WCW Slamboree 1998

From Worchester, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan.


Opening WCW Television Title Match: Fit Finlay v Chris Benoit: They trade chops at the bell, and Finlay slaps on a side-headlock. Benoit tries to counter into an overhead wristlock, but Finlay shifts into a test-of-strength - setting up Benoit's bridge escape. A pinfall reversal sequence ends in Benoit trying a drop-toehold, but Finlay countering into a wristlock on the mat. A criss cross goes Benoit's way with a hiptoss slam for two, and both guys back off to regroup. Benoit with chops and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Finlay takes his head off with a clothesline, and Chris rolls to the floor. Fit follows for a well executed bodyslam on the floor, and rolls his challenger in for a double stomp. Finlay with a reverse chinlock, and though Benoit is mere inches from the ropes, he refuses to take the easy way out and grab it - instead opting to power up with an electric chair. Unfortunately, Finlay is still up first, and pulls him into a backslide for two. Chinlock, but Benoit won't give, so Finlay drags him out to the floor to teach him a lesson. Benoit reverses a chairshot to set up a tope, but Finlay is waiting - baiting him into a vicious, unprotected chairshot as he flies out of the ring. Inside, Finlay gives him another bodyslam for two, and a clothesline sets up yet another chinlock. A charge into the corner misses though, and Benoit unloads the three-alarm rolling German suplexes - but Finlay cuts him off at two. Chris still manages to slap on the Crippler Crossface, but Finlay is in the ropes, so Benoit snap suplexes him to set up the flying headbutt. That draws Booker T out to distract Benoit, and Finlay takes advantage by knocking him to the floor, then bringing him back in for a Tombstone at 14:52. As expected, this was a fairly stiff match, but it didn't flow well at all, and relied to heavily on chinlocks as opposed to more interesting submission holds. Plus, that was kind of a weak finish for a fifteen minute match. ¾*

Lex Luger v Brian Adams: Big slugfest to start, and Luger controls by knocking Adams to the floor for an axehandle off of the apron. Luger rams him into the post a couple of times, and even an eye rake isn't enough to slow Luger down. Lex goes after the arm, and brings it in for a powerslam, so Vincent gets involved - allowing Adams to piledrive him. Adams punts a few field goals in his ribs - and by a few I mean probably a dozen over the course of two minutes. He finally works in a backbreaker for two, and then shifts into stomping the ribs. Adams with a pair of legdrops for two, but a criss cross results in a double-knockout spot. Adams is up first, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Luger slaps on the Torture Rack for the submission at 5:05. About what you'd expect from Lex Luger versus Crush. This would have been at home on Coliseum Video. Of course, it would have been a dark match that they threw onto a tape, and not a pay per view bout. DUD

15-Man #1 Contenders Cruiserweight Battle Royal: The winner faces WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho for the title immediately after. We've got: Ciclope, Evan Karagias, Damien, El Dandy, El Grio, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Marty Jannetty, Kidman, Lenny Lane, Psychosis, Silver King, Super Calo, Johnny Swinger, and Villano IV. Usual battle royal fare here (punch-kick-punch) - until we get down to Juvi, Psychosis, Kidman, and Ciclope. Psychosis goes first when he misses a charge at Ciclope in the corner, and Kidman is gone when Juvi pulls him over with a headscissors. The final two square off, but Ciclope rips the mask off to reveal himself as Dean Malenko (making his return after a few months away), and Juvi eliminates himself to give Dean a proper shot at nemesis Jericho at 8:27. Dull stuff (the match type essentially negates the appeal of the cruiserweights), but the angle was fun, and since it ran under ten minutes, that works for me. DUD

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho v Dean Malenko: Malenko goes ballistic on him, of course - stomping a mud hole in Jericho before he even has a chance to get the title belt off. Dean with a backdrop and a dropkick, and a leg lariat knocks Chris out to the floor. Malenko dives out after him to set up mounted punches on the floor, and he whips the champ into the guardrail. Inside, Malenko walks into a stungun after Jericho blocks a German suplex, and Chris adds a senton splash. Jericho with a hanging vertical suplex for two, and a bodyslam sets up the Lionsault for two. Chinlock, but Dean blocks a pumphandle slam - only to take a butterfly backbreaker. Liontamer, but Malenko blocks, so Jericho tries a flying backelbow for two. Superplex, but Dean counters into a gutbuster off of the top, and he applies the Texas Cloverleaf to win the title at 7:02. The match was nothing special, but the angle and payoff were both wonderful, so it's not a waste of time, or anything. *

Bowery Death Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Raven: 'Bowery Death Match' is just fancy talk for a weapon-filled cage match. Page destroys him at the bell, but Raven fires back with weapon shots - only to take too long trying to pick his next weapon, and getting choked with a bull rope. Page uses the bull rope as a noose, but this isn't a Triple Threat with Chris Benoit again, so it doesn't work. They trade more weapon shots, and the referee gets bumped to trigger interference from Raven's Flock. They cut their way into the cage (in this case waiting for the ref bump actually made sense (in a backass way) since WCW was notorious for disqualifying guys during no holds barred cage matches, after all - like they did at Uncensored two months before this), but Page takes everyone out with weapons and Diamond Cutters. Raven with a DDT, but Page fires back with another Diamond Cutter, and Raven can't answer the count  at 14:35. This was an overbooked mess, as WCW desperately tried to recreate ECW's style - something they were rather obsessed with during the late 90s, but almost never got right. You'd think a fifteen minute, weapon-filled steel cage match would have to be (if not great wrestling) at least entertaining, but you'd be wrong. Brutal - and not in a good way. -* ½

Eddie Guerrero v Ultimo Dragon: They trade wristlocks to start, and Eddie tries a test-of-strength, but Dragon keeps bridging, and monkeyflips him. Criss cross ends with Dragon unloading lightning kicks, but Eddie dodges the end of the series, and dropkicks him into the corner. Eddie with a pair of European uppercuts, but Dragon counters a cross corner whip with a headscissors takedown, and Eddie bails. Back inside, Dragon kicks him down to set up a half-crab, and he shifts into a bridging STF. He can't hold it (no shit, it's a ridiculously difficult move from a kayfabe perspective), and Eddie snapmares him. A criss cross ends in a Guerrero lariat, and a vertical suplex is worth two. Chinlock, but Eddie gets sick of waiting for a submission, and takes him to the floor for a whip into the rail. Eddie chokes him with an electrical cable (knowing WCW, I'm surprised we didn't lose the feed), and brings him in for a rana off the top, but Dragon counters with a series of headbutts to the balls. So, 'headballs,' I guess. Dragon knocks him to the floor for a springboard moonsault, and inside, he hits an airplane drop for two. Dragon with a flying moonsault for two, but Eddie blocks a rana off the top, and hits a tornado DDT to set up the Frog Splash - but Dragon rolls out of the way. Magistral cradle gets him two, and he fakes Guerrero out with a springboard - into the Dragon Sleeper. Eddie reverses, but nephew Chavo Guerrero protests his use of the ropes, and Eddie is forced to break. He still manages to snap suplex the Dragon though, and the Frog Splash finishes at 11:10. Really disappointing - especially since I was kinda counting on this to save the show, actually. It picked up towards the end, but not nearly enough to save it. *

WCW United States Title Match: Goldberg v Saturn: Saturn tries working a standing side-headlock at the bell, but I guess he's too stoned to notice he's wrestling Bill fucking Goldberg, because I can't imagine why he'd try that otherwise. Goldberg kills him for it, of course, and gives him a pair of press slams for good measure. Saturn bails to lure Goldberg into a chase, and unloads kicks in the corner on the way back in. Saturn with a legsweep, but Goldberg no-sells, and murders him in the corner. To the floor, Goldberg goes into the post, and Saturn hits a flying spinheel kick on the way back in for two. Chinlock, but Goldberg quickly powers out into a belly-to-belly suplex. Saturn really want that chinlock though, and tries a swinging neckbreaker to soften him up, but Goldberg still powers out and into a cutter. A missed cross corner charge sets up a t-bone suplex by Saturn, and he grabs a chair for a pointless springboard dropkick spot. Another one is countered with the spear, and Goldberg finishes with the Jackhammer at 7:01. Not nearly as good as the Spring Stampede match that they were trying to live up to (which wasn't that great to begin with, mind you), but okay-ish. ¾*

Eric Bischoff v Vince McMahon: Oh, right, this. See, Eric Bischoff went on TV the week before the show and challenged Vince McMahon to show up and fight him at Slamboree. Then, they spent the entire pay per view hyping McMahon's appearance (down to having a limo arrive, and having their security team prepare him a backstage pass with his photo on it), but of course, he doesn't show. Officially, Bischoff wins by forfeit, though I'd say McMahon had the last laugh. A waste of time, and a pretty silly and desperate attempt to try and grab some ratings over the resurgent WWF.

Randy Savage v Bret Hart: Ah, speaking of desperate. Roddy Piper acts as the guest referee for the bout, and Hart hides on the floor at the bell. Piper forces him in, but he has nothing to fear, apparently, since Savage seems keener to thump his chest than attack. They finally make contact (some two minutes in), and Hart goes for the back. An eye rake leaves Savage stumbling around, but Hart gets into an argument with Piper, and Savage returns the favor, then blasts Bret with a clothesline for two. Hart comes back with a headbutt and a legdrop, followed by a vertical suplex and another headbutt to the nuts. Savage rolls to the floor, but Hart's attempt to whip him into the stairs is reversed, and they go into the crowd. They don't do anything there (walk around, walk back), but they go there, so... there. Savage with a slam at ringside, but Hart goes for the brace covered knee as they head back in, and hammers it. Hart with a Russian legsweep and a backbreaker for two - taking a full minute between spots. DDT gets two and another backbreaker sets up an elbowdrop off the 2^nd rope - which misses. Savage capitalizes with a suplex for two, and he hits the Flying Elbowdrop, but the knee prevents him from covering quickly enough, and Hart kicks out at two. Piledriver, but Hart sweeps him into the Sharpshooter, as Miss Elizabeth runs down. The sight of her glorious tits allows Savage the strength to reverse the hold, but Hart makes the ropes. Savage gets a pair of knux, but now Hollywood Hogan heads out, and a cheap shot allows Hart to hooks the Sharpshooter again for the submission at 16:38. Seeing my childhood heroes phone it in was one of my least favorite things about WCW during this period, and this was no exception. I realize there was little to no incentive to work hard in WCW, but you'd think they'd at least want to put on a good match just for the hell of it. This problem wasn't helped by the fact that on the other channel, the WWF was creating new heroes for their audience on a weekly basis - making this even more depressing. ¼*

Main Event: WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders v Sting and The Giant: Scott Hall starts with Sting, but a toothpick throw triggers a (very un-Christian) crotch chop. Hall with a chokeslam, but Sting fires back with a pair of atomic drops and a pair of Stinger Splashes. Deathlock, but Kevin Nash runs in to break it up, and we have a four-way brawl - the challengers controlling. The dust settles on Nash and Giant, since apparently we haven't seen that one enough on pay per view in 1998. Nash wins a slugfest (emphasis on 'slug') and unloads kneelifts in the corner to set up a boot choke. Giant comes back with an elbowdrop and a choke before tagging Sting back in, but a distraction from Hall allows Nash to hit the big boot and tag. Hall with a blockbuster for two (expertly using the ropes for leverage), and a discus punch as the Outsiders cut the ring in half on Sting. Sting manages to bite his way out of a Nash-bearhug to tag, and Giant is more like a house with the thermostat turned all the way up then a proper house of fire. A legdrop gets two on Nash, but a flying splash misses, and Nash calls for the Powerbomb - only for Hall to turn on him, and whack him with the title belt. Giant covers, and we have new champions at 14:46. I hate when they book 'partner turns on the other after working a full match' stuff (Why not just do it right at the bell? Or backstage? Or literally anytime before having to work a full match with the guy that immediately becomes pointless when you turn?), but I guess having a two minute main event on pay per view would have been stupid even by 1998 WCW standards. DUD

BUExperience: Woof. This is one atrociously bad show, without even a proper main event, and a truly mind numbingly dumb, nonsensical heel turn to end things. Not the worst pay per view of all time, but it’s not like they weren’t actively trying. Certainly one of the laziest efforts I’ve ever seen though – a thinly veiled attempt to line their pockets without much (or any) concern for entertaining the paying customer. If you look closely, you can see them thumb their noses at the audience.

Wanna see a bunch of millionaires get paid millions more to jerkoff in public? Look no further!... though, that actually sounds sort of interesting if it were literally true. Unfortunately, the thought of Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates tugging it actually is more appealing than this, and that’s why they’re not in business anymore. DUD