WCW The Great American Bash 1998 (Version II)

 

Original Airdate: June 14, 1998

From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Opening #1 Contender's Match: Booker T v Chris Benoit: Winner gets a WCW Television title match later on. Some posturing to start, and Booker gets a standing side-headlock on. Benoit forces a criss cross and uses a drop-toehold, and Booker bails, remembering his bad knee from earlier in the week on Thunder. Chris gets a hammerlock on, but Booker reverses, and shifts it into a cradle for two. Chris goes back to his own hammerlock, so Booker throws an elbow, and then whips him into the ropes for a backelbow for two. Booker with a bodyslam, and he dumps Benoit into the corner to hammer on. Booker with a cross corner whip, but Benoit reverses, and uses a corkscrew legwhip to aggravate Booker’s knee. Into the corner for some blistering chops, and a knife-edge chop gets him two. Chris with a side suplex for two, so he goes to a chinlock, but Booker escapes. Chris responds with a snap suplex for two, and a corner whip rattles the ring. Another side suplex, but Booker topples him for one, so Benoit puts the boots to him to cut off the potential comeback. Chris uses a snapmare into a chinlock to keep him grounded, and he drops Booker front-first across the top rope, with Booker falling out of the ring. He beats the count, but he’s winded, and Chris clobbers him with a clothesline for two. Back to the chinlock, but Booker escapes again, and powerslams him. That allows Booker to get upstairs for a flying twisting bodypress, but Chris sidesteps, and Booker wipes out in dramatic fashion. That allows Chris to try for the crippler crossface, but Booker is in the ropes before Benoit can get it on. Chris responds with another chinlock, but Booker escapes, and cracks him with a leg-feed enzuigiri. Booker adds a spinebuster, and a flapjack allows him to go upstairs, but Chris crotches him. Benoit brings him down to earth with a vertical superplex for two, and a rolling German suplex follows, but Booker blocks the third alarm, so Chris uses a bridging dragon suplex for two. A clothesline sets up the flying headbutt drop for two, but Booker counters a suplex with a small package for two. Benoit tries to save it with a corner whip, but Booker reverses, and throws the Harlem sidekick. That allows Booker to get upstairs, and he lands a missile dropkick at 16:19. This was a somewhat disappointing outing, not on par with some of their TV matches (especially the final two). Benoit, in particular, looked off of his game here, not even targeting the bad knee, and using multiple rest holds. ** (Original rating: * ½)

Saturn v Kanyon: Kanyon sneak attacks, and schoolboys for two. He hammers on Saturn from there, and a nice neckbreaker gets him two. Into the corner to put the boots to, and an electric facebuster is worth two, so the Flock shows up. Kanyon avoids the distraction and clotheslines Saturn over the top, but Saturn sweeps the leg from the outside, and uses a slingshot splash on the way back in. Cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Kanyon uses a rocker dropper for two. The Flock pull him out of the ring to beat on, allowing Saturn a somersault suicide onto everyone, and the referee ejects the Flock. The damage is done, however, and Saturn whips Kanyon into the guardrail. Saturn suplexes him back in for two, and a criss cross allows Saturn a drop-toehold into an anklelock. Kanyon makes the ropes, so Saturn goes to another hold, but Kanyon gets the ropes again. Saturn responds by dropping him crotch-first across the top rope, and a springboard clothesline sends both men over the top. Inside, Saturn springboard dropkicks him, and a springboard moonsault gets two. Saturn tries a slingshot, but Kanyon catches him in a northern lights suplex for two. He tries a slingshot elbowdrop, but Saturn dodges, and delivers a swinging neckbreaker for two. He grounds Kanyon in a chinlock, but a side suplex breaks, and both guys stagger up. Kanyon manages a hotshot, and an inside cradle gets him two. Hiptoss, but Saturn counters with a backslide for two, so Kanyon uses a somersault cradle for two. Saturn cuts him off with a butterfly cradle for two, but Kanyon manages a jumping backelbow, and adds a firemans flapjack for two. Kanyon with a death valley neckbreaker for two, but Saturn blocks the reverse STO, and delivers a suplex for two. Death valley driver, but Kanyon blocks, so Saturn throws a superkick. He takes Kanyon up for a superplex, but Kanyon blocks, and both men end up falling all the way down to the floor. Just then, two guys dressed as Mortis show up to roll them both back into the ring, and the two Mortis cosplayers slug it out. Meanwhile, Saturn dives with a 2nd rope clothesline, but Kanyon blocks, and delivers the reverse STO at 14:45. Both guys were working very, very hard here, but the crowd just gave them nothing, and it really hurt the overall piece. As did the weird fake Mortis bit at the end. And then afterwards, a Mortis DDTs Kanyon, and unmasks as Raven. He then chews Saturn out about the loss, so Saturn attacks, but the Flock jump on him. ** (Original rating: *** ½)

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v Chris Jericho: This is for the held up title. Dean comes out of the gate with a hangman clothesline, but Jericho pops up, and throws a clothesline of his own. Chris with a chop, but a whip into the ropes backfires when Malenko finds a German suplex. Dean takes him into the corner to put the boots to, and Chris is left cowering, so Dean bootchokes him to show no mercy. Dean with a cross corner whip, but Jericho blocks the charge in, and grabs a headlock. Dean whips him into the ropes, but Jericho is ready with a shoulderblock, but takes too much time celebrating, and Dean blocks the Liontamer. That allows Dean a few chops, and a hanging vertical suplex gets the man two. Dean uses a snapmare into a chinlock, but misses a baseball slide, and ends up on the outside. Chris dives after him with a plancha, and he takes Dean in with a hanging vertical suplex for two. Sleeper, but Dean escapes, so Chris uses a side suplex for two. Lionsault, but Malenko dodges, and throws a leg lariat, then a victory cradle for two. Nice execution there. Into the corner for a ten-punch, and a tornado facebuster gets Malenko two. Backdrop over the top, but Jericho lands on the apron, so Dean drags him upstairs for an exploding gutbuster, but Chris counters with a rana off the top for two. Chris tries a powerbomb, but Dean topples him for two - only for Jericho to counter to a Boston crab. Malenko makes the ropes, so Jericho cross corner whips hm, and uses a whiplash into the Liontamer, but Dean blocks. That leads to a reversal sequence that ends in Dean getting the Texas cloverleaf on, but Jericho has the ropes. Dean got a great reaction for the cloverleaf there. Another reversal sequence ends in Chris using a butterfly backbreaker, and he puts the boots to Dean in the corner, but makes the mistake of talking trash about Malenko’s dad, and Dean spears him down. They spill to the outside, where Malenko sends him into the rail, but goes too far by using a chair, and it’s a DQ at 13:51. But since the title is held up, it can change hands on a DQ, and Jericho is the new champion. I love both of these guys, but they almost never had any real chemistry together, and this was no exception. * ½ (Original rating: *** ¼)

Juventud Guerrera v Reese: Guerrera literally praying in the corner at the bell is a nice touch. Guerrera tries sticking and moving, but gets shoved hard in the corner, but Reese misses an avalanche. Guerrera throws fists of fury, but Reese basically ignores them, and shoves him across the ring. Guerrera wisely bails to strategize, and you know, Reese is so big and imposing that I’m honestly surprised Hogan never worked out a program between them so he could go over. Guerrera manages to dive onto Reese’s back, and he claws the face and eyes to get the big man down to one knee in a sleeper. Reese drops into the corner to force a break, and Reese uses a backbreaker into a backbreaker submission. Reese with a biel, and he ragdolls Guerrera in a bearhug, but misses a clothesline, and Juvi kicks him down low to get some traction. A second low blow puts Reese on his knees, but even in that position Reese is at Guerrera’s full height, and he throws a clothesline from there. Reese with a vertical suplex, but he doesn’t want the pin, opting for the TKO for some stupid reason. Guerrera beats the count, so Reese grabs a chair, but the referee pulls it away before he can use it. That allows Guerrera to get to the top with a flying seated senton, but Reese won’t go down. Reese holds him up there, but Van Hammer hops onto the apron and whacks the big man with the chair, allowing Guerrera to topple for the pin at 8:44. I’m a sucker for David & Goliath matches, though this wasn’t a very good one. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

Eddie Guerrero v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Chavo slaps him around to start, and uses a backdrop, but Eddie takes him down for mounted punches, only for Chavo to turn the tables. Eddie manages a snapmare to set up a bootrake, and a cross corner whip sets up a charge, but Chavo backdrops him over the top. The cameraman gets in the way a little bit there, and poor Eddie gets a nasty gash on his shoulder as a result. Inside, Chavo hammers on him, and a headscissor takedown follows, so Eddie bails. He decides to walk out, but Chavo drags him back in, only to get kicked in the face when Eddie capitalizes on having the high ground. Eddie with a well executed side suplex, but Chavo fights him off, and uses a flying moonsault press for two. Bodypress, but Eddie hits the deck, and Chavo takes a bump to the outside. Eddie brings him back in with a brainbuster, but stops to talk trash, and Chavo grabs him by the throat, choking his uncle down. Eddie bails, so Chavo chases, and Eddie ends up hiding behind the referee. That allows him to clip Chavo’s leg in the confusion, and he gets a figure four on. Chavo doesn’t give, so Eddie puts him in the gory special, but Chavo escapes. He throws a dropkick, but Eddie dodges, and lands one of his own. That allows Eddie a camel clutch, and then an overhead backbreaker, ending in a helicopter powerbomb. Eddie uses a bodyslam, but a charge ends in Chavo backdropping him over the top, and the kid dives after him with a somersault suicide. He kind of overshot that one. Inside, Chavo uses a pop-up flapjack, and a springboard bulldog gets him two. A bodyslam sets up a dive, but Eddie knocks him off the top before he can leap. That allows Eddie to go up with a flying frogsplash, but Chavo rolls out of the way. Chavo tries a tornado DDT, but Eddie blocks, so Chavo uses a springboard flying version for the pin at 14:43. Great angle, disappointing match. Kind of the theme for tonight, really. They just didn’t click here. * ½  (Original rating: *** ¼)

WCW Television Title Match: Fit Finlay v Booker T: Booker knocks him into the corner to start, and throws an elbow, then a savate kick for two. Leg-feed enzuigiri, but Fit ducks it, and grounds him in a stepover toehold. Booker escapes and gets a toehold on, but Finlay is immediately in the ropes. Booker throws a jumping forearm for one, as the announcers discuss nWo bullshit to really get this over. Booker clotheslines the champion over the top for a plancha, but the axekick misses, and Fit starts targeting the bad knee. Well, someone should. Booker manages a sunset cradle for two out of the corner when Finlay misses a charge, but Fit immediately cuts him off by going back to the leg. He works it for a long period, before Booker finally comes back with a powerslam, and the challenger lands the axekick. Fit cuts him off with a clothesline, but Booker blocks the tombstone (in a botch, where he was supposed to reverse it, but couldn’t hold the weight, and they just collapsed). Booker then delivers a pancake piledriver for the title at 13:02. I’m guessing the botched tombstone was supposed to be the finish there. This whole program was great. It added tons of prestige to the TV title, got Booker, Finlay, and Benoit all over in a major way, and still got to the same end result as if they’d just kept the belt on Booker to begin with, but with all those bonuses. ¾* (Original rating: *)

WCW United States Title Match: Bill Goldberg v Konnan: Goldberg is massively over here. He powers Konnan out of the ring right away, and he grabs a side-headlock once Konnan gets back in. Konnan tries a hammerlock, but Goldberg quickly escapes, so Konnan tries slugging him down, but gets reversed into the corner. Goldberg adds the spear, and the jackhammer finishes at 1:56. I’m kind of surprised they booked this to be such a complete and total squash. Not disappointed, but just surprised. And then afterwards, Curt Hennig and Rick Rude turn on Konnan, revealing themselves to be nWo Hollywood after all. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart v Roddy Piper and Randy Savage: Did Bret ever have any interesting gear variations in WCW? It’s like he started phoning in even putting his pants on! Hulk and Roddy start, and Piper unloads on him. Despite four years in WCW at this point, this is the first time Hulk has worked the Bash, interestingly. Piper and Savage dominate Hogan with quick tags, so Disciple nails Piper with the world title belt, allowing Hulk to tag out. Hart unloads on Piper, and a Russian legsweep sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. In all of history, I can’t think of a more dramatic decline than Bret after joining WCW. Like, he was literally a year removed from some of the best matches and angles of his career, and he’s barely watchable here. They continue cutting the ring in half on Roddy, but Macho catches the tag, and Roseanne Barr the door. Savage hits Hulk with a backelbow, but Hart breaks the pin. They try a double team, but it backfires, and Piper and Savage bash their heads together. Macho goes up for the flying elbowdrop, but Piper runs the ropes, and Randy falls off the top. That messes up his knee, and Hogan capitalizes, bashing it into the post. That allows Hart to put the Sharpshooter on, and Savage submits at 10:33. This was embarrassingly bad, given the caliber of workers involved. -½* (Original rating: ¼*)

Roddy Piper v Randy Savage: Piper helps a battered Savage up, but Macho immediately clotheslines him down, and chokes him. Randy goes up for the flying elbowdrop, but he aggravates his knee on the landing, and it delays the cover, allowing Piper to kick out at two. Randy responds by decking the referee, and with him out of the way, Piper goes low, then to the eyes. Piper gets a figure four on, and another referee runs out to log the submission at 1:40. Yes, that’s all. I’m kind of stunned Savage did two submission jobs in a row here. When he took the L in the tag match, I thought for sure that meant he was going over in this one. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Main Event: WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Sting v Giant: Winner gets to pick a partner to carry the title with. WCW was really weird with the matches they were choosing to close pay per views with during this period. Giant blows cigarette smoke in Sting’s face at the bell, so Sting slaps him upside his head, and hits a Stinger Splash right away. Another one, but Giant lifts a boot to block, and he dumps Sting to the outside. Sting beats the count, so Giant tries a clothesline, but Sting ducks. He rebounds with a bodypress, but literally bounces off of Giant, and Giant delivers an elbowdrop. Giant with a press-drop across the top turnbuckle (in a great looking spot where Sting gets some serious hang time), and he works a bearhug from there, but Sting fights free before fading. Giant responds with a headbutt, but a clothesline misses, and Sting throws a dropkick at the knee to take him down. A Stinger Splash connects when Giant gets to his feet, and a second one leads to a bodyslam. On to the Scorpion Deathlock, but Giant powers free right away. Sting responds with an inverted DDT for two, so Giant tries a chokeslam, but the knee gives out. That allows Sting a second inverted DDT for two, but Giant won’t stay down, so Sting uses a tornado version to put him away at 6:38 - drawing a big pop. This was okay, but not ‘pay per view main event’ level ‘okay.’ * (Original rating: ¾*)

BUExperience: The top of the card being junk was kind of a given at this point, but the undercard was quite underwhelming too, with all the best performers turning in really lackluster performances. This was a well developed card, but it didn’t deliver.

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