Yes, once again I am sitting through a PPV from the dying days of WCW for your entertainment. This time it is New Blood Rising!
3 Count (w/Tank Abbott) vs The Jung Dragons
-If you listened to are recent Top 5, you know I despise everything about 3 Count. Especially with the addition of Tank Abbott.
-It’s a ladder match with the Gold Record and recording contract hanging above the ring. Yes, WCW in 2000 people!
-Surprisingly not bad action so far. Jaime-San hits a splash from the top of the ladder in the ring to the outside. Evan Karagias then hits a suplex off the ladder into the ring.
-Kaz Hayashi grabs the record, but it gets knocked out of his hands into the hands of Tank Abbott. The announcers claim since Hayashi never left the ladder with the record, it doesn’t count.
-Karagias grabs the recording contract off the ladder. Tank Abbott then leaves with the record and contract. That was a good match and a smart choice to open the show.
The Great Muta vs Ernest “The Cat” Miller
-How the hell did WCW convince Muta to stick around in the dying days of this company? Muta is above this.
-This actually isn’t a bad match so far. The Cat is holding his own with Muta.
-And after I write that, Muta hits The Cat with the mist. Then he is forced to sell an AWFUL chair shot from Tygress off the top rope. Muta kicks out. But The Cat picks up the win. Decent match until the end.
Judy Bagwell On A Pole Match: “Positively” Kanyon vs Buff Bagwell
-I don’t read the match card before I do these. I look for a PPV in the month and use the first full one I find. I think I had erased this storyline from my memory.
-Oh look here comes David Arquette! Why not just bring back The Shockmaster while we are at it.
-Arquette hits Bagwell with a construction helmet but Bagwell kicks out. Bagwell then hits a double Buff Blockbuster for the win. After the match Kanyon hits a Diamond Cutter on Arquette. And we will never speak of this match or storyline again.
WCW Tag Team Championship: The Misfits in Action vs Sean O’Haire and Mark Jindrak vs The Perfect Event (Chuck Palumbo and Sean Stasiak) vs Kronic (c)
-The Filthy Animals were all made special guest referees for this match by The Cat.
-It’s a shame Kronic came together so late in WCW. I would have liked to see them during the nWo period. Or even in the Attitude Era in the WWF.
-The Filthy Animals are taking away greatly from this match. Disco Inferno is slow counting everything. Tygress hit a Bronco Buster on Lash Leroux. And they are also carrying around the Tag Titles even though they aren’t Champs.
-Because there aren’t enough people involved already, Vampiro and Great Muta attack Kronic for some reason. They fail and then just leave. Kronic hits their finisher on Chuck Palumbo. Disco refuses to count. Lt. Loco of MIA comes out and takes Disco’s ref shirt, puts it around his neck, then makes the three count. And there ladies and gentlemen is the dying days of WCW.
Strap Match: Shane Douglas (w/Torrie Wilson) vs Billy Kidman
-Every heel so far has ripped on Canada tonight. Way to be original!
-Kidman promised to reveal a sex tape of Torrie Wilson during this angle? I think the one with her and Dawn Marie would have been better.
-Torrie Wilson has been involved in about three false finishes in this match.
-Kidman hits the Kid Crusher to win the match. After he slaps Torrie on the ass with the strap. Shane Douglas “hangs” Kidman by choking him in the corner with Kidman hanging. Big Vito makes the save. Reno attacks him after but Vito gets the better of him too.
-In the parking lot, Jeff Jarrett attacks Booker T and slams his already injured knee in the door.
Major Guns vs Miss Hancock
-How could Cameron say her favorite match was Melina vs Alicia Fox when she obviously forgot about this five star classic?
-This is a Bra and Panties Match with pinfalls, and a mud pit by the stage. Because why not?
-Miss Hancock is selling an abdomen injury. Oh wait, is this the beginning of that whole pregnancy storyline?
-Both girls end up in the mud. Miss Hancock holds her stomach. Major Guns scores a roll up in the mud to get the pinfall victory. Here comes David Flair and even Major Guns sell some concern. And this answers my question.
Sting vs The Demon
-Remember when The Demon was suppose to lead to a KISS stable? Did Eric Bischoff think it was the 1980s?
-Sting wins quickly with the Scorpion Death Drop. Muta and Vampiro try to hang Sting, but Kronic makes the save. They challenge Muta and Vampiro to a tag match later tonight.
United States/Canadian Championship: Lance Storm (c) vs Mike Awesome
-Lance Storm renamed the US Title the Canadian Title. And is a hero in Canada!
-Am I the only one who liked Mark Madden as a heel announcer? Maybe it is just because I miss the days of Jerry Lawler in the WWF.
-Lance Storm names Jacques Rougeau special referee to enforce the Canadian rules and then plays the Canadian National Anthem.
-Mike Awesome falls off the top rope and gets it from the fans.
-Awesome hits an Awesome Bomb and makes a three count, but Storm then gets his shoulder up. Rougeau says that according to Canadian Rules, you have to pin your opponent with a five count.
-Awesome applies a Dragon Sleeper. Storm taps. But the Canadian rules say you can’t win a Championship by submission. Pinfall only. *Cornette Face*
-This time, Awesome hits a splash off the top and gets a five count. But the Canadian rules say that Storm has until the count of ten to get up. Storm gets up at 8. *head bash into computer*
-Both men go through a table. This time, the rules say the first man to get up at 10 wins. Awesome gets up, Rougeau knocks him down and the ref doesn’t see it. Storm wins. Bret Hart comes out to celebrate with them.
World Tag Team Championship: Kronic (c) vs Vampiro and Great Muta
-I always liked Vampiro. Would have liked to see him get a run in the WWE.
-Tony Schiavone wonders where The Demon is and says he has been like a zombie since his and Vamprio’s graveyard match. Mark Madden says so has half of America. Or maybe all of WCW’s audience?
-Mickey Jay get the mist in the eyes. The Harris Brothers come through the crowd and take out Kronic. Muta and Vampiro win the Tag Titles.
Kevin Nash vs Scott Stenier vs Goldberg
-So WCW had 35 minutes left in this show for their two main event matches? That’s just bad.
-Goldberg’s music plays and he doesn’t come out. The announcers talked about a motorcycle accident earlier he suffered. Music plays again. Nothing. Hey, if I was Goldberg, I wouldn’t want to wrestle these two guys either.
-And here comes Goldberg with a chair, and he goes right after Kevin Nash.
-Nash goes for a powerbomb, but Goldberg shoves Nash away and walks out. Here comes Vince Russo! Russo tells Goldberg to get back in the ring but Goldberg refuses. IT’S A SHOOT BROTHER!!!
-The ref gets pushed down. Midajah comes in and gives Nash a low blow then an elbow to the junk. Why was the ref bump necessary if it’s a Triple Threat, No DQ match?
-Nash hits a DDT and the announcers say they are “working on the fly.” I TOLD YOU IT’S A SHOOT!
-Nash hits the powerbomb for the win. Earlier in the night doing an interview, Nash said he was going over Steiner. Looks like he was right! Nash is the #1 Contender at Fall Brawl.
WCW Championship: Booker T (c) vs Jeff Jarrett
-I wonder how much WCW paid Michael Buffer to stick around during the dying days of this company.
-Jarrett works over Booker T’s leg early with a chair. Was this No DQ and I missed it?
-Scott Hudson calls this a classic barely five minutes in. Easier there tiger. Were you drinking the Jeff Jarrett kool aid at the time too? I’ve never thought of Jarrett as a guy you build a company around like WCW, and later TNA, did. He’s a solid upper mid-card player to me.
-Booker T accidentally hits the ref. Jarrett uses the guitar on Booker’s leg and applies a Figure Four. Booker eventually gets to the ropes.
-On the outside, the ref helps Booker up. Jeff Jarrett goes to hit Booker with the belt but he ducks and the ref gets hit. Booker then hits the Book End through the table.
-Wait, tables and chairs are ok but there are still count outs? This f****** company.
-Jarrett accidentally hits the new ref with a chair, then hits The Stroke on the chair. A THIRD REF comes in to make the count.
-Booker finally wins with the Book End in another over-booked mess.
Outside of the opening match, there is nothing to write home about on this PPV. Vince Russo deserves all of the crap he gets from his booking of WCW during this time period. Instead of trying to match the WWE with “shoots” and over booking everything, he should have focused more on developing and pushing the young talent that he had in front of him. Sure the veterans he had to work with probably weren’t willing to do that. Then you phase them out slowly and have the young guys fight each other in the top matches. WCW shouldn’t have died the death it did. It might have ended up going under anyways because of the AOL-Time Warner merger. But the way it left the wrestling world was on the hands of Vince Russo and no one else.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
