lambasting her every chance he got. Rhyno's standing in since Steph can't wrestle for herself. All of Jericho's best Steph lines are coming out now. "At Summerslam I'm going to take care of that smelly, greasy, nasty animal.....and I'm going to get you too, Rhyno" is one of my favorites. Another lockup! Nothing says we're now post-Attitude Era more than so many proper match starts instead of jump starts. After a roll around and forced break we get an early slugfest that Rhyno wins. Nice extended speed run and Jericho hits a crossbody, followed by some ground and pound and chops. Rhyno tries to toss Jericho over the top but Jericho lands on the apron, goes up top, and drops an ax handle. Flying back elbow from Jericho for 2. He goes for the Walls but Rhyno fights and gets to the ropes before it's on. Jericho backdrops Rhyno to the floor and hits the springboard dropkick. He sets up on top again. Steph gets on the apron and grabs Jericho's foot. Jericho fights her off, but the distraction was enough because as he comes down it's right into a GORE! Rhyno also hit his head on the landing and both guys are down on the floor for a while. Finally Rhyno gets up and drags Jericho back in the ring for a 2 count. He suplex drops Jericho on the top rope. Now Steph slaps Jericho. Rhyno hooks on a body scissors. Jericho fights back up, but Rhyno short arms him up into an airplane spin! Classic. After he's done spinning Rhyno drops Jericho with a cutter for 2. He wraps Jericho up in a butterfly style hold, then when Jericho tries to fight switches to a chinlock. Jericho fights back up with chops, then avoids Rhyno's knee to gut attempt with a roll up for 2. Nice riff on the usual formula there. Kick wham suplex from Rhyno. He goes up top but Jericho dodges what I think was a Benoit-style headbutt. Again both guys are down. Jericho ducks under and gets a backslide for 2. Flying forearm from Jericho. More chops. Jericho goes for the Lionsault while Rhyno was still standing! Through that he cradles Rhyno for 2. Not entirely sure if that was what was planned or not but they made it work. Missile dropkick off the second rope from Jericho. He covers but Steph has ref Tim White distracted. Jericho goes over, blocks Steph's slap and kisses her! Running bulldog on Rhyno as Steph gags. Jericho goes for the proper Lionsault, sees Rhyno dodging and lands on his feet. Back elbow. The Lionsault hits! Rhyno JUST kicks out! Spinebuster from Rhyno. He goes for a Boston crab! Or, his own Walls. Jericho crawls and gets a rope break. Enzuguri from Jericho. Belly to belly suplex from Rhyno! He sets up in the corner to finish it. Jericho dodges and Rhyno crashes in the corner! Jericho hooks on the Walls! He goes high angle, almost a full WCW style Liontamer. Rhyno taps! Steph is beside herself. She looks like me at least 50% of the time during fantasy football season. Another good match in a string of them so far tonight, with some very nice counter work throughout by both guys. That's one thing I do like about this era even with the Invasion angle being a flop, we're consistently getting proper wrestling matches again instead of nonstop around the ring brawls. They also kept the Steph interference to a minimum. ***1/2

 

Commish Regal and the Rock discuss the Rock's health and the atmosphere tonight, pause for Sean Stasiak to Leroy Jenkins himself into a rolling door trying to attack Rock, then seamlessly continue their conversation. That will never, ever, ever stop being funny.

 

Ladder Match for the WWF Hardcore Championship: Rob Van Dam def Jeff Hardy (c) in 16:33- These two tore it up at Invasion in the best match of the night so it makes total sense to let them have at it again. RVD won that match to take the title, but Jeff has since taken it back through Hardcore match shenanigans. Much like how Pac is going to get booed no matter which side he's on, RVD has been an instant hit with the WWF crowd and is already going to be cheered almost no matter what. Jeff does his usual luck defying walk under the ladder on his entrance. Random thought: the Hardcore title graphic always makes me think of someone falling in the Pit stage in Mortal Kombat 2. Very similar CRUNCH sound. Nice mat wrestling sequence and stalemate to start. Even in a hardcore ladder match. RVD swings some kicks. Jeff ducks under and hits the legdrop to the lower abdominal area. RVD needs a minute after that. He keeps selling it between moves for several minutes after which is a nice touch. Another counter run ends with Jeff hiptossing RVD from the apron down to the floor. Springboard corkscrew moonsault from Jeff to the floor! On the announce table side too, not much room. Jeff tries coming off the top rope but RVD dodges and Jeff crashes into the barricade. He drapes Jeff over the barricade and hits a guillotine legdrop. RVD then gets the ladder. I like how the ladder is painted up to look rougher than usual because it's a HARDCORE ladder match. As RVD is carrying the ladder Jeff ambushes him with his barricade run dive! Jeff gets the ladder and gets it in the ring. RVD springs off the barricade into the ladder, snapping it into Jeff's face! Jeff then leaps over the top rope onto the ladder to do the same thing to RVD! Another ladder shot for RVD. Jeff springboard moonsaults onto RVD on the ladder in the corner! RVD does his split legged duck down but Jeff uses that to crunch his legs down into the mat. RVD gets Jeff in the tree of woe and shoulderblocks him. A big "RVD " chant starts up. He props the ladder on the bottom rope in the corner and sets Jeff on it. Rolling thunder onto Jeff on the ladder! Standing switch waistlock and RVD hits a big swing kick. He superkicks Jeff onto the ladder. Guillotine legdrop over the top rope! Heyman mentions RVD's "homicidal, suicidal and genocidal" mentor but doesn't name any names. Jeff shotgun dropkicks the ladder into RVD, who rolls halfway up the aisle off it! While he's recovering Jeff sets the ladder up and climbs. RVD gets up on the top rope, and kicks Jeff off the ladder! RVD sets Jeff up with a slam, then puts the ladder on top of him. RVD super flippy senton onto the ladder! Now RVD sets up to climb while Jeff goes to the top rope. Shotgun dropkick into the ladder! Jeff does a nice dodge of an RVD sweep kick and hits a DDT. He goes up top but RVD dodges the Swanton Bomb! RVD springs up top. Jeff dodges the 5 Star Frog Splash! Jeff sets up and climbs again. RVD climbs the other side. RVD hooks up and suplexes Jeff off the ladder! Another both side climb. Jeff sunset bombs RVD off the ladder! Jeff climbs and gets to the belt. RVD pulls the ladder aside and Jeff dangles by the hook! The usual Jeff Hardy spot. RVD tries to pull him down but Jeff won't let go. Jeff starts swinging back and forth on the hook. RVD goes up top and comes off with a spin kick! He was supposed to hit Jeff to knock him down, but because Jeff was swinging so much he whiffed. Man, that would have been awesome if they'd pulled it off right. Jeff then lets go and falls back down to the mat. Jeff sets up and climbs again. RVD pushes the ladder over and dumps Jeff down hard. RVD climbs, Jeff's too wounded to stop him, and after a little difficulty RVD gets the belt to get the win! It's not quite at the level of their Invasion match and falls more into the "spotty" category for ladder matches, not to mention they blew the big spot for the final run to the end, but it's still another damn good match from these two. ***3/4

 

Shane has a present for Booker T: bookends made from the very announce table Booker Bookended the Rock through. Booker is very touched and dedicates his match to Shane. Then, cage lowering music!

 

Title vs Title Steel Cage Match: WCW Tag Team Champions The Brothers of Destruction (w/Sara) def WWF Tag Team Champions Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon in 10:17- As mentioned previously, DDP and Kanyon recently won the WWF tag titles from the APA with Test's help, giving them the distinction of being one of only three teams in history to hold both the proper NWA/WCW tag titles pre-sale, from their Jersey Triad days, and the WWF ones (the others being the Steiner Brothers and Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard). The BOD defeated Natural Born Thrillers, the final true WCW tag champs, to take those titles a couple of weeks prior on SD. So each title is being held by the opposite company. "Alliance MVP" Kanyon is also now the WCW US champ, having been gifted that title by Booker T, who came out of WCW proper both the World and US champ but needed to focus on the top title. I'm not sure what looks weirder, DDP wearing a WWF tag title belt, or Undertaker wearing a WCW tag title belt. It's pin or both team members escape the cage rules for this match. Taker slams the door shut behind him and Sara provides the lock and chain for it. As soon as the bell rings the Alliance team tries to climb out. The BOD jump them and the beating is on. Kane pulls Kanyon down from the top of the cage back into the ring. Taker and DDP pair off on the other side as Taker continues to try to get revenge on DDP for stalking his wife. After Taker shrugs off everything DDP throws at him DDP resorts to a low blow, then tosses Taker into the cage. Kane's not concerned as he continues his pounding on Kanyon. DDP even gets a 2 count with Kane right there not bothering to break it up. Soon after that the BOD swap targets and take full control again. Kanyon comes off the top rope right into a Kane chokeslam. Taker continues to toss DDP into the cage all over the place. Kane buckle bombs Kanyon into the upper part of the cage. Taker absolutely murders DDP up against the cage and pauses to pose as the crowd goes nuts. Kanyon manages to get Taker with a clothesline and tries to climb but Kane stops him again. Top rope legdrop from Kanyon and DDP plants Taker with a DDT. Kanyon says "Let's get the hell out of here" and they both climb again. Double zombie situp. Taker climbs on top of the cage and kicks DDP back down. Then he straight up tells Kane "Let him go", letting Kanyon escape because they don't give a shit about him. Kanyon saves his own life and vacates the area. Some MVP. Taker gets a chain, tosses it in the ring, and it's a full two on one beatdown on DDP. Taker wraps the chain around DDP's neck and uses it to toss him into the cage. DDP is enthusiastically selling, I'll give him that. Consummate pro. Taker hooks up for a chokeslam, then decides DDP isn't even worth it. He puts DDP in the corner and tells him "Get your ass out of here now and I'll let you live. You look at her again and I'll kill you". DDP gets onto the top rope before Taker says fuck it, I want to win the match and chokeslams him back down. Last Ride for DDP and Taker gets the pin to claim both sets of titles. That was little more than a dull extended one sided beatdown as part of what has been a completely one sided feud. 1/2*

 

The only plus from that is it would be the end of the Taker/DDP feud and the whole stalker angle for DDP. DDP would suffer a minor injury and miss a couple of months, and when he came back it was with his "That's not a bad thing, that's a GOOD THING" motivational speaker gimmick.

 

Elsewhere, the Rock is in the trainer's room cutting a promo on the trainer checking him out. Mid-promo he casually sidesteps another hamfisted attempt from Stasiak to ambush him. That boy never learns. 

 

WWF Championship: Kurt Angle def "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (c) by DQ in 23:11- Austin solidifying his heel status at Invasion, as well as other circumstances (Triple H and Benoit injured, the company still not confident in Jericho as a top guy, Rock just coming back from a movie shoot), opened the door for the long-brewing face turn for Angle to fully come to fruition. After nearly two years with the company he had proven himself to the fans as the real deal (aided greatly by his Street Fight with Shane at King of the Ring) and was still only getting better. Austin's got a new heel spin on his music. In contrast to all the proper lockup starts we've had tonight this kicks off with a classic Austin mid-aisle brawl jump start. Austin chops Angle against the barricade, sticks the belt in his face, then chops him again. They get in the ring and the bell rings to officially start. Angle tackle into a ground and pound! Big right hands and stomps from Angle in the corner. Austin responds with more chops. Angle pops out of the corner with a clothesline. Crossbody from Angle for 2. Austin hits an elbow to the back of Angle's neck that drops him in a hurry. He then decides to start picking apart Angle's knee. Austin hooks on a stepover toe hold. Angle counters that into an ankle lock attempt! Austin quickly grabs a rope and bails to the floor. Angle follows but walks into a huge Austin clothesline. Back in Angle has a comeback punch flurry but Austin ducks and backdrops him over the top back to the floor. Suplex from Austin back in. A second. He slaps Angle's back almost like he's saying "I can suplex too you son of a bitch". A third Austin suplex for 2. He goes for four. Angle slips out and goes into ROLLLLLLLLLLING GERMANS! Two! Three! Austin back elbows free before four....no, Angle ducks a swing and hits number four! FIVE! Austin grabs the ropes to try to get free. Angle pounds his back to get him back off them. SIX Germans! SEVEN! Angle looks for the Angle Slam but Austin slips free, eye pokes Angle, and pushes him face first into the corner. Angle fights off a superplex attempt. Austin gets up, resets, and hits the superplex! STUNNER! ANGLE KICKS OUT! Austin is FURIOUS at Hebner for not getting to 3. A SECOND STUNNER! But the momentum sends Angle flying out to the floor. Austin gives Angle a trio of posts shots and Angle's bleeding. Austin gets the belt to use but Hebner takes it away. Austin tells Hebner he's #1, then says what the hell one more post shot. He continues to pound on Angle on the floor as Angle's building up a pretty good crimson mask. Cover back in and Angle JUST lifts a shoulder up before 3! Austin tosses Angle out to the floor and runs him into the post yet again. Announce table shot for Angle right in front of JR. Angle manages to get free and push Austin over the barricade. Austin gets up almost amused. He suplexes Angle over the barricade into the crowd! As Austin's getting back over the barricade Angle slaps the ankle lock on him! He can't get a submission on the floor, but he can sure hurt Austin. Angle drags Austin backwards up the stairs by his legs back into the ring, and once Austin's fully back in the ankle lock is back on again! Austin manages to get to the ropes. Both guys take some time to recover. Angle belly to belly suplexes Austin on the floor! Austin is back up swinging. Angle ducks and hits a back suplex on the floor! Back in Angle sets up on the top rope. The moonsault hits! There's a first time for everything. He's slow to cover and Austin kicks out. Off a rope whip they trade some counters and Austin goes deep into his old playbook, hooking on a Million Dollar Dream! Angle ducks and gets a leg takedown with the hold on, but Austin manages to keep it on and now has Angle grounded. Angle fights back up and does the classic walk up the corner Bret Hart counter, but Austin, who should know that one by now, get free before he's pinned. He even still manages to keep the hold on. Fantastic stuff. Hebner goes to arm drops on Angle. Angle fights back up on the third and manages to momentum swing Austin out to the floor. Austin sneaks around and gets back in behind Angle, coiled and ready to finish it off. KICK WHAM STUNNER! Third one this match. AGAIN ANGLE GETS A SHOULDER UP BEFORE 3! Austin is amazed Angle is still fighting and lets Angle drag himself back up on him. Austin paintbrushes Angle's face and goes for another Stunner. Angle counters! Angle Slam! It takes a while for Angle to cover and Austin JUST kicks out. Angle reaches over and grabs the ankle lock but Austin was already in the corner and uses the ropes to push free. Austin decks Hebner! Guess it's time for some overbooking shenanigans. Hell of a flop out of the ring by Hebner there too. Very well done. Angle hits a DDT. Backup ref Mike Chioda runs in and counts 2. Straight low blow from Austin. Chioda reads Austin the riot act for that. Stunner on Chioda! Austin goes out and gets the belt. Here comes ref #3, Tim White. Austin floors him with a belt shot before he can do anything! Angle sneaks behind while he's doing that. Angle Slam on Austin! Cover but every ref in the building is dead. Wait, here comes WCW ref Nick Patrick! He counts one, then calls for the bell. Patrick tells Fink it's a DQ on Austin for murdering three refs. I mean, technically it is the right call. Still a crap finish though. Angle drags Patrick into the ring and hooks him in the ankle lock to let off some steam. Put a proper finish on this match and you could well be looking at an all time classic. As it is it's merely a great match with a shit finish. Austin being able to drag his completely broken down body to something like this and keep up every step with getting closer to prime Angle goes to show, as I've said many times before, he was much more than a guy that could talk, he was legitimately one of the best that's ever been in the ring. ****1/4

 

JR has an absolutey hilarious meltdown on Heyman over the result of that match before we kick into the main event video package. Heyman's amazed silence only makes it better.

 

WCW Championship: The Rock def Booker T (c) (w/Shane McMahon) in 15:18- For the first time the Big Gold Belt is being defended on WWF TV. Ric Flair carried it when he brought it with him to WWF back in '91 as the "Real World's Champion", but it was never defended. It's really nice to see Booker getting a main event slot on a Big 4 PPV even if he and WCW aren't being taken entirely seriously. WCW ref Lil' Naitch Charles Robinson is handling this one. Booker tries to jump before the bell but Rock was ready for him. Rock then slides out to go after Shane and we go down with a cameraman that gets knocked down. Shane leads Rock into the ring where Booker was waiting. Rock pushes Booker into Shane and hits a Samoan drop for 2. Chops from Booker. Clothesline from Rock and he whips out a new move for him, a magistral cradle, for 2. Side kick from Booker for 2. Rock momentum tosses Booker over the top to the floor. Announce table shots for Booker. Rock positions Booker on the table and gives him a straight Greco Roman Nut Punch. JR's monitor went out when that happened. Booker gives Rock a stair shot and crotches him on the barricade. They both hop over and it's crowd brawl time. When they come back across Rock tries to fight back but Booker whips him into the post. "With Kurt Angle's dried blood still on it" is a great JR line. While that's happening Shane unties a top turnbuckle pad. Another Rock comeback is cut off by a side kick back in for 2. Short clothesline from Booker. Kneedrop and Booker starts feeling it. JR has another anti-Spinaroonie rant. There's been wars fought with less hatred than what JR has for the Spinaroonie. Flying forearm from Booker for 2. He grounds Rock with a chinlock. Arm drops and Rock fights back up. After a leverage fight Rock gets a double leg takedown and hooks on the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter. Shane gets up on the apron again. Rock flips him into the ring, but that opens him up for a Booker superkick for 2. Rock counters a corner whip into a short clothesline and slingshots Booker into the corner with exposed turnbuckle. DDT from Rock for 2. I think. From the camera angle I didn't see Booker kick out, but Naitch counted 2. Shane gets a chair and places it in the corner. Booker crawls over and gets it. While Naitch is stopping that, Shane comes in and waffles Rock with the Big Gold Belt! The APA run in! Bradshaw Clothesline from Hell on Shane! There's the payoff for earlier. Booker plants Rock with the Bookend! Rock kicks out! Punch flurry from Rock. Flying clothesline. Snap belly to belly for 2. Booker gets a knee to the gut but runs into Rock's spinebuster! Pad off! People's Elbow! Shane stops Naitch from counting 3. Rock goes out and Rock Bottoms Shane on the floor! Full corner smackdown punches from Rock. Booker manages to hit his own spinebuster. Kick and Booker hits the scissors kick. Spinaroonie! Rock kips up! Rock Bottom! Rock gets the pin and wins the title! I think they did just enough for it to hit being good, but it still had some rough patches and not at all smooth or effortless chemistry. To my eye I think Booker still wasn't entirely comfortable in his new digs yet. It's also let down by the fact almost everyone knew how it was going to go, especially after the screwy finish the last match. ***

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Summerslam has been on a good run since '98 and that continues this year. The Invasion angle as we all know was destined for flopsville, but it's still in the earlyish days where something might have been salvaged. And regardless, consistently good wrestling up and down the card can help make up for any manner of long term angle ills and that's definitely what we got tonight. The crowd was hot all night long too. I also want to give a shoutout to Heyman, who did a great job in commentary of openly rooting for his Alliance stablemates, but never crossed the line into being insufferable or annoying about it (looking at you, Don Callis).

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B+ 

Great American Bash '85

Legacy Review

Great American Bash '85

July 6, 1985 from Charlotte Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC

 

Well this is a nice surprise. Years ago I reviewed three Great American Bash tour shows that were uploaded to the fantastic Hidden Gems section of the old WWE Network, two from '86 and one from '88. Now WWE has just uploaded onto their WCW Vault channel on YouTube the first ever GAB show from 1985. Previously this show was only available as a hugely truncated one hour VHS release. Now we have the whole show to enjoy, and I will always take more mid '80s Jim Crockett Promotions shows, one of my favorite periods in wrestling history.

 

Starrcade was a huge success the past two years for Crockett and the NWA, even if the '84 show wasn't all that great, so the obvious thing to do was to try to add on some more supercard shows. Since Starrcade was a Thanksgiving show, it made sense to hold one during the middle of the summer, specifically coinciding with the 4th of July holiday. Starting in '86 GAB would become a multi-week tour of shows during midsummer before eventually becoming a yearly PPV, but this first year it's just a single outdoor stadium show. And the NWA wouldn't be putting all its eggs in this basket right away, as they also had a huge joint show with the AWA planned for the fall to try to compete with the WWF's success with the first Wrestlemania, which would end up being the first Superclash. They were also slowly building to what would end up being possibly the greatest Starrcade of all time in November.

 

We get the "presented in the most complete form possible" disclaimer at the start, which is completely understandable under the circumstances. Some skydivers start things off to get the crowd going. #1 misses his spot pretty bad, #2 does better, and #3 sticks the landing right on target. After that is a real nice panning shot of the whole crowd before intros for the first match. I like how there's only a dozen or so rows of floor seats. Yeah it makes the stadium field look awful empty, but I can tell you from experience that if you get that far back on unraised seats at a wrestling show you can hardly see a damn thing anyway. No commentary for this show as it wasn't shown on TV. 

 

"Cowboy" Ron Bass and "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel (w/JJ Dillon) time limit draw- Bass' nickname is "Cowboy" here instead of the more well known "Outlaw" because he's a face. Landel's whole gimmick is he's a delusional heel that thinks he's the real "Nature Boy", and in fact had just had a few title shots against the real Nature Boy so this is a bit far down on the card for him considering. Also ironic that Dillon's managing him when he'll soon be the manager of the Four Horsemen. Red Pants is the referee working the first batch of matches tonight. You know Red Shoes Unno, here's Red Pants Sonny Fargo. He was a regular ref for lower card matches for Crockett in this period. The bell rings and Landel immediately runs around and bails to the floor. When he gets in he tries to hide behind the ref and bails again. After some Dillon advice he manages to attack Bass from behind, triggering off an extended back and forth slugfest. Landel takes a couple of buckle shots and rolls out again. Cautious knucklelock back in. Off a whip Landel grabs the ropes and escapes to the turf one more time. Bass has had enough and chases him down. Post shot for Landel and Bass is very happy with his handiwork. Another cautious knucklelock in the ring and Bass stomps on Landel's foot. He starts working on Landel's arm. ARMBAR. Landel backs him into the corner and hits some chops. Bass dodges in the opposite corner and Landel runs shoulder first into the top turnbukle. Bass identifies the target and runs the shoulder into the corner a couple of more times. He hooks on a hammerlock to try to work the shoulder some more. Landel eye rakes free. Bass hooks on the gut claw! Landell gets himself free and powders again. Back in Landell tries an arm wringer that Bass easily reverses. Bass then delights in some more arm punishment. It's always good to see someone that loves their job so much. Landel gets another chop in and tosses Bass out. Dillon gets a couple of shots in, including the dreaded back rake. Landel gives Bass a shot on the timekeeper's table that actually rings the bell, then chokes him with a camera cable. Back in Landel works a chinlock and asks "Who's the real Nature Boy?". In between chinlocks Dillon gets a slap and chokes in. Bass dodges an elbow drop and gets a flash small package for 2. Landel gets back on the chinlock, then there's a small edit cutting to Landel beating on Bass on the turf again. Bass fires back and knocks Landel around the ringside area. Landel begs off back in. No dice there. Landel then tries to walk. Bass follows, but then chases Dillon after Dillon tries to distract. Landel tries to use that to jump but Bass was ready for him. Bass no sells some punches and they stand off as the bell rings for the 20 minute time limit draw (about 17 minutes shown thanks to the edit). Pretty time limit stally and it didn't have the usual trying for a last second win flurry at the end (which might be more of a plus than a minus), but overall it was an OK opener. **

 

The fight continues a bit after the bell. Dillon tries to get involved but Bass maneuvers him and Landel into colliding, then Bass puts the Claw on Dillon before Landel saves him. 

 

NWA National Tag Team Championship: The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (c) def Buzz Sawyer and Dick Slater- The National titles were the titles in the NWA's Georgia territory that was recently acquired by Crockett after the whole Black Saturday fiasco, the start of Crockett's expansion that would eventually overtax them and lead to their downfall and Turner buyout. The Arn and Ole Anderson team go by both The Andersons and The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (second version) and it's hard to tell what it's supposed to be on any given day, so in the absence of clarity I'm going with the much cooler name. One of the best team names ever. Sawyer and Slater ride in on a golf cart, charge to the ring and attack! It's weird seeing them as faces as both had most of their most prominent exposure as heels (and Sawyer was a pretty big heel in real life by all accounts). Sawyer's got on fur covered boots that honestly look like they could be slippers. Big 2v2 brawl with Slater atomic dropping Arn on the floor while Sawyer takes it to Ole in the ring. Eventually the faces clear the ring and pose while the Andersons try to find an opening. They think they see one and call the play but the faces are ready for them again. Red Pants finally restores some order with Arn and Slater in the ring. They lock up and Arn pushes Slater to his corner so Ole can blind tag in. The Andersons try a corner beatdown but we're quickly all in donnybrooking again. Sawyer bites Arn. The Andersons get whipped into each other and bail for a think again. Reset with Slater now stalling Ole to play some of his own mind games. Lockup and Slater hooks on a hammerlock. Ole gets dragged around by the arm but escapes enough to make a tag. Arn tries a corner floatover but Sawyer turns around and decks him with a forearm. After another short order breakdown Sawyer ducks an Arn crossbody attempt, but Arn bounces the right way and tags out. Sawyer and Ole have a nice short mat sequence before Sawyer starts in some arm work on him. Slater comes in with an elbow off the top rope on Ole. Slam and elbow drop from Slater for 2. He tries for a figure four but Ole tights pulls him down to the mat. The Andersons try a double team. Sawyer runs in to stop them, but takes away Red Pants' attention and the Andersons beat Slater down in their corner. The next couple of minutes are some classic Anderson arm work and cutting the ring in half, keeping Slater in their corner with nice toe holds. They make a mistake when Ole tries to get creative (there's a sentence with multiple future meanings) and goes up top. Slater slams him off! Tag to Sawyer. Sawyer hits a powerslam on Arn for 2. Flying forearm and he covers Arn. Ole elbow drops Sawyer in the back of his head, covers and wraps his head up so the ref can't see it's him, and gets a three count even though Sawyer might have just kicked out in time. It was bang bang. Slater points out to Red Pants the wrong Anderson was making the pin but the Andersons are already half out of the stadium. They even left the belts behind. After a minute or so the ring announcer says the Andersons win....by DQ. Uh, OK? Nothing in the online results on Cagematch or Wiki say anything about a DQ and I can't see any reason for a DQ going that direction so I'm going with the ring announcer goofing on that. A solidly good match that showed off that classic advanced level Anderson tag team strategery. ***

 

Manny Fernandez, Buzz Tyler and Sam Houston def Abdullah the Butcher, Konga the Barbarian and "Superstar" Billy Graham- Tyler is the reigning Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight champion and has his belt on. Fernandez is the reigning NWA Mid-Atlantic Bare Knuckles champion and does not have his belt on. If there even was a belt for that short lived title, I don't remember. Konga is the artist that will later be known as just the Barbarian, mostly in WWF and WCW. Tyler and Graham start. Quick speed run and Graham runs into Fernandez on the apron, knocking himself down. Too bad for Graham he didn't run into Houston, that bean pole wouldn't have even bothered him. Graham backs off and tags Barbarian. They do the same sequence, but Barbarian slams on the brakes before hitting Fernandez. But that allows the faces to knock him around the circle a couple of times. Barbarian gets a chop on Fernandez. Fernandez responds with a back elbow and some chops of his own. Fernandez fakes Barbarian out with a crossbody tease, then hops to the other side and hits the crossbody for 2. Graham tags back in and Fernandez speeds around him, not difficult as Graham was barely mobile by this point, and hits an uppercut. Graham wants a time out. Fernandez responds with a Spaceballs salute. The faces work on Graham's arm for a bit. Graham is easily able to outmuscle Houston once he's in, getting him in the heel corner and tagging in Abby. Abby runs Houston over, which is about the equivalent of a train hitting a sheep. Barbarian hits a slam and legdrop on Houston. Graham comes in with some martial arts shots to the throat. Fernandez runs in to try to stop a triple team, but that only lets Abby squash Houston in the heel corner. Houston gets tossed out and flipped over the guardrail. Fernandez helps him back over and into the ring, but Houston stays in peril. Eventually Houston manages to speed around Graham and hits a crossbody. DONNYBROOK! Houston wraps Graham up in a small package, and gets a shock upset pin! After the bell Houston celebrates like crazy with his teammates for a couple of minutes, clearly unable to believe what he just did. Solid six man stuff, with a good old "monster heels vs quick bumpaholic babyfaces" formula. **1/2

 

Dog Collar Match: Jimmy Valiant (w/Buzz Tyler) def Paul Jones (w/Abdullah the Butcher)- Hebner checks in to ref the next couple of matches. Yes, Hebner was with the NWA for a while before joining WWF. I haven't seen anything close to resembling a decent Jimmy Valiant match during these years and I'm not expecting that to start now. Most of those shitfests have been against former wrestler turned manager Jones too. This was a neverending feud. The crowd was always hot for it though, I can't deny Valiant's offbeat charisma. Not sure why two guys from the last match stayed behind to be seconds but whatever. Naturally we get the usual heel refusing to put the collar on stalling. Jones takes the collar, has a really good and long think about how exactly to apply it....then tries to put it on Abby. Tyler jumps him and forces it on, but while he's doing that Abby lays out Valiant. Once the collar's on the bell rings to officially start things. Valiant is still wobbled and Jones takes advantage to work him over. Valiant's already bleeding and we get plenty of his specialized spasm selling. He's got "FM 100" on his tights. Is that a local radio station that's sponsoring him? Jones goes up to the second rope, then comes down with what I really hope wasn't an attempt at a move because it was weak as shit. He goes up there again. Valiant uses the chain to crotch him! Jones gets out of the ring and tries to run but can't because of the chain. Valiant uses it to pull him into the post. Jones gets back in and Valiant works him over with his crazy over the top punches that make the Rock's look subtle. Jones is bleeding a little. Valiant hooks on the sleeper! Abby tries to get in. Valiant uses the chain to pull Jones into Abby. Elbow drop, cover, and Valiant gets the pin. After the bell Abby attacks Valiant with his Spike of Death but Tyler fights him off with a chair. The usual slow motion, barely come within 6 inches of each other on any strikes crapfest from these two, but at least they kept it short and to the point. 1/4*

 

NWA World Tag Team Championship: AWA World Tag Team Champions The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) and The Russian Team (c) double DQ- There's another edit that clips the entrances for this match, so sadly I can't say if the Roadies rode in on their bikes or not. The Roadies are announced as the AWA World tag champs (without their belts though), but the ring announcer makes it clear this is for the NWA titles only. Then he goes and does a full on Lillian Botch, announcing the Russians as Ivan and Nikita Koloff when it's Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev defending tonight, before quickly correcting himself. The Russian Team were a three man unit that defended under Freebird Rules, and Nikita had bigger things going on later tonight. Kruschev is the very not Russian Barry Darsow, the future Demolition Smash, Repo Man and Blacktop Bully. Not all at the same time. Hawk and Ivan start. Hawk easily overpowers him out of the first lockup. Ivan tries a top wristlock but Hawk also fights that off. Ivan tries to counter a backdrop attempt with a kick but Hawk dodges it and hits the backdrop going the other way. Powerslam for 2 and both sides tag. Animal and Kruschev have a little flex off. Lockup and Kruschev picks Animal up and tosses him! Pretty unexpected and impressive power there honestly. Another lockup and this time Animal does the lifting and tossing, with a bit more force. Test of strength that ends in a stalemate. They have a long top wristlock leverage fight that also ends in stalemate. Full speed shoulderblock collisions that are also inconclusive. Very fun sequence there. Kruschev cranks things up a notch by laying in the first strikes between the two and he hits a slam. Animal comes off the ropes with a tackle. He has a bit of trouble lifting Kruschev up, but eventually does and drops him on the top rope. Both sides tag again. Ivan gets a boot up in the corner and goes up top, but Hawk slams him back down. Running chop and fistdrop from Hawk for 2. He hooks on a front facelock. Ivan manages to fight over and get a tag, but Kruschev was standing on the bottom rope so Hebner doesn't allow it! Yes, back when tag rules were actually enforced. To a degree. While Kruschev is arguing that the Roadies swap without a tag! Hebner hilariously makes a big show asking the crowd if there was a tag, then shrugs his shoulders and pretty much goes "whatever". Kruschev decides to argue some more and the Roadies swap with no tag again! Another very fun expectation subverting sequence. Then Hawk does a little biting. The Roadies can heel it up all they want, there's no way in hell the crowd is going to root for the Soviet pinko commies. Hawk press slams Ivan, then Animal tags in and hits a big elbow drop for 2. He chinlocks Ivan literally inches away from being able to tag just to tease him, then drags him back over. Ivan manages to fight back to his corner, but Kruschev isn't there for the tag! He gets back on the apron but just misses Ivan again! I don't know what happened there, if Hawk pulled him down or not, we never saw on camera. Kruschev has finally had enough, getting in the ring and brawling with Hawk. They go around the ring and back in, and while passing Animal Kruschev gives him a shot to finally put the Russians in control. They quick tag to keep Animal isolated. Animal ducks an Ivan punch and hits a back suplex, but Kruschev cuts the tag off. Back elbow on Animal for 2. Animal headbutts Ivan in the gut but again gets blocked from tagging. Tagblocked. Kruschev and Animal double clothesline each other. Tag to Ivan. Tag to Hawk! Hawk runs wild on everyone. Big clothesline on Ivan but the pin is broken up. Everyone in the pool! Hawk hands Ivan to Animal on the ropes, but before Animal can do anything Kruschev hits him with a chair. Hawk gets the chair and unloads chairshots on everyone. Hebner calls for the bell, tossing the match out. No one cares, they're still fighting. Eventually the Roadies clear the ring to stand tall at the end. That was a pretty damn fun match with some very well done mini stories and everyone working hard. You can even forgive the finish as that was the norm in these kinds of interpromotional matches back then. ***1/4

 

Three days after this show, the Rock N Roll Express made their debut with Crockett and in their first night with the company defeated the Russian Team for the World tag titles, kicking off a feud that would last the rest of the year and culminate in a steel cage match at Starrcade. Over the next couple of years the RNR Express would be arguably the top draw in the whole company, even more than Ric Flair or Dusty Rhodes.

 

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship: Magnum TA (c) def Kamala (w/Skandor Akbar) by DQ- Magnum is in his first reign as US champ, and he was someone the NWA and Crockett had a lot of hopes in as a future company carrying babyface. This is a one off stop for Kamala in Crockett as he was mostly working for the AWA and Mid-South at this time. NWA senior ref Tommy Young steps in for this match. He tries some prematch instructions but impatient Kamala takes is as a cue to attack instead. Probably a translation issue. Skandor Akbar is no Kim Chee. Magnum ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody with a very delayed Kamala reaction. After a few punches Kamala makes a hard left turn out of the ring and out to the turf. Back in Kamala holds his hand up for a test of strength. Magnum comes in cautious and decks Kamala before Kamala can try anything sneaky. Kamala eye rakes and hits a head chop. He drops Magnum on the top rope and lays in some more head chops, followed by a back kick and the classic "I'm hungry" belly pat. Magnum is already bleeding off the chops. This is most definitely the NWA's "blood heavy" period. Kamala bites the cut then hooks on the Titty Pinch of Pain +2. He switches between that and choking. Magnum tries to power up but Kamala head chops him again. Big splash for 2. Chops to Magnum's back and Kamala hits another big splash, then tries to pin Magnum while Magnum's face down. Kamala even hooks a leg! What a goof. More choking and titty pinching follow. Magnum fights up again and punches free. He comes off the ropes but Kamala chops him in the back of the head as he's passing. Magnum fights up again and goes into full resilient babyface comeback mode. Corner dodges and Kamala crashes into the corner. Magnum wobbles Kamala with dropkicks and the third one puts him down. Magnum covers. Akbar comes in and attacks Magnum to draw the cheap DQ. The heels try to continue the punishment after the bell. Magnum slams Kamala! Then belly to belly suplexes him! Sure, do the best stuff after the match is over. He covers and counts a quick three on his own while Young reminds him the match is already over. You're never going to get much out of Kamala and Magnum wasn't really good enough to carry anyone yet, but he certainly tried. *3/4

 

The ring announcer has an important announcement: if you're parking on the other side of Independence at the baseball field, you better go and move your car now or it's going to get blown up by the post-show fireworks being set off from there. I'm paraphrasing a bit. I believe the legal phrase for that announcement is "covering your ass". 

 

NWA World's Heavyweight Championship: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) (w/local TV sports personality) def Nikita Koloff (w/Ivan Koloff)- Nikita Koloff only had about a year of experience under his belt and was still awfully green, but he'd become a big enough heel thanks to his Soviet gimmick to get a test run against The Man here. He's billed as Ivan Koloff's nephew, but in reality was from that great factory for wrestlers in the 20th century, Minnesota. Flair was slightly over a year into his (officially) third reign as champion, a reign that would end up being the longest of all his reigns. We're also still in the period where Flair is a face in his home territory. His big heel turn and the start of the slow formation of the Four Horsemen won't happen until the fall. After Nikita's entrance the ring announcer tells fans to clear the field in a certain section as they have a special surprise happening over there. It's soon clear what it is. A helicopter slowly makes its way in and lands there, and lo and behold there's Ric Flair inside it. That's making an entrance. And in the News 9 WSOC TV News Copter no less! The man spares no expense. A red carpet gets rolled out and fans quickly swarm the area. It takes security a bit to get Flair a path to the ring and there's another edit there. Some local TV sports guy handles the ring announcements, all while holding a rubber chicken. I have no idea if that's some reference to the Russians being chickens or if that's just his gimmick. For some reason David Crockett is reffing this match instead of Tommy Young, wearing khakis and a teal polo. It looks like he walked out of the corporate office straight into the ring. Flair struts a bit after the bell and we're on. Much stronger Nikita easily wins the early lockups. Flair works around into a hammerlock and down for a leg takedown. Quick reset. Nikita cranks a headlock and fights off Flair's attempt to escape with a top wristlock, all while the crowd is distracted by something or other. Flair backs into the corner and hits a big chop flurry, followed by a hiptoss and some more strutting. Nikita responds with his own corner attack and hiptoss. Backbreaker for 2. Nikita hooks on a bear hug. Flair bell rings out. Whip from Nikita and he gets the bear hug back on. Flair jabs free this time. Clothesline from Nikita followed by a choke before he goes back to the bear hug. This time Flair lifts him up and hits an inverted atomic drop! He fires off some more chops. Nikita hits a forearm and yet more bear hug. They're keeping it dead simple for him. Flair goes down into some near falls. He fights back up into the corner but Nikita hits another backbreaker for 2. Flair shoulders Nikita in the gut to get some space. Snap mare/kneedrop combo for 2. More chops. Leg sweep and Flair goes for the knee for the first time. Back suplex. Nikita tries to fight it but Flair hooks on the figure four! Nikita eye rakes free. Flair grabs the leg to try to stay on it, but Nikita hooks him in a front chancery. Flair drops into some more near falls. When he gets back up Nikita switches to a headlock, then hits a shoulderblock. More Flair chops wobble Nikita. Flair hooks on a sleeper! Nikita backs him into the corner and muscles Flair up for a slam. Flair Flip! He falls all the way down to the turf. Nikita runs him into the post a couple of times and Flair does his usual duck near the ring skirt to blade right on camera (the camera's fault, not his). Flair crawls back in bleeding. Nikita bites the cut and covers for 2 with Flair's blood on his mouth. Nice. Clothesline from Nikita, but he takes absolutely forever to cover and only gets 2. Rookie mistake. He goes back for the bear hug but Flair very quickly bell rings free again. He's bleeding pretty good now. Comeback flurry from Flair. Chop and roll up for 2. He ground and pounds Nikita some and struts around again. Suplex from Flair. Elbow drop for 2. Corner chop and jabs. Ivan pulls Flair down in the corner and Nikita lays into him. Crockett goes down somewhere in there. Ivan goes up to the top rope. When he comes down he manages to take Crockett out again, not anyone else. A fan comes into the ring and grabs Ivan! 100% total legit fan run in here. Security very quickly runs in and gets him away. Once they clear out Flair does another Flair Flip, goes across the apron and comes off the top rope with a crossbody that Nikita completely fucks up his end of. After a lot of groping they get in position for Flair to cover for 1. Flair goes to the apron and pulls Nikita over the top rope for some elbow shots. Nikita lifts Flair back into the ring, but Flair falls on top of him and gets a pin! After the bell the Russians take Flair out while the ring announcer asks fans to clear the ringside area. It's still real to everyone, dammit. The face locker room tries to run in and help but the Russians take them all out too and leave Flair laying on the turf to end it. House show loop rematches set up. We're just getting into Flair's peak period, and this is a classic "good match with a broomstick" Flair match as he carried Koloff as well as possible. ***1/2

 

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Television Championship: "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes def Tully Blanchard (c) (w/Baby Doll)- The TV title might seem like a bit of a come down for Dusty, but this was the hottest feud in the company at the time, which is why it's main eventing over the World title. That and the cage was too much work back then to put up and take down during the show.  Blanchard held the TV title for almost exactly a year before Dusty defeated him in March, then Blanchard managed to win it back again in April. In this period Blanchard looked every bit the surefire future world champion before his personal demons took over and Crockett was slowly grooming him to move up the card. More on that later. Another edit on the tape and we jump from Flair laying on the ground to the cage already set up for this match and both wrestlers in the ring. Tommy Young is back in to ref. This is announced as lights out unsanctioned. There's also an added stipulation that if Dusty wins he gets Baby Doll as his manager for 30 days. Blanchard's been making use of a loaded elbow pad lately, and he refuses to let Young check it. Dusty insists, so Young insists, and finally Blanchard relents. Young gives it every test possible, even standing on it, and says it's clean. Lockup and Dusty gets a quick elbow in. Blanchard dodges another elbow and we get a bit of a strut off. Dusty wins that. Speed run and Dusty hits a slam. Blanchard takes a second to double check the door really is locked, which makes Young also double double check. Yes it is. Remember the NWA didn't do escape rules cage matches like WWF did, they were designed to keep the wrestlers locked in and everyone else out. Dusty gets a leg takedown and drops an elbow. Blanchard pounds away on him on the mat, then tights pulls Dusty into the cage for the first cage shot. Elbow off the second rope from Blanchard. Dusty's already bleeding. Another cage shot for Dusty. Blanchard hooks on a chinlock. Dusty jawbreakers out. Blanchard dodges an elbow drop and hits his own. He grounds Dusty again with an armbar. Dusty comes back up firing off elbows. Cage shot for Blanchard. Dusty gives him repeated shots into the cage and now Blanchard is bleeding. Both wrestlers keep pushing Young away, he's taking as many bumps as anyone. Dusty hits a couple of swinging double ax handles and gives Blanchard the good old cheese grater spot on the cage. Blanchard crawls to the door and tries to open it. Still locked. Blanchard slips out of a suplex attempt but runs into a Dusty clothesline for 2. Dusty hooks on a figure four! Blanchard reverses it and they have a mutual agreement rope break. Blanchard tries to attack Dusty's knee from the mat. Dusty gives him some more elbows and backdrops out of a Blanchard piledriver attempt. Blanchard starts to climb the cage. Dusty follows, headbutts him, and gives him an elbow that drops him down to the mat. Dusty walks the top rope a bit using the cage as a support, then drops down with an elbow that's mostly dodged. Blanchard rolled away but it still hit him in the back. Both guys are down. Blanchard climbs the ropes again and Baby Doll hands him the loaded elbow pad. He puts it on, but never gets a chance to use it because Dusty pulls him down by the tights, plants him with a piledriver, and gets the pin to win the title and Baby Doll's services for 30 days! The face locker room empties to celebrate with Dusty and the last shot before the tape ends is a furiously resisting Baby Doll being drug into the ring. Another good but not quite great co-main event. There's nothing wrong with it, it just never hit the next level for whatever reason. ***1/2

 

The loss wouldn't bother Blanchard any. I mentioned he was slowly being groomed for bigger things. Later this very same month he'd defeat Magnum TA for the US title, kicking off another red hot feud that would end at Starrcade in their legendary I Quit Steel Cage match.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Not a blowaway start to the Great American Bash lineage, but it's still a fun stadium show. Old school shows like this almost always lived or died by their main event(s), and this one delivered well enough in that regard. It's also a good window into what Crockett was doing right at the beginning of their hottest period. Watching this won't exactly change your wrestling life, but still I'm very happy to see this finally liberated out of the vault after so long and I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to check out some classic NWA action.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B