WCW SuperBrawl IX (Version II)

 

Original Airdate: February 21, 1999

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

Opening Match: Booker T v Disco Inferno: Disco does some stalling early on, and holds his own through some posturing. Disco lands a swinging neckbreaker, and he grabs a wristlock, but Booker fights to a hammerlock, and delivers a bodyslam. Disco shoots back with an armdrag, so Booker slows him down, breaking the momentum. Disco celebrates, so Booker takes him down for mounted punches, and then delivers a backdrop. Some chops in the corner follow, and a cross corner whip is followed in with a clothesline. A criss cross allows Booker a jumping forearm for two, as he takes firm control of the contest. Backdrop, but Disco manages to use a kneelift to block this time, and he quickly grabs a chinlock to try and wear Booker down. Booker fights to a vertical base, and uses a snapmare to escape, but the Harlem sidekick misses, allowing Disco to clothesline him over the top. Disco follows to feed him the steps and guardrail, and a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop gets him two on the way back in. Booker fires back with the axekick, but Disco is able to rebound with an inverted atomic drop. He tries a 2nd rope axehandle, but Booker catches him in a whiplash. Spinkick, but Disco stops short, and sending Booker spiraling with a clothesline. He tries for a jawbreaker, but Booker blocks, and delivers a side suplex. That allows him to land the Harlem sidekick, and he goes up to finish, but Disco follows before he can dive. Disco looks for a superplex, but Booker blocks, and dives with a flying somersault legdrop at 9:17. This was a good way to open the show, with both guys working hard, and doing a great job of engaging the crowd. ** ½ (Original rating: ¾*)

Chris Jericho v Saturn: If Jericho loses, he has to wear a dress, and Saturn no longer needs to. Chris cuts a promo on him after the bell, so Saturn attacks with a clothesline, and a backdrop sends Jericho bailing. Saturn is on him with a whip into the rail, and a second one sends Chris bumping into the crowd. Saturn beats him up in the crowd for a bit, but another whip into the rail as they head back to ringside gets reversed. Inside, Jericho goes for a full nelson, but Saturn shakes him off with a suplex. Saturn with a series of trapping headbutts into a northern lights suplex, and Saturn throws kicks from there. Chris tries a dropkick, but it misses, and Saturn sends him over the top via catapult. Saturn dives after him with a plancha, but he stops to beat up Ralphus, which allows Jericho to recover with a dropkick on the inside. Jericho adds a hanging vertical suplex for one, and Saturn leverages his kickout into a drop-toehold. Chris throws a chop to knock Saturn to the outside, and Jericho dives with a missile dropkick on the floor. He tries another dive on the way back in, but it misses, and Saturn sidekicks him. Saturn uses a bodyslam to set up a flying frogsplash, and he calls for the death valley driver, but that small reprieve allows Jericho to recover, and he hooks schoolboy for two. A charge misses, allowing Saturn to unload in the corner, and he adds a ten-punch count. Jericho shakes him off with an inverted atomic drop for two, and a reversal sequence ends in Jericho German suplexing him. Jericho goes up, but Saturn crotches him before he can dive. Saturn looks for a superplex, but Chris blocks, and finishes his dive - only to get caught. That allows Saturn to get the rings of saturn on, but Chris gets the ropes to save himself. Saturn stays focused with a falcon arrow, but a springboard moonsault misses, and Jericho lands his own for two. Another reversal sequences ends in Saturn hitting the death valley driver, but he stupidly stops to give the referee (Scott Dickinson, who he’s had issues with) one as well. He doesn’t care anyway, and just walks out on the match, as the referee recovers to call the DQ at 11:20. I didn’t like the finish, but this was good action otherwise, and significantly better than the Souled Out match. ** ¼ (Original rating: ***)

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Chavo uses some trickery to get control early, but a reversal sequence allows Kidman a few takedowns, and a dropkick puts Guerrero on the outside. Chavo stalls out there, but still walks into an atomic drop as he comes back inside, so he bails again. Kidman chases this time, and whips Guerrero into the rail, before bringing him back inside. Chavo begs off, but Kidman clotheslines him, and hammers away. Another reversal sequence sees them end up on the apron, and Chavo is able to knock him off - the champion bumping into the rail. Chavo uses a brainbuster for two on the way back in, and he rattles Kidman with a turnbuckle smash from there. Chavo uses a snapmare into a chinlock, but Kidman fights free, so Chavo dumps him - then follows with a somersault suicide dive. Chavo unloads in the corner as they go back inside, and a bootchoke keeps Kidman down. Chavo with a corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Kidman dives with a flying bodypress for two. A criss cross ends in Chavo delivering a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and he tries a powerbomb, but Kidman counters with a backdrop. He’s too battered to capitalize, however, and Chavo side suplexes him. Chavo goes up with a flying bodypress, but Kidman throws a dropkick to block. Kidman keeps coming with a bodypress for two, but he loses a reversal sequence, and eats the middle turnbuckle. Chavo takes him up for a rana off the top, into a cradle for two. Side suplex, but Kidman blocks this time, and delivers a sitout spinebuster for two. Kidman goes up, but Chavo crotches him to avoid the dive, then brings him off with an elevated DDT for two. Powerbomb, but Kidman counters with a facebuster, and he goes to the top for the flying shooting star press at 8:23. Another fun and exciting match on the show tonight. I know things are probably going to fall apart once we get into the nWo heavy uppercard, but this undercard has been really great thus far. ** ½ (Original rating: **)

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Curt Hennig and Barry Windham v Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit: The idea here is that it's a double elimination tournament, and Benoit/Malenko have already lost once, so in order to win, they have to beat Hennig/Windham twice in this match. If the heels win a single fall, that’s enough for them to take the belts. Malenko and Windham start, and they posture. Windham makes Dean chase him around to frustrate him, but Malenko manages a drop-toehold into a facelock, but Barry counters to a hammerlock. Dean shakes him off, and both guys tag out. This is the best Hennig has looked since coming to WCW. He looks healthy and less puffy. Curt tries muscling Benoit into the corner, but Chris shakes him off with a big chop. They do a test-of-strength, and Benoit turns it into a straightjacket. Curt tries for a mulekick, but Benoit avoids it, and Hennig is forced to grab the ropes. That leads to a slugfest, and Hennig manages to get the better of it. A tries a corner whip, but Benoit reverses, and catches Curt with a chop on the rebound. That puts Hennig on the outside, so he stops to regroup with Windham. Tag to Windham on the way back in, and Barry is able to pound Benoit into the corner, but Chris turns the tables. Chris lands a knife-edge before passing to Dean for a dropkick, so Hennig comes in, but Dean takes him down. The distraction allows Windham to recover, however, and Malenko takes a vertical suplex for two. Barry with a ten-punch, and a hiptoss follows. Back to Hennig for a tandem clothesline for two, so Dean sweeps the legs into a somersault cradle for two. Hennig grapples him to keep him from a follow up, and leaves him in the heel corner for Windham to abuse. Dean manages to slip away for the tag, and Benoit rattles the ring with a corner whip on Hennig. That draws Windham in, but Benoit takes him out, and gives Hennig a backbreaker for two. A snap suplex gets another two, and he throws some chops before passing back to Malenko. Malenko with a cross corner clothesline, and a side suplex follows for two. Back to Benoit for stereo backelbows, and a clothesline connects. That allows Chris to go up with a flying headbutt drop, but Windham saves at two. Dean comes in and hooks Hennig’s leg for another two, and a dropkick follows, before Malenko dumps him over the top. Benoit quickly hops down to get some shots in, but Windham is wise to them, and gets Curt out of harm’s way. Curt manages a low blow on the way back in, allowing the tag to Windham, and he puts the boots to Malenko on the way in. Windham with a gutwrench suplex for two, and he dumps Dean to the outside for Hennig to abuse - Benoit unable to get over there fast enough to stop it. Inside, that gets Windham a two count, and Curt tags in for an earringer. He looks for a follow up, but Malenko blocks, and tags out. Benoit comes in with a series of right hands, and a clothesline finds its mark. The Horsemen double up in their corner, so Windham comes in to save, and Curt is able to capitalize with an inverted atomic drop on Benoit. That also allows a tag to Windham, and he hits Chris with a superplex for two. The heels work Benoit over, until Chris is able to German suplex Hennig, and Malenko gets the hot tag. He runs wild, and Roseanne Barr the door! Dean gets Windham in the Texas cloverleaf, but Hennig saves. Benoit corners Hennig, allowing Dean to put it back on, and Barry submits at 18:36. So the match continues, the next fall wins regardless. Dean stays on Windham, but Barry gets his belt off, and chokes Malenko down to block the cloverleaf. The referee doesn’t see it because he’s caught up with Hennig and Benoit, and Barry is able to get Malenko into a pin at 19:37. This was good stuff, with a lot of action, and not overly reliant on formula. Both teams were really into the tag team psychology too, and I loved little touches, like how they really hooked the opponent when making tags to avoid them slipping away, properly cutting the ring in half. ** ½ (Original rating: * ½)

Hair v Mask Match: The Outsiders v Rey Mysterio Jr and Konnan: This is Miss Elizabeth’s hair v Mysterio’s mask. It’s also scheduled as Kevin Nash and Lex Luger on the heel side, but Lex is injured, so Scott Hall is subbed in. Hall and Mysterio start, and Scott powers him around. He tries a bodyslam, but Rey slips free, and dropkicks him. Rey keeps coming with a springboard flying rocker dropper, and a springboard flying seated senton follows. Bodypress, but Hall catches him in a fallaway slam, and tags out. Nash comes in with a biel, but a backdrop gets blocked. Rey tries to turn the block into a sunset flip, but Kevin shakes him off, and Rey goes flying. Tag back to Scott, and he unloads on Rey in the corner, but Rey slips out of the crucifix powerbomb. That allows the tag to Konnan, and he runs wild on both Outsiders. He gets overwhelmed fighting both men, however, and the heels take control, working Konnan over. Rey gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! The babyfaces pepper the Outsiders, but Luger is suddenly recovered, and takes Konnan out of play. Rey stays on Nash with a moonsault press, but Liz distracts the referee, so no count. That allows Hall to nail Rey, and Scott puts Kevin on top for the pin at 10:13. Looks like the run of strong matches is officially over. Afterwards, they make good on the stipulations, and Rey is forced to unmask. This was a pretty big deal at the time, and even kind of today, since Rey went back to the mask for the entirety of his big WWE run. ½* (Original rating: *)

WCW Television Title Match: Scott Steiner v Diamond Dallas Page: Steiner tries stalling, so Page chases him, catching up with him on the outside. Page hammers with rights, so Steiner runs into the ring, but Page catches up with him again. Maybe try a little cardio between hitting the weights, Scott. Steiner manages a takedown into mounted punches, but Dallas turns the tables on him, so Scott goes to the eyes. Steiner with a corner whip, but Page blocks the charge in, and delivers more mounted blows. They spill to the outside, where they take turns feeding each other the rail, and Page is able to dive with a flying clothesline on the way back in. He adds a swinging neckbreaker, so Steiner bails again, and Buff Bagwell rushes out to give him a hand. Buff comes into the ring with him, but Page fights them both off, and Steiner eats an inverted atomic drop. Irish whip into the ropes, but Steiner reverses, and Bagwell nails DDP from the apron. That’s enough to turn the tide, and Steiner dumps Page to the outside for Bagwell to abuse. Inside, Steiner delivers an elbowdrop for two, and he hangs Page in a tree of woe. Steiner with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, but he argues the count, and Page schoolboys for two. Steiner quickly grounds him in a hold to prevent any semblance of a comeback, and a backbreaker follows. Bagwell distracts the referee, allowing Scott to whack Page with a chair, and Buff pulls off a top turnbuckle pad after the referee turns back. This is some quality heeling from Bagwell here. The referee sees what’s going on, and bounces Bagwell - but the official fails to notice that he also removed one of the middle pads as well. All this gaga allows Page to recover, and he clotheslines Steiner over the top, then dives at him with a plancha. He tries a whip into the steps, but Scott reverses. Scott grabs a chair, but the referee pulls it away, and Steiner chases him - only to run into a clothesline from the challenger! Page tries a dive on the way back in, but Steiner crotches him, and delivers a rana off the top for two! Hiptoss, so Page counters to a floatover DDT, but he’s too battered to make an immediate cover. By the time he does, it only gets two. Page keeps coming with the Diamond Cutter, but Steiner shoves him into the exposed buckle to block! Scott adds a trio of Oklahoma stampedes into the exposed buckle, and a front-powerslam finishes the sequence. Steiner slaps on the camel clutch from there, and Page passes out at 13:47. This was better than I expected it to be, with Steiner doing more than just gimmicks, and both guys working hard to keep it engaging. Page does a stretcher job after the match to put it over. * ¾ (Original rating: ¼*)

WCW United States Title Match: Roddy Piper v Scott Hall: Piper tackles his challenger down, and beats Scott down using various pieces of clothing. As one does. Hall manages an inverted atomic drop, so Piper pokes him in the eye, but wastes time playing to the crowd, and Hall dumps him. Scott follows to feed Roddy the steps, and the challenger unloads with right hands as they go back inside. Hall with a tree of woe, and he uses a leveraged abdominal stretch to wear the champion down. Piper fights free, and gets a sleeper on, so Disco Inferno and Kevin Nash come in. They manage to clobber Piper without the referee noticing, and Hall hooks a leveraged pin at 7:57 - drawing a huge pop, despite the fact that Piper is supposed to be the big babyface. This was terrible. -¼* (Original rating: -½*)

Bill Goldberg v Bam Bam Bigelow: Posturing to start, and Goldberg slams him to get control, with Bigelow bailing. Back in, Goldberg continues to use the muscle, hooking a fireman’s carry slam into a cross-armbreaker. Bigelow gets free, so Goldberg clotheslines him over the top, but Bam Bam manages to sweep the leg from out there. He pulls Goldberg to the outside for a smash into the apron, and Bam Bam starts working the leg. A flying headbutt drop looks to finish, but only gets two, so Bam Bam goes up again, but Goldberg slams him off this time. That allows Goldberg to try for the spear, but Bigelow bails, and nails Bill when he goes after him. Clothesline, but Goldberg ducks, and lands the spear. That allows him to go for the jackhammer, but he stops to superkick him instead, then throws another spear for good measure. And, now, it’s jackhammer time at 11:38. The crowd was into this (or, perhaps more accurately, were into seeing Goldberg), but the match itself was really dull. This should have been a knockout from a crowd engagement perspective, but then Bigelow started doing leglocks, and it died. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Ric Flair: Some posturing early, and Flair gets some chops off, but Hogan manages a backdrop, and a corner clothesline for two. Hulk takes him into the corner for chops, but Flair turns the tables on him, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop. Ric with a cross corner whip, but Hogan rebounds out with a clothesline. Hulk with a cross corner whip of his own, and Flair flips over the top. Hogan follows to feed him the rail, and he smacks him with a chair for good measure. ‘Smacks’ being a very relative term, though. Flair blades off of it anyway, bless him. Hulk with a vertical suplex on the floor, but Flair is able to throw a knee on the way back in. Ric goes to the top, but Hogan slams him off before he can dive, and the champion delivers a pair of elbowdrops to set up some mounted punches. It ends up firing Flair up, however, and he goes to work with more chops. Hogan grabs the weight belt to get some shots off, and the referee is just letting it go. They trade chops, and Hulk does a big no-sell in the corner, triggering a big pop, despite all the massive heel tactics during the build. Flair grabs the weight belt to get some revenge, and now Hogan is bleeding as well. Hulk begs off, as Torrie Wilson storms down to ringside. She distracts Ric, and then slaps him a few times, but it goes nowhere, as Flair just shrugs it off. Flair stays on Hogan with a side suplex, and he takes him into the corner for a ten-punch. Flair with a hanging vertical suplex for two, so Hogan goes to the eyes, and the referee ends up down. Hollywood lands the big boot, and a bodyslam sets up the legdrop, but Ric rolls out of the way. That draws a masked man down, as Flair works Hogan’s leg, and puts on the figure four. With the referee still down, the masked man uses a taser on Flair, and Hulk covers at 11:58. Afterwards, Torrie comes in to make out with the masked man, and he’s revealed to be David Flair - who has joined the Wolfpac. This wasn’t very good, but it wasn’t terrible, and the big angle was impactful. ¾* (Original rating: DUD)

BUExperience: I enjoyed revisiting this one! This was a well developed card, and everything in the first half delivered in the ring. Most of the stuff at the top of the card didn’t, but at least there was an interesting angle in the main event to close things on.

This was WCW’s best pay per view offering since Spring Stampede 1998, and it drew tremendous viewership with about 485,000 buys, a top three number for the promotion. Also notably, it was the last time WCW ever hit a big number like that, and by the time they got to the next SuperBrawl they were only pulling in 70,000 buys. Quite the downfall.

But anyway, that’s later. In the meantime, this one is worth a look.

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