WCW Fall Brawl 1996

With the nWo running wild, the annual Fall Brawl seemed like a perfect place for WCW to get some revenge – booking a hot War Games main event. However, since the nWo only had four active members at that point (and one – The Giant – was busy wrestling in another match), it led to another promise of a mystery partner, as well as the introduction of Sting as the lead foil for Hollywood Hogan, and the nWo.

From Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Dusty Rhodes.


Opening Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Chavo Guerrero, Jr.: Page tries to jump him coming in, but gets dropkicked out, and Guerrero follows with a senton to the outside. He wrecks him out there, throwing him into the steps and whipping him with a random belt - which he apparently took from the timekeeper, since both guys are wearing tights. Inside, Guerrero works the arm, as two idiots in the crowd try to convince everyone they're Scott Hall and Ric Flair, walking around the arena dressed in tights until security sends them back to their seats. Well, all things considered, 'fake versions of the actual guy' were a big part of both promotions booking in late '96. Maybe they were angling for a job. Anyway, Page throws an impressive flying shoulderblock to come back, but gets cradled off of a suplex. That just pisses him off, though, and he flattens him with a side suplex. Chinlock, but Guerrero wrestles out, and catches Page with a kneelift. Springboard clothesline hits, and a missile dropkick get two. Flying rana gets two, but a blind charge misses, so Page throws him all the way from the first ring to the second (there are two rings to accommodate the War Games match). Sidewalk slam gets two - though, really, the referee should be counting them out since they're outside of the designated ring. A visually impressive gutwrench spinning sitout powerbomb gets two, and the Diamond Cutter finishes at 13:07 (according to the naked timekeeper). Good flow here, with Guerrero’s high flying offset nicely by Page’s power moves. * ½

Submission Match: Scott Norton v Ice Train: Power-showdown to start - easily dominated by Train – slamming his former tag partner around. He tries for the first submission with a reverse chinlock - but no go. Snap suplex, and a Stinger Splash, but a second try misses, and Norton locks on an armbreaker. Train won't quit, however, so Norton gives him a neckbreaker. His own blind charge misses, and Train gets him into an armbreaker of his own. He won't give, so Train starts splashing like a retard in a water park, but walks into a spinebuster. Another armbreaker, but manager Teddy Long gets involved, allowing Train to lock on a full nelson for the submission at 7:08. Better than the piece of shit they had the balls to call a ‘match’ the month before, but mostly just power stuff leading to token submission holds without any real psychology. ¾*

AAA Heavyweight Title Match: Konnan v Juventud Guerrera: Juvi tries to outmaneuver the champ to start, but gets caught in a release German suplex, and then thrown clear over the top. He comes back in with a very impressive, three-alarm springboard sequence, which sees him spring from one ring to the other, ending in a twisting bodyblock for two. He throws the lightning kicks, and nearly tends up in the front row off of a tope. He tries a rana out there, but Konnan counters with a powerbomb on the floor. Juvi's dead on the outside - giving Konnan an easy countout win - but he decides to drag him in. They end up between the rings, and Guerrera rana's him over-the-top rope, and back inside. Springboard dropkick, but Konnan catches him with a backdrop into the second ring, and then a powerbomb back into the first. Guerrera tries a springboard moonsault, but misses his mark (it was botched), so Konnan powerbombs him again. He dropkicks the knee, and pulls out a two-alarm rolling German suplex. Juvi bails off of that, but Konnan keeps breaking the count, so Guerrera hits him with a springboard dropkick for two. They spill to the outside, with Konnan dropkicking him off of the apron, and inside with a 2^nd rope dropkick for two. He tries to suplex him over the top, but gets caught with a springboard spinkick for two. He tries another springboard, but Konnan hits a devastating Ocean Cyclone suplex. Not that Guerrera sells it much - going right into a somersault legdrop - but it came off looking devastating. Guerrera with a 450 splash for two, but he gets caught with another powerbomb off of a criss cross. Konnan with a cradle DDT that only gets two, so he kills him with a Splash Mountain to retain at 13:45. A lot of innovative spots – making especially good use of the two ring concept – and solid back-and-forth action, but very sloppy throughout, and really lacked proper selling for the level of impact that some of the spot (particularly those executed by Konnan) demanded. ***

Chris Jericho v Chris Benoit: This was very early into Jericho's WCW run - having debuted only a few weeks before. Slugfest to start - won by Benoit - and he nearly breaks Jericho's neck with a hairpull slam. Backdrop, and a side suplex get two. Spinebuster, and he hooks an elevated Boston Crab - which Jericho would later adopt as his finisher. Powerbomb, but Jericho sunset flips out, and catches him with a spinkick. He tries to take control with a couple of reversal sequences and cradles, but Benoit won't stay down, so he levels him with a pair of dropkicks - putting Benoit on the outside. Jericho follows with a springboard bodyblock, and a missile dropkick gets two. Powerbomb gets two, and he hits a well executed reverse double-underhook suplex - but Benoit's in the ropes. Chopfest won by Jericho, and he tries to suplex him to the outside, but Benoit counters, and drops him to the floor like a piece of trash. Inside, Benoit hammers away, and wins a second chopfest. Abdominal stretch, and the flying headbutt gets two. He gets frustrated, and Jericho cradles him for two. Backslide gets two, so Benoit refocuses, and hooks a bow-and-arrow. Jericho still won't quit, so Benoit tries the Crab again, but gets cradled. German suplex, but Jericho counters into a Northern Lights suplex for two. Tombstone, but the Asai moonsault misses. He still has enough to pull out a top rope rana for two, but gets crotched when he heads up again, and Benoit finishes with a side super-duperplex at 14:36. Another good spotfest, really well paced, with excellent transitions throughout. *** ½

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio, Jr. v Super Calo: Calo goes right to an armbar, but Rey flips his way out - only to get caught with a running powerslam. Well executed 2^nd rope flying elbowdrop gets two, and Calo tries to keep him grounded, but gets caught with a springboard rana. Rey tries another, but gets caught in a vicious foldover powerbomb. Calo with a flying shoulderblock, and he dumps him, following with a missile dropkick to the floor. He powerslams him out there for good measure, and hits a slingshot senton. He realizes he can do plenty of damage, but the title won't change hands on the floor, so he rolls him in for a series of two counts. Tilt-a-whirl slam gets two, so he dumps him into the other ring, hitting a headscissors off of the top for two. He targets the arm – ramming it into the corner, and then ripping at it like rusty lawnmower - before locking an armbar submission. He tries a surfboard next, but Rey won't quit, and catches him with a dropkick to put Calo out. Rey follows with a somersault senton, but gets dropkicked when he tries a springboard back in. Calo goes back to the arm, beating him from one ring to the other, but gets caught with a rana while ripping at it. Somersault senton, and a springboard sunset flip looks to finish - but gets two. Another rana, but Calo counters with an electric chair for two. He dumps Rey into the other ring, but Mysterio pulls a two-alarm springboard back, ending with a rana for the pin at 15:47. Great match, going at a breakneck pace – and matched with offense that looked like it would break necks. The focus on the arm work didn’t go anywhere, but was a good attempt at psychology – though working Rey’s legs would have been better from a strategic standpoint – to neutralize the springboarding and high flying. *** ½

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat v The Nasty Boys: Stevie Ray and Jerry Sags start, but they quickly spill to the outside, leading all four men to get involved. Back in, the Nasties double team to take control, and a standing neckbreaker gets two. They try the Pit Stop (ramming an opponents face into their armpits), but that's crossing the line (a very disgusting, mustard colored line), so Stevie saves. They cut the ring in half on Brian Knobs, with Sags' constant run-ins allowing them to double team like crazy. Booker eventually misses a roundhouse kick – crotching himself - and allowing the tag to Sags. Piledriver gets two, so he goes up top, but Heat manager Col. Parker trips him up with his cane. Four way brawl breaks out, with the Nasties controlling, and they look to finish with a pump handle slam/2^nd rope splash combo, but Col. Parker's cane gets involved again, and the Heat retain at 15:31. These two teams had many, many matches during the mid-90s. And this was one of them. Too long for what it was (so many punches and kicks...), as they could have wrapped this formula up in half the time, and made the Heat look stronger on their way to facing The Outsiders the next month. DUD

Randy Savage v The Giant: This came about when the Giant joined the nWo, taking out Savage in the process. Savage won't let him in the ring (though, really, you're four hundred pounds, and over seven feet tall – just get it done, Giant), and eventually gets sick of waiting (for the guy you won't let in?) and dives out after him. That doesn't go too well, and Giant press slams him from the floor into the ring. Giant with a backbreaker submission, and a Boston crab, but Savage makes the ropes. Bearhug, but Savage goes to the eyes. He tries a flying axehandle, but gets slammed. Kneedrop, but Savage dodges him, and kicks at the leg. Poorly executed flying bulldog gets Giant off of his feet, and he actually manages a bodyslam! Flying elbowdrop draws Hollywood Hogan out, and he lures Savage to the entrance area for the Outsiders to clobber (while paid off referee Nick Patrick sees nothing), allowing Giant the easy pinfall at 7:47 - which makes sense, 'cause it was a trip. Standard Savage/Andre the Giant match from the late 80s most of the way, though they tried to work a bit of psychology in, and the bodyslam spot came off well. Overall, good length for what it was, and the overbooked ending made sense, as they wanted to establish what joining the nWo meant for a wrestler (‘you’re either with us, or against us’), as well as keep Savage strong for his title match with Hogan the next month. ½*

Main Event: WarGames: Team WCW (Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Sting) v Team nWo (Hollywood Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and 'Sting') : The angle here (outside of the overarching WCW v nWo angle) is that the nWo had been teasing Sting turning on WCW to join their ranks, and Team WCW became skeptical of Sting's loyalty. WarGames is a two ring match, with a cage covering both rings. One man from each side starts. After five minutes, a member from one of the teams - determined by a coin toss - enters, giving his team the temporary handicap advantage. After two minutes, a member from the other team enters to even the odds. Entrants alternate between teams every two minutes, giving the coin toss-winning team the temporary advantage in the numbers game before giving the other team the advantage with the freshest man in to even the odds. Once everyone is in, they battle to submission, surrender, or knockout - no pinfalls or disqualifications. There was a time when everyone who liked wrestling knew that, but with the WWE's refusal to incorporate WarGames into their schedule, I'm not sure that everyone remembers the details today, over fifteen years since the last one took place. Scott Hall and Arn Anderson start, and Hall goads him into coming over to his side. It only gives him a momentary advantage, however, as Anderson goes nuts on him. He works Hall's leg - trying to weaken him for later when submissions start to count. He holds Hall in a half crab, but time expires, and Kevin Nash runs in - as the nWo won the toss. He bails Hall out (just like in real-life!), and they double team Double A. Snake eyes, and a few shots into the cage, until time expires, and Lex Luger joins the action. He gives the Outsiders a taste of their own medicine, and unloads with forearm smashes - as Anderson recovers. Team WCW holds control, but the tide quickly turns when Hollywood Hogan enters. nWo beat down ensues, with Hogan working on Anderson, and the Outsiders double teaming the less battered Luger. Time expires, bringing Ric Flair in to even the odds, and he wants Hogan. He intelligently draws him into his ring (as opposed to running into the one where the now is beating everyone down), and takes Hogan on with chops. The Outsiders save, but get mule kicked, and Flair locks Hogan in the figure four. Time runs, and 'Sting' comes in for the nWo (played by Jeff Farmer, who has a resemblance to Sting), leading everyone to believe that Sting has defected. He's a house of arson, giving the nWo the advantage again, as Hogan tries to bash Flair's head in against the cage. Sting hits Stinger Splashes on the entire WCW team, just as time expires, and the real Sting comes in. He singlehandedly takes out the nWo with real Stinger Splashes, and with victory a Deathlock away, decides to walk out on his team for questioning his loyalty. This led to Sting announcing he was a ‘free agent,’ and morphing into his crow gimmick – making him Hogan’s main foil for the next year – and leading to the eventual (botched) blowoff at Starrcade ’97. The nWo quickly gets the advantage back - outnumbering Team WCW 4-3 - and 'Sting' finishes Luger with a Scorpion Deathlock at 18:15. Great angle development, as the Sting stuff would carry WCW for over a year on top of the nWo angle – but fairly pedestrian WarGames otherwise, especially for such a hot feud. ** ¼

BUExperience: Fun show, with some really solid (if forgettable) stuff on the undercard (Benoit/Jericho, Mysterio/Calo, and Konnan/Guerrera were all done a million times, both in WCW, and elsewhere), with the usual nWo shenanigans on top to make for a memorable main event. Not a blow away show – but a fun example of WCW during the nWo period. **