BANG!: Diamond Dallas Page, Sting, Goldberg (WCW April 1999)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Apparently, my Dad's favorite rapper, I-G-G-Y got breast implants. Has there ever been a conversation more useless without pics?

Is she invited to Hall of Fame? :p

That is actually a really strong segueway into going back and watching the primary source footage for yourself before you formulate an opinion based on hearsay and superficial observations. Recently, I read a quote from a wrestling column from a "smart" fan that Diamond Dallas Page only won the world championship because he was Eric Bischoff's buddy. To say I got hot is an understatement. I stepped back for a minute or two and realized pro wrestling is not something worth being angry about even if that comment is so off the mark that person should be banned from writing wrestling columns. Before watching a bunch of DDP for my 1998 project, my opinion on DDP was that he was a solid over babyface for WCW and an entertaining Steve Austin podcast guest. He would never sniff something like a Greatest Wrestler Ever of All Time List. I would have said the Savage 1997 feud was his best work, but was not earth-shattering. Remember this is someone I actually watched in real-time as a child! Going back with a mature palette and fresh eyes, I was blown away by Diamond Dallas Page.

Almost every DDP performance just drips with effort. Every move feels like it has a consequence. Every action is urgent and designed to win the match or survive. When he is selling, he is always clawing and scratching from underneath and moving forward. In short, his matches have heat. They have heat because he is invested in his character and invested in the outcome of the match. His character of a die hard, blue collar people's champion that has to try as hard as he can to compete is both relateable and who he is. He was the world's oldest rookie at 35 in 1991. He was not naturally gifted. He had to work for every damn inch. Those are always my favorite athletes, singers, co-workers, and people. The one's who are not naturally gifted, but have to pour forth all this effort to get where they are. Sure they might be rough around the edges, but goddamnit they will not be denied and they will make it to the top. It is the story of relentless optimism, unabashed individualism and an indefatigable resolve to succeed. These are truths that I live by and truths that Diamond Dallas Page embodies.

DDP started at the bottom...

In 1998-99, Diamond Dallas Page was probably the best worker in America, now true this was probably the absolute nadir of wrestling quality in America of what we can see. WWF and WCW were more concerned about eyeballs than quality wrestling and during this time period it was edgy characters, promos and angles that drove the business needle. However, DDP was the one main event act that never stopped caring about his craft in between those ropes. After all on the marquee it still said wrestling and Page was going to give you a fight. It did not matter if it was Hollywood Hogan or Chris Benoit, DDP was going to the deliver the goods making DDP WCW's most crucial worker in terms of utility value. He could have great matches up and down the card and make them all unique. In 1998, he had two incredible matches one with Goldberg and one with Chris Benoit. They are worked totally differently with each being adapted to accentuate the strengths of both wrestlers. DDP versus Benoit is a straight ahead fight for the US Championship with neither man giving an inch. DDP versus Goldberg is a Clash of the Titans spectacle. In 1999, he returned in late March and was rewarded for all his hard work with a World Championship victory at Spring Stampede where he put Hollywood Hogan on the shelf and defeated Flair and Sting to win the title he so richly deserved.

DDP commenced to what DDP does best, having great matches up and down the card. Sure, 1999 Flair and Nash proved to be heavy to carry, but over the course of three Nitros in April of 1999 he put together an incredibly strong body of work. Most wrestlers wished they could have three performances this great in their career never mind three straight weeks.

The first week he tied up the loose end of his last feud that has put him out of action against the New US Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner. The booking for this was flawless they leveraged Scotty's win the night before to present him as the number one contender in addition to nowithstanding feud. The finish saw Kimberly Page get her comeuppance by cracking a chair over Steiner's head, but also it was a cheap finish that foreshadowed Page's heel turn. Within, the match, DDP started the match absolutely on fire and was feeding off that positive momentum. When it came time to sell, he was always looking to create separation or move towards the ropes. The finish stretch was great with Steiner calling back to Superbrawl where he put Page out with an exposed turnbuckle, but Page had an answer in the form of a headbutt to the balls.

The second week, he was pitted against old foe, Goldberg in another great big time match. Every DDP move felt raw and organic like he was responding naturally in how he was bumping and moving. The spots just felt so HUGE! The finish really put him over as a desperate heel willing to do anything to hang onto the title he worked so hard to attain.

The coup d'grace was the Nitro match against Sting. Sting, who in 1998 shit the bed, came back in rare form. He looked fitter and had that crazy Sting energy of the early 90s. DDP, who was the best worker on the roster, channeled all that into one of the best matches of decade in WCW. Every spot felt momentous. The most incredible thing may have been that DDP had crafted an incredible body of work as a babyface the previous two years so as to basically come out fresh as heel, get the crowd 100% behind Sting and work the match flawlessly demonstrates how versatile he was. He was so good at displaying at being frustrated and being overwhelmed by Sting's offense. You can feel his increasing desperation as the match worn on. Then in the finish stretch, DDP shows why he is the best in the world. He works a ton of hot nearfalls with the Stinger, but they never blow their wad prematurely. The crowd heat builds with each one and until finally one where Fargo just EXPLODES! Pro wrestling is like sex, it is always pretty good, but man when you cum together there ain't much better.

NOW HE HERE!

For the first time since 1994, WCW had a world champion that could have great matches up and down the roster. They had a super hot tag team division anchored by the hated Horsemen tag team to support the main event scene. The crusierweight division was good for a couple great matches. It looked like after a year or so losing its way that WCW was on the mend and would be rehabilitated by the end of the summer. Then Slamboree happened and everything went to Hell with the wretched Randy Savage/Kevin Nash debacle that ensued. The less said the better because for one month WCW looked like the WCW of old and why spoil it.

MATCH LISTING:

WCW World Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Kidman vs Raven & Saturn 

 WCW Nitro 4/5/99

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Hollywood Hogan vs 

Diamond Dallas Page vs Goldberg - WCW Nitro 4/5/99

Juventud Guerrera vs Blitzkreig - Spring Stampede 1999 ***3/4

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs Raven & Perry Saturn - Spring Stampede 1999 ***3/4

Kevin Nash vs Goldberg - WCW Spring Stampede 1999

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Hollywood Hogan vs 

Diamond Dallas Page vs Sting - WCW Spring Stampede 1999 ***1/2

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs 

Scott Steiner - WCW Nitro 4/12/99 ***3/4

WCW World Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman vs 

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko - WCW Saturday Night 4/17/99 ***1/2

WCW Crusierweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Blitzkreig vs Psychosis vs Juventud Gurrera  WCW Nitro 4/19/99 ***1/2

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs 

Goldberg - WCW Nitro 4/19/99 ***1/2

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs 

Sting - WCW Nitro 4/26/99 ****1/2

Gorgeous George vs Lil' Naitch - WCW Slamboree 1999 ***
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WCW World Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Kidman vs Raven & Saturn 

 WCW Nitro 4/5/99

Very entertaining spotfest. I like The Brain taking the mantle of "Stop hitting cool moves and pin the man!" In this case, I was enjoying the cool moves and thought it was a fun carwreck. The Doomsday Crossbody was awesome. I know just saw it recently, but now I can't remember where. I know it was in WCW. Saturn legdrop on a dangling Rey was killer. I thought Kidman's hot tag sequence was good, some really nice dropkicks and a nice forearm. Coming back from the commerical, HOLY SHIT, BELLY TO BELLY OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR! That was crazy. Drop toehold on the chair. Why do people try to powerbomb Kidman? Rey's hot tag is stopped by Raven outstretched foot to his groin. That was awesome. I have a really hard time taking Rey Rey seriously in this get up. He looks like he is 15. Saturn catches Rey into a wicked Death Valley Driver. The ref had gotten bump and the Horsemen take advantage with a diving headbutt to cost them match per what happened last week. Put some heat on their match for Spring Stampede. Fun stuff.

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Hollywood Hogan vs 

Diamond Dallas Page vs Goldberg - WCW Nitro 4/5/99

This felt really Modern WWE to me. Just four guys going around hitting their spots aimlessly so I was pretty disappointed. Unlike modern WWE, it is at least four unique characters and thus they were not hitting the same moves. I thought Hogan was the MVP of this spotfest. Yep, that's a sentence I never thought I'd write. He was really active and kept things moving. Flair was good as a sneaky heel and bumper. Goldberg is an awesome force. My main man, DDP, seemed hidden, which is too bad. Goldberg laying out everybody with spears and then hitting the Jackhammer on Hogan was cool. Nash missing his cue not so much. The fans wanted Sting and they get him. I remember the finish to this Nitro and being excited for Savage to return. O what I fool I was. Savage's career ended in 1998, repeat after me, Savage's career ended in 1998, Savage's career ended in 1998, Savage's career ended in 1998.
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Juventud Guerrera vs Blitzkreig - Spring Stampede 1999

Blitzkreig has such a mystique about him. For such a short stint, he made such an inedible mark on me and many others. In the early 2000s, you can barely ever go through a mailbag of some sort with some asking who Blitzkrieg was and where did he go. For me personally, I thought he had one of the coolest costumes and with Juvy and Rey Rey having lost their masks, I gravitated towards him and then poof he was gone. Sometimes, you want to leave the memories alone, but I was very happy with this match. I came away remembering how fucking great Juvy was and I had totally forgotten that. With a bonafide rookie, he was glue that held the match together and was the brains behind the genius highspots. Minor quibbles up front, Blitzkreig clearly was a rookie and you can tell from how he moved in the ring, threw a chop or a kick. Also his mask was clearly bothering him early, but for someone with less than 100 matches under his belt in the opener of a nationally televised PPV, he has balls of steel busting out a springboard, top rope Asai Moonsault. WOW! Still at the end of this was Juvy's match and he just put on an offensive clinic whether it was the violent chops and Brainbuster or breath-taking aerial warfare in the form of an awesome suicide dive or that anti-aircraft dropkick to the flying Blitzkreig. I remember seeing the Skytwister Press and it blew my mind as a child. It still does to this day. I am shocked that the missed Skytwister was not the finish after a Juvy Driver. Blitzkreig gets a nearfall off a weird top rope Frankensteiner to show he is in the league of Juvy, Rey and Kidman. He goes to the well once too often and this time Juvy nails him with a top rope Juvy Driver! HOLY SHIT! What a finish! Awesome aerial spotfest that put Blitzkreig over as a daredevil, but reminded everyone why Juventud was a badass at this point. ***3/4

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Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs Raven & Perry Saturn - Spring Stampede 1999

Raven as a babyface is just weird, but the crowd was totally behind Saturn & Raven cheering them throughout and letting the Horsemen know they suck on multiple occasions. My favorite part of the match was its unique structure. They tease a finish stretch in the middle of the match. I really can't recall the last time I have seen that. It is actually a really neat idea. Instead of an endless barrage of nearfalls, you have a hot sequence, but then one wrestler/team slows the pace back down to reset. It is definitely an interesting idea. I loved the continuity of both teams. Raven and Saturn were all about the double teams early to establish themselves as a real team. Saturn whipped Benoit into Malenko on the outside. It was a short babyface shine, but it was fun. I loved the transition with Malenko and AA beating down Raven. Raven was definitely the better choice for FIP than Saturn as we see later. I liked the Horsemen heeling it up using the ref as a great prop to get heat and just some wicked strikes on Raven. Saturn's hot tag is cutoff by a Malenko right. Again, we get some nice double teams like Saturn crossbody on Malenko on Raven's shoulders and Malenko's dropkick into a Benoit German Suplex. Malenko applies his Cloverleaf, but Saturn makes the ropes and AA is besides himself. Saturn hits the Death Valley Driver, but Benoit uses his diving headbutt to break it up. Now we move back into a FIP segment on Saturn, who is total shit at selling and hope spots. Even this lame FIP segment can't kill this crowd as they keep clapping for Saturn. Raven gets the hot tag and he moves pretty well and hits some nice strikes. The drop toehold into the chair takes out Benoit, but Saturn crashes and burns through a table. We are down to Raven and Malenko. Evenflow DDT! AA and Lil Naitch (right at the start of that angle) have a conference and The Enforcer leaves a chair on Raven's head and Benoit hits an unprotected diving headbutt. FUCK! Stuff like that really leaves you shaking your head and Benoit busts himself over. The Horsemen pick up the win after hot sequence. Replace Saturn with someone who was actually worth a shit and this maybe have been an all-time classic. Tony was marking out about the return of tag team wrestling and I can't blame him there is too much great stuff not to enjoy this match. The Horsemen Trio (Anderson was awesome in his role and should have had an extended run as a manager) were great heels and Raven/Saturn had some good double teams. The two hot sequences and interesting match layout is enough to recommend everyone watch this to see how they feel about the layout. ***3/4

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Kevin Nash vs Goldberg - WCW Spring Stampede 1999

What a weirdly laid out match. Nash takes command immediately with his standard, rote corner offense (you know knee lifts and boot choke). Goldberg literally gets zero offense and the crowd is dead. This goes on for half the match and just nothing is happening. Goldberg mounts his comeback and business picks up. I liked Nash going for the big boot and Goldberg ducking and hitting a thrust kick. It was a crazy athletic sequence especially for Nash. Then Nash does a leapfrog. It was not Cena leapfrog, but on the Big Sexy Sliding Scale it was pretty good. Goldberg takes out Luger and Nash to win the match clean as a whistle. 

Who was booking this shit? Goldberg beats the two of your top three heels clean in the ring. Yet, he does not get a title shot at Slamboree. Instead, Nash turns face and gets the title shot at Slamboree. Oh yeah, Kevin Nash was booking. Ugh.

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Hollywood Hogan vs 

Diamond Dallas Page vs Sting - WCW Spring Stampede 1999

Another reason ten year old Marty Sleeze preferred WCW to WWF, Gorgeous George. Between her and Torrie Wilson, why would you watch any other TV show? Macho Man, YOU DA MAN!

Why wasn't this Sting around in 1998? If Sting put all the effort he did in 1999 into 1998, he would have had a HUGE run. Sting was just rocking it in this match. From the early outset, where Sting/DDP worked their normal beginning match (teasing the finishes) to the big Sting comeback, he looked like the biggest babyface in wrestling again. Sting and DDP worked some good stuff in and outside of the ring. Hogan and Flair is a fun matchup, but it does not have the heat of the Superbrawl match. Hogan has put in a ton of effort all year and nothing has changed here. Flair clipping the knee and getting the Figure-4 was a great early match finish tease. I liked DDP honing in on the knee and using the figure-4 around the ring post to take Hogan out of the match. I really liked the drama of all that and I think it added a lot to the match. It gave it an interesting plot point and renewed vigor into the finish. Sting and Flair worked their usual match, which I like in short bursts like in this setting. Flair bumping around for Sting was great and then DDP pounces on Sting. DDP/Sting have insane chemistry with each other. I loved the tombstone reversal leading to DDP actually getting it and a nearfall. The spot where DDP was punching Sting and Flair chops Sting on the ropes and Sting gradually no sells gave me chills. Pray to God, that by some miracle we get this Sting at Wrestlemania. Sting just explodes off the ropes and cant be stopped. Finally the crowd wakes the fuck up. DDP interferes and Flair takes command with shots to the testicles. Figure-4 and Savage pulls him to the center of the ring, which seems to indicate they are in cahoots until Savage drops the elbow on Flair, but no one cares about Flair. DDP hooks Flair in the Diamond Cutter and wins his first World Heavyweight Title. DDP definitely earned it and I really enjoyed this match. I thought it was filled throughout with entertaining segments and there was never any dead time. I was actually pretty surprised that crowd was dead for the majority of this. If you switch the finish with Savage screwing over Sting and DDP winning, I think they would have gotten way more heat. DDP definitely deserved the World Championship after going back and watching his late 90s career so hats off to him. Underrated match that really never has a dull moment. ***1/2

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Scott Steiner - WCW Nitro 4/12/99

Kimberly swings a chair better than Hogan or Flair. Oh also add Kimberly for the third reason to watch WCW over WWF at this time. Seriously, WCW smokes WWF in the babe department. 

Oh fuck, Piper is back. You know I was really enjoying WCW, but here comes Piper to shit on everything. He is totally unbearable on commentary. Late 90s Roddy Piper maybe the worst wrestler of all time.

I thought this match was actually really good again. DDP is the best worker in America with maybe the exception of Benoit in 1998-99. He is on such a fucking roll. DDP was on fire early with just big move after big move. He was diving off the top rope onto Steiner then a baseball slide and a crossbody to floor. C'mon, WWF, what do you got? Sit down and shut up! Steiner is no slouch in this and is a great heel with the trash talk and general sense of desperation. I rather a heel air on the side of using a low blow one too many time than never at all. Steiner was all about the low blow to set up his offense. You got a mixture of Steiner suplexes and Steiner's arrogance (bicep kiss elbow and choking). I loved how they busted out the Franksteiner from the top rope and when Steiner only gets two he just lunges at the ref from the cover. Now that's how you show frustration. Also the Frankensteiner pretty damn cool. DDP comes back hot with a wicked discus clothesline. Page is feeling it. So it is explained to me that DDP was out in March because Steiner rammed his back into an exposed turnbuckle. So when DDP signals for the Diamond Cutter, Steiner shoves him into the ref and Steiner hits the low blow. Big Poppa Pump has got your hook up and it is a pair of wire cutters to expose the turnbuckle. He rams the back into the turnbuckle to set up for the Steiner Recliner that's pretty smart, but than damn ref is still out. DDP says what is good for the goose is good for the gander and headbutts Steiner in the testicles. Steiner wanders over to the ropes and Kimberly blasts him with a chair to win.

DDP was great in this match on offense everything was crisp and had a sense of urgency. While selling, he was always moving towards the ropes or fighting back. Steiner knew when to trash talk, when to get his ass kick and once he cheated he got vicious. Steiner looked like a very credible. The finish was an incredible feat of booking by the usually inept WCW. Kimberly gets her revenge on Steiner with the chairshot and DDP fought fire with fire with the ballshots. However, at the same time, it is a pretty cheap way to win and foreshadows that DDP will be turning heel pretty much by next week. Excellent way to use Steiner's victory at the previous PPV to set him up with a World Championship. He looked like a very credible heel challenger and still got his comeuppance. DDP wrestled a great match, but at the end of the day still needed his wife. Great piece of booking by WCW and a very entertaining match. ***3/4 

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WCW World Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman vs 

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko - WCW Saturday Night 4/17/99

When did they move Saturday Night to an actual live arena? I miss that ugly fucking stage. 

I liked this even better than their Nitro match. It really benefited from the Horsemen being full on heels so Benoit and Malenko focused on kicking ass rather than MOVEZ~! and the crowd was really into letting us know that the Horsemen suck. I love Benoit mocking those chants while the chopping the shit out of Kidman in the corner. Rey and Kidman starting the match off hot with planchas was great would have loved to see this get expanded upon, but going right into heat segment given the match length was the right approach. Benoit was great in this combining wicked offense with heel taunting (snot blow, mocking fans, throwing him to the outside). Malenko was serviceable. Good shit using Double A on the outside. Kidman really peppers in his hope spots and there is enough heel bullshit that it comes off organic as he is building his comeback. Hot tag to Rey who looks great and the crowds loves him.  Loved the Latino Frankensteiner (TM Michael Buffer). He calls for a Kidman Shooting Star Press, but Double A robs us of that and Raven and Saturn join the fracas. A really heated, fundamentals-based tag team match that was all action for ten minutes. ***1/2

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Goldberg - WCW Nitro 4/19/99

This is right up my alley and I loved it! Until the finish, I thought this was poised to be the best WCW match of the year up until this point (it would have been moot because Sting/DDP was next week). DDP and Goldberg both shove down the ref at the outset. It sets the tone. It is mano y mano. The early power spots are just HUGE! The crowd went nuts for that shoulder tackle. I loved how raw and organic DDP's movements were: the short-arm tackles into a quick headlock, on the takedown immediately with the single leg pick up that actually looked good. I loved how he was bumping and moving. There was a stumble to it that made it feel out of control. The Spear right at the beginning popped me right out of my seat. DDP using a heel tactic by grabbing the tights was nice, but the lack of selling was a bit disappointing. Goldberg's kickout of the belly to belly was so gritty. I loved DDP trying to ground Goldberg only to be thrown around some more.  DDP getting increasingly desperate was awesome. He hurls his body at Goldberg twice with reckless abandon hoping to make some sort of dent in this monster. Goldberg just keeps coming at him. The DDP and Goldberg stareoff in the respective corners was electric. DDP goads Goldberg to come at him and Goldberg eats turbuckles. DIAMOND CUTTER! I am losing my shit! 1-2-NO! WOW! DDP hit Goldberg with his best shot and all he has left is the knuckledusters. Goldberg spears the ref and DDP. DDP clocks him with the foreign object and looks to take out Goldberg like he did Hogan by targetting the leg. Big Sexy looks ridiculous running DDP off and then cradling Goldberg's head. It is so fucking ridiculous that Nash lost to Goldberg at the last PPV, but is getting the Slamboree title shot. DDP creams both with the championship belt. It was a great clash of the titans match, but without a finish just does not have enough juice to get to that next level. Sets the stage perfectly for Sting's title shot against the newly minted heel Diamond Dallas Page next week. ***1/2

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WCW Crusierweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Blitzkreig vs Psychosis vs Juventud Gurrera  WCW Nitro 4/19/99

Weird, this match really did not do much for me. I remember really liking it when it happened live because my favorite luchador, Psychosis finally won the Crusierweight Champion. To me that remains the highlight of the match is that Psychosis finally got the recognition he so richly deserved. Much like my main man, Diamond Dallas Page, it just was not to last and it is too bad. It starts off with the heels teaming up to take out the babyfaces, but when Juventud accidentally legdrops Psychosis the partnership dissolves into a heated confrontation. Now the babyfaces align to send the heels to the floor and WOW us with Stereo Asai Moonsaults. The crowd is definitely hottest for the Rey vs Juventiud match. I am surprised they never really had a signature singles match in WCW. I know they had a real classic in AAA and a strong showcase in ECW, but they never really had that one awesome match in WCW they could have had. The Thunder match in '98 is probably the best match they had, but I would liked them to get some more time. Psicosis nearly takes Rey Rey head off with a dropkick to break up the pinfall. I always like the spot in these multi-man where someone dives on top of a prone opponent after a different opponent hit a finish on him, which we see with Psychosis here. Psychosis really wipes everyone out with a corkscrew to the outside, which was my spot of the match. Psychosis seems more motivated here since 1996. Blitzkrieg decides to throw in some limb work and applies a figure-4 to Psychosis so when Psychosis hits  a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, he can't capitalize. Now we do the big, fun finish run with Rey Rey playing to the crowd with bronco busters, Blitzy hits Skytwister and Juvy gets the Juvy Driver, but the last man standing is Psychosis with his top rope guillotine legdrop. It was a really fun and entertaining spotfest, but I saw it as just that a collection of crowd-pleasing highspots. ***1/2

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Sting - WCW Nitro 4/26/99

GOOD GOD! I know this match had a rep as one of the last classics in the history of WCW, but this hangs right up there with pretty much the entirety of the 90s as a great title match. It is easily the best WCW World Championship since Hogan arrived in WCW in 1994. I have been raving about DDP for a while now so I am not surprised at all that he had this in him. He just rules at these Clash of the Titans matches. I will say what is special about this is how it demonstrates how good a heel DDP was. It is easy to overlook this when he was one of the best babyfaces on the roster that in a month he was totally over as a heel and still capable of rocking it in the ring. Sting on the other hand I thought sucked out loud in 1998, but here Sting looked The Franchise again. He pretty much reverted back to the Sting we know and love with all the pep of a kid hopped up on sugar and I mean that in this the nicest way possible. 

Everything in this match just felt huge and it was laid out perfectly to get that Fargo, ND to pop huge. It was a great feedback loop. The wrestlers presented situations that would pop the crowd and the wrestles fed off this energy meaning bigger pops and so on so forth until that absolutely INCREDIBLE EXPLOSION at the end of this match. We start off early with a long and strong babyface shine. DDP is constantly making Sting look great by taking bump, selling his punches and powdering. You really get the sense that DDP is overwhelmed by Sting. DDP is still getting offense in here and there, but he simply can't get anything going, which only makes Sting look stronger with these mini-combeacks. To Sting's credit, he is interacting with the crowd and he is creating movement and energy to send those good vibes out to the Fargo crowd. I love a good finish tease early. It shows both men are looking to win the match and that is at the forefront of both men's mind. Sting's attempt at the Scorpion Deathlock gets a massive pop and DDP sells it perfectly by urgently crawling for the ropes. DDP's Diamond Cutter attempt is met with anxiety from the crowd and a quick push off. I like DDP looking to walk out because he is frustrated and is nervous. It is good heel work. I hate the late 90s arena brawl, but this was fine for what it was and it did not last long. Now, we get into the heat segment, which was just as strong as the shine sequence. Sting looks for the ten punches in the corner, but as he turns to the admonishing ref, DDP nails a low blow. DDP was vicious using point of the elbow liberally to punish Sting's body and his foot to choke Sting. It never got tiresome because Sting was peppering in good hope spots (the webble wobble headbutt to the groin is always over in my house.) to break it up. DDP looks to use the post to work on Sting's legs, but when Sting still have enough strength to kick him into the railing. He understandable freaks out and realizes he needs to end this sooner rather than later. He looks to hit the Diamond Cutter, but Sting hooks the ropes so DDP goes down by himself. Sting hits a top rope Stinger Splash, 1-2-NO! But you can tell he is feeling it! Between this and the SuperBrawl VIII match, DDP was on the cutting edge of workrate with a ton of hot nearfalls. Unlike, in today's product, the nearfalls actually build to crescendo rather than going 2-3 nearfalls too many. I really loved the struggle late in this match. These guys were pulling out all the stops to win this match and you really felt how much each wrestler wanted to win the match whether it was from quick cradles to big bombs like Powerbombs and Piledrivers. Funny enough, I think Sting picked DDP up the for the wrong kind of piledriver, realized it, hit a modified GANSO BOMB~! and then did it again so they could do the awesome WCW tombstone reversal spot. The finishing spot was awesome with Sting holding on with all his might to avoid the Diamond Cutter to only comes out of the corner and hit a Scorpion Deathdrop and THE ROOF BLOWS OFF THE PLACE! 

I loved this match so much just a great Clash of the Titans feel with a huge finish stretch. Both men played their roles to perfection and the crowd responded in turn. I noticed a couple awkward moments from Sting and the arena brawling drag this down from being a perfect match, but definitely right there with Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio for best WCW match of the last half of the decade. ****1/2 

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Gorgeous George vs Lil' Naitch - WCW Slamboree 1999

I am legitimately shocked this did not make the 1999 yearbook. This is one of my all-time favorite comedy matches and I enjoyed the most perhaps last night. Gorgeous George actually is pretty athletic, coordinated, willing to work a crowd and tried pretty damn hard. If she came along now, given that she would be undersized compared to a Paige or Charlotte, I could see her a very good underdog babyface. She is certainly better than AJ at things like running so I can't see why she would not do well. Charles Robinson is fucking awesome in this role. As Ric Flair's mini-me, telling Gorgeous George he was going to buy her a pack of gum to defeat her because we all know bimbos can't walk and chew gum at the same time was great and then saying he was going to take her Space Mountain was hilarious. Macho Man looked like he was ready to laugh and Gorgeous George sold it so well. The actual match itself is the greatest possible RIc Flair tribute/parody matches in history. The hollering from the wristlocks immediately lets you know where they are going. Robinson/George work more holds in this match than pretty much any wrestlers do now and it is not bad at all. George and Robinson put together a really nice snapmare. Robinson decks Molly Holly and then bodyslams her on the floor. Savage is hilarious letting people know she is hurt. Robinson does the Flair shoving the ref spot. Oh my God, Robinson's strut is so bad it is hilarious. Robinson with lots of choking and we trade chops in the corner. Flair Flip! Lil Naitch ducks the clothesline, up top and slammed down. Flair Flop! The Real Nature Boy sells this huge! Asya grabs a hold of Gorgeous George and works the leg. Now we go to school, awesome kneecrusher and Figure-4. Great selling in the figure-4 by both of them! George reverses  the pressure here come the big guns. Savage slams Robinson and Gorgeous George hits a middle rope elbow. Robinson was hilarious throughout the match and Gorgeous George showed great effort. Awesome comedy match. ***

In WCW's Time of Dying: Hollywood Hogan, Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio (WCW March 1999)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Wrestlemania is this coming Sunday?!?!?!?! It totally snuck up on me this year and can't say I am enthralled. It definitely feels like just another PPV. I loved the Cena/Rusev Fast Lane match and really enjoyed their MSG House Show match about a month ago. At least, there will be one great match.

Sable, eat your heart out!

I was toying with looking at some of the great matches in Wrestlemania history, but instead my own childhood nostalgia has ensnared me. I have become addicted to 1999 WCW, which a lot people write off as a dying promotion that does not need to be revisited. In WCW's time of dying, it produced not only some great matches, but some actually entertaining TV. I am always more predisposed to like WCW because of my childhood and natural affinity for their characters over WWF. I feel that in March & April of 1999, WCW was the more entertaining promotion. Now, it was far from perfect and once again it stems from the lack of a healthy babyface & heel infrastructure, which plagued WCW in 1998, but the direction is a bit clearer. 

A lot of people will point to WCW's demise beginning with the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom where Kevin Nash literally gave Hollywood Hogan the World Heavyweight Championship match by laying down for him to a fingerpoke. However, WCW business remained molten hot during the consequent Ric Flair vs Hollywood Hogan program. Flair vs Hogan had not been done since 1996 and not meaningfully since 1994! That speaks to the depth of the WCW roster that Hogan had that many babyfaces to work to not have to lock up with Flair. Flair was actually very natural opponent for Hogan coming off a red hot return and defeating Eric Bischoff for the Presidency of WCW in a feel-good ending to 1998. With the plan to have Goldberg tie up loose ends with Bigelow & Hall before getting to Nash and to have Big Sexy work Rey Mysterio, Flair became a strong contender for Hollywood. 

However, something strange happened that tended to happen in the 90s to Ric Flair. He began an ill-advised heel turn. In 1994, it was because Hulk Hogan had entered the promotion and in 1990, it was in order to get Sting over. Here where Flair seemed  poised to be WCW's knight in shining armor cutting great promos about tradition and how much pro wrestling means to him. In the ring, he began to morph into the big bumping, cheating Nature Boy. It was as Hogan and Flair were just playing the natural inclinations during the SuperBrawl match. The SuperBrawl match is surprisingly heated for two dinosaurs and is worked as a good hate-filled brawl. However, coming out of the SuperBrawl, they became more committed to the double turn of Hogan and Flair. Flair worked his typical heel against power wrestler match against Goldberg on Nitro, which was very entertaining in a vacuum, but detrimental to the health of the promotion. On the subsequent Nitro, Flair worked as a cowardly heel as Goldberg's tag partner. While Hogan versus Goldberg worked a electric, face vs face Clash of the Titans. Again very entertaining in a vacuum, but detrimental in the long run.

The Death of WCW

 This double turn robbed the fans of a true hero conquering the evil New World Order. In fact, the New World Order would just sputter out in April. Flair & The Horsemen would take the mantle of lead heel group. In addition to robbing the fans of an ending, they also turned one of their most over superstars, which only further disillusioned fans. By Spring Stampede, Ric Flair seemed to have lost all his heat whereas in January of 1999, he was the hottest commodity in WCW.  

At Uncensored, the double turn was complete with Flair winning the World Championship in the usual WCW convoluted fashion with the help of crooked ref Charles Robinson soon to be Lil Naitch. Flair would defend the title against Rey Mysterio on the Spring Break edition of Nitro. Rey Mysterio had lost his mask to Kevin Nash in one of the more controversial moves of Big Sexy's ill-fated booking regime. Mysterio now dressing like a 15 year old had looked credible against Nash and had wins over midcard big men like Bigelow and Norton. On the March 15th Nitro, he defeated Kidman for the Crusierweight title in a great match and probably the third best WCW match of the month. The Crusierweight champion fell short of the Heavyweight Champion due to some outside interference in what was an entertaining match. The next week WCW made their first trek North of the Border for Nitro. 

This led to the famous Bret Hart wears body armor and knocks Goldberg out cold on his own spear. A lot of people think this is classic, great angle. I think it would be too, but Bret Hart quits after the angle and it is never really capitalized on. It just weakens Goldberg, who at that time was their last hot babyface property. The following week Sting would return to a short-term shot in the arm, but that is for the next blog. There has been very little build it seems for Goldberg's big revenge match against Kevin Nash. He steamrolled Scott Hall and Bam Bam Bigelow. While WCW would execute the logical conclusion of getting his win back from Kevin Nash, there has been little build up for a match that was just the main event of their largest show of 1998.

O CANADA! I stand on guard for thee!

On the undercard of this 3/29 Nitro, The Horsemen (Benoit & Malenko) defended their tag titles against Mysterio & Kidman (competitive rivals, but respected peers). It was a brutal display of Benoit's offense as he just ripped into Mysterio and Kidman. Mysterio & Kidman pepper in hope spots, but it is a great offensive demolition by the Horsemen that gives this match of the month honors. However, the recently reunited Raven & Saturn cost The Horsemen the tag titles meaning Mysterio is now a double champion coming out of his feud with Nash. This would set 

In the main event of Nitro 3/29, Hollywood Hogan makes his triumphant return to Canada and Canadians LOVE Hogan. Toronto was the site of the famous Hogan/Rock double turn of Wrestlemania XVIII that basically extended Hogan's career by six months to a year depending how you think about it. The booking seems to indicate Hogan/Flair III is in the cards for Spring Stampede, but it is not clear. All of sudden, my main man, Diamond Dallas Page makes his triumphant return to television. DDP is my choice for best American worker of 1998-99 when business was booming, but in ring quality was at a nadir. DDP combined a strong in-ring work ethic and a working class hero character that made him not only over with the fans, but deliver strong matches in 1998 against Chris Benoit, Bret Hart and Goldberg. However, this Nitro plants the seeds for a DDP heel turn, who had not been seen since being written off with Scott Steiner injuring him in February. DDP made no bones that he was not a Flair ally and did not want Flair to be in his corner, but at the end of the day, DDP still was the one to wrestle the mega-over Hogan. DDP and Hogan put together a fun, heated brawl that saw them wipe out the classic WCW Nitro set with a new set coming in for next week. DDP is WCW's best main event worker and is sorely needed at the top of the cards to maximize the other main eventers. Hogan is no slouch in 1999 and still has plenty of energy. He really never stops moving, but without a DDP his matches can be aimless. DDP provided a framework for Hogan to have his best singles match since his last DDP match in 1998. By the time, Hogan finally the Hulk-Up the Canadian crowd was roaring, the German announcer was exclaiming, "The Hulkster is Pumping Up" and DDP, The Nature Boy and Lil Naitch were reeling.

On the back of three strong TV matches (Crusierweight Title, Tag Title, DDP/Hogan) and otherwise entertaining TV matches, WCW in 1999 March felt like a promotion on the mend. It was definitely not completely rehabilitated and the booking was highly suspect. If March was a transition period to that led to a strong, stable WCW with Hogan, Sting & Goldberg against Flair, DDP & Nash then WCW in 1999 could have been great. It is fine to have a month of murkiness to reassemble the pieces in new ways, but when the year continued to be littered with wrestlers turning like the leaves in the wind, it would ultimately lead to why WCW 1999 is considered a year no one watches. However, April of 1999 sees WCW reap the rewards of March 1999 with a tremendous month of in-ring action until Slamboree 1999 ends the brief renaissance.

Ready to go off in April

Match Lisiting:

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hollywood Hogan vs Ric Flair - Superbrawl IX ***

Bret Hart vs Chris Benoit - WCW Nitro 3/1/99 ***

Ric Flair vs Goldberg - Nitro 3/8/98 ***

WCW Crusierweight Champion Billy Kidman vs Rey Mysterio - Nitro 3/15/99 ***1/2

Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash vs. Ric Flair & Goldberg - WCW Nitro 3/15/99

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Rey Mysterio Jr. - WCW Nitro 3/22/99

WCW World Tag Team Champions Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs. 

Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman - WCW Nitro 3/29/99 ***1/2

Hollywood Hogan vs Diamond Dallas Page - WCW Nitro 3/29/99 ***1/2

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hollywood Hogan vs Ric Flair - Superbrawl IX

Hogan played this match really strangely pretty much playing the babyface. The mocking of the "WOOO" I could see construed as "cool" heel or just being an ass. The whole beginning was pretty much all Hollywood. You wanted Flair to make good on his promise that he was going to kick Hogan's ass, but they played the early goings like Hogan/Flair '94 with Hogan winning shoulder blocks and using his size to dominate Flair. Now once they got to the heat segment proper I thought Hogan was rocking it as a heel and really beating Flair up to the point of sympathy, but since Hogan had already won the fans over early the heat segment had weird reverse heat on it. I loved, loved Flair firing up on jelly legs a couple times. Those belt shots by Hogan were fucking vicious. You really felt like you were watching a fight. I really wanted to see Flair punch and chop through that to take control. Flair does eventually take control with low blows, which is fine to fight fire with fire, but seems like the crowd is firmly pro-Hogan. The double juice, the out of control violence and their aura could have taken this to US MOTYC for a very weak year. Instead what we got was five absolutely electric minutes followed by a pretty lame turn from David Flair on his father. I will say Torrie Wilson was hot and I mean double hot. Nash was right "Sable eat your heart out". It was disappointing because how surprising it was that they were working at such a high level even if it was only for about five minutes. It is too bad Uncensored ended up shitty as popular opinion says, but I'll be taking a look at some point. ***

Bret Hart vs Chris Benoit - WCW Nitro 3/1/99

I really liked aspects of the commentary in this match. My favorite part was Tony and Bobby putting over how dangerous and difficult it is to be a pro wrestler. I think commentators should bring this up once a show to remind me us of the risks these men and women take to entertain us. I think it will build more respect and admiration for wrestlers and actually increase the heat for spots that have become passe like taking a bump to outside the ring.

Definitely not as good as the Owen Hart Tribute match, but another great TV bout that just littered WCW around this time. What kept this from reaching all-time great status was Bret's cold performance. I first noticed this reviewing Hart Foundation matches is that Bret can come across as very mechanical and disinterested in the ring. He may be one of the most naturally gifted wrestlers to ever lace up the boots and I think the actual execution of wrestling was too easy for him. I wish he would challenge himself to be a better wrestler by being more engaged. Technically, this was a perfect performance. He performed his spots correct. He laid it out appropriately using heel tactics like eyerakes, choking, testicular violence and the ropes to set up his high impact moves: suplexes, piledriver, the Five Moves of Doom. It is hard to put it all on Hart because Benoit's performance was unusually tepid. The one great thing about Benoit, which is also his downfall is that he makes everybody wrestle his match and drags them out of their comfort zone. He is just an intense, always moving forward, bring the fight to you kinda wrestler that every match tends to have heat just because he is always struggling. I don't know if he was deferring to The Hitman out of reverence, but he basically just played ragdoll to Bret's great offense. You get some good selling here and there, but it was not continuous. I will say once Benoit started roaring back the match started to generate heat. The tease of the Crossface as a reverse out of the Sharpshooter got a huge reaction and was the coolest spot in the match. Benoit's comeback proper generated a good buzz with his usual wicked chops and intense strikes and suplexes. He can not immediately capitalize on the Diving Headbutt. Bret tries to mount a comeback. They both take a nasty spill over the top rope that looked like Bret was inches of landing right on the top of his head. The tag team champions, Curt Hennig & Barry Windham, attack Benoit on the outside and roll him in. Hart applies the Sharpshooter with Benoit in the ropes and won't let go. The ref disqualifies him and the beatdown commences. Malenko comes out and a similar fate awaits him. The crowd is left with their dicks in their hand when Flair does not make the save. It is a very good match that was given a good amount of time to develop, but nothing terribly essential to see. ***

Ric Flair vs Goldberg - Nitro 3/8/98

Classic Ric Flair match that is timeless, but with the interesting wrinkle that Goldberg maybe the ultimate babyface monster. The heat for this match is nuclear with the crowd completely behind Goldberg especially once Flair heels himself. We get all the great Flair trademarks of bouncing off Goldberg and taking the gorilla press slam. Flair goes all in on the cheating with three low blows to keep Goldberg at bay. Flair still has his nasty chops and great punch to vary things. Hell, he busted out a sweet suplex. Goldberg was an awesome presence in this match. I loved his quick reverse of the Figure-4 and how he really rared back on it. Hell, Goldberg even sold the leg pretty well. We get the press slam off the top rope. Goldberg misses on the spear, but it is just delaying the inevitable: SPEAR! NWO B-Team runs in and then Nash and Hogan. Nash had one funny line for every four and Hogan was useless. Poor Tony! A really enjoyable Flair match that was made unique by Goldberg's aura and his explosiveness. Would have loved a full-fledged 15 minute PPV main event between these two. ***

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WCW Crusierweight Champion Billy Kidman vs Rey Mysterio - Nitro 3/15/99

Billy Kidman, intelligent counterwrestler, strikes again! Hell, I loved how committed he was to the Shooting Star Press. Any chance, he got he was climbing those ropes to hit it. Who cares that I missed before. If the bell has not rung, I am trying again. I liked that strategy a lot. It is what brought you to the dance, don't deviate. This is a ball out affair with them flying around hitting each other, but it always feels like they are going for a win. Kidman has some well-timed dropkicks to keep Rey at bay and hit a plancha or a spinebuster when the time is right. It is did get a little move trade-y in the middle. Rey has some impressive highspots, but unlike Juventud he goes have the big bomb offense to really excel in this type of match in my opinion. Juvy has the chops, brainbusters and Juvy Driver that really feel like damage is done. Rey has a breath-taking array of hurricanaranas that are best suited from when he is coming from behind and looking to create space. Basically, Rey is at his best when he can sell and his matches breathe. It is a very fun  and entertaining match, but falls short of the Juvy November 98  match in my opinion. Kidman is not great, but he is definitely better than I remembered. ***1/2

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Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash vs. Ric Flair & Goldberg - WCW Nitro 3/15/99

This was way better than I expected. Goldberg should have launched Flair onto Hogan and Nash. I loved that start. Flair was great bumping for Hogan. Hogan clearly wanted to go babyface and Flair was more than willing to oblige by bumping all over the place for him. Flair diving to Goldberg for the tag was hilarious. I wish the booking was better than Hogan as a heel champion then Flair turning heel to win and then DDP turning heel to win. They needed more stability and a babyface on top, methinks. Hogan and Goldberg is fucking awesome. Like book that match for Spring Stampede brutha! Fuck, if only I was in charge of WCW in 1999 and everyone listened to me. WWE wishes they had the talent of that roster now. I loved each one popping up after big move was hit on them. I loved the battle over the Irish Whip. It was some really great shit. Nash and Hogan worked a strong heat segment. I loved Goldberg's reaction to Flair coming into the match by yanking his hair. Flair selling for the Hulk Up never gets old. Lil Naitch is becoming Lil Naitch, awesome! He won't count. SPEAR! As we go off the air...fun stuff. WCW had a brief resurgence it seems in March and April of 1999, but it would not last :(

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Rey Mysterio Jr. - WCW Nitro 3/22/99

My first act as booker of any American pro wrestling promotion would be to restore the Spring Break Nitro set up. Then I would run more college campuses.

The Buffer introduction of Mysterio is fucking hilarious if it was not included on this. Here are the highlights: "He gets this chance by the luck of the draw, but we all know he deserves it." is really funny when done in the Buffer voice. The Master of The Latino Frankensteiner killed me. Good shit

Tenay just said Flair swerved Mysterio on the hand shake. Bad shit.

Flair would have been a great Olympic walker. He has the speed walking form down pat.

It is always amusing when a Flair Flop catches an opponent off guard. Rey goes with the celebratory pose not bad. Even Double A is stooging for Rey. Flair lures him to the outside and BOOM steamrolled by Anderson.

Flair gets nasty with chops and punches. Flair Sucks chants and Rey chants! Cool. Rey times a couple nice hope spots. Rey hits the Brie Bella facebuster special. Rey's comeback is not connecting. Top Rope Latino Frankensteiner looks to win it, but AA pulls out the ref for the DQ.

Flair goes into the pool and is headed for the fans splashing them with water. That would have been the coolest Spring Break story EVER!

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WCW World Tag Team Champions Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs. 

Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman - WCW Nitro 3/29/99

So who is more pissed during this match Tony Schiavone or Chris Benoit? Schiavone is spewing venom on commentary and it is uncomfortable. Benoit is lighting muthafuckas up. Benoit usually hits pretty damn hard, but during this match he was really kicking the dogshit out of Kidman. The forearm blow to back of Kidman's head was hard to watch. Pretty much the entirety of the match is a Benoit offense display. He is on the warpath and it actually makes any hope spots look forced and artificial. Like Kidman's spinebuster just existed to get to the next part of the match. Rey's hurricanarana was a bit more organic. Once Benoit and Malenko settle more into a traditional heat segment it at least seems like Kidman and Rey have a chance, which I hope kinda makes sense. Rey & Kidman are still getting their asses kicked, but this time in a way more conducive to setting up a comeback. Rey gets the hot tag and looks to hit a Latino Frankensteiner (TM Michael Buffer) for the win, but Malenko catches him with a powerbomb and goes for the Cloverleaf, but Raven hits a DDT to allow Rey to win the tag belts. Lets recap the match Benoit & Malenko shine, Benoit & Malenko heat segment, Benoit & Malenko poised to win. Damn, did they kick their ass. I am oversimplifying a bit as Kidman & Rey got a few brief spots but this was the Benoit and Malenko show. It was still a damn good spotfest, but I don't think it ranks with some of the other really high end 1999 WCW stuff. ***1/2

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Hollywood Hogan vs Diamond Dallas Page - WCW Nitro 3/29/99

THE HULKSTER IS PUMPING UP! I watched the German TV version of this and when the announcer hit me with that out of nowhere I had to burst out laughing. I would say this is Hollywood Hogan's best match, but he was clearly wrestling face so it feels like it shouldn't count as a Hollywood Hogan match. DDP was on fire at this point and Hogan could still move around surprisingly well. I thought this match peaked early. I thought the beginning was really heated and really felt like Hogan was overcoming Page with his punches. The Toronto crowd of course loved Hogan. I guess turning Page was already in the cards, which is a shame. He is a great heel, but DDP working class hero is such a great character. They go out to the stage to topple over the WCW signs since they are getting a new entrance way the next week, which was a cool visual. I am big fan of belt whipping and loved Hogan whipping DDP only for DDP to punt him in the nuts to get the belt. I actually thought these cooled off from here. Hogan always tried hard in the matches I have watched and this is not different. He was on a mission to prove he could still be the top guy and was just kicking DDP's ass. I think they got their signals crossed on the cross armbreaker, I think Hogan wanted a proper one, but DDP did not know what was going on. Hogan with an inside cradle, that's cool. Overall, I thought they lost a bit of steam down this stretch. I think a DDP heat segment proper would have set up the big comeback better. Hogan ends up taking out Flair, Lil Naitch and DDP all in one fell swoop and the Canadian crowd laps it up. Not on par with some of the great DDP matches of this era, but this pretty damn good. I would be going bonkers if I got something as good as the Tag Title match and this main event back to back on RAW nowadays. ***1/2 

Finish What Ya Started: WCW Starrcade 1996

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

March Madness is upon us and just liked every year there is a method to the Madness. Your main man, Superstar Sleeze, has it all figured out. I specialize in setting myself up in a position to succeed coming out of the first weekend, but I have had trouble closing in the past couple years.

You can have your bracket busters, I going all in on the BRA BUSTERS!

Very similarly, Starrcade 1996 has a very similar feel with almost all the matches starting off well enough, but having a hard time reaching a satisfying climax. The card is one of the most consistent of all time, there is nothing less than good on this show and there is a great deal of variety on this show, which makes it a breezy watch. However, it is bereft of that one standout match that really carries the day and immortalizes the entire card. This is a shame because it is one of the best booked cards of the NWO era.

The New World Order had run roughshod over WCW since July. Hogan won the World Heavyweight Championship in August and beat back his eternal rival Randy Savage in October. The Outsiders won the World Tag Team Championship. Sting has abandoned WCW because of how his own friends and fans doubted his allegiance. The Giant, Syxx and Eric Bischoff have joined the NWO. It seems like they are a runaway freight train, until Starrcade 1996 when we see the first glimmer of a WCW hope spot in this overarching story.

Lex Luger, being positioned as WCW's hero with Flair injured, Savage a loser, and Sting in hiding, is red hot with the fans and looks to challenge the Giant in what was an excellent Clash of the Titans match. Luger's victory cemented him as WCW's last great hope against the NWO and how it went down kept the Sting mystery angle hot and full of intrigue. Finally, it planted the seeds for The Giant face turn. Trading The Giant for Randy Savage was very smart. Giant never really fit with the NWO's theme of WWF invading forces. The Megapowers & Outsiders made for a much better core for the NWO. The Giant as a dominant babyface foil fit him a lot better and could grow under Luger's tutelage.

Not only did Luger take home a victory over The Giant, Roddy Piper scored an upset against Hollywood Hogan. Hogan notorious for not jobbing losing to Piper was a very effective tool in garnering support for WCW from the fans and letting them there was hope. I am not the biggest Piper fan and I don't know if he was the one I would personally select for this role. I do like how they told the story that Hogan had never beaten Piper and that Piper has that special something that will carry the day. I think they should have gone one step further and put the title on Piper to build up NWO Souled Out and have Hogan regain on his "home" turf. Regardless, seeing WCW win at the end of WCW PPV should have happened more often and they got it right here. The match itself was not as good as I remembered, but they cut one helluva pace for them and it was red hot to start. I loved the portion where Piper was whipping him with the belt. They bit off more than they could chew and were blown up by the time they hit the finish.

The undercard was comprised of a very interesting variety of styles. The Outsider and Faces of Fear had a super fun heavyweight bomb throwing fest. It is my pick for the best Outsiders match of all night (not that is saying much). Barbie and Meng throwing Hall around was a sight to behold. Benoit and Jarrett had elements of a heated brawl in them, but they restrained themselves and it was an uneven match. The finish was horrid and the only booking misfire on the night. Jarrett was booked like shit this entire run and people wonder why he did not get over. Benoit/Dungeon of Doom peaked at Great American Bash 1996 and then just kept dragging on and on. Though I did see a decent Benoit/Meng match. DDP/Eddy was disappointing and would have been tremendous just a year later when they were in the roles they were meant to play. DDP was about to turn face so he was not as heelish as usual, which hurt the match. The finish was predictable, but perfect to get DDP over as the blue collar hero against the NWO and Eddy has a ready-made feud with Syxx.

Faces of Fear: Most Underrated WCW Tag Team?

The Crusierweight Division was booked really strong in 1996 with four strong, unique competitors on top. Malenko was the straight man and ground warrior. Ultimo Dragon was the offensive dynamo. Psychosis was the crazy bumper. Rey Rey was the the underdog everyone loved. Dragon/Malenko is a pairing that I just don't like and don't think it has ever produced the classics that others seem to think they have. The matches are good, but tend to infuriate me because Dragon just refuses to sell for Malenko and Malenko refuses to play babyface. Rey Mysterio vs. Jushin Liger is one of the ultimate dream matches of the 90s and kudos to WCW for booking, but it just did not reach the level you expect from two of the greatest of all time.

All in all, I recommend Starrcade 1996 based on the strength of the quality of wrestlers. This is who competed on this night Malenko, Dragon, Liger, Mysterio, DDP, Guerrero, Benoit, Jarrett, Nash, Hall, Meng, Barbarian, Giant, Luger, Hogan and Piper. That is a fucking murder's row of talent. WCW felt like such an all-star promotion featuring the best of Lucha Libre, Puroresu, WCW and WWF in one promotion. The booking is mostly strong (Benoit/Double J the only exception) and all the matches are at least good. There is a strong variety with crusierweights, heavyweight bombfests, clash of the titans, and brawls. Luger vs Giant is my Match of the Night, which may surprise some, but it was a damn good performance from both that had the crowd rocking. When Luger finally got Giant off his feet, it felt like such a huge accomplishment. If one of these matches elevated itself to classic status then this could be considered GOAT PPV. As is, it is one of the most consistent PPVs of all time.

WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko vs J-Crown Champion Ultimo Dragon  

These wrestlers sure did a great job reinforcing each other’s worst behavior. It was a like a vicious feedback loop where the problems just got compounded as the match progressed. Malenko gave one of his tone-deaf performances where he was committed to wrestling HIS match rather than the match the fans wanted. Dragon was in full one up-manship mode and totally focused on getting his offense over rather than getting the match over. Together these two presented an incredibly disjointed performance. It was not horrible, just really weird and not the classic that I was expecting.

During the entrances, Malenko was surprisingly over with fans especially given he was playing a heel in October against Rey. Though, I think was more due to Dragon playing the evil foreigner archetype than Malenko tweaking his character. The problem with Malenko’s performance was that he would do a big move to pop the crowd and then immediately grab a hold in such a way to kill the excitement of the fans, who just wanted to see him let loose. Malenko clearly wanted to work a mat-based style in order to set up the exciting finishing stretch. Dragon can go on the mat with best of them. His matches with Liger and Ohtani prove that. However, Dragon did not seem to get the memo in this match. I think Dragon was under the impression that American crowds were dumb and they just wanted highspots. So he set out to deliver highspots rather working with Malenko. Ergo the transitions were non-existent and each segment felt artificial and in vacuum.

At the beginning of the match Malenko hit a back drop driver to a big pop only to slap on a chinlock and then have Dragon take over is a perfect example of bringing the crowd up only to let them down. This was another problem with the match it felt too back and forth with not real strong stretch to build heat. Dragon runs through his offense until another Malenko back drop driver wakes up the crowd. Surprisingly, Malenko is selling better than Dragon. In a weird moment, Mike Tenay, resident cruiserweight expert analyst says that Dragon should really be pronounced Dragone for some stupid reason. Dusty thinks this is hilarious and proceeds to call him Dragone the rest of the match. I love Dusty Rhodes and I don’t care who knows it.

The finish is definitely the best part of this match as they just say “Fuck the rest of the match, LETS FUCKIN GO!” Dragon busts out a powerbomb to kick things off and the reverse tombstone spot with Malenko executing is always a crowd-pleaser and a great false finish. Malenko hits a Tiger Driver for 2, which was a killer false finish with Dragon timing his kick-out for maximum effect. Dragon adds the Asai Moonsault and Malenko busts out the Texas Cloverleaf before Dragon is able to garner the victory with a Tiger Suplex.

The finish was fun in the same way a Michael Bay action movie is fun because it is just a bunch of big moves strung together. The body of the match was basically non-existent and did not factor into the finish at all. This match is a perfect case for the detractors of both men as Malenko delivered a rather tepid performance until the end and Dragon focused more getting himself over at the expense of the match. ***

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Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Jushin Thunder Liger - WCW Starrcade 1996

Much like Starrcade 1996 itself as a card, I think this is underrated. I agree it never reaches the levels of OMFG MYSTERIO VS LIGER~!, but it still a great kickass match and better than the overrated Malenko/Dragon bout early on. Mysterio definitely liked working the Savage formula in these matches. He takes a severe beating from Liger. I liked the Malenko match the most because I thought the ground game was a really smart strategy. Dragon's offensive performance is great eye-candy, but seemed too much like an exhibition. Liger splits the difference gives a great high impact beatdown, but does waste a little too much time between moves that kills the urgency of the match. Liger was demolishing Mysterio early and really taking advantage of the size disparity, which Liger must have enjoyed as he usually competed against someone of a similar size of greater. The surfboard spot where he propels into the mat and all the powerbombs looked sick. I really need to watch the WWIII Dragon match back because I thought Mysterio did a better job using the hurricanrana to let us know he was still alive instead of just being a ragdoll for badass moves. Dusty was killing it on commentary. In his own way, I really think he respected these men. I really liked how Tony and Dusty seemed concerned and happy that Liger was able to make a comeback from his brain tumor surgery. I felt that they really appreciated Liger. The Dragon Screw Leg Whip is right up there with his call of a lady in the Men's Bathroom. Honey, that was the Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Oooo I knew that one in reference to a Kappo Kick. Liger telegraphs the Shotei and Mysterio snaps off a hurricanrana. Huge top rope Asai Moonsault! Eat your heart out, Dragon! Mysterio stays right on Liger with a legdrop as Liger looked to re-enter the ring. Mysterio misses the big legdrop and Liger hits a diving headbutt for a two count. Mysterio looks for the coup d'grace a top rope hurricanrana, but Liger hooks the ropes. A kappo kick sets him up for a Ligerbomb and the three count.

The crowd was not into this one at all, which is strange because Rey & Liger on their own were almost always was able to win the crowd over, but it was not clicking for the Nashville crowd. The finish did feel very anti-climatic. I liked the beatdown a lot, but it just did not feel like Mysterio had enough in his arsenal to compete with Liger. I liked the one release German and top rope Asai moonsault, but it never felt like he had Liger in trouble whether it was from quick falls or from a knockout blow. It is a very good match, but it fails to reach the levels of greatness that these two reached with other opponents. ***1/2

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Chris Benoit vs Jeff Jarrett - WCW Starrcade 1996

I really portions of this and other times felt really lukewarm. It was just a very uneven match. Before I get into face/heel dynamics, there were times that I thought this would break loose in a nasty Memphis brawl and everytime I thought they were really going to let go, they restrained themselves and it was so frustrating. Jarrett had some great brawls against the Moondogs in Memphis and others I am sure. Benoit definitely does well when he is in a fight! Everybody always says Jarrett is not very likeable, but Benoit was a fucking great prick in this match and I think Jarrett had some really good fired up spots in this. Then they would flip flop back to Jarrett as the unworthy heel and Benoit as the face asskicker. It was just so confusing. I think everybody has been so conditioned into thinking Jarrett is unlikeable that they prefer him as a heel, but in the ring I think he is a better babyface. When Benoit was smacking the back of the head, I was kinda pissed at first. He seemed like such a bully and when Jarrett popped up and hit him with that right I loved it. I enjoyed Jarrett walking on his back and strutting, but damn I wanted a fight. Again, we get the double leg takedowns and the fists, but then it is back to standard pro wrestling. These two had a great brawl in them. I loved the Woman grabbing Jarrett's arm spot and then Benoit decking him in the back of the head. Dusty just nails it "Don't he know you never stop when a pretty lady stops you on the corner. Thats how you get whacked in the back of the head, baby." Benoit hits the chinlock, but is using the ropes. Jarrett fires back up and is looking for the figure-4, but Woman claws him in the face. Then there is a crazy overbooked finish, which sees Konnan & Hugh Morris trying to kidnap Woman, Sullivan blasting a wooden chair over Benoit's head and AA dropping Jarrett with a DDT. Jarrett wins techincally, but everyone looks like shit. Benoit/Sullivan brawl could have happened afterwards. Jarrett kept getting fucked by the booking in these companies; he actually could have been a bigger deal. By the time, he did, he forgot what good wrestling was and was brainwashed by the Evil One (Vince Russo). ***

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WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders vs Faces of Fear - WCW Starrcade 1996

I really enjoyed the opening portion of this match, which seems to be a trend on this PPV. The first 3/4 of each match have been really damn good, but the finish is either lukewarm or bad. I thought this was a great fight. Meng and Barbarian just go into full on asskicker mode. I thought they were going to try to position them as a the babyfaces, but with the Nashville crowd being solidly NWO country they wisely made the Outsiders the de facto babyfaces. Meng and Barbarian have never much for selling, but hitting big spots now that's their shit. Meng just absolutely lit up Scott Hall early. I mean he was a steamroller. Nash cornered Barbie at one point only for Barbie to fight back with chops. Nash trying the double noggin knocker only to energize the Faces of Fear was fucking awesome! Faces of Fear double headbutt to Nash. Nash desperately hits Snake Eyes to tag out to Hall, who is detained by Meng and WHAM! KICK OF FEAR TAKES HIS HEAD OFF! Faces of Fear fucking rule! Meng piledrives Hall. Barbie fucking powerbombs Hall. Yes, he powerbombs him. Holy shit! Meng atomic drop and another Kick of Fear. Faces of Fear should have been tag team champions for forever and a day. Nash nails Barbie while he is running the ropes. The Faces of Fear had done something similar and like how both teams are cheating and getting chippy with each other. A long nerve hold is the only thing that kept this match from being great as it was pretty damn boring. Hot tag to Nash, who actually hits a pretty good big boot. Not Barbarian level good, but pretty damn good on the Big Sexy Sliding Scale of Big Boots. Nash hits an ugly but effective powerbomb on Barbabrian to a big pop, the biggest of the night so far. Best Outsiders match I have ever seen. Faces of Fear have had better with Sting & Luger and Guerrero & Malenko, but damn good effort. I love the fighting early to finally get control and the heat segment was awesome. Take out the nerve hold and replace with a longer finish stretch and this would be a great match. ***1/4

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Diamond Dallas Page vs Eddy Guerrero - WCW Starrcade 1996 Vacant US Championship

A match just year later between these two would be a dream match for me. As it stands, this was another very good match on a card that literally does not have one bad match. Of course, Starrcade 1996 was missing that one truly transcendent match to rank among the best cards of all time. This match pits white meat Eddy Guerrero against cigar-smoking, scuzzball white trash DDP. Both find more success once they turned, but here they put on a nice little match. DDP tones down the stooging and big bumping early probably because he was anticipating his babyface turn and wanted to present a more serious character. Eddy outwrestles him and when DDP tries to intimidate him with his size, Eddy does not back down with an overhand chop. Eddy hits a nice cross body to the floor to reach the climax of his shine. DDP slips through a ten count punches to drop Eddy face first on the turnbuckle. DDP used that to turn the tide against Sting in 1999. I liked that a nice heel transition spot, good stuff Dallas. DDP works a nice ab stretch attacking the ribs and using the ropes. I definitely prefer the ab stretch to the reverse chinlock, a lot more options at your disposal while you are catching your breath. DDP runs shoulder first into the post. Eddy takes advantage with a brainbuster, which is the prelude to the CRASH AND BURN! Could not land the Frogsplash. DDP thinks it is wise to go upstairs, but his balls meet the top turnbuckle. Hey, one last DDP heel bump is a nice parting gift. Eddie gets a series of nearfalls to avoid the Diamond Cutter, but cant avoid the Spinning Powerbomb, which is DDP's nearfall, before the overbooking. Hall drops him with the Diamond Death Drop (it would have been cool if they brought up that history) because DDP refuses an offer to join the New World Order. This all happens unbeknowst to Eddy who hits the frogsplash for the win. It was a very strong fundamentals performance, but without the color of a usual DDP heel performance it feels tepid. DDP clearly did not want to overshadow Eddy so Eddy was still presented as the face. This all led to a very restrained feel. It is strange this entire card featured a ton of good, but not great wrestling and mostly because nobody wanted to let loose. Another good match, I can't complain about that. ***

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Lex Luger vs The Giant - WCW Starrcade 1996

On a night where Benoit, Mysterio, Liger, Malenko, Dragon and Guerrero competed, my match of the night honors goes to The Total Package and The Giant. On a night where all the matches seemed to be plagued by anticlimatic, lukewarm finishes after great starts, this match started hot, stayed hot and finished hot. Luger was at the peak of his popularity during this time and really felt like the lead babyface of WCW. Yes, he was a better wrestler in that hot streak of 88-91, but he was so incredibly over here. The early tests of strength were so well done. Rather than show that Luger would be at a disadvantage they actually let Luger drive him to a standstill and Giant got frustrated. I have never thought of Luger having great worked punches, but he really had Giant reeling with them. Giant was so good really on conveying his frustration and almost shock that his natural size was not carrying the day for him. Giant smokes him with a clothesline out of the corner and punts him to the outside. Giant's work over the back is simply awesome much like a Caribbean Queen. Luger is so good at selling especially verbally as the breath evacuates his lungs he really lets you know. Giant was really smacking leather with those forearms to the back and I am always a mark for Giant stepping on people. The crowd chants for Luger and he goes for the slam and Giant falls on top of him. Awesome hope spot! Luger avoids certain doom when Giant misses a dropkick. Luger fires up with punches and forearms that whips the crowd into a frenzy. Weeble wobble, but The Giant won't fall down. Luger neckbreaker and the crowd EXPLODES~! i would have done the slam spot there since it got overshadowed by the overbooking. Syxx & Nick Patrick save The Giant from getting racked, but Sting drives them off. Sting leaves a bat in the middle of the ring may the best man get it. Giant steps on the bat while Luger just looks up at him. Ruh roh. BALLSHOT! Luger nails him with the bat a couple times and 1-2-3 and a HUGE POP!

I loved this as a Clash of the Titans spectacle. From the opening collar elbow tie up to the Sting run-in, this felt like a megamatch. They built to Luger taking The Giant off his feet so well. This was probably the Giant's best match at this point in his career. Luger looks like a huge star here, which they needed badly. This also sows the seeds for The Giant's babyface turn, which is necessary to keep a strong face/heel ratio. If there was a really strong definitive finish like a torture rack, then I would say this is truly a lost great match, but as is, it is the first among equals on a very damn good night of wrestling. ***3/4

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WCW World Champion Hollywood Hogan vs Roddy Piper - WCW Starrcade 1996

Liz looked pissed off all night especially during the Hogan interview before the match. I wonder what was up. Piper's promo was the usual nonsense except the line that it is hard to carry a piano in a parade cracked me up.

Staying with the theme of the night, these two were rocking it early, but got blown up late to finish this with the proper punch. I loved Hogan early shouting at the ref to watch Piper on the break only to paintbrush him. Hogan trying to antagonize  Piper early by cheating and breaking his momentum by powdering was great shit. Piper looked good for the most part as a asskicking babyface taking it to Hogan. I liked Piper clamping on a headlock to inhibit Hogan from escaping, but then Hogan gets a nasty break on the rope and snaps his neck there. I thought Hogan would take over here, but Piper kept it going. Hogan says he has had enough. Then in my favorite part of the match, Piper finally follows him and starts whipping him like a scalded dog. DiBiase trips up Piper and now we get the Hogan heat segment. Hogan is such a good heel at this point and is so much bigger than Piper that a natural sympathy builds. He goes after Piper's bad hip, which does make Piper and Hogan feel old when you taking about hip surgeries. They blow up here, which is too bad because they were cutting a great pace early. There was pretty much no down time at all and I think that cost them here. Hogan misses the leg drop! The Giant senses the problem so here he comes. A fan fucks up the finish. Piper gnaws at The Giant's face. SLEEPER HOLD! PIPER WINS! HUGE POP! But he does not win the belt! Bullshit! I actually think they should have done a quickie title change here and had Hogan win the belt back on his "home" turf of NWO Souled Out. The early portion was great shit with Hogan playing the best damn heel in the world at that point. He was scummy, cowardly and vicious. You wanted to see Piper kick his ass and you really got that during the part where he was whipping him with the belt. They just lost steam going into the finish. I need to rewatch the Luger and DDP matches, but this may be the best Hollywood Hogan match. ***1/4

Die Hard: Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg, Booker T (WCW, 1998)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

March Madness is upon us and all I know is that the Kentucky Wildcats are sporting a semi-pro team, but it only takes a second to take your eye off the prize to cost them their whole season. That being said, I will be going all in the Wildcats BABY! Tweet me @SuperstarSleeze for March Madness pool instructions.

FEEL THE BANG!

March Madness is upon us and it is only fitting as we enter the period where WCW was in total booking disarray. The year 1997 was interesting in that it is probably the greatest year in WCW history if you look at it comprehensively from all the different facets of wrestling being match quality, booking and financial. Besides one obvious match ( Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio Halloween Havc 1997), it does not have a consensus over the year's greatest match so I have been wading through it more thoroughly for that reason and because I enjoy the year as a whole. So I have skipped ahead to 1998. I start covering the main event matches and booking  of 1998 WCW in a previous blog series, which did not get finished. I know shocking. :( I will be skipping discussing that and focus on the mid-card.

The WCW midcard is a tale of two halves. The first half was dominated by Chris Benoit and Diamond Dallas Page and the second half saw a resurgence of the crusierweights around Juventud Guerrera, Billy Kidman, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr.. Chris Benoit is always a difficult subject. My personal take on the matter of evaluating his career and his matches is to treat him like any other wrestler, but to never glorify him beyond that. So I will analyze his work, but I will never advertise him in the title of the blog or make him seem to be a hero of any kind. For the first half of 1998, he was just in the zone in terms of being no-nonsense asskicker and the fans absolutely were behind him 100%. He was over huge against Raven and DDP. Fans are going to gravitate towards badasses and Benoit's relentless, tenacious, always moving forward attack appealed to men who like a vicious streak in their wrestlers.

 I disagree with any who says Benoit was booked poorly during this time period by WCW. The reason we are stuck with so many heatless wrestlers is because of the start-stop pushes. Straight up, there just was not room in the main event for Benoit at this time. Just like there was not room in the main event for Bret Hart in 1989 when he worked predominantly singles and it was teased he would be elevated. Vince was a genius for biding his time with Bret and waiting until 1991 to get the ball rolling. WCW had done a great job showcasing Benoit early against Guerrero & Malenko, making him a Horseman (huge distinction) and giving him a blood feud with Kevin Sullivan. The rest of his contemporaries traded belts and were treated as great competitors. Benoit had this gnarly and vicious side that made him perfect for a personal grudge feud which helped differentiate him from your Jerichos and Malenkos. He was the MVP of the 97 Wargames and worked a hot midcard feud with Raven & his Flock to end the year and move into 1998. In early 98, they started to elevate him into the title pictures, working with a huge star on the rise, DDP and another hot midcard act, Booker T. The problem was the follow-up or lack thereof. Benoit just disappears after June and resurfaces for the Horsemen reunion in September, but it is not really utilized again until early 1999 with Dean Malenko. That's when the booking of Benoit begins to show its cracks.

The Real People's Champion

As for Diamond Dallas Page, he is the only wrestler that is consistently booked well throughout 1998. I would argue he is booked even better than Goldberg and Hollywood Hogan. By the end of 1998 is a huge main event star that is wicked over and is a big asset in being able to have quality main event matches. I will cover this when I finish my look at WCW's main event scene of 1998. I just want to get over how crazy awesome 1998 was for DDP. In watching the footage again, I have been become a huge fan of DDP. Every performance drips with effort and it feels like a huge fight. I love his blue collar, die hard character. It is so relatable. He was the 90s version of Dusty Rhodes and I know from listening to his shoot interviews that would be a big compliment for him. Really watch these matches that I recommend because he is criminally underrated.

After a hot stretch in 1997, the match quality in the crusierweight division cooled off, but the interest level may have been at all time high during the awesome Chris Jericho/Dean Malenko. However, with the elevation of Jericho to the TV title and Malenko becoming a Horseman. The Crusierweight division found itself under the guidance of new blood, Billy Kidman and Juventud Guerrera. Having watched a lot of Juvy in the past couple days, he has been on fire and I had forgotten how good he is. Whereas Rey's bread and butter was the sell, Juventud brought the badass offense. He has a wicked chop and his dives looked like they would wipe you up. These two would be joined by two of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero and for a couple months in late 1998 the crusierweight division was on fire.

As far as how these matches stack up in terms of being the best WCW match of the 90s, 1998 does surprising well. It offers a strong contender in terms of the knock-down, Katie Bar the Door donnybrook for the US Championship, Benoit and DDP had. DDP and Goldberg comes in just a tick below it and is probably the best WCW PPV main event between 1996-2001. Benoit vs. Raven and Benoit vs. Booker T were both great matches, but I do not consider them contenders for the honor of being the best WCW match of the 90s. Finally, there is a match on here that I loved, but technically is not a WCW-sanctioned bout, but features all WCW-contracted wrestlers and is in honor of a WCW official. So it is being included and it is a definite contender for the best WCW match of the decade as the Four Corners of WCW (Benoit, Malenko, Guerrero, Jericho) just rock Knoxville with an old school classic tag team match that features all-time great  heel performances from Guerrero and Jericho. Overall, 1998 adds two more matches to list as it grows now to five matches all at that ****1/2 level. WCW in 1998 was interesting, the booking was disarray, but the match quality was still there.

Match Listing:

Chris Benoit vs Raven - Souled Out 1998 ***3/4
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/11/wcw-souled-out-1998.html
Benoit in full unrelenting badass mode. Raven is a sick sado-masochist. Needs more Raven heeling.

Bret Hart vs Ric Flair - Souled Out 1998 ****
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/11/wcw-souled-out-1998.html
Bret looks great in his WCW debut selling knee well & great offensive execution. Flair keeps pace with his deep bag of tricks. Strong debut for Hart, but there was no follow up. Last great WCW Flair match?

WCW US Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit - SuperBrawl VIII ****1/2

Full steam ahead, no looking back FIGHT! Neither man gives an inch. One of the Best WCW matches ever!

WCW US Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit vs Raven - WCW Uncensored 1998 

Balls to the wall action and still retains credibility. DDP is so over. Great finish. Best WCW Raven match.

WCW TV Champion Fit Finlay vs Chris Benoit - WCW Slamboree 1998 ****
 Everything you think it would be a brutal, violent, stiff bout. Benoit's PPV hot streak continues. 

Chris Benoit vs Booker T - Great American Bash 1998 ****
Maybe the best Booker performance of his career. On fire, timing his hope spots perfectly and laying his shit in. Surprisingly, it was Benoit who I felt was meandering

WCW World Champion Goldberg vs Diamond Dallas Page - Halloween Havoc 1998 ****1/4
HUGE FIGHT FEEL! DDP rules and every performance drips with effort. It is Die Hard vs Da Man!

WCW US Champion Bret Hart vs Diamond Dallas Page - Nitro 10/26/98 ***3/4 
Awesome never say die face against cunning heel. Great heat and sympathy to an satisfying climax

WCW Crusierweight Champion Billy Kidman vs Juventud Guerrera - WCW Nitro 11/16/98
Kidman's counterwrestling vs Juventud's asskicking offense. Badass finish stretch!

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs Eddy Guerrero & Chris Jericho - 
Brian Hildebrand Tribute ****1/2 
Classic tag team match. Eddie & Jericho give all time great heel performance and Benoit is tremendous as the face in peril and asskicker.

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WCW United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit - SuperBrawl VIII

Why is this not considered one of the best WCW matches of all time? I was impressed by the work and fight of both men in this tremendous hard-fought contest. Every little move from a standard Irish Whip to the final Diamond Cutter felt like an incredible struggle to execute. Each man was coming at the other like they were at the Battle of Stalingrad and there was no retreat. They were cutting each other with nasty strikes and knee lifts. It truly felt like both men were incredibly invested in winning this championship and they were going fight and claw for the victory on this night. All in all, they still kept this very much a babyface vs. babyface match. You had the rough and tumble blue collar street fighter against the polished, gnarly Canadian fighting machine. I liked DDP trying to impose his size and rough house tactics early only for Benoit to hang him out to dry and then try for the Crossface early. Page smartly bails and gets back in, he knows he is in for a fight against Benoit is just throwing crazy strikes to keep him at bay and now he looks for the Diamond Cutter and Benoit powders. I love the mirror spots. DDP IS JAAAAACCCCKKKEDD! They brawl back in the ring. Fuck, I love this. Benoit dropkicks the knee and looks to sap Page's energy by leaning on him with a Cobra Clutch-like hold. I like this use of the move. We know DDP is a ball of crazy energy that is his offensive strategy he is impulsive if you sap that then he should be easy pickings. I loved little shit like Benoit eating jawbreaker, but then coming right at Page with chops and kicks. Babyfaces always move forward. DDP pulling himself up by the ropes and throwing Benoit into the corner is one of my favorite spots of DDP matches. Benoit fights like hell on an Irish Whip attempt and snaps off a suplex. This is pro wrestling. Benoit is all about the sleeper and Page dumps him over the top rope and Benoit is still coming! Page crotches him and superplex to finally level the playing field. They work really awesome, well-built nearfall sequence that was rare at this time and would be over huge now. Benoit shoving DDP off of the Diamond Cutter attempt and Dallas immediately climbing the top rope and flying three quarters of the way across the ring to wipe out Benoit like an out of control torpedo epitomizes how wild this match was. It is just dripping with urgency. Benoit gets a Crossface, but DDP is too close to the ropes and his rolling Germans serve as his super hot nearfall. DDP signals for the Diamond Cutter, Benoit looks for the Backslide and BANG!

What a damn fight! Neither man gave an inch and they went toe to toe for the entire bout. They sustained heated fight for a good 15 minutes and it just never let up. The finish sequence was damn near perfect (ok ok there was a shitty DDT in there somewhere). I love matches where everything is contested, both wrestlers are invested in the outcome of the match and every action is urgent and consequential. This match had it in spades. As much as I love DDP/Goldberg, this is my WCW match of the year. ****1/2  

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WCW United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit vs Raven 

 WCW Uncensored 1998

Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed this clusterfuck. It was non-stop action, but much like the cruiserweight triangle match at Starrcade they always incorporated all three guys in logical ways. I liked this a bit better than the cruiserweight match because of the three distinct characters involved and how they built drama going into the finish stretch. You have the asskicker Benoit, the sado-masochist Raven and the never say die DDP and the match really felt really character driven. They do a triple lock up, which is contrived, but I liked the intensity of the lock up and they establish early it is every man for himself when they each deck each other. The lock up spills to the outside and they throw DDP into the stairs ribs, those pesky, never healing ribs, first. DDP sells this and we get some Benoit and Raven, but it is a normal amount of selling as opposed to the egregious amount you normally see in this time of match. I loved DDP avoiding baseball slide only to have Raven take it and then hitting a nice slingshot cross body. Raven was actually really good in this too by wildly just on top of people. It really felt very chaotic with people just shoving each other when they weren't looking. I think this Raven's best match in WCW as opposed to the asskicking he took at Souled Out. Raven directs traffic and forges an alliance with Benoit to take out the champion by sending him through the Uncensored sign. DDP is fucking out and looks done for. Raven suplexes table onto Benoit. I am such a mark for throwing objects and I loved that spot, but Raven gets overzealous and goes flying into the table. Benoit plays it smart and he carries Raven back to the ring to increase the distance between him and DDP. Kudos to Tenay for picking up on this. Benoit hits the drop toehold onto the chair, which always looks nasty and Raven's eye starts to swell pretty immediately. DDP slide on his side back to the ring in just awesome dramatic fashion. I love DDP! It is time to rip-off ECW wholesale, but hey what has not been seen by this audience is new now. They do the triple sleeper spot. It turns out NOAH ripped off this match for the triple German. DDP is fucking over it is awesome. The dude totally deserved to main event five PPVs in a row in 1998 and his reign in 1999. Anyone who says otherwise has either not watched the footage or is blind! Raven tells Benoit lets take out the champ again and here is the Use My Sign from Lodi, but it is a Stop SIgn! AWESOME! DDP is laid out on the table and Benoit attacks Raven. Raven fucked up that one. Benoit looks to superplex Raven through DDP in the table, which would have a HOLY SHIT spot for the ages. But DDP sends Benoit flying off and hits a nasty Diamond Cutter where the table does not break and Raven goes chest first into the edge. Wrestlers not being as athletic made these types of spots look brutal as hell. Great fucking finish! Benoit looked like an asskicker, but just did not pull the trigger early enough. DDP may have never-healing ribs, but his spirit just won't die. There is a never dull moment and never a moment where the match loses credibility. It was a chaotic war between three men. Another feather in the caps of Benoit & DDP! ****

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WCW TV Champion Fit Finlay vs Chris Benoit - WCW Slamboree 1998

The Wocestah crowd was rabid for the Wolverine on this night with a big Benoit chant early after a chop and even chanting Finaly Sucks! Hell they popped for an early hiptoss cover by Benoit. That's what happens when wrestling treated as real by the fans and the wrestlers. They care that their favorite wins not how he wins or if it is at the expense of making someone look bad. It is Benoit and Finlay. You know it  is going to be a war and this one was awesome. It totally built on their badass Nitro '97 sprint with them having more time to draw things out. Benoit looks strong in the early going controlling with chops, but as he gets up from a Finlay submission he is blasted with a wicked clothesline. For the rest of the match, Finlay is going to town on the neck and head of Benoit. Benoit does a great job selling this clothesline rolling out of the ring in such a way that he makes a thud when hits the floor. Finlay follows up with a bodyslam on the floor and another clothesline. Benoit comes roaring out of the corner with chops, Finaly stymies him with an eyepoke/chinlock combination. Perfect use of the chinlock to control the match and lean on your opponent sapping him of his energy. Finlay peppering in wicked elbows to Benoit's neck and kicks to his back. Finaly goes for the chair on the outside, but Benoit grans a hold of it to hit Finlay in the back to a big pop. I love chair shot in stiff midcard matches it is  a great change of pace. Benoit goes for his dive to the outside, but Finlay uses the chair to block it. Jesus, Benoit! Finaly is working double time on the neck, but runs into the corner full steam ahead. Two Rolling Germans land, but on the third Finlay runs Benoit throat first into the ropes. DAMN! A violent counter that makes total sense in the match. Really should have led to the Tombstone finish in my opinion. Benoit counters an attempted clothesline with the Crossface, but too close to the ropes. Snap suplex and he signals for the diving headbutt and the crowd just explodes. Huge boos for Booker T sauntering out as payback for Benoit doing it to him and costing him Television championship. Finlay blasts him in the back of the head with wicked dropkick. Benoit just crumbles to the floor and deadweights Finlay. FInaly finally rolls him back in and Benoit gets a desperation inside cradle, but nothing happening. Finaly ends his misery witha Tombstone! Awesome, brutal match with Finlay wrestling  a perfect strategy to control the explosive Benoit with stiff shots and chinlocks. Benoit is just relentless and always knows when to come out at you with his stiff offense. I can't see how these two could ever have a bad match. I would put this above the Raven match since Finlay contributed more, but behind the DDP match, which I think told a better story and had even more urgency. ****

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Chris Benoit vs Booker T - WCW Great American Bash 1998 Match #7

Technically, this is match #8 of seven to determine the number one contender to the Television Championship (my childhood memories were foggy and I thought they were in the midst of the Best of Seven series for the TV Title when one of them lost the title to Finlay randomly and thus threw a monkey wrench into the works. Turns out, it was a number one contendership series the whole time). On the previous episode of Thunder, Bret Hart tried to help out former Dungeon graduate, Benoit by blasting Booker with a chair. Benoit does not want to win that way and goes so far to tell the referee. That kind of sportsmanship is actually pretty refreshing rather than playing morally conflicted interminably. JoJo Dillon scrubs the record clean and says the Great American Bash match is for the kit and kaboddle. Really strong midcard WCW booking, which is shocking because the WCW main event scene is a total clusterfuck at this point.

The argument can be made Benoit's lack of attack on Booker's knee stems from his sportsmanship. He was above exploiting an injury and respected Booker too much. Now clearly the reason is because the Finlay match later was going to be based around the knee, which makes sense since Finlay is the real heel. It would have been helpful if the commentary told this story rather blithering on about the injured knee. Even trying to apply this logic to the match, Benoit's offensive strategy just seemed off. His execution was as crisp as ever, but it was meandering like he did not know what he wanted to do next. He uses the dragon screw leg whip to take control, but after that it is an assortment of chops, suplexes and chinlocks. It was a weird use of the chinlock because it is not like Booker established himself as a runaway locomotive early on. It really feels like his offense is not setting anything up. Tenay did a good job claiming this was to set up the Crossface, but I wasn't feeling it. Benoit does go for the Crossface when Booker starts to mount a comeback, but Booker falls towards the ropes. In fact, I thought Booker outperformed Benoit. He was timing his hope spots really well and he brought a lot of fire from underneath. I really liked his crash and burn off the reverse cross body as he was going for a home run. Again when Booker is able to get a head of steam, he is looking for that missile dropkick. His offense is setting up for a big bomb. Benoit is always great at selling his big high-risk moves like the superplex (milks it for an 8 count before the cover) and swandive headbutt (writhes in pain before the cover). Loved Benoit have scouted Booker's weird sunset flip thingy in the corner, by stopping short letting him do it and then CHOP! Booker nails a couple Harlem Sidekicks, which finally dazes Benoit enough to hit his missile dropkick.

This maybe my favorite Booker performance of his career. He was laying his shit in well and his timing and move selection were just spot on. His instincts were just clicking. He built perfectly to that missile dropkick and Benoit really was able to sell how his big bombs had taken a lot out of him. It was a war of attrition and Booker outlasted Benoit in this battle. Match was dragged down by an unusually meandering Benoit in the early going. The finish stretch and Booker's performance make this one of the best WCW matches of 1998. ****

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WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg vs Diamond Dallas Page 

WCW Halloween Havoc 1998

I saw this originally when WCW was compelled to repeat the entire main event on Nitro because they went over on the PPV, which is part of the reason the match is so famous. I honestly had forgotten everything about the match so besides knowing who won this was totally fresh. The other reason this match is famous because it is really good in time period where WCW main event were usually dogshit. Guess what this match is not just really good, it is excellent. I actually think this match is underrated given the ratings I have seen around the net. It is a testament to both Goldberg's aura and DDP's ring generalship at this time. With a doubt, DDP is the WCW MVP of 1998 and his entire 1998 is proof at his amazing grasp on pro wrestling psychology.

The World Heavyweight Champion versus the People's Champion, the Unstoppable Force versus the Blue Collar Hero, the Rookie Phenomenon versus the Hard Working Late Bloomer, just the characters naturally make for a great story going into the match. DDP is wrestling manifestation of John McClane and he is taking on the fucking Terminator in Goldberg. Who does not want to see that? This is the type of match that shows why pro wrestling is the greatest form of entertainment to ever exist in human history.

Page is JAAAAACCCCKKKKKED TO THE MOON for this one and he comes at Goldberg repeatedly who shrugs him off with powerful shoves. DDP will not be detered and they spill out in a heated moment. Goldberg is treated like a super athlete here: unstoppable power, impervious to pain and cat-like quickness. When DDP tries a single leg pick up, Goldberg does a backflip and DDP does it again to get a one count. That is the story of DDP the dude just does not know when to quit. He is going to try and try and try. I love it! Goldberg's stunned selling, but always moving to get up and moving forward is so perfect for his character. I love the urgency of every DDP movement knowing he is in there with a monster. He has his one big weapon, the Diamond Cutter, he tries it early and gets send flying to the outside. DDP tries to contain Goldberg with a front facelock, but Goldberg explodes out of it. Goldberg with a huge thrust kick sends DDP into the corner. Goldberg goes for the spear and eats the ringpost. OH SHIT! It only makes sense the person who can do the most damage to Goldberg is Goldberg. DDP signals for the Diamond Cutter and BOOM! SPEAR! THE PLACE COMES UNGLUED! I LOST MY SHIT! Goldberg's shoulder is fucked. Can he get him up for the Jackhammer? DIAMOND CUTTER! PIN HIM, DALLAS! PIN THAT MAN! GET UP! GET UP! PIN HIM! 1-2-NOOOOOO!!!!!! DDP tries to stay on him, but Goldberg reverses a suplex attempt into a Jackhammer. Holy shit, that was electric.

I have become the biggest retroactive DDP fan. His Die Hard, blue collar attitude is just so badass. You can't help but cheer for the dude. Honestly, lost myself in that Diamond Cutter. I really thought to myself can DDP pull this out before I came back to reality. Pitch perfect layout that accentuated both men's characters. Pro wrestling matches should be driven by wins and losses, but how it gets done should be unique to the participants involved. These two men are the only people who could have this match because it uniquely fit them. That is the hallmark of excellent pro wrestling psychology. ****1/4

BANG!

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WCW US Champion Bret Hart vs Diamond Dallas Page - WCW Nitro 10/26/98

One night after he took Goldberg to the limit, DDP gets a title shot against Bret Hart. I love that booking. DDP is red-hot at this point, but he is coming off a loss.How do you capitalize on that heat? Have him beat Bret Hart and take the US title! Excellent booking! Bret Hart has a rep of taking people out like Booker T at Bash At The Beach and Sting at Halloween Havoc so how do you capitalize on that well, have him look to take out DDP. Only problem is DDP Dies Hard.

Bret Hart gets put in a match against DDP and has his best match of the year since the Flair match, coincidence, I think not. DDP was the best American main event wrestler at this point. The early part of the match with DDP just taking it to Bret Hart at his own game everything just drips with effort. You know Bret Hart is the more polished of the two, but DDP has the heart and the passion to close the gap between him and Hart. Bret Hart is getting countered at every turn and this already hotter than the Sting and Luger matches, which were good. Hart uses the hotshot to take control. What takes this match to the next level for Hart is DDP's selling. At first, DDP still has enough energy to pull himself up by the ropes and unload with punches. I love that spot! Hart keeps cutting him off, but you get the feeling you just cant keep Page down. Like when Bret drops an elbow on a DDP that is trying to get up on all fours. I loved that visual along with DDP clawing towards Bret as he only know one direction. DDP should be ranked higher as one of the all-time great babyfaces because his desperation selling and never say die attitude is what being a babyface is all about. Hart is on his heel A-game using his feet on the ropes and a foreign object. Hell he even busts out a superplex. Bret Hart has to resort to a low blow that wipes out DDP and the ref. Hart goes to swing with the foreign object, but DDP ducks and BANG! DIAMOND CUTTER! 1-2-3! DDP wins the US Title, but Bret Hart attacks him after the match pinpointing his knee with the chair and then applying the Sharpshooter as the fans chant for Goldberg who comes as we go off the air.

DDP was just the ultimate blue collar, hard working, never say die babyface and he delivered a great performance. Finally Bret has a babyface that can really generate that sympathy and make his heel character stand out. DDP added a lot to the standard Bret Hart match based on his character and is a very entertaining match, probably the best Nitro main event of the year. ***3/4

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WCW Crusierweight Champion Billy Kidman vs Juventud Guerrera - WCW Nitro 11/16/98


Billy Kidman, intelligent counterwrestler, was not the style I was expecting, but it definitely well-received by me. Almost at every turn, Kidman had an answer for Juvy's high-octane and aggressive offense. His ability to transition defense into offense was a really neat stylistic touch. Early on, he was able to take Juvy's movement transfer into a spinebuster then later dropkicking him off the apron leading to him hitting a plancha. What made this match even more special was Juvy really taking the time to sell all of Kidman's big moves and his own. You really got a sense of how high-risk these moves were when Juvy was selling his ass after a hard springboard legdrop. That was the story of the match, Juvy was dictating the pace of the match, but he was going to live and die by his moves. If he landed them, he was in the driver's seat, but Kidman's patience and counterwrestling ability like the facebuster out of the powerbomb or wheelbarrow suplex to avoid the bulldog was stymieing Juvy Juice. Before I get to the finish, I really liked Juvy playing to the crowd with the chops and the ten count punches in the corner. It really feels like Juvy has matured as an American wrestler. Juventud finally nails his big move the Juvy Driver, BUT he pulls back to hard on the cover and Kidman slips out. Again, Juventud's overzealousness costs him. He looks frustrated but tries to follow up with a top rope Frankensteiner. Kidman hits a low blow (WOW was not expecting that) and hit a slam off the top. 1-2-NO! Woah! I totally bit on that false finish. Kidman looks to seal the deal with a Shooting Star Press, but Juvy blocks and hits the 450 for the win. I really liked the story of Kidman's counterwrestling versus Juventud's high-risk offense. Kidman stooping to a low blow was a cool touch. I wish that Juvy did not just pop out to knock Kidman off his perch, but that's a small quibble. **** 
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Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs Eddie Guerrero & Chris Jericho 

 Brian Hildebrand Tribute Show 11/29/98

HOLY SHIT, THIS WAS ALL TYPES OF AWESOME! WCW's Four Corners finally get the opportunity to knock it out of the park and they don't waste one moment. Eddie and Jericho remind me why I absolutely love pro wrestling. They are just so damn entertaining, but you want to boo them every step of the way and Benoit & Malenko are here to kick ass because Jericho and Eddie went out their way to mock Hildebrand at the beginning of the match. Jericho and Eddie blend cowardly, vicious and arrogance in one appetizing package delivering an all-time great heel tag team performance. All the classic Jericho & Eddie spots are here: Eddie covering Jericho's ears so he can't hear "Jericho Sucks!", scurrying to the corner to hold onto your partner's leg, Eddie calling for timeout. That is just a few it was literally awesome heel spot after another. The heels try as they might to fight fire with fire are just overwhelmed by the badassery of The Horsemen. Even Malenko is teeing off on Jericho and making this a heated bout. This is the exact environment that Benoit excels in. Jericho and Eddie try to meet him head on and just get destroyed. In a hilarious moment as Malenko is countering a Jericho surfboard and the people are chanting "Jericho Sucks!", he yells "SHUT UP YOU BUNCH OF NIMRODS!" Sounds like a man that has a tenuous grasp at best on this match. Jericho once again tries to meet Benoit head on and a wicked chopfest ensues. Jericho does what any intelligent coward would do, pokes him in the eyes and forcefully drops him throat first across the top rope. OW!

Jericho and Eddie just flip the switch from cowards to arrogant prick heels like that. Eddie is telling fans to kiss his ass while he drops Benoit with a brainbuster. Jericho is covering Benoit with one foot after a double suplex. Eddie flies over the top onto Benoit throat as it laid exposed on the apron being held in place by Jericho. Then Benoit's neck is snapped into the bottom rope. Benoit is great at selling and you can hear him gasping for breath on this fancam. Benoit finally hits a suplex to break up a sleeper, but goes up top to consolidate the advantage, but Eddie is able to hit a superplex and Jericho detains Malenko. I have loved the struggle of the entire match but here you can just see Benoit fight with every last breath to break free as Eddie and Jericho do everything they can to somehow contain this raging fireball. Some of the exchanges between Benoit and these two are just incredibly fierce. Eventually Benoit waylays them both off the apron. Building to a Malenko hot tag is suspect at best and it is for the best it does not last long. Jericho rolls through a roll up to apply the Liontamer, but Malenko makes the ropes. Jericho throws a temper tantrum, but Eddie snaps him out of it. SUPERPLEX/FROGSPLASH Combo!!!! BITCHIN! Benoit bowls Eddie off of Malenko. Benoit hits his Swandive Headbutt, but Jericho pulls out the ref. Benoit shoots Eddie into a Malenko powerbomb into a Cloverleaf and Benoit has Jericho trapped in the Crippler Crossface, but there is no ref. WAIT! Brian Hildebrand leaps into the ring and Eddie & Jericho both tap out as Hildebrand gives us a classic call for the bell. Then because it is 1998 and your wardrobe determines your allegiance he reveals a Four Horsemen shirt to a nice pop.


Jericho & Guerrero give a master class in how you can blend old school heeling with modern offense. It is all about flipping that switch from cowards to pricks. It was just awesome watching them have all that time to work. It has been said a million zillion times and even by Jericho himself, they were a totally missed opportunity as a tag team.   Benoit did a great job in his face in peril selling early and then realizing he needed to fight his way out of there going right into asskicker mode. Even Malenko did well in this crowd-pleasing, asskicking match. This would be my WCW Match of the Year if it took place in WCW and it is right there with Austin/Dude Love for US Match of 1998. Love, love this style and these four crushed it in honor of Brian Hildebrand! ****1/2

Rest in Peace, Brian Hildebrand