Original Airdate: June 15, 1997
From Moline, Illinois; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan
Opening Match: Ultimo Dragon v Psychosis: Mike Tenay sits in for commentary on this one. Dragon dumps him to the outside right away, so Psychosis stalls for a bit. Back in, they trade wristlocks, dominated by Dragon, so Psychosis bails again for more stalling. Dragon pops him with chops as Psychosis comes back in again, and he taunts him with a headstand in the corner, leading to a series of strikes that send Psychosis back to the outside. Back inside, Dragon again gets the better of him, this time with a rack drop. He keeps the man inside this time, but gets overexcited, and telegraphs a backdrop, allowing Psychosis to take control. Psychosis with a corner whip to set up a corner clothesline, and he lands a dropkick. Charge gets him backdropped over the top, however, and this time Dragon is on his man with a plancha - only for Psychosis to sidestep. That allows Sonny Onoo to attack Dragon with some kicks, and Psychosis capitalizes with a baseball slide. He adds a flying guillotine legdrop, and a magistral cradle gets him two on the way back inside. Backbreaker gets him two, so he dumps Dragon back to the outside for Sonny to abuse. Dragon fights him off this time, but the distraction allows Psychosis to attack again. Back in, Psychosis tries a backdrop, but Dragon lands on his feet, and throws a few strikes. Handspring backelbow connects in the corner, and a reversal sequence ends in Psychosis going over the top. Dragon dives after him with a springboard moonsault press, and they need to bring this motherfucker in to train the current stars on that move. Back in, Dragon delivers a brainbuster for two, and a tombstone is worth two. An exchange in the corner ends in Psychosis hitting a flying spinheel kick, so Dragon bails, but Psychosis dives over the ring post with a tope suicida! Back in, Dragon tries a rana into a cradle, but Psychosis reverses for two. Flying moonsault press, but Dragon throws a dropkick to block him, and he takes Psychosis upstairs for a rana off the top! Tiger suplex, but Onoo distracts him, and Psychosis capitalizes with a missile dropkick for two. Sonny tries another bit of interference, but it backfires on Psychosis this time, and the Dragon Sleeper finishes at 14:21. This was pretty good, but Psychosis working with Onoo definitely felt out of place. ** ¾ (Original rating: ** ¾)
#1 Contender's Match: Harlem Heat v The Steiner Brothers: I miss the colorful era for the Steiner Brothers. Stevie Ray and Scott Steiner start, feeling each other out. Scott tries a corner charge, but runs into an elbow, and Stevie takes control. Stevie with a big boot, but a second one misses, and Scott suplexes him. That draws Booker T in without a tag, but he gets fought off, and the Steiner's clean house. Dust settles on Stevie and Rick Steiner, and Stevie pounds him down, as the announcers have a funny conversation on whether Rick is stupid or not. Rick fights Stevie off with a powerslam, and Stevie bails - passing to Booker on the way back in. Booker wants Scott, but Rick wants to pound on him himself, so Booker forces the tag to Scott. Not sure that's exactly a wise idea, and it doesn't work out too well for him. He challenges Scott to a test-of-strength next, and maybe we should be having a debate about Booker's intelligence, not Rick Steiner's. Reversal sequence ends in Booker putting Scott in a full-nelson, but Scott fights free, so Booker throws a short-knee to put him down. Backdrop, but Scott blocks, and delivers a tigerbomb for two. Tag to Rick with a vertical suplex for two, and back to Scott for a press-slam. Maybe Booker should challenge him to a test-of-strength again. Scott tries a dive off the middle, but Booker lifts his foot to block, and wow, that looked terrible. Booker with the Harlem Sidekick and a clothesline to send both guys tumbling over the top, but a whip into the guardrail out there gets reversed. Back in, Scott uses an elbowdrop for two, and passes back to Rick - who promptly walks into a cheap shot from Stevie. Stevie adds a slam on the floor for good measure, and that's enough to turn the tide. The Heat go to work on Rick, but he fights Booker off long enough for the tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Scott takes Booker up for a rana off the top, but Vincent (of the nWo) runs in before he can cover, strategically hitting Booker with an elbowdrop to prompt a DQ win for the Heat at 12:01. This was solid, if not especially interesting, before that big steaming pile of shit that they booked for the finish. * (Original rating: DUD)
Konnan v Hugh Morrus: Slugfest right at the bell, and Hugh gets the better of it. Morrus with a dropkick, but mounted punches end up backfiring, and Konnan dumps him to the outside. Konnan follows to send him into the steps out there, but Morrus beats the count, so Konnan welcomes him with a dropkick. He adds a rolling clothesline for two, but Hugh makes the ropes to escape a toehold, and he manages to put the boots to Konnan. They spill back to the outside, where it's Konnan's turn to take a trip into the steps, and Hugh hits him with a spinheel kick for two on the way back in. Morrus works a fujiwara armbar, but Konnan escapes, and works a headscissors. He shifts to a cross-armbreaker, as the announcers try to find something interesting to talk about here, settling on the fact that Konnan is kind of pulling Hugh's hair while applying the hold, and whether or not this will put the submission effort over the top. Riveting. Hugh goes back to the arm, but Konnan kicks him in the head to shake him off, and a sloppy transition into a rollup gets two. Hugh with a sloppy powerslam to set up the No Laughing Matter, and he sure is taking his time with that one, isn't he? He stands on the top rope for, like, thirty seconds waiting for Konnan to remember that he's supposed to slam him off, and Konnan finishes with the Tequila Sunrise at 10:34. Wow, for a big grudge match this was incredibly slow and boring. Not to mention 'poorly worked.' -* (Original rating: -¼*)
Glacier v Wrath: Mike Tenay is back for more commentary, and Mortis is handcuffed to a ring post for this. Well, all these guys are very COVID safe, at least. Wrath pounds him into the corner right away, but Glacier fights him off, and uses a jumping sidekick to knock him over the top. Glacier stays on him with a plancha, and he unloads mounted punches on the floor, followed by a superkick. Glacier with a whip into the steps, and what is up with those weird reflectors on the outside mats? I don't think I've ever noticed that before or after. Back in, Glacier hooks the leg for two, but a corner splash misses, and Mortis messes with him from the floor. That allows Wrath to try a powerbomb, so Glacier tries a block, but ends up getting dropped across the top rope instead. Ouch, that looked nasty. Wrath works a chinlock, but Glacier fights free. Criss cross sees Glacier try a bodypress, but Wrath hits the deck, and Glacier ends up back on the outside. Wrath dives after him with a somersault senton from the apron, and he delivers a flying clothesline on the way back inside. He slaps Glacier around, but it backfires when Glacier grabs a choke - with Tenay, bless him, trying to get it over as a 'nervehold' It's a choke, Mike. Wrath fights it off, but misses a pump-elbowdrop, and Glacier goes on the comeback trail. Not that the crowd gives a shit. Wrath climbs back to the top, but Glacier knocks the referee into him to crotch him, and Glacier brings him off with a vertical superplex. That draws Mortis onto the apron, so Glacier decks him, but that allows Wrath to recover with a side suplex. Mortis tries tossing him a chain, but Glacier ends up getting hold of it, and he pops Wrath in the head with it at 12:01. Despite a stacked card, the actual matches have all been pretty dull thus far. Wrath looked motivated, but this was about five minutes too long for what they were bringing to the table here. ½* (Original rating: DUD)
WCW Women's Title v Career Match: Akira Hokuto v Madusa: Lee Marshall joins us for guest commentary. Akira tosses her around by the hair to start, and she chokes her challenger in the corner for a bit. Akira with a piledriver, but a whip into the ropes backfires when Madusa rebounds with a matslam. Madusa adds a pair of 2nd rope dropkicks for two, so Akira grabs her by the throat, and takes her into the corner for a bootchoke. Hokuto's offense seems to be 85% chokeholds. They should have brought her in as Undertaker's girlfriend, imagine. Akira with a pair of suplexes (punctuated by more choking), but Madusa gets into the ropes to block a spinning toehold. Madusa throws a series of strikes, but Akira counters a suplex with a cradle for two. Akira adds a kneebreaker, and the champ goes to work on the leg. Bridging northern lights suplex gets two, but she takes too long climbing the ropes for a dive, and Madusa brings her off with a handstand rana. Madusa adds a powerbomb for two, but Akira swipes at the leg to cut her off, and she takes her challenger upstairs for a nice vertical superplex for two. Madusa tries to save herself with a quick German suplex, but Akira counters to a kneebar. Madusa manages to make it to the ropes, so Akira goes up with a flying dropkick, but nobody home. That allows Madusa a bridging German suplex, but Sonny Onoo pulls at the bad leg to break the bridge at two. That allows Hokuto to work the part again, and a bodyslam sets up a flying splash, but Madusa lifts her knees to block. Of course, that just messes up her knee more, and her comeback is slow. Clothesline gets two, but the leg gives out on an atomic drop attempt, and Akira delivers the northern lights bomb at 11:41. And other than finishing up some dates in Germany, the stipulation actually stuck for about two years before she returned in May 1999. The match felt kind of all over the place, but the psychology was solid, and it was watchable. * ¼ (Original rating: ¼*)
Death Match: Meng v Chris Benoit: This convoluted angle continues, with Benoit having to beat guy after guy after guy to get to Kevin Sullivan - even the guys he's already beaten. Chris blindsides him with a tope during the entrances, and he rolls Meng in for a flying headbutt drop right away. Crippler Crossface looks to finish quickly, but Meng powers to a vertical base in the hold, and sets him down on the top turnbuckle for a slam off. Chris keeps coming with a dropkick to the knee and another Crossface, and this time Meng needs the ropes to escape. Both guys get vertical for a slugfest - Meng getting the better of it. He looks to follow up with a powerbomb, but Benoit slips free, and tries to suplex him over the top, but both guys just kind of topple to the outside. That didn't look great, though the announcers did a good job of covering for them. Chris goes to the top rope on the way back in, but Meng trips him up, and Benoit ends up in a tree of woe. Chris gets out of it and tries throwing chops, but Meng responds in kind, and drills Benoit with a spinebuster. He slaps on a dragon sleeper, but it goes nowhere, and Chris recovers with more chops. Man, they're really laying those in. Meng with a bodyslam to set up a flying splash, but Benoit beats the count to his feet, so Meng superkicks him out of the ring. Benoit beats the count, so Meng tries whipping him into the rail out there, but Chris reverses. Chris rolls him in and delivers a German suplex, but Meng beats the count, so Benoit drops him on his head again with another one. Meng beats the count, so Benoit throws right hands, but Meng fights back with an inverted atomic drop. He grabs the Tongan Death Grip, so Benoit dives over the top while in the hold to force a break. Meng responds by beating on him with more chops and putting him in a chinlock, but a 2nd rope splash misses. That allows Chris to put him in the Crossface, but Meng has the ropes. Chris is all fired up, however, and he slugs away at him. Back to the Crossface, but Meng finds the ropes. This time Meng figures out the trick, and comes at Chris with a flurry of fists the moment he releases. Death Grip, but Chris ducks, and puts him back in the Crossface. The ropes are out of reach this time, and Meng passes out at 14:57. Like the Slamboree match, this had merit, but the stipulation made the flow really choppy. * ¾ (Original rating: ¼*)
Steve McMichael v Kevin Greene: Greene charges in and takes Steve down right away, and a three-point stance sets up some mounted punches. McMichael wisely bails, and manages to sweep Kevin down from the outside, and pull him to the floor for some stomping. Steve taunts Greene by beating on him right in front of his parents, so his mom bashes McMichael right upside the head with her bag! That was pretty great. Kevin can't properly capitalize, however, and McMichael continues putting the boots to him on the way back inside. Neckbreaker gets two, but Greene dives back at him with a Thesz-press to set up some more mounted punches. A charge goes badly when Steve grabs him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, and Mongo adds an inverted atomic drop, followed by a dropkick for two. Greene's mom is doing the best selling of the whole night, I'm guessing no one smartened her up. Greene fights him off in the corner and climbs to the top rope with a flying shoulderblock, but Steve is in the ropes at two. Greene responds by clotheslining him over the top, and he delivers a bodyslam out on the floor. Cue Debra McMichael with a distraction, but Steve fails to capitalize, and Kevin puts the boots to him on the way back in. Three-point stance, but Mongo dodges, and he chokes Kevin in the corner. Cue another distraction from Debra, which allows WCW United States Champion Jeff Jarrett to run out with the briefcase, but he accidentally hits Steve - allowing Kevin to crawl over for the pin at 9:22. Shockingly, this was better than some of the matches from the seasoned veterans on this card. ½* (Original rating: DUD)
WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders v Ric Flair and Roddy Piper: Scott Hall starts with Ric, and once again, Ric is dressed like he's trying to join the Wolfpac. That's twice in a row, and given the booking of the promotion during this period, I'm actually surprised it didn't result in just that. Flair fires a flurry of fists to knock Scott to the outside, and the champs regroup on the floor. Back in, Hall cross corner whips Flair, flipping him onto the apron, where Kevin Nash is waiting with a big boot. Inside, that gets Hall a two count, so Ric tries chops, but WCW Cruiserweight Champion Syxx quickly trips him up, allowing Hall to clothesline him back down. Tag to Nash to unload on Flair in the corner, and a sidewalk slam gets him two. Nash with the snake-eyes to set up a cheap shot from Hall, but Kevin gets cocky, and walks into a low blow. This feels like the match they were trying to have on the previous Nitro, only with Flair taking the beating, and not running out of gas like Piper did. Hot tag to Piper, and Hall ends up in the Sleeper right away. Scott is fresh enough to fight it off, however, and Syxx sneaks in with a spinkick for good measure. That riles up Ric, and he beats Syxx all the way back to the dressing room, as Hall and Piper look up at the lights. Hall recovers first, rolling over to make a cover for two. Flair is still chasing Syxx around, so Piper has no one to tag to, and Nash comes in to pound him. Roddy doesn't really sell much for him, despite Nash being twice his size, in what is probably a receipt for their real life physical altercation backstage following the last Nitro. Piper tries making a comeback all on his own, but gets overwhelmed fighting two fronts, and Hall puts him away with the Outsider's Edge at 10:02 - getting a pretty rare pinfall victory over Roddy. This was pretty basic, and much less fun than the six-man at Slamboree. ¾* (Original rating: DUD)
Main Event: Falls Count Anywhere Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Randy Savage: Page comes in from the crowd for a sneak attack, and we're off! Diamond Cutter attempt early, but Savage hits the deck, and bails. No wonder Page and Jake Roberts get along so well. DDP dives after him with a plancha, but ends up aggravating his taped ribs in the process. He's still well enough to send Macho into the rail, and he delivers a clothesline on the way back in, followed by a flying version. He tosses Randy over the top, and they spill into the crowd for a brawl around the arena, where Page gets hold of a crutch to abuse him with. Macho manages a spinebuster on the floor as they get back to ringside, and Page eats steps out there. Into the ring, Randy blinds him with a handful of powder, and he breaks some piece of plastic over his head. The announcers debating just what that object was is pretty funny. Savage tears off Page's rib tape so he can put the boots directly to the injured area, causing the referee to protest, and Macho takes him out via piledriver. That allows DDP some recovery time, but Savage quickly cuts off any comeback, and takes him into the corner for a choke. Another referee comes in, so Savage dumps the official over the top, and cuts another Page comeback attempt off with a clothesline. Another clothesline sends Dallas over the top, so Kimberly comes over to check on him, and nearly gets beat on by Randy before referee Nick Patrick makes it out to intervene. Savage hits Page with a high knee in the aisle, and they brawl over to a VIP area, where some fans are enjoying a BBQ. While also having no view of the ring, but whatever, corndogs. Dallas bodyslams him through a picnic table, and drags him back to the ring, crotching Randy on the post on their way. Page with a forward-piledriver, but Macho fights of the Cutter with a chincrusher, Page falling out of the ring. Savage follows to send him into the steps, and he pulls the floor mats up for a piledriver on the concrete, but the referee interferes. Savage takes him out too, and we're running out of referee's here! I may not agree with his methods, but Savage does have a point. It's a no rules match, and the referee is physically stopping him from executing a piledriver? Where was he when Page slammed him through a table two minutes ago? Randy continues to take out his understandable frustrations on a cameraman, but all this allows Page time to recover, and he bashes Macho with a chair. Back in, Diamond Cutter time, but Savage goes low to block. He tries a suplex, but Page counters to the Cutter. The referee is still staggered, so Scott Hall runs in, hitting Dallas with the Outsider's Edge. Why did he need to wait for the referee to be down, anyway? Savage goes to the top with the Elbowdrop, and Hall revives the official to count the pin at 16:57. Like the Spring Stampede match, this was another fun brawl. ** ¼ (Original rating: *)
BUExperience: Despite a good buildup, and a stacked, fully developed card, nearly every match under delivered. It’s not a terrible show, but you can’t really classify it as anything but a disappointment, given the build.
Also interesting that, despite a strong card, only two titles were on the line here.
*
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