WCW SuperBrawl VIII (Version II)

Original Airdate: February 22, 1998

From San Francisco, California; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Opening WCW Television Title Match: Rick Martel v Booker T: Booker brushes off the handshake, and blitzes Martel to start, ending in sending the champion over the top with a clothesline. Rick regroups out there, but a hiptoss on the way in gets blocked, and Booker short-clotheslines him. Booker with a backelbow for two, and it’s resthold time. Rick fights out of an armbar in the corner, and he puts the boots to Booker over there. Clothesline, but Booker ducks, and spinkicks the champion down. Snapmare sets up a kneedrop for two, and he goes to another armbar. Booker sure loved going to meaningless restholds during this period. Martel tries a rollup, but Booker blocks, and superkicks him for two. Back to the armbar, and a cross corner whip leads to a hiptoss. Charge in the corner, but Rick is ready with a backdrop clear over the top rope! Rick sends him flying into the apron as Booker tries climbing back inside, and the champion follows to the outside to pound on him with axehandles. Booker beats the count, so Martel keeps hammering on the lower back, but misses a charge in the corner. That allows Booker a sidewalk slam to set up an elbowdrop, but a charge ends badly when Rick powerslams him for two. Martel works a chinlock from there, but Booker fights free, so Martel delivers a rotating spinebuster. Boston crab looks to finish, but he’s too close to the ropes, and Booker is saved. Rick stays on him with a 2nd rope bodypress, but the challenger rolls through for two. Booker with a rollup for two, so Martel throws a clothesline for two. Another one, but Booker ducks, and dives with a jumping forearm. Axekick follows, and a spinebuster sets up a flying splash, but Rick dodges. Martel with his own dive off the middle, but Booker blocks with Harlem Sidekick for the pin at 10:32. This was a great way to open the show, with storytelling that kept the crowd engaged throughout. ** ¼ (Original rating: * ¼)

WCW Television Title Match: Booker T v Saturn: Saturn attacks the new champion right away, slapping the Rings of Saturn on before Booker can even get to his feet. Booker makes the ropes, so Saturn hooks a small package for two. Backslide gets two, but Booker is in the ropes on an Oklahoma roll, saving himself. To the outside, Saturn whips him into the guardrail, and Booker is selling like mad. Another whip into the rail, but Booker reverses this time, though he’s too battered to follow up. Again, good selling from Booker there, getting the story over. Saturn takes it inside, but Booker musters a slam to block a charge, buying himself some time. Saturn recovers first, and dumps Booker over the top for a plancha, and a springboard splash follows. Inside, but Saturn’s knee is hurting after the dives, and Booker is able to tag him with a jumping forearm. Corner dropkick misses, however, and the challenger covers for two. Saturn with a side superplex, but Booker blocks a vertical superplex, and dives with a missile dropkick. Spinkick connects, but a clothesline misses, allowing Saturn a suplex for two. Overhead suplex gets another two, and a springboard moonsault press finds the mark. Saturn seems like he keeps getting lost out there for whatever reason. Booker tries a flying bodypress, but Saturn dodges, and covers for two. Chinlock, but Booker fights free, so Saturn powerslams him. Cross corner whip works, but the splash in doesn’t, and Booker delivers a spinebuster. Axekick connects, and a sidewalk slam sets up the Harlem Hangover, but Saturn rolls out of the way! That allows the challenger a bridging northern lights suplex for two, and a bridging German suplex is worth two. Side suplex, but Booker escapes, and nails him with the Harlem Sidekick at 14:27. This was another solid match, and another good showing from Booker, as he did a great job of selling and getting the fatigue over. Saturn looked like he was off his game here, like maybe he knocked himself loopy at some point. * ¾ (Original rating: * ½)

Disco Inferno v La Parka: Parka chucks the chair at him to kick start the match, and a powerslam allows Parka to put the boots to him. Disco tries a rollup, but Parka blocks, so Disco goes with his own powerslam instead. He hooks the leg for two, and a pair of corner clotheslines get him two. Irish whip, but Parka counters to a short-clothesline, and a spinheel kick knocks Disco to the outside. Parka dives after him with a corkscrew, and he whips him into the rail out there, causing Disco to rebound with a clothesline on the floor. He drops Disco across the rail next, as Bobby complains that he’d like to see Parka doing some ‘salto moons.’ How could you not love that guy? Inside, Parka with a bodyslam to set up a flying splash, but Disco dodges. He dumps Parka to the outside so he can whip him into the rail for revenge, and then hits a clothesline of his own out there, before finishing his goose/gander sequence by dropping Parka on the rail. Parka manages to snap his throat across the top rope for two on the way back in, and he works a chinlock, but Disco fights free. Parka responds with a drop-toehold to set up a magistral cradle for two, and a corner dropkick is worth two. Again, but Disco sidesteps this time, and blasts him with a backelbow for two. Backdrop, but he telegraphs it, and Parka nails him. Parka sends him over the top with a headscissors, and he dives with a tope - quite nearly bashing his own head into the rail in the process. Considering how Parka’s life ended, that felt uncomfortable to watch. Inside, the dive gets Parka a two count, but a corner charge runs into a boot, so he tries again, and ends up running right into the post. That allows Disco to unload in the corner, and an inverted atomic drop sets up a clothesline for two. Swinging neckbreaker gets him two, so Parka goes to the top, but gets dumped off. That allows Disco the jawbreaker for the pin at 11:47. They were working hard, though they failed to engage the crowd for whatever reason. Possibly because the flow of the match felt very disjointed. * ½ (Original rating: *)

Bill Goldberg v Brad Armstrong: Brad tries a full-nelson at the bell, but Goldberg easily fights him off. Goldberg with a takedown into a grapevine, but Brad is quickly in the ropes, so no dice. Goldberg isn’t bothered, and drills him with a press-powerslam instead, and then adds an overhead suplex. Brad tries slugging at him, and manages a Russian legsweep, but Goldberg no-sells, and drops him with a pumphandle-suplex. That was different. Spear, Jackhammer, 2:23. Just a squash. But a fun squash. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

WCW Cruiserweight Title v Mask Match: Chris Jericho v Juventud Guerrera: Feeling out process to start, dominated by the challenger. Spinheel kick leads to a chinlock, but Jericho counters to a hammerlock. To a vertical base, Jericho blasts him with a kneelift, but a clothesline misses, and Guerrera takes him down with a headscissors. Guerrera adds a springboard flying bodypress, and a springboard flying headscissors sends both men to the outside. Chris happily tries to take the countout, but Guerrera drags him back in, and cracks him with some brutal chops. Jericho fights him off in the corner, but Guerrera blocks a German suplex. Rana, but Chris is ready with a hotshot, and Guerrera bails to the apron. Chris is on him with a springboard dropkick to knock the challenger to the outside, and Jericho follows with a bodyslam on the floor. Jericho tries springboarding off of the steps, but Guerrera is ready with a hotshot into the rail, and he tries a springboard flying bodypress on the way back in, but Jericho catches him in tombstone for two. Shoulderblock gets him two, but a slam is countered with a victory roll for two. Jericho cuts him off with a big boot, and a hanging vertical suplex sets up a senton splash for two. Backbreaker submission, but Guerrera won’t quit, so Chris clotheslines him for one. Superplex, but Guerrera blocks. He dives, but Chris catches him in an electric chair. He goes up for a dive of his own, but Guerrera dropkicks him down to the floor, and Guerrera dives after him with a springboard flying bodyblock into the aisle. Inside with a scoop sitout brainbuster to set up the flying 450 splash for three, but the referee realizes that Jericho was in the ropes, and immediately pulls it back. Guerrera argues, allowing Jericho to recover with a chopblock, but Juvi manages a victory cradle for two. Jericho cuts him off with a clothesline for two, but Guerrera counters a powerbomb with a DDT for two. Rana off the top, but Jericho blocks. Chris tries a dive, but lands in an inverted atomic drop, and Guerrera uses a springboard rana for two. Pinfall reversal sequence ends in Chris delivering an inverted vertical suplex to set up the Lionsault, but Guerrera dodges. Another reversal sequence ends in Guerrera cradling for two, but a rana is countered into the Liontamer at 13:29. This was a good match, with both guys working hard, and telling a story with spots, instead of just spots. Afterwards, Guerrera is forced to remove his mask, beginning WCW’s weird obsession with making all the Luchadores unmask. *** ½ (Original rating: *** ½)

Steve McMichael v Davey Boy Smith: Davey’s got his old cape from 1993 back for this one tonight. Steve charges, but Bulldog is ready with a drop-toehold. Steve fires back with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam, and he pounds on Davey with boots, ahead of a ropechoke. Bodyslam sets up a legdrop, but Davey dodges, and goes after the leg. Smith puts him in a sharpshooter, but Steve makes the ropes. He pounds Bulldog down, then dumps him to the outside for some abuse. Mongo misses a punch and ends up hitting the post, and Bulldog immediately pounces, going after the hand. Inside, Davey works the part, but McMichael reverses a cross corner whip. Steve with a pair of three-point stances, but the hand prevents him from delivering the tombstone, and Smith takes him down in a fujiwara armbar at 6:10. This was really rough, with no heat, poor execution, and just generally not interesting. It was also odd in that they spent weeks brawling with each other on every show, and then just kind of had a regular match. Afterwards, McMichael claims he didn’t submit, with the announcers backing the claim, because apparently even this nothing lower midcard match needs a controversial finish. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

WCW United States Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Chris Benoit: Feeling out process to start, and Page gets control with a gutwrench stomachbreaker. Suplex, but Benoit counters by dumping him front-first across the top rope. He tries his own suplex, but Page blocks, so Chris drops into the crippler crossface before DDP can manage a reversal. Page wisely bails to break the momentum, and he calls for a test-of-strength on the way back in. They engage, and it turns into a pinfall reversal sequence, ending in Benoit throwing chops. Page manages a side suplex, but Benoit blocks the Diamond Cutter, and now he bails to break the momentum. Inside for a slugfest, and Benoit gets the better of it all. Criss cross ends in a reversal sequence that sees Page dump him on his head with a wheelbarrow suplex for two, so Benoit throws a dropkick at the knee to put him down. Short-clothesline follows, and Chris goes to work on him. He tries a cobra clutch, but Page fights free with a jawbreaker. Benoit is up first, however, and he unloads on Dallas in the corner. Snap suplex gets the challenger two, and he goes back to the cobra clutch. Chris goes upstairs, but Page brings him off with a vertical superplex, and a discuss clothesline is worth two. Flying clothesline gets two, so Benoit finds the crossface, but Dallas is in the ropes. Page hooks a small package for two, reversed by Benoit for two. Benoit goes to town in the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Page delivers a belly-to-belly suplex for two. German suplex, but Benoit counters with a three-alarm rolling German suplex for two. Page with a DDT for two, and he calls for the Cutter, but Benoit blocks. Benoit tries a backslide, but Page counters with the Cutter at 15:48. I really liked this match on the first go around, but I wasn’t feeling their chemistry at all this time out. * ¼ (Original rating: ****)

No Disqualification Match: Lex Luger v Randy Savage: Savage tries charging, but Lex dodges. That allows Luger to try for a press-slam, but his taped up ribs give him trouble, and he can’t execute the move. Savage capitalizes by kicking at the injured part, and he tosses Lex over the top for a drop across the rail. Back in, Macho covers for two, so Luger pulls out a small package for two, but Randy quickly clobbers him again. Back to the outside for a bunch of stuff revolving around the rail, but Lex catches a second wind on the way back in, and delivers a powerslam. Torture rack looks to finish, so Miss Elizabeth comes in to blind him. That draws the nWo out, but Lex and Randy put their differences aside to fight them off together! In the confusion, Lex gets him in the rack again, and Hollywood Hulk Hogan instructs his crew not to make the save - leaving Savage to submit at 7:37. This was really weak, and felt like a Nitro main event, down to the nWo centric finish. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v The Outsiders: I like that the Outsiders have replaced Louie Spicolli with Dusty Rhodes. From a distance, you might not even realize. Rick Steiner starts with Scott Hall, and Hall taunts him, so Rick simply punches him in the jaw. Rick with a clothesline and a belly-to-belly suplex, and he takes Hall into the corner for a ten-punch. Rick adds an overhead suplex, so Kevin Nash runs in, but Rick fights him off to clean house - though Scott Steiner doesn’t get involved as he usually does. And, in fact, as Rick gets into position for their usual taunt, Scott nails him to turn heel! He beats Rick senseless, and then walks out so Hall can cover… for two. Seriously? The Outsiders take Rick into the corner to double team, and he makes an effort to fight back, but he’s got no backup. Rick gets overwhelmed, and Hall delivers the Outsider’s Edge at 4:15. This wasn’t much as a match, but this was one of the few times they actually booked this kind of thing correctly, with the guy turning right away, instead of dragging it out to the end of a lengthy match. That never made sense to me, why would the guy spend so much time fighting his new friends instead of just doing the turn as soon as possible? ½* (Original rating: DUD)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Sting v Hollywood Hulk Hogan: This is for the vacant title. Hogan attacks with the weight belt to kick start the match, and he spends a while choking Sting down, like he’s auditioning to play 1991 Undertaker in a movie. I’d pay to see that movie, actually. To the outside, Hulk beats him around ringside, and he works a double knucklelock on the way back inside. Hulk with a knee for two, and a bodyslam sets up a trio of elbowdrops. Sting pops up, finally showing some fire after six minutes of just getting beat up, and he unloads on Hogan. Inverted atomic drop puts Hulk down, allowing Sting to steal the weight belt for some payback. Hulk bails up the aisle, but Sting drags him back to ringside. He tries a Stinger Splash against the rail, but Hulk sidesteps, and Sting wipes out. Hulk whacks him with a chair out there, but Sting catches him with the Splash on the way back in, and gets the Scorpion Deathlock on, but Hogan has the ropes. Another Splash, but Hulk pulls the referee into the path, and the official is bumped. That allows Hulk the legdrop, as Nick Patrick (who was reinstated earlier in the show) runs in to take over. He counts a fair two, which gets Hulk angry, but nothing comes of it. Hulk stays on Sting with closed fists, but Nick pulls him off, and Hogan is overselling his reactions so badly that it makes it seem like Patrick is actually a heel, because Hulk lacks any naturalism whatsoever. Hulk with a side suplex for two, so he goes back to the knucklelock, but Sting fights to a vertical base this time, so Hogan switches to a chinlock. Sting gets fired up with a random comeback, and a pair of Stinger Splashes sets up the inverted DDT. Cover, but Patrick is bumped. That allows the nWo to run in, but Sting fights them off single handedly. Savage manages to break the line, but instead of attacking Sting, he nails Hogan! That allows Sting to cover, and we have a new champion at 16:33. I get the storyline they were going for, and I’m not against it in a general sense, but Sting really needed to win this 100% clean after all the shenanigans surrounding Starrcade. But, at least he went over for real this time. The match itself was terrible, as Sting seemingly forgot how to be a proper babyface while hanging out in the rafters for a year. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

BUExperience: This was a very watchable show. The top of the card suffered from the usual weakness of this era, but at least the main event delivered a conclusive Sting victory instead of another messy finish like at Starrcade. The undercard was solid, and the show was a really easy watch, flying by.

***