WCW Great American Bash 1998

From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan.


Opening #1 Contenders Match: Chris Benoit v Booker T: This is the final match in a Best of Seven series between the two for a shot at the Television title later on - both men tied at three wins apiece. They trade hiptosses to try and establish dominance, and Booker takes control with a standing side-headlock, but ends up on the floor off of a drop-toehold. Inside, Benoit tries a hammerlock, but gets reversed, and rolled into a cover for two. Booker with a backelbow for two, and a bodyslam, but Benoit catches him with a legwhip as he goes for a kick. A side suplex gets two, and Benoit goes for a chinlock, but Booker powers up - only to take another knife edge chop out of a criss cross for two. Chris with a snap suplex for two, but Booker counters another side suplex with a bodyblock for two. He can't turn the tide though, and Benoit grounds him with another chinlock. He shifts into a bow-and-arrow, but Booker powers up, and powerslams him. To the top, but a flying bodypress misses, and Benoit goes for the Crippler Crossface, but Booker's in the ropes. A snapmare sets up another chinlock, but Chris ends up taking an enzuigiri (sold with a wonderful somersault), and Booker manages to capitalize with a spinebuster and a flapjack. Back to the top, but this time Benoit crotches him before he even has a chance to miss, and super-duperplexes him down for two. Chris with the three-alarm rolling German suplexes, but Booker blocks the third, so Benoit gives him a dragon suplex to finish the spot, for two. Benoit with a short-clothesline to set up the flying headbutt, but he's too battered to quickly cover, and by the time he does, it's only worth two. Suplex, but Booker cradles him for two and hits the Harlem Sidekick, followed by a missile dropkick for the pin at 16:19. Hard work from both to build a memorable finale to their series, and it was well booked, but fell a bit flat overall. * ½

Saturn v Kanyon: Kanyon sneaks through the crowd to schoolboy him for two as we get started, and he unloads closed fists ahead of a swinging neckbreaker for two. Kanyon with an inverted electric chair for two, and a clothesline knocks Saturn over the top. He wastes too much time playing to the crowd and gets snapped across the ropes though, and Saturn hits a slingshot bodypress on the way back in for two. Saturn with a series of kicks in the corner, but a blind charge misses, and Kanyon gives him a rocker dropper off the 2^nd rope. That gets the Flock involved, and they triple-team him on the floor - Saturn joining in with a plancha to take everyone out. The referee ruins their fun by sending the Flock to the dressing rooms, but Saturn retains control with a whip into the rail. He brings Kanyon back in with a neat modified superplex (that sees Saturn stand on the middle rope and hoist Kanyon off the apron), and uses a drop-toehold to get him in an anklelock. Kanyon makes the ropes to break, so Saturn ties him up in a bridging full-nelson - only for Kanyon to get the ropes again. Saturn responds by crotching him on the ropes, and then knocking him to the floor with a springboard dropkick. Inside, Saturn springboards off of a chair to dropkick him into the corner, and a bodyslam sets up a springboard moonsault for two. Backdrop, but Kanyon counters into a Russian legsweep, and he blocks a slingshot shoulderblock with a Northern lights suplex for two - only to miss a slingshot elbowdrop, and take a neckbreaker for two. Saturn with a chinlock, but Kanyon powers up for a side suplex - only for Saturn to turn it into a bodypress for two. Kanyon still manages to find a side suplex as Saturn tries to capitalize, and he adds a stungun. Kanyon with an inside cradle for two, and Saturn with a backslide for two. Kanyon with a somersault cradle for two, but Saturn cradles him back for two. Kanyon with a diving backelbow and the F5 for two. An inverted torture rack drop gets two, but Saturn grabs the ropes to block a reverse STO, and suplexes him for two. Death Valley Driver, but Kanyon slips free, so Saturn superkicks him. Both guys fight to the top, but end up losing their footing, getting crotched on the ropes, and falling to the floor. Several guys dressed as Mortis (Kanyon's previous gimmick) come out to roll them back in, and they start fighting each other. Meanwhile, Saturn comes off the middle rope to finish Kanyon, but walks into the Flatliner, and we're done at 14:46. Really fun, and really innovative, back-and-forth action - hard work from both guys, and with plenty of time to build a proper match. I could have done without the multiple-Mortis finish, but this was really impressive stuff, otherwise. *** ½

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v Chris Jericho: This is for the vacant title, Malenko stripped of it after his actions at Slamboree the month before. And Dean is pissed - charging Jericho with a couple of solid clotheslines, and a release German suplex. Malenko stomps a mud hole in the corner, but a cross corner charge hits boot, and Jericho blasts him with a shoulderblock. Liontamer, but Dean blocks, and gives him a hanging vertical suplex for two. Chinlock into a bow-and-arrow, but Chris counters with a kick, so Dean whips him into the corner for a poorly executed Flair Flip (with Chris doing too much of the work, to the point where it looks phony) into a tree of woe - which Dean baseball slides into. Out to the floor, Jericho hits a plancha, and back inside, he plants Malenko with a hanging vertical suplex for two. Sleeper, but Dean reverses, so Chris side suplexes him for two - only to miss the Lionsault. Malenko charges him with a leg lariat, and hooks a standing victory roll for two. Ten-punch count sets up a modified bulldog off the 2^nd rope for two, and he tries his always impressive gutbuster off of the top, but gets blocked with a rana. Both guys are down, but Jericho manages to hook the leg for two. Powerbomb, but Dean counters into a seated senton, only to get countered into the Liontamer! Dean makes the ropes to break, so an annoyed Jericho unloads chops in the corner, and a whiplash sets up the Liontamer again, but Dean counters into the Texas Cloverleaf before Jericho can properly apply it. Chris makes the ropes, and manages a butterfly backbreaker, but he gets cocky, and Dean clotheslines him to the outside. Malenko with a whip into the guardrail and a chairshot, but that draws a disqualification at 13:50 - Jericho winning the title. I hated the ending, but this was one of the better outings of their long series, Jericho looking a lot more fluid and organized out there then he had in some of their other confrontations. *** ¼

Juventud Guerrera v Reese: Guerrera actually preys as the bell rings - looking badly outmatched as he stares up at the giant Reese. Guerrera wisely uses his speed advantage to dodge Reese in the early going, but he can't take Reese down, and bails to the floor to regroup. He suckers Reese into a chase on the floor to allow him a baseball slide, but Reese catches him during a plancha, and rams him into the post. Reese press slams him back inside, but Guerrera is up quickly, and crotches him as he climbs back in. Reese swats him away like a pesky fly, so Juvi leaps at him from the top rope with a sleeper. Reese fades down to one knee, but drops into the corner, and that doesn't go too well for Guerrera. Reese locks a backbreaker submission, but Guerrera won't give, so Reese launches him across the ring with a hiptoss. Bearhug, but Juvi kicks him in the balls, and that cuts him down to size. Unfortunately, even on his knees, Reese is Juvi's height, and sticks his fist out when Guerrera charges. Reese with a hanging vertical suplex, and he grabs a chair, but the referee pulls it away, and Guerrera uses the distraction to dive at him. Unfortunately, Reese catches him with ease, so Van Hammer whacks him with a chair, and Guerrera turns it into a rana for the pin at 8:45. A bit long for what Reese had to offer offense-wise, but I liked the cruiserweight versus giant scenario as a change of pace, and it was well booked. ½*

Eddie Guerrero v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Chavo slaps uncle Eddie across the face at the bell, but that only triggers a staredown. Eddie gets sick of him and unloads a pair of chops and a pair of fists, but Chavo returns the favor, and adds a backdrop into the mix. A slugfest ends in both men rolling around on the mat, and Eddie manages to catch an incoming Chavo with a stungun. Eddie with a snapmare, but Chavo backdrops him over the turnbuckles into the ringpost, and unloads a series of turnbuckle smashes. Chavo with a pair of headscissor takedowns, but Eddie dodges a clothesline, and decides to go home. Chavo drags him back, but it was the plan all along - Eddie catching him with a boot on the way back in. Eddie with a side suplex, and he takes his nephew into a standing armbar - only to get armdragged and caught in a monkeyflip. Eddie dodges a dive off the top, but Chavo lands on his feet, and quickly regroups with a flying moonsault for two. Eddie dodging a charge goes better for him though, as Chavo flies out to the floor, and his uncle whips him into the ring steps. Inside, Eddie gives him a brainbuster, but makes the mistake of insulting his nephew - and getting choked out. To the floor, Eddie tries to sucker him again during a chase, but Chavo is good and pissed, and uncle Eddie is left cowering behind the referee. Eddie still manages to sucker him into a dropkick to the knee as Chavo tries to get around the referee, and he slaps on a figure four. Chavo won't quit, so Eddie lets off to stomp the knee, then ties him up in a Gory special. Chavo counters, but Eddie is ready with a dropkick, and he slaps on a reverse chinlock. Chavo still won't give, so Eddie switches to an overhead backbreaker, and turns it into a helicopter powerbomb. Eddie with a bodyslam, but a charge gets him backdropped to the floor, and Chavo follows with a really nice corkscrew somersault plancha. Inside, Chavo goes for the kill with a flapjack, and hits a springboard bulldog for two. To the top, Chavo goes for a splash, but Eddie knocks him off - Chavo landing right on the bad knee. Eddie capitalizes with the Frog Splash, but Chavo dodges, and finishes his uncle with a springboard tornado DDT at 14:46. I really liked the intense family feud dynamic here, as both guys let loose, and worried less about eye-popping spots, and more about beating the piss out of each other to blow the angle off. *** ¼

WCW Television Title Match: Fit Finlay v Booker T: Booker comes at him with a series of forearms, and a backelbow sets up a savate kick for two. Enzuigiri, but Finlay ducks, and holds the leg into an anklelock. Booker still manages a diving forearm out of a criss cross for two, and he knocks Finlay to the floor for a plancha. Booker with an axekick on the way back in, but Finlay blocks, and turns it into a leglock. Finlay bashes the knee into the ring apron, and keeps hammering it - axehandles, boots, fists. Booker tries a sunset flip for two, but Finlay is quick to pull him into another leglock before he can sway the momentum. Kneebreaker, and Finlay dumps his challenger to the floor to finish the knee with a chair, but the referee intervenes. Finlay decides to use the post instead, and drags Booker in for a pump-splash onto the knee. Booker fires back with a spinkick and a powerslam. Axekick, but he wastes time showboating, and Finlay clotheslines him. Tombstone, but Booker reverses - only to drop him. Whoops - though at least they could play that off as the knee giving out. Back to the finish, as they regroup with Finlay missing a charge in the corner, and Booker piledriving him to win the title at 13:13. A little slow, but Booker was really coming into his own as a worker, and even on his second match of the night, he worked hard, and it was quite psychologically sound with all the knee work - though they could have worked that into the finish a bit more. *

WCW United States Title Match: Goldberg v Konnan: Konnan gets tossed across the ring as they tie-up, and Goldberg wrenches on a headlock. Konnan tries using his boot to block a blind charge, but Goldberg no-sells, hits the spear, and finishes with the Jackhammer at 1:56. Junk, but the crowd loved it - Goldberg the most exciting thing about WCW at the time. DUD

Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart v Randy Savage and Roddy Piper: AKA, a dream match had it happened six years or so earlier - which could have been a slogan for WCW at the time. Hogan starts with Piper, and stalls until Roddy charges him with a series of right hands. He and Savage pinball Hogan in their corner, and Piper hits an atomic drop followed by an inverted version. Savage tags with an elbowsmash, but apparently that's all he has in the tank, as he passes right back to Piper. The Disciple trips Roddy up to allow Hogan to tag, and Bret comes in with a backbreaker. They cut the ring in half on Piper (notice, I don't say 'the heels cut the ring in half' there, because no one in their right mind could keep the dynamic of this match straight), but Piper manages an inside cradle so sloppy I'm surprised Hart sold it. It gets two, and Bret sleepwalks through some more offense until Savage brings a chair into the mix, and Hart is knocked silly. Both men tag, and Savage is a nuthouse of fire to start a four-way brawl - but Randy falls off the top rope while going for the Flying Elbowdrop, and Bret applies the Sharpshooter to end this mess at11:41. It was well paced, at least. ¼*

Randy Savage v Roddy Piper: And now this, since apparently 1998 WCW was dead set on destroying not just some, but ALL of my childhood dream matches. Savage is still down from the Sharpshooter, but he manages to catch Piper with a short-clothesline, and he pounds him. Flying Elbowdrop, but Savage bangs his knee on the way down, and can only get two off of it by the time he covers. Piper fires back with a low blow, and he hooks a figure four for a submission at 1:38. Epic. ¼*

Main Event: WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Sting v The Giant: The idea here is that Sting and the Giant were tag champions, but they split up, so the winner of this gets control of the titles with a partner of his choosing. They're both in the nWo at this point, too, but different factions, so they hate each other. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash early, but Giant blocks, and tosses him to the floor. Sting tries to outmaneuver him on the way in, but ends up on his back for an elbowdrop, and Giant press slams him into the turnbuckle - Sting really selling the spot well, and getting as much hang time as possible. Bearhug, but Sting breaks with an earringer, and he dropkicks his co-champion. A pair of Stinger Splashes set up a bodyslam, and the Scorpion Deathlock, but Giant powers out. Sting regroups with the Deathdrop for two, so Giant goes for a Chokeslam, but apparently his lungs give out from all that dangerous cigarette smoking he'd been doing, and Sting hits another Deathdrop for two. Giant makes one last comeback attempt, but Sting catches him coming into the corner, and a Deathdrop off the middle rope wins/retains the titles for Sting at 6:41. Decent match, but certainly not a pay per view main event. This all led to an epic thirty-day reign for Sting and Kevin Nash. ¾*

BUExperience: While the main event scene was diving deeper and deeper into a black hole as they struggled to adjust to a resurgent WWF, there was some good stuff on the undercard here. In fact, up until the last few matches, it was a damn fine show –though watching WCW flush so much potential down the drain over the next few years (be it Goldberg, Benoit, Jericho, Guerrero, Guerrera) in order to focus on aged and washed up ‘main eventers’ makes shows like this very frustrating. Very. **