I know that this isn’t what I’d planned, but the events of last week have convinced me to push the original column for this week back to next week.
I also know that some people may not like my doing this. I’ve thought long and hard about it. I always have my columns submitted for editing by Tuesday. It’s now Monday and I’m just now starting after debating whether or not to do this all weekend long. Well, let’s get started and back to the normal flow next week:
Hard Knox Chris Candido – WCW, 2000
History
Uncensored 2000 started off with a match for the Cruiserweight title between The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Iaukea and Psychosis. As the match began, all of a sudden Chris Candido came out of the back and cut a promo while the match raged on. He didn’t get involved, didn’t attack after the match – just talked.
Candido’s first match was scheduled the next night against Lash LeRoux. Before the match, Candido talked about his new gimmick (he didn’t need one) and how hard his life had been. Needless to say, a superplex and diving headbutt gave Candido his first victory.
Things turned sour on Thunder, as Candido took on Chavo Guerrero Jr. The match was going well until Paisley (the Artist’s manager) came out and distracted Chavo. Just to make things more confusing, Candido then went up top and was shoved off by the Artist, costing him the match. After the match, Candido relieved some frustrations by giving Chavo a diving headbutt.
On Nitro, things took another turn. The Artist was defending his Cruiserweight title against Michael Modest. As Modest and the Artist brawled, Candido and Chavo both came out from the back to join in the fun. It all ended with the Artist retaining.
On the next Thunder Candido had a rematch with Chavo. This time, although the Artist distracted Candido, Chavo had his own problems in the form of Michael Modest. As Modest and the Artist brawled on the outside, Candido was able to put Chavo away and avenge his loss from the week before.
And then came the April 10, 2000 Nitro – the night that Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff made their triumphant returns to WCW. Candido wisely allied himself with the New Blood, although his next match was on Thunder, where he teamed with Juventud and the Artist to take on Shannon Moore, Crowbar, and Lash LeRoux. (The match was done to help set up the 6-man match at Spring Stampede for the vacant Cruiserweight title.) Candido wound up getting pinned by Crowbar after the Artist attacked him.
Candido had had enough. At Spring Stampede, the six men from the Thunder match faced off against each other for the Cruiserweight title. As the Artist prepared to put Candido away, Candido’s backup arrived. Tammy Sytch distracted the Artist long enough for Candido to slam him off the top rope for the win and the belt. With the match over, Tammy’s attention was firmly on Paisley, who finally escaped along with the Artist as Tammy and Candido celebrated in the ring.
On the next week’s Nitro, the battle continued as Chris and Tammy teamed against the Artist and Paisley. As Candido brawled on the outside with the Artist, Tammy was able to pin Paisley with no problems.
On Thunder, we got a rematch as Tammy took on Paisley in a one-on-one match. This time, the Artist’s interference allowed Paisley to take home the win. Tammy and Candido cleared the ring after the match.
Slamboree saw Candido defending the Cruiserweight title against the Artist. To make a long story short, Candido retained. After the match, Paisley charged at Tammy and wound up stealing her gown.
Candido’s winning ways continued on Thunder as he defeated Crowbar and kept the title. During the match, Tammy and Paisley got into a catfight, which Candido broke up.
This, of course, led to a mixed tag rematch on Nitro with Candido and Tammy taking on Crowbar and Daffney. The difference was that the Cruiserweight title was also on the line. In an unusual turn of events, Daffney rolled up Tammy to win the match and the belt.
The next week, Candido interfered in a Cruiserweight title match, enabling Daffney to defeat Crowbar to keep the belt. Candido also helped the New Blood manhandle Terry Funk when he refused to retire.
Things continued going downhill on Thunder, as Candido faced off against the Artist and Daffney in a three-way for the Cruiserweight title. Tammy attempted to help by buying Miss Hancock’s clipboard. The clipboard wound up connecting, but unfortunately it struck Candido, who was easy prey for Daffney, who retained again.
Candido main evented on that week’s Worldwide, as he and Tammy tag teamed to take on Sean Stasiak and Mona (now better known as Molly Holly). In the end, Tammy was able to hit a stunner and pin Mona for the win.
On the next episode of Thunder, we saw a different side to Candido. He came out for his Hardcore title match (against Terry Funk) wearing the same gear as Funk. He then bragged about taking the old horse around back and shooting it. Unfortunately, this horse still had some fight in it – Terry Funk wound up again retaining the Hardcore title.
Candido (and the rest of the New Blood) fared badly the next week. He was in gauntlet matches against Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner. Candido lasted about 30 seconds against Steiner and 1 powerbomb against Nash.
It was after the Great American Bash that Candido showed up again – this time he and Bam Bam Bigelow took on Kronik on the June 14 Thunder. Candido took the High Times and the pin.
Candido turned things around on the next Worldwide as he defeated Christopher Daniels. Yes, Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels. Anybody else want to bet that this was a great match?
Candido and Bigelow re-teamed with Shane Douglas (Triple Threat Reunion!) to take on Kronik and Buff Bagwell on the following Nitro. Buff was finally able to hit the blockbuster on Bigelow and take the win. Seconds later, Douglas got revenge by hitting Buff with the Pittsburgh Plunge.
On Thunder, Bigelow and Candido took on Buff in a handicap match. Bigelow was able to hit the Greetings from Asbury Park and win the match for the Threat. That was Candido’s final match in WCW as he and Tammy were released a week later.
Analysis
Normally this is where I’d tell you what I thought did or didn’t work with the angle. Not this time. This time I want to take a couple of minutes to talk about Chris Candido.
Candido was an incredible talent who never seemed to get the breaks he deserved (thereby earning the Hard Knocks moniker from WCW). After a run in Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Candido and Tammy made their way to the WWF. Candido (now known as Skip) was paired with Dr. Tom Prichard (Zip) in a tag team known as the BodyDonnas, who were managed by Tammy (Sunny). This lasted until the Bodydonnas lost the tag team belts to the Smoking Gunns. Sunny went with the belts.
Candido eventually went to ECW. Here he, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Shane Douglas formed one of the company’s most powerful stables – the Triple Threat. After her release from the WWF, Tammy rejoined Candido.
In 2000, as we’ve seen above, Candido and Tammy made their way to WCW where they were released in a few months.
Candido and Tammy would spend the next four years working on the independent scene for companies such as USA Pro Wrestling and XPW, before Candido made his way to Ohio Valley Wrestling, and then to TNA.
Candido stood out for a lot of reasons. One of the most notable was how he had managed to revive his career by defeating his personal demons. Candido and Tammy had become known as having substance abuse problems, becoming pigeonholed with that group of wrestlers. I won’t name any, you can probably think of a half dozen on your own. The remarkable thing is that they were able to confront and defeat their addictions, something that it seems like so many addicted wrestlers are never able to do. Candido then became rejuvenated and earned his way into Ohio Valley and then TNA. Rumors were flying that Vince McMahon was even considering bringing Chris back into the WWE.
Another thing was Candido’s love of the wrestling business. On TNAwrestling.com, David Sahadi summed this up extremely well. On the Lockdown pay-per-view, Candido had broken his ankle in a match. Sahadi saw him crying backstage shortly thereafter. He remarked that Candido must in be in horrible pain. Another wrestler told him, “He’s not crying not because of the pain, but because he feels he just lost his spot on the roster.” Candido even returned to the Impact tapings the following Tuesday, despite having surgery on his leg the day before. Sometimes it seems that love of the business is hard to find today, when headlines are grabbed by the Brock Lesnars of the business, who, it seems, are only in the business to make some fast cash.
Chris Candido passed away last Thursday night. He (replacing Kid Kash, who had quit the company) and Lance Hoyt were wrestling Sonny Siaki and Apolo. Siaki accidentally landed on Candido’s leg after a dropkick and broke his ankle. Candido had surgery on his leg on Monday and was there for the Impact tapings the very next day. Thursday night a blood clot broke loose and caused his death. My thoughts and prayers are with Tammy, as well as Chris’s entire group of family and friends as they cope with this tragic loss.
Next week we’ll try and get back to the funny. It just wasn’t in me today.
