WCW Great American Bash 1997

From Moline, Illinois; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan.


Opening Match: Ultimo Dragon v Psychosis: Dragon with a swift armdrag at the bell to put Psychosis on the floor, and he stays out there with new manager Sonny Onoo (Dragon's former manager) to regroup. Inside, Psychosis tries to outwrestle him, but loses a showdown over a wristlock, and gets knocked out to the floor again. Psychosis takes his time getting back in, but manages to win a criss cross with a Greco-Roman fist to the face. Another one doesn't go as well when Dragon drops an elbow, and Dragon suckers him into the headstand dropkick ahead of a series of lightning kicks - Psychosis back on the floor. Back in, Dragon with a crucifix backbreaker, but a backdrop is blocked with a boot to the face, and Psychosis adds a cross corner clothesline. Dropkick sets up a charge, but Dragon backdrops him to the floor - only to miss a plancha, and take some routine abuse from Onoo. Psychosis with a baseball slide and a flying legdrop across the middle rope before he rolls him back in for a near fall with a magistral cradle. Psychosis with a backbreaker for a rope-assisted two count, and he casually tosses Dragon to the floor for Onoo to mess with again. Inside, Dragon blocks a backdrop with a pair of kicks, and hits a handspring elbow. A reversal sequence knocks Psychosis to the outside, and this time Dragon doesn't miss - hitting a springboard moonsault out after him. Dragon with a brainbuster on the way back in for two, and a vicious looking tombstone gets two. Psychosis fires back with a flying spinheel kick to knock Dragon to the floor, then follows with an insane tope suicida OVER THE RINGPOST when Dragon tries to hide. That leaves both guys dazed, and Dragon manages a rana as they re-enter - only for Psychosis to roll though into a cradle for two. Psychosis with a rope-running flying moonsault, but Dragon blocks with a dropkick - a really great looking spot. To the top, Dragon gives him a rana and sets up a tiger suplex, but Onoo hops up onto the apron. The distraction allows Psychosis a flying dropkick for two, but a miscommunication with Onoo ends in Psychosis falling into the Dragon Sleeper, and that's that at 14:22. A little slow in the early going, but MAN did business pick up. Both guys threw some crazy, innovative spots out there, and the crowd was hanging on their every move. ** ¾

#1 Contenders Match: The Steiner Brothers v Harlem Heat: Scott Steiner starts with Stevie Ray, and quickly outwrestles him, but a hiptoss is reversed, and both guys are back to square one. A power-showdown goes Scott's way, but a cross corner charge doesn't - Steiner running into a stiff elbow. Stevie follows with a big boot, but a second one is countered with a head-and-arm suplex. That triggers a Steiner won four-way brawl, and the Heat hang out on the floor to regroup. The new strategy? Have Stevie come in and insist Rick Steiner tag in instead. It briefly works when Stevie unloads a series of forearms, but a whip into the ropes gets him powerslammed, and Stevie rolls to the floor again. Both men tag, and Booker T wants a test-of-strength, and clips Scott with a kneelift when he goes for it. Booker with a full-nelson, but Scott manages a butterfly suplex, and Rick tags in with a vertical suplex for two. Back to Scott with a press slam, but a 2^nd rope elbowdrop is blocked with a boot, and Booker adds the Harlem Sidekick and a Cactus Clothesline. Scott whips him into the rail out there, but a tag to Rick backfires when Stevie suplexes him on the floor. Harlem Heat cut the ring in half on Rick, but he manages to get the tag off to Scott, and he's a house of arson. That triggers a four-way brawl, and Scott looks to finish Booker with a Frankensteiner off the top, but Vincent runs in and drops an elbow on Booker to give Heat the disqualification win at 12:03. Really boring stuff here - both teams pretty stale at this point in their careers. The pacing was alright, but there were just going through the motions otherwise, and the ending was awful. DUD

Konnan v Hugh Morrus: Morrus takes control with a clothesline early on, and blasts Konnan with a dropkick to set up mounted punches. Konnan fires back with rights of his own, and dumps his former partner to the floor for a whip into the steps. Konnan with a dropkick on the way back in, and a rolling clothesline is worth two. A chinlock sets up a seated dropkick, and Konnan follows with a dropkick to the ass (dropkick to the seat?) for good measure. STF, but Morrus grabs the ropes before he gets it fully locked on, then stomps Konnan to the outside. Hugh follows to return the favor with a whip into the steps, then rolls him in with a spinheel kick for two. Hugh with a gutwrench suplex and a reverse armbreaker, but Konnan powers out, and into a stump puller. He quickly abandons it for a headvise, and shifts into a headscissors, since apparently those other two choices required standing up, and were deemed too grueling. Konnan shifts again into an armbreaker, but Morrus escapes after a really sloppy reversal sequence. Konnan with an equally sloppy cradle for two, but Morrus fires off a powerslam to set up the No Laughing Matter (a flying moonsault) - only for Konnan to pull him down (Hugh hitting his head on the turnbuckle pretty hard as a result) and German suplexes him into a poorly executed Tequila Sunrise for the submission at 10:36. If the previous match was boring, this was outright horrible. Disjointed, poorly worked, and overlong. And the best part is that one of these morons actually works as a trainer for the WWE now. -¼*

Glacier v Wrath: Mortis is handcuffed to the ringpost to keep him out of things, though really, that's about the worst place to put the dude. Was there something wrong with chaining him to the entrance set or sticking him in a shark cage, or really ANYTHING that doesn't place him within reach of the action? That's basically like chaining an alcoholic to a bar in hopes of deterring his drinking. Anyway, Wrath shoves him into the corner with chops as the bell sounds, but a superkick knocks Wrath to the floor, and Glacier follows with a plancha. Glacier with another superkick, but Wrath ends up driving him into the rail when he attempts to follow-up - only for a whip into the steps to get reversed. Inside, that gets Glacier two, but Mortis distracts him in the corner, and Wrath stunguns him. Wrath with a chinlock, so Glacier powers up for a bodypress - only to get sidestepped, and go crashing out to the floor. Wrath follows out with a somersault bodyblock off of the apron, and brings him in with a flying clothesline for two. Glacier tries a chokehold, but Wrath breaks with a backbreaker, and adds a pump-elbowdrop from the middle rope - which misses. Glacier fires back with a backdrop, and a jumping backelbow for two, but walks into a sidewalk slam. To the top, but Glacier crotches him to set up a superplex, and Mortis is back up on the apron to protest. The distraction allows Wrath a side suplex, but Mortis' attempt to toss a chain in backfires when Glacier gets hold of it, and he bops Wrath with it for the pin at 12:03. Really slow, dull stuff here, and about too long by a half. DUD

WCW Women's Title v Career Match: Akira Hokuto v Madusa: Hokuto paintbrushes her in the corner to set up a pair of hairpull slams, then drags her into another corner for an elevated chinlock. Hokuto with a double elevated choke and a bootchoke to set up a chinlock, but Madusa fires back with a pair of dropkicks from the middle rope for two. Madusa with a snapmare, but Hokuto slows her down with yet more chokes (Regular chokes! Corner Bootchokes! Knee chokes!), and the champ adds a belly-to-belly suplex. Figure four, but Madusa grabs the bottom rope before it's properly applied, so Hokuto bites her foot. Annoyed, Madusa fires back with a series of lightning kicks, but a suplex is blocked with an inside cradle for two. Hokuto with a surfboard and a super-duperplex for two, and she goes to a grapevine. Madusa makes the ropes, so Hokuto tries a flying dropkick, but misses, and gets German suplexed for two. Interference from Hokuto manager Sonny Onoo allows her to go back for the leg again, and a bodyslam sets up a flying splash - Madusa lifting her knees to block. The knee is still too battered for Madusa to mount a comeback though, and Hokuto finishes her with a Northern lights bomb at 11:44. And that was the end of Madusa (for a couple of years). Man, I'm so glad we have Diva matches today, because twelve minutes of unattractive women working pay per view matches may cause bathroom breaks, but not for the same reason Eva Marie matches do. ¼*

Death Match: Chris Benoit v Meng: For those keeping track, yep, this is the third Chris Benoit Death match on a WCW pay per view during 1997 - which is either really great foreshadowing, or really bad booking. And he's ready to go, attacking Meng with a tope during the entrances, and curb stomping is arm on the guardrail. Inside, Benoit quickly hits the flying headbutt, and he slaps on the Crippler Crossface, but Meng powers to his feet, and sets Chris on the top turnbuckle to break. Meng capitalizes with a slam off the top, but Benoit is up first, and savagely kicks at the leg to set up another Crossface. Meng uses the ropes to force a break this time, and a slugfest goes his way with a roundhouse kick. Meng with a powerbomb, but Benoit slips free, and suplexes the monster to the floor - only to get caught in a tree of woe on the way back in. Chopfest also goes Meng's way, and a spinebuster follows. Meng with a bodyslam and a nice flying splash, and that's enough for the referee to start counting. Benoit's up at eight, so Meng congratulates him with a kick to the head. Out to the floor, Benoit reverses a whip into the rail, and brings him in with a German suplex. The referee counts, but Meng beats the count, so Benoit drops him on his head with another German suplex. Meng beats the count again, but decides enough is enough, and drops Benoit with an inverted atomic drop to set up the Tongan Deathgrip. Chris dives over the top rope to force a break, and Meng follows out for a chopfest before bringing him back in with a chinlock. Meng backs off to let the referee count, but Benoit is up at five, so Meng slaps the hold back on. A 2^nd rope headbutt misses, however, and Benoit wastes no time capitalizing with another Crossface. Meng makes the ropes again, so Benoit stands him up, kicks him down, and locks it back on. It's still not enough, so Benoit tries a legwhip before locking it on yet again, and that finally does it at 14:58. Really slow, plodding match - both guys moving like they were on tranquilizers here. The battle over the Crossface was good stuff, but the rest not so much. ¼*

Steve McMichael v Kevin Greene: Greene charges in to tackle McMichael with a series of mounted punches, and a 3-point stance sets up more right hands. McMichael bails to the floor to break the momentum, and he sweeps Greene out to the floor with him - McMichael targeting the knee. Inside, more knee 'work' in the form of endless stomps, and a neckbreaker gets two. Spinebuster, but Greene turns it into a Thesz press and unloads right hands like his name's 'Stone Cold.' Ten-punch count, but McMichael counters with an inverted atomic drop, and a dropkick for two. McMichael with an anklelock, but Greene gets to the top rope, and hits a flying shoulderblock for two. Greene with a clothesline to knock McMichael over the top, and Kevin follows with a slam on the outside. Debra (McMichael's wife) feigns a twisted ankle to distract him, but Mongo fucks up his sneak attack, and gets stomped. McMichael manages to dodge a 3-point stance, and Jeff Jarrett runs in to finish Greene with McMichael's patented briefcase, but ends up whacking Mongo by mistake, and Greene pins him at 9:21. Good effort from both men, but neither guy was near experienced enough to pull this off. DUD

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders v Ric Flair and Roddy Piper: Scott Hall starts with Ric Flair, and railroads him into the corner for a series of fists, but Flair is quick to turn the tide with chops. Hall manages to whip him into the opposite corner for the Flair flip, and Kevin Nash bashes him with a big boot to give Scott two. Hall with a lariat for two, and he tags Nash in to have his fun. Kevin unloads kneelifts on Flair in the corner, and gives him a sidewalk slam for two. Snake eyes, but Flair manages to get to Piper before they do anymore damage, and Roddy comes in hot. He gets Hall in a Sleeper, but Scott crotches him on the top rope to break, and side suplexes him. Syxx runs in to add a spinkick, so Flair chases him to the back - both Hall and Piper staring up at the lights back in the ring. Scott manages to get an arm across the chest for two, and stomps Piper as he looks for Flair's hand - Ric still in the back somewhere. With no one to tag, the Outsiders toy with him, as Piper does his 'never say die' routine. He gets quickly overwhelmed tough, and Hall finishes him with the Outsiders Edge at 10:03. Just punch-kick stuff as they go through the motions and navigate the angles. DUD

Main Event: Falls Count Anywhere Match: Randy Savage v Diamond Dallas Page: Page comes in from the crowd for a sneak attack, and Savage quickly bails to the floor - only for Dallas to shoot out after him with a plancha. The collision hurts Page's taped ribs, however, and he's slow to capitalize with a shot into the rail. That has Randy hiding behind Elizabeth, but Page moves her out of the way, and brings Savage in with a short clothesline. DDP with a flying clothesline, and he launches Savage out over the top - only to get his eyes raked as he follows. Into the crowd, Savage drops him across the rail, and they take a tour around the arena. Page gets hold of a crutch to abuse Macho with, but Randy drives his shoulder into the taped ribs as they head back to ringside. Savage adds a whip into the ring steps, and throws a handful of powder into Page's eyes as they go back in. Savage tears the ribtape off, and unleashes a series of stomps. The referee tries to intervene, so Savage decks him, and gives him a piledriver to close his mouth. Page manages to use the breather to fire off a nice headbutt, but Savage is on him with a series of jabs before he can properly regroup. Meanwhile, another referee runs out, but Savage tosses him to the floor and clotheslines Page. Another sends DDP over the top, and Kimberly (his real-life wife) tries to step in, but that doesn't go too well for her with Randy Savage. Another referee comes down to pull Macho off, as Page crawls towards the entrance area. Savage follows, and they end up at a random in-arena picnic area (complete with Astroturf!) for picnic themed brawling. Page slams him through a picnic table and turns a grill over on him before choking Savage with his own shirt. Page crotches him on the ringpost as the head back in, and gives him a forward-falling piledriver to set up the Diamond Cutter, but Savage uses a chincrusher to block. Back to the floor, Randy whips him into the steps and pulls up the mats to set up a piledriver on the exposed concrete, but referee #3 objects, so Savage decks him too. Serves him right - did he learn nothing from the other two? He takes out a camera guy next, but that allows Page to recover, and whack him with a chair. Back in, Page hits the Diamond Cutter, but Scott Hall runs in to clobber the referee as he crawls for the count. Page takes him out, but Savage gets hold of Hall's tag team title belt, and whacks Dallas with it. Hall adds the Outsiders Edge, and helps a dazed Savage to the top rope to finish him with a Flying Elbowdrop at 15:56. Not a technical masterpiece, but another fun brawl - though repeating the official abusing bits from Spring Stampede had less impact this time around. *

BUExperience: Yeah, this sucked. I mean, there’s a good opener, but then literally everything else is bad until the (only decent) main event. Plus, World Champion Hulk Hogan sitting out yet another pay per view (his third in a row) kind of kept the intrigue down – especially when the only other titles on the line were the Tag and Women’s. DUD