WCW Uncensored 1997

From Charleston, South Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan.


Opening No Disqualification WCW United States Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Dean Malenko: A staredown quickly turns into a shovefest, and Eddie nails him with a shoulderblock coming out of the ropes. Guerrero with a standing side-headlock, but Dean whips him into the ropes, and returns the favor with a shoulderblock of his own. Eddie bails to the floor to regroup, but gets rammed into the turnbuckle on the way back in, and Dean stomps a mudhole in the corner. Malenko with a crisp vertical suplex, but Eddie knocks him into the corner as he tries to follow-up, and stomps a mudhole of his own. Dean returns fire with an alley-oop in the corner, and a side suplex to set up a half crab, as we cut to backstage where the nWo stand over an unconscious Rick Steiner (one of their opponents in the main event). Back to the action, Malenko releases the hold in favor of tossing Eddie over the top, and grabs the title belt for a few shots on the way back in. He adds a clothesline for two, but another one is countered with a uranage. Eddie dropkicks the knee, and goes to work - snapping it across the ring apron. He adds a flying axehandle to the knee, and another dropkick sets up a slingshot somersault senton to the knee. He slaps on a grapevine for a submission, but Dean gets uppity, so Eddie shifts into an STF. Sadly, he doesn't bother using the ropes - even with no disqualifications. Dean uses them to break, as we cut backstage again to Rick Steiner getting loaded into an ambulance. Meanwhile, a frustrated Guerrero tosses his challenger to the floor for a few shots to the post, but a whip into the rail gets reversed - but Dean's still limping, and can't capitalize. Guerrero dropkicks the knee again before rolling him in for a figure four - and now Eddie's grabbing the ropes and shouting at him to submit. Dean jams a thumb in his eye to break, but he still can't capitalize, and gets nailed with a series of uppercuts, followed by a jumping backelbow. Eddie with another slingshot somersault senton, but this time Dean rolls to the floor to avoid him. Eddie responds by baseball sliding into him, but a dive misses, and Guerrero crashes into the guardrail. That's enough to allow Malenko to turn the tide, and he drops Eddie throat first onto the rail before rolling him in to start working the shoulder Eddie landed on with the dive. Malenko with an armbreaker at center ring, but Eddie uses chops to break, and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Guerrero with a powerbomb for two, but Dean mule kicks him to block a German suplex - only to get cradled by Guerrero for two after Eddie returns the favor. Malenko manages a powerslam and a frog splash for two - Dean breaking his own count as he wants to punish Guerrero more. It backfires when Eddie counters a powerbomb with a headscissors, but Dean quickly regroups with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Guerrero blocks an electric chair with a magistral cradle for two, but walks into an ocean cyclone suplex for two. Eddie blocks a blind charge with a 2^nd rope tornado DDT, and puts Dean in the Texas cloverleaf at center ring. That draws Syxx out to mess with Guerrero, and Eddie breaks the hold to go after him. The distraction allows Malenko to whack Eddie with Syxx's video camera, and he wins the title at 19:14. Hell of a match, here. The ending was really unnecessary (they didn't need it - the crowd was already hanging on their every move), but booking issues aside, this was brilliantly paced (almost no resting), loaded with beautiful sequences highlighting exotic moves, had great psychology, and worked in a bunch of wonderful mirrored spots as both men threw everything they had at the other. *** ½

Ultimo Dragon v Psychosis: Dragon wins the initial lockup with a standing side-headlock, and quickly shifts into a droptoe-hold to get Psychosis on the mat for an STF. Psychosis powers back up to his feet and counters into a front-facelock, but Dragon slips free, and they're back to square one. Test-of-strength goes Dragon's way with an armdrag, but Psychosis counters into a cradle, countered again by Dragon with an armdrag - and both back off. Dragon blocks an Irish whip by holding the top rope, so Psychosis chops him, and a criss cross ends in Dragon just decimating him with lightning kicks. Dragon with a grapevine, but Psychosis powers up and dropkicks him for two. Psychosis with a cross corner clothesline, but another try gets blocked with a headstand dropkick, and Dragon follows with a pair of enzuigiris to set up a camel clutch. Psychosis reverses, but neither man wants to job Backlund-style, so he tries a bodyslam and a flying legdrop for two. Psychosis with a 2^nd rope elbowdrop for two, and he hooks a chinlock. Dragon fires back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a sleeper, but Psychosis whips him into the ropes and reverses - only to get side suplexed. Psychosis tries a flying spinheel kick to knock Dragon to the floor, then follows with a tope suicida and a slingshot legdrop. Dragon comes back with a neat handspring elbow against the guardrail, and follows with a springboard moonsault before the head back in, and Dragon hits a flying moonsault for two. Psychosis blocks a backdrop with a powerbomb, but Dragon counters with a rana, countered again by Psychosis with a sunset flip for two. Dragon with a magistral cradle for two and a forward falling superplex leaves both men taking the referees count. Dazed, both guys throw spinheel kicks for a stalemate, but Dragon is up first with a bodyslam - only to get blocked with a super rana as he goes to the top to follow-up. Psychosis tries another rana, but gets blocked with a sitout powerbomb, and Dragon takes him to the top for a wild tornado DDT. That would make a great finish, but Dragon isn't satisfied, and picks him up for a Dragon suplex at 13:00. A bit disjointed, and a bit sloppy, but still good stuff - filled with great reversal sequences, and keeping an excellent pace. ** ¾

Glacier v Mortis: They go right into martial arts stuff with Glacier blocking everything Mortis throws, and hitting a great looking backdrop. Mortis rakes the eyes to slow him back before unloading a series of kicks, but Glacier blocks a roundhouse kick, and hits a sidekick for two. Another one knocks Mortis to the floor, but Glacier is right on him with a plancha, and adds a hanging vertical suplex on the floor for good measure. Inside, that gets Glacier a two count, so Mortis manager James Vanderberg runs interference, and Mortis clips Glacier to turn the tide. Mortis with a neat looking (if redundant) slingshot somersault clothesline, but a legdrop misses, and Glacier starts firing off palm strikes - only to walk into a rocker dropper for two. Another one, but Glacier counters with a powerbomb, and sweeps the leg before hitting a rolling backelbow. Backbreaker and a big boot get two, but Glacier tries to get cute with another pointless rolling spot, and Mortis cracks his jaw with a roundhouse kick for two. To the top rope, but Glacier crotches him on the turnbuckle, and superplexes him off for two. Flying tomahawk chop is countered with a Northern lights suplex for two, but Glacier pops him with a chincrusher and a 2^nd rope bodypress for two. Superkick, but the referee is in the way, and Mortis hits his own for a dramatic two count. Mortis tries another one, but Glacier ducks, hits his own, and that's it at 9:03. A little slow, and relied a bit too heavily on flippy-floppy stuff to work 'martial arts style,' but both guys worked hard, and that's all you can ask for, really. ¾*

Strap Match: Buff Bagwell v Scotty Riggs: Well, if you thought the American Males weren't gay enough before, now they're tied to one another with a leather strap. Bagwell gets right into stalling - refusing to tie the strap on - but he gets whipped into the corner (literally) for a superplex. Riggs unloads with the strap, and Bagwell bails, but being tied together brings Scotty with him, and he rams Buff into the post. Back in, Riggs chokes him with the strap, but Bagwell goes low to slow him down, and returns the favor. Riggs uses the strap to crotch Bagwell, and hits a dropkick. He goes for the corners, but only makes two before Bagwell breaks the momentum. Riggs responds with a ten-punch count, but Buff breaks with a stungun. Bagwell gets back to strapping, but spends way too much time stopping to talk to the camera, and only makes two corners before Riggs recovers. They trade more shots with the strap, and Bagwell actually goes to a chinlock in a fucking strap match. Luckily it doesn't last not, and he tries a hangman with the strap instead, then stupidly goes for a pinfall. That leads to the referee literally stopping the match to call him an idiot, so Bagwell slams him, but misses the Buff Blockbuster - and the crowd doesn't even give poor Scotty a missed-finisher-sympathy-pop. Riggs makes his comeback with shoulderblocks, a powerbomb, and a missile dropkick - but he only makes three corners before Bagwell backdrops him over the top, and turns the strap into a noose. That's enough to leave Riggs for dead, and Bagwell drags him around for the win at 12:27. Nothing special, but certainly better than the live abortion they had Souled Out a couple of months before it. ¼*

Texas Tornado Match: Harlem Heat v Public Enemy: Big brawl to start (no shit!), and the Heat dominate with trashcans, but Public Enemy fire back with toilet seats. Man, now that's symbolism. Heat manager Sherri adds a few shots with the trashcan lid to help turn the tide, and it pretty much goes on that way, with both teams unloading various weapon shots without any variety. Eventually, Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMichael head down, and McMichael whacks Johnny Grunge with his briefcase to allow Booker T to finish him with the Harlem Hangover at 13:22. I'm sure that description seems like I was shortchanging this, but no. There was literally nothing notable going on until the finish. Real weak stuff, and far too long for what they were going for here. I don't remember anybody liking this stuff back in the day, yet WCW put one of these on pay per view nearly every month for years until they finally got the message and went out of business. DUD

WCW Television Title Match: Prince Iaukea v Rey Mysterio Jr: They do a waistlock reversal sequence to start, and it quickly turns into a criss cross - Iaukea winning with a fallaway slam. He tries a springboard splash to follow, but Rey lifts his knees, and snaps his neck across the top rope. Rey with a springboard somersault bodyblock for two, so Iaukea tries a crucifix powerbomb - only for Rey to counter with a rana for two. Another criss cross ends with both men spilling out over the top, and Rey recovers first with a somersault plancha. Back in, Rey misses a springboard, but lands on his feet and tries a rocker dropper - only to get countered with a slingshot powerbomb. Iaukea with a baseball slide to knock his challenger back out onto the floor, and he follows with a springboard bodypress. Side suplex on the floor, but Rey keeps blocking, so Iaukea tries a twisting bodypress off of the rail - and misses. Mysterio with springboard slingshot moonsault for two, and a bulldog off the middle rope gets two. Snapmare sets up a headscissors, and a springboard moonsault gets him two. Iaukea fires back with chops, but Rey blocks him coming into the corner, and hits a flying sunset flip for two. Mysterio with a well executed dropkick, but an (equally well executed) flying senton misses, and Iaukea hits a Northern lights suplex for two. Powerbomb hits, but a springboard bodypress gets blocked with a dropkick. Both guys try dropkicks simultaneously for a stalemate, and Rey hits a headscissors takedown and a victory roll for two. Another waistlock reversal sequence ends in an Iaukea cradle for two, but a cross corner whip sets Mysterio up for a flying somersault bodyblock - only for the fifteen minute time limit to expire (at 11:55) before the referee can count. Neither guy wants it to end that way though, so they restart for overtime. Handshake right at the bell, and Mysterio strikes first with a pair of chops and a hiptoss. Mysterio with a springboard legdrop for two, and a headscissors off the top sets up a springboard rana for two, but Iaukea counters into a cradle to retain at 14:59 - which still isn't fifteen minutes. I'm guessing they went home early because the crowd wasn't buying it (like, at all), but it was good stuff until it fell apart during the last five minutes, or so. ** ¼

Main Event: Triangle Elimination Match: Team WCW (Lex Luger, The Giant, and The Steiner Brothers) v Team nWo (Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and The Outsiders) v Team Piper (Roddy Piper, Jeff Jarrett, Steve McMichael, and Chris Benoit): If WCW wins, the nWo returns all their title belts and can't wrestle for 3 years; if the nWo wins, they can wrestle for any WCW belt anytime; if Piper's team wins, Piper faces Hogan in a cage match. The rules are, there ARE NO RULES! Well.. actually... lots of rules. Namely: one man from each team starts, another participant then added after 5 minutes, and another every 2 minutes thereafter; eliminations come by being thrown over the top (battle royal style), pinfall, or submission. Oh, and Rick Steiner doesn't get to play, since he's still selling the beat down at the top of the show. We start with Giant, Scott Hall, and Chris Benoit, and Giant takes them both out with a double-clothesline early on. Giant follows with chops and chokes, but gets overwhelmed, and goes over the top at 4:50. The first period expires to bring Lex Luger, Randy Savage, and Jeff Jarrett into the mix - Jarrett taking Hall to school until Savage breaks it up. Luger gives Savage a press slam but gets kicked in the gut by Hall to stop it, as time expires and Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, and Steve McMichael join the party. That fills the ring up to battle royal levels, and that's effectively what it becomes, with guys trading punches on the ropes. Steiner unloads suplexes on all the nWo guys to earn his paycheck for the night, and Nash shoves Jarrett out at 9:18. Hall gets rid of McMichael moments later (at 9:47) with a backdrop to block a piledriver, as time expires and Roddy Piper heads in. Nash is quick to big boot Steiner out at 10:16, and the nWo has yet to send Hogan in with time running down. He finally strolls down with Dennis Rodman (the camera cutting away from the match entirely to show them leisurely walk down to ringside), as Piper tries to choke Savage out with a chain. That spills to the floor (under the ropes, so no elimination), as Hogan and Rodman pose for cameras at ringside - Hulk still not in the ring, and no official even trying to force him in. He finally waltzes in to slug it out with Piper, and Roddy gets quickly overwhelmed in some nWo double-teaming, and tossed at 14:54. Benoit is next to go when the Outsiders toss him out at 16:30, and that leaves Luger alone with the entire nWo team - Team Piper finished. Naturally, the nWo gang up, and they have Luger so thoroughly beat that they stop to celebrate with Rodman, and pose for the press again. They forget to officially beat Luger, however, and he starts unloading clotheslines on everyone. Torture Rack finishes Savage at 18:25! Clothesline knocks Nash out at 18:33! Torture Rack finishes Hall at 18:48! And down to Hogan! Luger with more clotheslines, and he gets him in the Rack, but Randy Savage runs back in with a can of spray paint to the eyes, and Hogan falls on top for the pin at 19:24. Afterwards, the nWo commence the usual beat down, until Sting rappels from the rafters and cleans house - the crowd going absolutely ballistic as the show goes off the air. As for the match, it was pretty much just a Royal Rumble style battle royal, and if it was a Rumble, it would have been a very disappointing one, for sure. Not horrible, and well paced, but nobody was working outside of their comfort zones here, and the end result was entirely forgettable. ¾*

BUExperience: Well, there’s a really good opener followed by a good cruiserweight match (that together take up about a half hour of the three hour runtime), but the rest is pretty forgettable late 90s WCW stuff – household name wrestlers in dull matches, and screw job main event finishes. Still, they were doing record business at the time, so I guess leaving well enough alone and not messing with the formula made sense, at least. *