Original
Airdate: February 23, 1997
From
San Francisco, California; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and
Bobby Heenan
Opening WCW
Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v Syxx: Though Malenko
is the champion, Syxx has stolen the title belt to set this up. A small part of
me feels like all this belt pirating was honoring some weird WCW contract
stipulation where Sean Waltman was guaranteed to hold belts for a certain
period of time, and so they just let him literally 'hold' them, without
actually changing the title. I know it sounds stupid, but then you hear about
stuff like the Kiss Demon, and suddenly it sounds totally plausible. Dean
rushes in before the bell, and blasts Syxx with a dropkick, stopping his own
count at two so he can dish out more punishment. He unloads in the corner and
delivers a brainbuster for two, then a snap powerslam for two. Cross corner
whip, but Syxx reverses, only to miss a corner dropkick in. That allows Malenko
to try for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Syxx blocks, so Dean pounds him on the
ropes instead. Bodypress sends both men tumbling over the top, and Dean grabs
the title belt as an act of dominance. Maybe win the match first, big guy. Back
in, Dean ropechokes him, but a clothesline misses, allowing Syxx to put him
down with a kick. Syxx is still battered, but manages to fire off a series of
strikes to turn the tide, and he bootchokes the champion in the corner to set
up a bronco buster. I always hated that move, and I'm still somewhat surprised
that they managed to get it over so big in the WWF. The late 1990s were a weird
time. Syxx with a legdrop for two, but Dean escapes a sleeper, so Syxx gives
him a kneedrop instead. Sleeper, but Malenko uses a side suplex to escape
again, this time managing to roll over and cover for two. Syxx still has
control, however, and he pounds Dean with chops in the corner, then takes him
out to the apron for a 2nd rope guillotine elbowdrop. Syxx is doing
a really good job of selling the knee here. Vertical suplex sets up a flying
legdrop for two, so Dean tries to get some mojo going with a criss cross, but
Syxx cuts him off with another sleeper. This time he manages to ride Malenko
all the way down in the hold, but Dean fights to a vertical base, and escapes.
Syxx is battered, but gets to the top to try another dive, but Malenko has
recovered enough, and follows up with a side superplex - only for Syxx to topple
him on the way down. That leaves both guys looking up at the lights, and Syxx
grabs the title belt as he staggers to his feet. That draws Eddie Guerrero out
to pull it away from him, but the tug-of-war backfires, and Dean gets bashed
with it - Syxx falling on top for the pin at 12:03. Strong match here, with
lots of back and forth, and good selling. I actually liked this one better than
the Ladder match from Souled Out that everyone thinks is so great. ***
(Original rating: ***)
Six-Man Tag Team
Match: Konnan, La Parka, and Villano IV v Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, and
Ciclope:
Mike Tenay joins us for commentary here. Villano and Ciclope start, trading wristlocks
for a bit, before tagging out to Konnan and Guerrera. Konnan gets the better of
it with a rolling clothesline, but Guerrera sends him to the outside with a
headscissors takedown, and then hits a springboard flying dropkick on the way
back inside. Wheelbarrow takedown, but Konnan counters with a wheelbarrow
suplex, then gives an incoming Ciclope a powerbomb for good measure. Tags to
Parka and Calo, and Parka misses a corner charge, allowing Calo a takedown.
Parka fights back with a clothesline, but gets knocked to the outside, where
Calo blasts him with a slingshot baseball slide, then a somersault plancha. A
springboard misses, however, so Parka sits him down in a chair, and dives with
a tope to knock him out of it. Tags to Villano and Ciclope, with Ciclope trying
to backdrop him over the top, but Villano landing on the apron, and coming back
in with a bodypress for two. They spill to the outside, where Ciclope badly
misses a dive, and Villano gives him a vertical suplex for two on the way back
inside. Guerrera tags in to blast Villano with a running dropkick, and a slam
sets up a flying 450 splash - which totally misses, but still somehow gets a
two count. Spinkick connects, but a charge in the corner doesn't, and Parka
comes in with a flying corkscrew senton for two. Parka takes him upstairs, but
ends up getting crotched for his troubles, and Guerrera brings him off the top
with a springboard rana for two. Konnan grabs Guerrera in an electric chair for
Villano to blast with a flying clothesline, and a tandem spinebuster sets up a
tandem submission - leading to a spot where everyone has someone in a big joint
submission hold at the same time. Konnan dumps Guerrera over the top as the
referee loses control of the contest, and everyone trades off. We get another
group submission spot, ending in Konnan's team getting knocked to the outside
for a trio of topes. Back in, Guerrera counters a wheelbarrow suplex from
Konnan with a victory cradle for two, so Konnan hits him with splash mountain
for the pin at 9:52 - despite Guerrera very clearly kicking out at two.
Apparently that was a botch by the referee, and not a screw job finish. I
usually don't dig these Lucha style six/eight-mans, but I found myself getting
really into this one, as they stuck to the more traditional US formula a little
more than usual this time. Still multiple of blown spots, a botched finish, and
no psychology - but fun empty calories. ** ½ (Original rating: * ¼)
WCW Television
Title Match: Prince Iaukea v Rey Mysterio Jr: They feel each other out to
start, until a reversal sequence ends in Iaukea hitting a superkick. They spill
to the outside, where Iaukea dominates again, and he dives off the top with a
flying bodypress on the floor. Iaukea with a legdrop for two on the way back
in, and a hammerlock suplex is worth two - as the crowd gets distracted by
something going on in the stands (off camera). Iaukea with a vertical suplex
for two, and he takes Rey to the mat with a chinlock. Press-backbreaker sets up
another flying bodypress, but this time Mysterio dropkicks him out of the air,
and a rana sends both men tumbling over the top. Rey adds a slingshot baseball
slide to set up a somersault senton splash tope, and he rolls Iaukea back in
for some chops in the corner. Cross corner whip and a turnbuckle smash set up a
double jump flying moonsault press for two, so Iaukea tries a snake-eyes, but
Rey shoves him into the turnbuckles to block, and throws a spinheel kick. Snapmare
sets up a springboard flying moonsault for two, and Rey goes up for another
dive, but Iaukea follows to bring him off with a Samoan drop off the middle
rope! That draws Lord Steven Regal out, as Iaukea misses a dropkick, and
Mysterio comes off the top with a sloppy flying rana. Rey sets up another dive,
but this time Regal pulls him off of the apron to bash, and Iaukea scores the
pin at 8:53. Well, there's what a terrible finish to a good match looks like.
Afterwards, Iaukea is so upset about the interference that he tries to give Rey
the title belt, but Mysterio, of course, won't accept it. Yeah, maybe next time
don't make the cover if you don't want it that way, big shot. *** (Original
rating: **)
Diamond Dallas
Page v Buff Bagwell:
I like the off-center, low-key entrance set here. They trade wristlocks to
start, dominated by Page. He works a headlock next, but Buff fights free, so
Dallas shoulderblocks him, and delivers a neckbreaker. Bagwell bails, but Page
dives after him from the apron, so Bagwell snaps his throat across the top rope
on the way back inside. Buff with a tornado DDT and a backelbow for two, so
Page tries a small package for two, followed by a schoolboy for two. Bagwell
cuts him off with a clothesline, but wastes time getting into an exchange with
the referee, and Dallas recovers with a few jabs, followed by a clothesline of
his own. Inverted atomic drop gives Bagwell a chance to steal another piece of
Rick Rude's act, as Page makes a comeback. Sitout powerbomb gets Dallas two,
but a corner charge hits elbow, and Bagwell tries a leveraged pin for two.
Corner whip works, but a charge doesn't, and Page schoolboys for two. Buff
tries cutting him off with a ten-punch count, but Dallas counters with a
hotshot. Diamond Cutter, but Bagwell counters with a backslide for two, and a
bridging fisherman suplex is worth two - Buff letting him go because he wants
to humiliate Page with a countout. Okay. Dallas gets to his feet in time, so
Bagwell tries a neckbreaker, but Page counters with the Cutter. That draws the
nWo in, and Dallas bails - winning by disqualification at 9:53. Um, why? He ran
away before they ever touched him. Seems like a clear cut countout victory for
Bagwell. Buff's heel act, while good in general, is pretty tiresome while he's
actually in the ring, but the match was generally fine before yet another TV
level finish. * (Original rating: *)
WCW United States
Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Chris Jericho: Feeling out process to start,
dominated by the champion. He gets Chris in an STF, but Jericho makes the
ropes, so Eddie pounds him. Criss cross ends in Eddie hitting a backelbow, and
he adds a saito suplex for two. Headlock, but Chris escapes with a side suplex
for two, and grabs an abdominal stretch. Eddie fights free to trigger a pinfall
reversal sequence, and Chris delivers a hanging vertical suplex for two. They
trade takedowns to a stalemate from there, and Jericho delivers a spinebuster
to set up the Liontamer - though I don't think it had been established as his
finisher yet, because no one really cares, and Guerrero pretty easily escapes
it. Chris works a chinlock instead, then an inverted torture rack into a drop
for two. Springboard flying bodypress, but the champ dodges, and hits a
clothesline. Powerbomb gets Guerrero two, and a brainbuster sets up a flying
somersault senton splash, but Jericho dodges. Jericho with a release German suplex,
and a reversal sequence ends in Chris hitting an overhead suplex, but Eddie's
in the ropes. Jericho tries a side suplex, but Eddie keeps blocking, so Chris
drops him crotch-first across the top rope instead, then sends him to the
outside with a springboard dropkick. Jericho dives after him with a springboard
splash, but he hurts his knee on the landing, taking as much damage as he
dishing out. Chris with another dive on the way back in, but Eddie catches him
in an inverted atomic drop, and hooks a backslide for two. Criss cross ends in
both guys colliding, and then colliding again when both recover. Jericho with a
powerslam for two as they recover again, but Eddie counters a suplex with a
rollup for two. Chris cuts him off with a superkick to set up a magistral
cradle for two, so Eddie tries a tornado DDT, but Jericho counters with a
bridging northern lights suplex for two. Reversal sequence ends in Eddie
hooking a sunset cradle, and that's enough to retain at 12:03. Pretty disappointing.
I thought for sure this would be a slam dunk, but it ended up being pretty boring
before the last leg, and the crowd wasn't into it. But, hey, at least it had a
clean finish. ** (Original rating: *** ½)
Triangle Match:
Harlem Heat v The Faces of Fear v Public Enemy: First fall wins
it. Barbarian starts with Rocco Rock, and kicks his ass so badly that he takes
him into his own home corner to do it, having no fear of Johnny Grunge. That's
pretty awesome. Stevie Ray tags himself into beat on Rocco as well, until
Johnny tags in... and promptly gets destroyed as well. Glad we're all on the
same page as to who the bitches are in there. The Heat work Johnny over for a
while, until everyone gets bored of that, and Booker T gets worked over by the
Faces instead. The Enemy are so disrespected that Meng shoves them out of their
own corner so he can climb the ropes for a dive at one point, which is just
amazing. Barbarian with a powerbomb for two, and suddenly everyone just comes
in for a brawl, with the Enemy hitting Barbarian with a combo for the pin at
7:33. Kind of weird that Enemy were booked to go over here, after spending the
entire match being treated like total jobbers. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)
Jeff Jarrett v
Steve McMichael:
If Jarrett wins, he gets to join the Four Horsemen. Why would you send
McMichael out there with those kinds of stakes? Jeff frustrates him to start,
outwrestling the rookie McMichael in the early going, but an exchange in the
corner ends badly when Steve catches him in a front-powerslam. Steve clips the
leg a couple of times until Jarrett bails, but Debra distracts her husband as
he goes after Jeff on the outside, and Jarrett is able to get control. Back in,
Jarrett grabs a leveraged abdominal stretch, but Debra breaks it up, allowing
Steve to press-slam him. Clothesline sends Jeff over the top, so Debra tries to
towel him off, but Steve steals it away to choke him with instead. He drops
Jeff across the guardrail out there, but telegraphs a backdrop on the way back
in, and Jarrett counters with a facebuster. He adds a straddling ropechoke and
a short-clothesline for two, the latter of which Mongo actually messes up
taking. How do you mess up taking a clothesline? Sleeper, but McMichael
reverses, so Jeff side suplexes his way out of trouble. Somehow that gets
McMichael two. Steve unloads with right hands and a sidewalk slam, but he lets
off of his own cover. How many times is that going to happen tonight?
Scrapbuster gets two, so Jeff goes to the eyes, and uses a bodyslam to set up a
flying bodypress for two. The referee gets bumped on the kickout, so Steve goes
for his briefcase to finish the job, but Debra chucks it to Jeff - Jarrett
knocking him out for the pin at 8:12. Jarrett worked hard to get something
watchable out of him. It wasn't a very good match, but it wasn't terrible, and
that's a win when it comes to McMichael, especially at this point. ¾* (Original
rating: ½*)
San Francisco
Death Match: Kevin Sullivan v Chris Benoit: Jacqueline and Woman are tied
together with a strap for this one. Considering all the amazing talent on the
roster at this point, why were they wasting a guy like Benoit's prime on Kevin
Sullivan for such a long period of time? Big brawl to start, between the men
and the women. Jackie and Woman whip each other with the strap on the outside,
as Sullivan gets control of Benoit in the corner on the inside. Kevin manages a
backdrop, and I think this is the first time I've ever seen Woman in pants.
Chris tries going to the top rope, but Sullivan slams him off, and delivers a
sloppy butterfly suplex, as Woman beats Jackie into the ring for some whipping.
Sullivan tries to interfere, but ends up getting crotched with the strap,
allowing Benoit to attack. Jackie saves with the strap, and passes the weapon
to Kevin to tie a noose - hanging Benoit over the ropes as Jackie kicks him in
the balls. Jesus. Plus, I'm sure the conspiracy nuts love that spot. They spill
to the outside for a brawl into the crowd, and end up backstage, in the parking
garage area. They trade off there for a bit before fighting back over to the
ring, where the women appear to have worn themselves out, and are barely even
fighting anymore. Kevin hits a tree of woe to set up the double stomp, but
Woman attacks him with the strap to break the count. That allows Benoit to hit
a piledriver, and he brings a table into the ring. He gets Kevin onto it to set
up the flying headbutt drop, so Jackie covers him over, trying to act as a
human shield. Yeah, something tells me Chris Benoit won't have any qualms about
hurting a woman. And, yep, he dives onto both with the headbutt, and pins Kevin
at 8:35. That... that's not how a Death Match works. The usual Sullivan/Benoit
brawl, but with women this time. ½* (Original rating: DUD)
WCW World Tag Team
Title Match: The Outsiders v Giant and Lex Luger: Luger is not
medically cleared, so Giant has to go it alone here. The Outsiders are so cool
here that I can't see how anyone could boo them. Scott Hall starts for the
champions, and actually tries to work a hammerlock, but you can guess how that
goes. Chops in the corner work slightly better, but Giant turns the tide, and
unloads. Giant with a press-slam, and he's tired of Hall, give him Kevin Nash!
The Outsiders oblige, but not before Scott comes over and literally spits in
Giant's face on the way out. Nash pounds him into the corner, and a cross
corner whip is followed in by a clothesline. Giant responds in kind, and a
dropkick sends Nash over the top, so Hall runs in, but Giant quickly takes him
out. He follows Nash to the outside for a trip into the post, and Giant is
firmly in control of the contest as they head back inside. He hits an elbowdrop
for two, so Syxx comes off the top rope with his newly won Cruiserweight title
belt, bashing him in the brain. That allows Hall to dive with a 2nd rope
bulldog that gives Nash a cover for two, and Kevin unloads on the challenger in
the corner. The Outsiders go to work, using plenty of double teams, but Giant
starts making a comeback. That draws Syxx in, but Giant fights him off this
time, so Hall bashes him with the title belt himself, and Nash capitalizes with
a fucking Powerbomb! Holy shit! If he could have done that with Mabel, that
feud may have actually worked. Cue Lex Luger in street clothes to take his spot
on the apron for the hot tag, and he comes in with his cast covered arm,
bashing the Outsiders silly. Torture Rack for Kevin Nash, and we have new
champions at 9:08. Huge pop for that, but of course the decision would get
overturned the next night on Nitro. And Giant knows it, so he gives Hall a
Chokeslam for good measure, and has the referee count a second pin, just in
case. Still got overturned, but at least he wasn't a total moron like the
Steiner Brothers a month earlier. * (Original rating: ¾*)
Main Event: WCW
World Title Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Roddy Piper: Piper is fresh
off of spending a week in Alcatraz to get ready for this one, and he looks like
Jerry Lawler's foot at King of the Ring '95. No wonder Hogan wants to stay away
from him at the bell, and stalls. Piper forces him in and unloads, then takes
off his nasty t-shirt to choke Hulk with. Pretty sure the stench if doing a
good enough job of that on its own. Hogan bails, so Roddy chases him for more
shirt choking in the aisle, and Hulk eats rail. Back in, Hogan tries a low blow
to buy time, but Roddy just straight up no-sells, and starts biting him. Cue
the nWo, but it's the b-team guys, and Piper easily fights them off. It does
give Hogan the distraction he needs for a sneak attack, but Piper quickly
fights THAT off as well, this time giving Hogan an eyepoke and an earringer.
They spill back to the outside, where Hulk goes after the bad hip, but Piper
no-sells that as well, and keeps unloading. Cue Sting and Randy Savage to
observe from the aisle, and Sting wants to hang back, but Macho wants to get a
better look. He ends up at ringside as Hogan and Piper slug it out, with the
heel champion finally getting control of the bout for a few seconds. He targets
the hip again, so Roddy goes to the eyes, but Hulk cuts him off with a bearhug.
I guess the eats at Alcatraz were lacking, because Piper looks to be way
underweight here, his tights slipping off. That's not a good look. Hogan works
the bearhug down into a few pin attempts, but Piper escapes, and grounds him
with mounted punches. Hulk tries using a low blow to buy time, but Piper grabs
the Sleeper, and the ropes are out of reach! Hulk fades, and the arms drop
three times - we have a new champion at 10:08! But as soon as the call is made,
Savage pulls Hogan into the ropes to raise doubt, and the referee is suddenly
second guessing his own decision. The match is back on, and Piper goes in for
the kill on a drowsy champion, but Macho has passed Hulk a weapon, and he
knocks Roddy out with it to retain at 10:56. Not a great wrestling match, but
it totally worked as a spectacle and was commercially successful, so what else
do you want? Maybe Piper not acting like a Road Warrior in 1988 for the whole
match, but you can't have everything, I guess. Afterwards, Savage officially
joins the nWo, and they give Piper a beating - which his grizzled ass finally
sells. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)
**
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