Funny story, I’ve never seen this show before and I’m ranting on it with my first perspective. That can be good in that I have a fresh view on it but it could also mean I’m a little too generous/stingy than I would when I was watching it a second time around and had time to digest the show.
We’re in Auburn Hills, MI
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay
The announcers start us out by telling the audience that Hollywood Hogan WON’T be in the big 3 ring Battle Royal which does a great job of killing the matches prestige.
Glacier Vs Wrath
You could tell Glacier was on his way down here as he gets little to no pyro compared to the fireworks show he used to have when he was booked strong. As far as openers to major pay per views go this is as strange as you could get. Glacier looks boring without his bleached blond hair, more than usual! Wrath shoves Glacier outside to a big pop. Glacier comes in with some kicks, which are no sold by Wrath, and then gets sent outside into the guardrail. They fight outside with Wrath no selling most of Glaciers stuff and sending him over the rail into the crowd. Back inside, Glacier does the Marty Jannetty flip sell on a clothesline. Wrath does some mud hole stomping in the corner and come choking as the fans cheer him on. As this is a WCW pay per view Tony goes on about Hogan during the actual match but Bobby keeps him back on track by going on about how impressive Wrath is. Glacier tries another feeble comeback and he gets clotheslined again for two. Just a quick question, was the feud between these guys always so one sided? Wrath sends Glacier outside and chokes him with a cable as the massacre continues. I don’t get it is he trying to play heel? If so that’s a silly idea as the fans were eating his stuff up with a spoon. Wrath goes to a chin lock which serves no purpose as the fans don’t care about Glacier so it gets no heat. Glacier gets some kicks in and stuns Wrath enough to go for his Ice Pick move but Wrath turns that into The Meltdown for the win.
WINNER – WRATH
½* – Just a Wrath squash
Bret Hart does a heel promo where he talks about how he hates Booker T, Lex Luger, Chris Benoit and DDP.
Stevie Ray w/ Vincent Vs Konnan
Oh dear lord no. you can hear the audible groan for the entrance of Stevie Ray. Konnan gets the usual decent reaction to his pre match spiel. Stevie was calling himself “The Enforcer” of the nWo here which no doubt was to get at Arn Anderson. Stevie gets some punches and kicks in and then suddenly pulls off a huge…………..punch. Konnan fights back with his usual stuff and goes to a sit out abdominal stretch. Stevie misses Konnan by a yard with a side kick and then gets a clothesline for two. Stevie throws Konnan outside where Vincent gets his cheap shots in before putting him back inside. Stevie gets an elbow inside and then goes to the chin lock. You know I think Stevie Ray could bore someone on a cocaine high with his dazzling array of rest holds. Konnan gets a back slide for two as the match continues to bore. Stevie does some more resting but Konnan fights back. Konnan keeps punching Stevie leading to a DQ. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!
WINNER – STEVIE RAY BY DQ
-** – Total and utter shit. After the match Booker T makes the save but Stevie isn’t interested in making up
Ernest Miller and Sonny Onoo Vs Perry Saturn and Kaz Hayashi
This was before Miller started using the James Brown rip off and he was seriously lacking polish, heat or personality here. Well to be fair he was on his way but he didn’t really find his niche in WCW until he was the James Brown era in my eyes. Miller gives Kaz 5 minutes to leave so Kaz tags out and Saturn comes in and sends Miller outside. Cat does some stalling and Kaz comes in with some kicks but he gets body slammed. Cat gets some kicks and choking and when he feels Kaz is sufficiently weakened tags in Onoo. Kaz no sells Onoo’s stuff and nails him. Saturn gets some suplexes in on Miller but Cat cheap shots him and works him over. Cat forces Onoo in to fight Saturn and that works as well as you’d imagine. Kaz and Saturn get a double dropkick on Cat but another cheao shot puts Kaz in the heel corner for some double teaming. Kaz keeps getting worked over but makes a tag to Saturn who comes in with some more suplexes. Saturn gets ready to suplex Onoo but Miller cheap shots him and Onoo falls on top for the win
WINNERS – CAT AND ONOO
¼* – That was terrible beyond accurate description
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Kidman Vs (C) Juventud Guerrera
Oh yes FINALLY something good! Juventud reveals that he’s a member of the lWo post match. Eddy Guerrero comes out and says that Juventud is now lWo and Rey Mysterio comes out complaining about why he doesn’t have a title match. Lock up and they work a headlock in. kidman fires off some forearms but Juvi gets a Rocker Dropper and hotdogs for the crowd. Juvi gets a flying head scissors but he walks into a Sit Out Power Bomb. Kidman gets a power slam and a springboard leg drop for two. This match is moving in slow motion to what I expect. Juvi gets a roll up for two and goes to a chin lock. Kidman gets his rebound clothesline in the corner but an attempted superplex is blocked. Juvi drops Kidman throat first on the top rope and goes for a missile dropkick but Kidman dropkicks him on the way down. Kidman stomps away and throws Juvi outside and follows that with a vaulting body press. In a nice spot Juvi gets a rana off the apron sending Kidman to the outside. Back inside. Juvi gets two from a brain buster and goes to a chin lock again. Juvi gets a springboard missile dropkick sending Kidman outside and follows that up with a springboard cross body. Guillotine leg drop gets two for Juvi back inside. Juvi tries to do Rey Mysterios double ring springboard spot but he botches it badly and gets Kidman somewhere between the left leg and testicles. Kidman mounts a comeback but misses a charge in the corner. Juvi heads up top but Kidman crotches him and rana’s him from one ring to another. Kidman gets a high cross body into the other ring for a two count. Hey I thought you had to pin the guy in your original ring? Juvi gets a top rope rana and after a series of counters nails the Juvi Driver but both men are out. Juvi heads up top but he misses the 450 splash. Juvi goes for a Power Bomb but that’s normally a bad idea when you fight Kidman and indeed Juvi starts eating some canvas for two. Kidman drills Juvi with a nice see saw suplex and heads up top for the Shooting Star Press but gets crotched. Rey Mysterio stops another Juvi rana and Kidman uses the opportunity to hit the SSP for the win
WINNER – KIDMAN
*** – that was quite fun actually. Post match Rey makes a break for it being chased by all the Mexicans.
Scott Steiner w/ Buff Bagwell Vs Rick Steiner
Scott has his own nWo ref as the WCW referees didn’t want to ref the match as it was an “unsafe working condition”. Backstage we see the Giant and Brian Adams beating Rick down. Giant brings Rock do to the ring and Buff and Scott just beat Rick down. Rick mounts a comeback and punches everyone but a low blow stops that. Goldberg eventually makes the save and the crowd go insane.
WINNER – NO CONTEST
No Rating – that was an absolute farce of epic proportions.
Scott Hall w/ pretty much the whole of nWo Hollywood Vs Kevin Nash
Hall supposedly hit Eric Bischoff on the Nitro before this so that leads to Bischoff walking down to the ring and setting the nWo guys on Hall. It looks like Hall will be turned into creamed corn, well drunken and unreliable creamed corn, Anyway Kevin Nash makes the save and the crowd start an “Outsiders” chant but Nash ignores Scott’s offer of friendship and walks to the back.
WINNER – NO MATCH
-***** – What an insulting piece of shit. They couldn’t even deliver either of the two big grudge matches and they wonder why fans were switching to the WWF at this point?
WCW Television Championship
Bobby Duncum Jnr Vs (C) Chris Jericho w/ Ralphus
I will say this about Duncum he looked like a million bucks and he could have been a good baby face if he’d had a manager and played to his strengths before putting him in big matches. I mean they just threw him in at the deep end and then shunted him in to a tag team a few months later rather than helping him develop. Anyway they do some counter wrestling and Duncum goes to a chin lock. What’s with baby faces doing that tonight? Duncum shoves Jericho outside and sends him into the guardrails along ringside. Jericho hits Duncum with a drink and dives off the rail onto Duncum. Back inside Jericho gets a missile dropkick for two and then goes to a chin lock of his own. Duncum quickly shrugs him off and gets a shoulder breaker for two. Duncum goes for a cross arm breaker but Jericho makes the ropes to stop that. Jericho gets the Stun Gun and then dropkicks Duncum off the apron to the outside. Jericho sends Duncum into the steps and goes for the cocky cover inside and then to a front face lock. Jericho turns that into a sit out surfboard hold as the fans get restless and apathetic. Dumcum gets a lariat out of the corner for two and starts laying some chops in the corner. Duncum gets a flap jack for two. Jericho goes for a sunset flip but Duncum catches him with some form of choke bomb for two. Jericho gets the Lion Sault for two but gets arrogant and gets caught on top. duncum gets a nice looking superplex for two. Duncum goes for a German Suplex but Jericho counters with the Lion Tamer but Duncum kicks him away. Ralphus gets involved and Jericho uses the chance to drill Duncum with the title belt for the win
WINNER – CHRIS JERICHO
** – Not too bad really. Jericho did a decent job of holding the whole thing together but it didn’t enthral the live crowd.
Now it’s time for the 60 Man 3 Ring Battle Royal.
You know the rules. 3 rings, 60 men, you’re eliminated by pin fall, submission or being thrown out of the ring.
Your entrants are Alex Wright, Bobby Blaze, Barry Darsow, Chavo Guerrero Jnr, Jim Mitton, Chris Adams, Chris Benoit, Ciclope, La Parka, Saturn, Disciple, Disco Inferno, Eddy Guerrero, El Dandy, Giant, Hector Garza, Horace Hogan, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Wrath, The Cat, Scott Steiner, Scott Norton, Scott Hall, Riggs, Rey Mysterio Jnr, Barry Horrowitz, Bobby Eaton, Stevie Ray, Kidman, Juventud, Psychosis, Dean Malenko, Mongo McMichael, Kaz, Lex Luger, Konnan, Kanyon, Kevin Nash, Johnny Swinger, Renegade, Silver King, Super Calo, Magnum Tokyo, Van Hammer, Villano V, Vincent, Kendall Windham, Kaos, Lenny Lane, Lizmark Jnr, Mike Enos, Lodi, Norman Smiley, Prince Iaukea, Biddy Parker, Glacier
There you are. Now this will be really hard to call so I’ll just start doing play by play when one ring is left. Nash is in ring 3 and he pretty much eliminates that entire ring by himself. It comes down to him and Van Hammer and after some token offence by Hammer he makes his exit. When we’re down to 20 everyone goes into one ring. You’re survivors are Chavo, Giant, Kidman, Saturn, Miller, Wright, Nash, Hall, Disco, Eddy, Norton, Steiner, Stevie, Benoit, Luger, Malenko, Konnan, Booker, Mongo and Wrath. All the cruisers go pretty quickly and everyone sort of stands around choking and stuff. The Outsiders try to dump Giant but that doesn’t happen
Stevie Ray goes via Luger
Norton goes via Mongo
Mongo goes via Nash
Bam Bam Bigelow jumps the guardrail and runs in but no one lets him in. Goldberg charges down to the ring and starts fighting with him as the crowd goes nuts. Why not let Goldberg just wrestle on the show?
Wrath and Steiner go at some point but I miss it. Booker T gets thrown out by Benoit I think leaving 7.
Konnan tumbles out charging at Hall
Everyone gangs up and dumps Giant
Benoit is dumped by Luger and Nash
Malenko is dumped by Hall
Final 3 is Nash, Luger and Hall
Luger tries to Rack Hall but Nash dumps them and gets the shot at Goldberg
Tony calls the match “Physically and emotionally draining” only for the fans who had to sit through it Tony
WCW United States Championship
(C) DDP Vs Bret Hart
DDP jumps out onto Bret to start and they brawl around the ringside area. Back inside, slugfest is won by DDP and he pounds away. Bret drops DDP’s neck on the top rope and chokes away in the corner. Bret gets a DDT for two and DDP counters a suplex attempt with an inside cradle for two. Bret goes to the chin lock as this match continues to move in slow motion. DDP gets a swinging neck breaker and tries the Diamond Cutter but Bret bails to halt that. I start to fast forward as it’s late and this match is boring me which is something I never thought I’d say with two guys as good in there as DDP and Bret. Russian Leg Sweep gets two for Bret but DDP counters a Tombstone attempt with one of his own for two. DDP gets beat down by Bret for a moment but he fights back and tries a messy looking Sharpshooter but Bret makes the ropes. Hart targets the leg of DDP and uses the ring post Figure 4 to really f*ck it up. A long portion of the match is Bret taking out the leg now and it’s riveting let me tell you. The fight goes outside and DDP goes to his own ring post Figure 4. DDP grabs a chair but the ref won’t let him use it and Bret knocks them together. Oh great a ref bump that will spruce this one up. Bret locks DDP in the Sharpshooter and the nWo referee rings the bell. However, Mickey Jay comes down to stop those shenanigans and a Diamond Cutter ends it mere seconds later. Ha Ha Pwned!
WINNER – DDP
*1/2 – It may have been my fatigue but I just couldn’t find this one interesting
The Inside Pulse
Well this show sure was a fine pile of shit wasn’t it? People go around saying that Great American Bash and King of the Ring 95 are the worst shows ever and they have fine points but seriously this show was so depressingly awful it was a wonder WCW 2 more years after this drivel. Avoid this with every thing you have and don’t even watch it out of curiosity. You don’t need this sort of crap in your life.
