WCW Bash at the Beach 1997 (Version II)

Original Airdate: July 13, 1997

 

From Daytona Beach, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan

 

Opening Match: Glacier and Ernest Miller v Mortis and Wrath: Mike Tenay joins us for commentary, since apparently he's also an expert in whatever this feud is supposed to be. Everyone brawls, the dust settling on Glacier and Mortis to start, and Glacier unloads. That draws Wrath in, but Miller hits him with a springboard flying sidekick to clean house. Mortis comes back in to get double teamed, and Ernest spinkicks him for two. Tag to Wrath, but Glacier and Miller hit him with stereo dropkicks for two, like they're the Rockers, or something. A distraction from Mortis allows Wrath to knock Glacier to the outside, however, and Wrath dives after him with a somersault senton on the floor. The heels bash Glacier with a chair out there before rolling him back inside for another double team. A sitout powerbomb/neckbreaker combo gets two, and Wrath puts him in an inverted Boston crab to set up a 2^nd rope legdrop from Mortis for two. They continue cutting the ring in half, but Mortis misses a flying moonsault, and Miller comes in, sans tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Glacier drops Mortis with a DDT, but there's no referee to count, and James Vandenberg passes his man a chain - Mortis nailing Glacier with it for the pin at 9:48. I didn't really like the match much, but I did appreciate how both teams worked hard to work like actual regular tag team partners, as opposed to just two guys shuffled together. The heels also had some interesting, unique combos here, and everyone worked hard. * ½ (Original rating: *)

 

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho v Ultimo Dragon: Mike Tenay is still here, and Jericho is dressed like Rob Van Dam. Feeling out process to start, and they do some cool sequences, but the crowd is pretty disinterested. Dragon with a series of kicks to allow him a nervehold, but a rana gets countered with a two-alarm no-release powerbomb. Chris adds a senton splash for two, and a hanging vertical suplex is worth two. Backbreaker into a backbreaker submission wears Dragon down, but the challenger escapes a sleeper with a side suplex. Reversal in the corner allows Chris a moonsault press for two, and another powerbomb is worth two. Superplex, but Dragon dives to the outside to get away from him, so Jericho springboards with a bodypress on the floor. The announcers note that it's really important for Jericho to get the win here, since Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman are headlining the show, and thus it would be a big deal for him. Not the Cruiserweight title, mind you. Inside, Jericho uses a bodyslam to set up a 2^nd rope elbowdrop, but Dragon blocks. Dragon tries the rana off the top, but Jericho dumps him to the outside to block, and Chris tries another dive, but this time the challenger is ready with a dropkick. Dragon tries to capitalize with a suplex on the floor, but Jericho reverses, only to miss another springboard bodypress out there. Dragon capitalizes with a springboard moonsault press into the aisle, and a rana gets him two on the way back inside. Dragon tries a handspring backelbow, but Jericho counters with a magistral cradle - only for Dragon to reverse for two. Pinfall reversal sequence ends in both guys spilling to the outside again, and Dragon pops him with a leg-feed enzuigiri out there. He tries a suplex back inside, but Jericho blocks, and hits the Lionsault for two. Another one, but this time Dragon is ready with a dropkick. Tiger suplex, but Chris is in the ropes, so the challenger tries the Dragon Sleeper instead, but Jericho blocks. Dragon regroups with a clothesline to set up a flying moonsault, but Chris blocks a dragon suplex, and a reversal sequence ends in Jericho cradling at 12:54. They were trying a lot of stuff here, and while not all of it worked, it was a strong effort overall. *** (Original rating: *** ½)

 

The Steiner Brothers v Great Muta and Masahiro Chono: The heels attack and dump the Brothers to the outside to start, but the Steiner's dive back in with stereo flying clotheslines to clean house. The dust settles on Scott Steiner and Muta to start, and Scott is so jacked up that he's already breathing heavy from that short ten second burst of stuff. He went downhill really fast in the mid-90s. Scott pounds him into the corner, but a charge his boot, and a terrible looking criss cross ends in Muta hitting a spinkick. Scott comes back with a butterfly powerbomb, and a press-slam follows - Muta bailing to regroup. Dust settles on Rick Steiner and Chono, and a criss cross ends in Rick using a shoulderblock. Basic, sure, but at least it wasn't embarrassing like Scott's. And when you're getting outworked by Rick Steiner, maybe it's time to hang it up, I don't know. Chono comes back with a big boot, so they do a test-of-strength to settle it, and Rick manages a powerslam. Chono bails to get into an argument with some guy in a Sycho Sid t-shirt, and apparently that's more pressing than the match, since things settle on Scott and Muta. The heels use a cheap shot to get control, and Chono drops Scott with an electric chair, followed by Muta using a handspring backelbow and a bulldog. They go to work on Scott, but Scott ends up superplexing Chono to fight them off, and Rick gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Rick dives with a flying bulldog on Muta, but Chono breaks the cover at two. That allows Muta a handspring backelbow, but Rick catches him in a German suplex for two - again saved by Chono. Scott tries a Frankensteiner on Muta, but Chono saves again, so they kill him with the double team bulldog at 11:38. It took a little while to get going, but everything after the heat segment started was damn good. ** (Original rating: ½*)

 

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, and Lizmark Jr v La Parka, Psychosis, and Villano IV: Poor Villano V must feel so left out. Mike Tenay is back in the booth for this one. Lizmark and Psychosis start, and Lizmark looks way too tall for the cruiserweight division. They trade off with a bunch of nothing, until Garza decides to dive in for no real reason, so Villano comes in to chop him. Even after all of these years, I just can't get used to the lucha style tag rules. Garza dumps Villano to the outside with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on the floor, giving us Juvi/Parka in the ring. Juvi gets the better of a reversal sequence with a rana, and a monkeyflip sends Parka over the top - Guerrera after him with a headscissors on the floor. That earns him a few kicks from Sonny Onoo, but Onoo ends up blasting Parka by accident, and has to quickly fish a wad of cash out of his pocket to calm things down. Inside, Psychosis tries a charge, but also ends up accidentally hitting Parka, and Garza capitalizes with a flying bodypress on Parka. Parka's team bails, so the others use a trio of suicidas after them, and Juvi takes Psychosis in to finish - only to have his springboard blocked by a dropkick. Psychosis takes Guerrera upstairs for a sunset bomb off the top for two, but Parka misses a charge, and Garza dives in with a flying moonsault press on him for two. Everyone comes in for another parade of dives, and we even get a rowboat spot for good measure. The dust settles on Psychosis clotheslining Garza to set up a flying splash, but Hector dodges, and everyone takes turns trying dives that miss. Tower of doom spot out of the corner ends in Lizmark hitting Villano with a moonsault for two, and a dropkick knocks Villano to the outside for Lizmark to dive at with a flying bodypress. That leads to a dog pile sequence on the outside, and Villano V runs out to swap with IV, allowing him to blitz Garza while fresh. Not sure the crowd even picked up on the switch. V accidentally hits Psychosis with a dropkick, however, and Hector capitalizes on the error to pin Villano V at 10:06. Total spot fest, but boy, they committed to it. *** (Original rating: **)

 

Career Match: Kevin Sullivan v Chris Benoit: They get right into a slugfest at the bell, and Sullivan suplexes him over the top to the outside to get control. He whips Chris into the guardrail out there, and he even grabs Jacqueline, using her as a weapon to throw into Benoit. Wow. They end up over at the beach themed entrance set for a brawl with various weapons, and we get a funny bit with Jimmy Hart climbing a lifeguard tower to get out of the crossfire, which promptly gets tipped over. Sullivan continues to dominate with a piledriver on the floor that set up a double stomp, but Chris gets fired back up as they head into the ring, catching Kevin with a clothesline. Sullivan dumps him back to the outside to buy time, where a recovered Hart attacks. In again, Chris fights Sullivan off by crotching him across the top rope, and he uses a snap suplex for two. Sullivan fights back by biting him, but Chris responds in kind, getting the better of the exchange. Crippler Crossface looks to finish, but Sullivan fights into the ropes to save himself. Chris drags him off and puts the hold back on, but Kevin makes the ropes again. Chris decides to pound him into submission instead, but Kevin won't back down, and actually ends up winning a slugfest. That allows him to put Benoit in a tree of woe, and Jackie comes in with a chair to put the finishing touches on, but then ends up hitting Sullivan with it instead! Well, he had to see that coming after the way he was treating her earlier. Jackie don't take no shit from no one. Benoit capitalizes with the flying headbutt drop from there, and Sullivan's career is kaput at 13:09. I've never been much a fan of their matches, and I hope this at least is the end of this endless feud. I did like how both guys did all kinds of stuff like literally biting and clawing to get over the stakes here, though. * ¾ (Original rating: ½*)

 

WCW United States Title Match: Jeff Jarrett v Steve McMichael: The announcers put over the history of great US title match on pay per view, as if this is going to be something on par with anything that came before. Though, to be fair, this is post Konnan/One Man Gang era, so maybe they have a point. And, anyway, Intercontinental > US title, and it always was. Jeff stalls a bit to start, and runs into a scrapbuster from Mongo, followed by a three-point stance that ends the champion back to the outside for more stalling. Inside for a test-of-strength, dominated by the challenger, so Jeff throws a knee. Irish whip, but McMichael reverses, and uses a high knee, followed by a clothesline to knock Jarrett over the top. The champion nearly gets into it with that same Sid t-shirt fan from earlier, but Steve breaks it up by whipping Jeff into the rail out there. Back in, Steve uses a sloppy press-drop, and he throws a pair of clotheslines to level the champion. Powerslam gets two, but a high knee in the corner misses, allowing Jarrett a three-point stance of his own. Figure Four looks to finish, so Debra McMichael hops onto the apron to distract him, but Jeff steals the briefcase away from her - nailing Mongo with it to retain at 6:52. They were wise to keep this short. And then afterwards, Debra reveals that she handed the case to Jarrett on purpose, turning on husband Mongo. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

 

Scott Hall and Randy Savage v Diamond Dallas Page and Curt Hennig: Hennig is Page's hyped mystery partner, and this is his first match since 1993. Kind of funny that the last time he came out of retirement was to team WITH Randy Savage AGAINST Scott Hall. Randy and Dallas start, and Page hammers him to put Macho on the outside for some stalling. He passes to Hall on the way back inside, but Scott wants Hennig, and the babyfaces are quick to oblige. Hall making fun on Curt's gut is pretty funny. And he has a point, man can't even put his singlet up. They measure each other for a while, and Hennig gets the better of a criss cross with a kneelift, followed by both sides of an atomic drop. Clothesline and a somersault necksnap connect, and DDP tags back in to deliver a forward piledriver - stopping to take a cheap shot at Savage after executing the move. Cross corner whip, but Hall reverses, and Macho is quick to take his own cheap shot. Savage tags in with a flying axehandle, as the nWo cut the ring in half on DDP, and the guy in the Sid shirt loses his shit. Page fights Macho off long enough to tag, but he accidentally pulls down the ropes while Curt is running them, and Hennig takes a spill to the outside. Kinda, he botches it. But he gets all pissy about it anyway, and decks Page, allowing Hall to hit the Outsider's Edge. That sets Macho up for the flying elbowdrop - Randy diving from Page's home corner to add insult to injury, before making an arrogant cover at 9:35. This was pretty weak in general, and having Hennig turn heel in his first match back was bad booking. Also, as far as mystery partners at Bash at the Beach go, this one was a total swing and a miss, as Hennig looked out of shape and rusty. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Ric Flair v Roddy Piper: Piper takes him down for mounted punches right away, and he unloads in the corner until Flair bails. Back in, Flair tries chops, but Piper turns the tables, and pounds him into the corner for a ten-punch. Cross corner whip flips Flair to the outside, and Roddy follows to backdrop him on the floor, followed by a shot into the post. Back in, Ric begs off, but Piper shows no mercy with an eye poke and a blatant choke, so Flair clips the leg. Ric goes to work on the part, and he slaps on the Figure Four, but Piper reverses. Ric escapes and tries a backdrop, but Roddy counters with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and he goes back to the choke, so Flair throws a low blow. Some woman in the front row bought that one hook, line, and sinker - her jaw is on the ground, and it's great to see that kind of reaction. Piper fights back and drops a knee to the groin for a little payback, and a backdrop leads to a clothesline over the top. Back in, Piper grabs a Sleeper, but Flair quickly counters with a jawbreaker for two. Ric goes upstairs, but promptly gets slammed off, since of course. Piper puts on his own figure four, but Flair makes the ropes, and he pulls out a set of knux. He goes for a knockout, but Piper blocks, and reverses. Cover, but here's Steve McMichael to distract the referee, allowing Chris Benoit to dive with a flying headbutt drop - only to land on Flair! Mongo comes in to spike Roddy with a tombstone, however, and Ric rolls over to cover... for two. Piper makes a comeback and puts him back in the Sleeper, and this time the Horsemen have no saves, Roddy getting the win at 13:26. This wasn't a very good match, but at least it wasn't sleepy. Would it have killed either guy to venture out of their routine comfort zones? ¾* (Original rating: ½*)

 

Main Event: Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman v Giant and Lex Luger: Hogan and Luger start, and Hulk is in all his glory here, soaking up all the celebrity juice in the world. Lex works a wristlock to start, until Hulk has to hide in the ropes to escape, and he stalls. One thing about Hulk, even when he's getting dominated, and being made to look 'weak,' he still knows exactly how to make himself look like the biggest star in the ring. Say what you will about his work rate, but you can't deny that he was an all-time master at that. They keep trading really basic stuff, just measuring each other, with Luger dominating, and Hogan stalling. Hulk goes for the Legdrop, but Luger dodges, and bodyslams him, so Hogan tags out. Rodman is still wearing his sunglasses here, in a nice touch. One thing about Rodman, playing this kind of cool heel character wasn't much of a stretch for the guy. He takes a page out of Hulk's book with some stalling, and the eventually lockup with Luger ends in Rodman executing an armdrag - which everyone celebrates like he just busted out a Canadian destroyer. Another lockup ends in Lex hitting a pair of armdrags, so Hogan runs in, but Lex gives him another pair, and the nWo bail. Rodman is selling the armdrag like he just got stabbed, which is both awesome and hilarious. Back in, Lex grabs a side-headlock, but Dennis forces a criss cross, and wins it with a shoulderblock - Hogan literally jumping up and down in celebration. Lex is getting his frustration over nicely here. Another criss cross ends in Luger clotheslining him down, and Rodman is selling it like he just had a heart attack - clutching his chest and flopping around. Tags to Hogan and Giant, and Hulk unloads on him with right hands, putting Giant in the corner for a blatant choke. Hulk adds chops, and a cross corner clothesline connects, but Giant no-sells, and Hulk bails. Back in for a test-of-strength, and Hulk goes to the eyes to get control. He pounds Giant with some rights, but a headlock goes badly when Giant takes him for a ride with an atomic drop. Tag to Rodman, and Giant can barely contain his excitement, his grin breaking character a little. Criss cross ends in Giant putting Dennis in a bearhug, so Hogan comes in with an illegal assist, and they get control of the big man. The nWo work Giant over, but he fights off a double team long enough for the hot tag to Luger - only for Lex to run into a cheap shot from Rodman in short order. That allows the nWo to cut the ring in half on Lex some, and Hulk hits the Legdrop, but a nonchalant cover results in a two count. They nWo take too long celebrating, allowing a tag back to Giant, and he comes in hot, wrecking both guys. Cue 'Sting,' though it's clearly an imposter, who looks about a foot taller. He comes in to nail Giant with the baseball bat, and the announcers are somehow convinced by this. And then Luger just puts Hogan in the Torture Rack for the submission win at 21:26, thus negating whatever the point of that whole deal even was. Super basic, Jerry Lawler style match, but effective. This was everything it needed to be, and they were wise in not trying to make it more. I really disliked the finish though, as the 'Sting' stuff felt pointless. * ¼ (Original rating: DUD)

BUExperience: A pretty enjoyable show for the most part, with lots of strongly developed angles, even if the payoffs fell short of the mark in a bunch of spots. A slew bad, interference based finishes were also a big negative here.

**