Hello everyone. Once again, I’m back with a look back at a PPV from wresting’s past. I did a WWE one last time, this time it is time for a WCW PPV! It’s Great American Bash 1999. Yes, I’m deciding to sit through a WCW PPV after Starrcade 1997. Mostly because it was the first full one that I could find.
-Oh look, it’s Master P and The No Limit Soldiers! Curt Hennig wants an autograph and gets one, then rips it up in Master P’s face.
-The story for the World Title Match between Kevin Nash and Randy Savage involved a lot of poop being thrown on each other. Was this as ripped on in 99 as it would have been now???
Kendo Stick Hardcore Match: Brian Knobbs (w/Jimmy Hart) vs Hak (aka Sandman, w/Chastity))
-It’s so weird seeing Sandman somewhere other than ECW during this time period.
-The announcers are trying to hype these hardcore matches as a staple of WCW events. Too bad they were third in line when it comes to promotions who used them during this time period.
-Jimmy Hart holds a chair on the apron for Knobbs to throw Hak into, but Hak instead throws Knobbs into he chair, then hits Knobbs with the kendo stick to pick up the win.
-After the match Hugh Morris, part of Jimmy Hart’s First Family, attacks Hak. He hits a moonsault on Hak with the ladder on top of him. Knobbs then hits a splash with a garbage can.
-Backstage, Buff Bagwell thanks Roddy Piper for his match tonight, then tells Piper he has his back tonight.
Mikey Whipwreck vs Van Hammer
-At this point, I’m not convinced this isn’t an ECW PPV.
-WCW is trying to re-push Van Hammer here as a serious threat after he was a hippie 70s guy. His offense is way too slow and generic though.
-I couldn’t tell if the crowd was chanting “Goldberg” or “Boring.” Either way, both make sense.
-Why is this match still going on? Van Hammer hits a suplex from the second rope, where he is holding Whipwreck for about ten seconds. And they let him kick out? Not a way to get Van Hammer over.
-Van Hammer drops Whipwreck on the apron, but Whipwreck comes back and hits a dive to the outside.
-Van Hammer wins after an Alabama Slam and a Cobra Clutch Slam. That was long and painful to watch.
Disco Inferno vs Buff Bagwell
-Disco Inferno had one of my favorite corny theme songs ever.
-How is Buff Bagwell so over with the crowd? I never thought he was that great.
-Once again, a slow moving match with a lot of generic offense.
-Disco Inferno hits the “Last Dance,” aka the Stunner, on the floor. Too bad Disco’s delivery looks like crap.
-Buff Bagwell starts his comeback and wins with his spinning neckbreaker off the top for the win. Those comeback moves were worse than John Cena’s.
Konnan and Rey Mysterio vs Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncam Jr.
-Master P and The No Limit Soldiers are at ringside. Oh WCW, you tried everything to stay relevant during this time period.
-The match starts with Konnan and Mysterio clearing the ring of Hennig and Duncam. Master P slams Hennig across the head.
-Duncam Jr. catches Mysterio mid-air and hits a backbreaker, giving the heels control.
-Hennig does a spot where he sits on Mysterio’s head in the corner. That was, um, awkward.
-They try to do the “ref never saw the tag spot” a second time, except the ref did see Rey tag Konnan and they just blew the spot.
-So the match ends in a big mess Barry Windham attacks Konnan on the outside. Master P’s bodyguard takes out Duncam in the ring with the ref distracted, and Rey pins Duncam, despite not being the legal man. After the match the heels hog tie Mysterio and Konnan. Cluster**** at its finest.
Ernest Miller (w/Sonny Ohno) vs Scott Norton
-Horace Hogan comes out instead. He knows Miller hit him with a crowbar on Nitro, so he decides he wants to fight Miller instead.
-The nWo Black and White was still a thing at this time. Too bad it was full of jobbers for the most part.
-Sonny Ohno distracts the ref, allowing Miller to hit Hogan with a shoe he had in his briefcase. Miller picks up the win and dances in the shoes after.
Roddy Piper vs Ric Flair (w/Arn Anderson): Winner Becomes President of WCW
-Man, WCW put together some really shitty video packages recapping feuds.
-So Piper is Comissioner, and Flair is President. And you thought the WWE had too many people in charge.
-Flair goes to the corner and grabs the ref, then hits a weak looking low blow with his leg. Arn Anderson then takes it to Piper on the outside.
-Piper grabs Flair’s trunk and exposes Flair’s butt to the crowd.
-The ref is talking to Arn Anderson on the outside and Flair hits Piper with some brass knucks. Flair takes too long to make the pin and Piper kicks out at two.
-Flair has the Figure Four applied and Arn is helping him out. Bagwell takes out Arn then goes to work on Flair, causing a DQ. Suddenly, Piper attacks Bagwell and along with Flair and Anderson take out Bagwell. Flair wins via DQ and remains President. Again: Cluster****.
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Rick Steiner vs Sting
-Sting throws a drink in Ric Steiner’s face. I wonder if the fan was comped for that?
-Rick Steiner turned heel a few weeks ago. The announcers are basically saying he was a wimp before then.
-Sting hits a couple of Stinger Splash’s then applies the Scorpion Death Lock. Steiner gets to the ropes. But the match is No DQ. Why did that break the hold?
-Both men fight up the stage by the WCW.com set up. Hey look Jericho is doing commentary for WCW.com! I wonder why he left.
-They fight backstage where Scott Steiner and Tank Abbott attack Sting, then two Dobermans and a Rottweiler attack Sting. The cameras cut away. I forgot that happens here. Man that was terrible.
-Scott Steiner and Rick Steiner come out and demand the ref name Rick the winner, which he does. Afterwards they cut a promo ripping WCW and Baltimore.
WCW Tag Team Championship Match: Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn (c) vs Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon (w/Bam Bam Bigelow)
-Here’s a Sad Reality: Three of the guys involved in this match are dead, and Saturn was homeless awhile. DDP is the only one doing well for himself.
-It’s still kind of weird for me watching a Chris Benoit match.
-Benoit gets taken out by Bigelow on the outside, giving Page and Kanyon control in the ring.
-DDP dominated Benoit then tags in Kanyon, who immediately misses a moonsault. Benoit makes the hot tag to Saturn.
-Another slow, plodding match that the crowd isn’t too into. Too much dominance by the heels.
-Benoit gets the hot tag but DDP breaks up both his pinfall attempts. Benoit hits a headbutt off the top, but DDP catches Saturn with the Diamond Cutter. Dean Malenko comes out trying to help Saturn up, but with the ref distracted, Bigelow comes in and hits his finisher plus the Diamond Cutter on Benoit. DDP and Kanyon win the Tag Titles.
WCW Championship: Kevin Nash (c) vs Randy Savage (w/Gorgeous George, Miss Madness and Madusa)
-To this day, we still don’t know who drove the White Hummer that took out Nash in the limo.
-Michael Buffer did give matches more of a big fight feel.
-Nash doing a good job selling an injury? Was this like a once in a lifetime thing?
-Nash sells a Dropkick from Miss Madness off the top, and Savage hits the Elbow Drop. But Nash kicks out at two.
-All hell breaks loose. Nash drops Madusa and then drops Miss Madness on the turnbuckle. Sid Vicious comes in and hits a boot to Nash then a Powerbomb, causing a DQ.
-Yeah, that wasn’t a good PPV at all. There were two clean wins on the whole show. Everything else involved some sort of interference or cluster****. Next time I will try harder to find a better PPV from WCW to watch.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
