Jump to content
TSM Forums

LFC Blog

A blog by Guest

Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
  • entries
    147
  • comments
    305
  • views
    28005

About this blog

Read about Liverpool and stuff.

Entries in this blog

LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Monday Night RAW, from San Antonio, Texas, 12/29/03.

This RAW is famous for one thing. HHH/HBK. That's all you need to know. I was mad that the RAW from 1993 with Razor/Kid on it didn't win the PYBO, but it's ok. ___________________   At the beginning of the show, we flashback to Orton/Foley, two weeks ago. Hey, I remember this. Things like that are what pushed me away from RAW. Foley wouldn't fight, see. You can call me a mark or whatever, but I just had it at that point. I knew they were building to something more, but I didn't have the patience. ___________________   Now that the show itself has started, Randy Orton comes out, to Mick Foley's music. He says Foley's not just a coward, but a smart coward. Great scripting, guys. He wants to be announced as the winner of their "match," and Lillian Garcia does that. He's now the Hardcore Legend. For some unexplained reason, Booker T comes out. Complete nonsense booking. He wants to face Orton for the Intercontinental Title. Ok. However, Mark Henry attacks him. Orton then runs to the stage, and accepts Booker's challenge.   Backstage, Eric Bischoff tells Mark Henry that he's just as worried as he is. Teddy Long then says he wants to collect on his favor from Survivor Series, tonight. Bischoff says he can do it next week. And Long will, belee dat. ___________________   The first match on the night is Rob Van Dam vs. Scott Steiner.   - Sorry, I don't have the tolerance to write full match reviews for anything other than PPV's or matches that I deem to be of importance posted on 24/7. Besides, I cover the angles in-depth, and now that I've started writing about the current product, something has to take a hit. I said I would do full reviews of the MNW, but I can't. This fits into that category. Besides, I don't think it's a big deal. The way I do these is thorough enough that you can get the full picture without a full match description, because if any angle happens throughout, I'll write about it. It's easier to read, too.   - This was about a million times better than I thought it would be, which was a surprise given that Steiner was a useless piece of shit by this point. Given that RVD gave his best effort, this was a fun contest. No surprises though, it ends with the 5 STAR FROG SPLASH at 6:07. *3/4. Steiner's choking was tiresome, though. ___________________   During the broadcast, seeing as it's from San Antonio, there will be HBK Moments. You know, because San Antonio is Shawn's hometown, and he's facing HHH tonight. The first moment is his title win over Sid at Royal Rumble 1997, which just so happened to occur in San Antonio.   The WWE Rewind was from 2 weeks ago, when Chris Jericho and Christian got into a scuffle. And now, they're arguing. Christian's mad that he got ditched for a girl. It'll all be ok, kid.   Now Jonathan Coachman is at WWE Headquarters, for the boardroom meeting to decide on Steve Austin's future. Vince McMahon is going to be the one to argue against Austin, and someone else will argue in favor of him. ___________________   Before their match against two jobbers with Ric Flair as the special guest referee, Bubba Ray Dudley's in the back with D-Von, and Bubba thinks that Foley just may be a coward. Harsh.   So yeah, the Dudleys are facing two jobbers with Ric Flair as the special guest referee.   - It's a beatdown. Flair tells Bubba not to punch with a closed fist, but he does anyway. So Flair disqualifies both of them at 1:49. I thought that was funny. *. Bubba knocks down Flair, so his tag team partner Batista comes down and beats on both Dudleys. Since, you know, Batista and Flair are the World Tag Team Champions. Anyway, Flair looks so much younger than he does now. It's disturbing, cause it looks like Flair's aged 10 years in the last 4. ___________________   And we have another HBK Moment, this time, from SummerSlam 2002. Obviously it's from HHH/HBK, which is one of my favorite matches. It has really obvious flaws, though.   Eric Bischoff is with all the referees, and he says he wants them to be tough, just like Flair.   After, Coach shows up again, and Vince says he needs to look to the future, in an explanation of why he argued against Austin. Boy, does that statement ring true even today. His whole speech says a lot about what's wrong with the company now, and back then even more so. Progress has been made since 2003.   Lastly, Terri is interviewing 3 of the Divas involved in the 6-woman tag later. Trish, Lita, and Stacy, FWIW. She talks with them until STONE COLD STONE COLD STONE COLD drives into the picture. I think I just found a new phrase. ___________________   It's time for the Intercontinental Championship match, between Booker T and the champion, Randy Orton.   - This was fine, but like I've said before, I don't understand the need for a chinlock in a 6 minute match. Both guys should've went all out.   - At the end of the bout, Kane comes to the ring for some reason. Booker's distracted by that, so Orton gives him an RKO, which gets him the pinfall at 5:58. So Orton retains his title, *1/2. After the match, Kane gives Booker a chokeslam. Why, exactly. On the surface, this makes no sense, but they probably had a match a few weeks later in which Booker was squashed. ___________________   The last HBK Moment is from Survivor Series 2002. I have no problem admitting that I marked when HBK won the Elimination Chamber match.   Coach is with Linda McMahon, who argued in favor of Austin. Blah blah blah.   Chris Jericho finds Trish Stratus, and gives her a Christmas present. To be nice, I'll say that this is some of the worst acting I've ever seen. She's all sad and stuff. Leave acting to actors. Leave wrestling to the wrestlers. Why is it so hard for WWE to understand this?   Austin's in the back, waiting for the phone call. He gets a call, but it's un-important. ___________________   Finally, we get our Happy Holidays Match. It's Trish, Stacy Keibler and Lita vs. Victoria, Molly Holly (Women's Champion) and Miss Jackie.   - Happy Holidays is basically saying that they're all wearing holiday themed stuff.   - This match is sort of a pile of shit, which is given with Jackie involved, and it ends when Trish gives Molly STRATUSFACTION, at 3:24. After the match, Victoria helps Molly up, but hits her with the title belt. That makes sense, cause Victoria is supposed to be crazy. ___________________   Austin is back again, and he gets the phone call he was waiting for. Well, he doesn't want to be co-GM, so he leaves. ___________________   Here we go, the match I've been waiting for. Shawn Michaels vs. HHH w/Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship.   Blow-by-blow: They lock-up at the start, until HHH takes control with a hammerlock. Shawn reverses the hold, and gives HHH a headlock. HHH rolls HBK up for two, but Shawn still has the headlock applied. HHH shoots him into the ropes, where Shawn gives him a shoulderblock. Shawn runs the ropes again, but HHH gives him a back elbow. HHH goes to toss Shawn out, but Shawn SKINS THE CAT, and headscissors HHH to the floor. Shawn then punches Ric Flair, and lands on both Flair and HHH with a springboard crossbody. Both men come back in the ring, where HHH grabs onto a wristlock. Shawn reverses, and charges into him with his shoulder; afterwards, he takes HHH down to the canvas. He gives HHH an armbar, and when HHH tries to give Shawn a hiptoss, Shawn reverses it into an armdrag. HHH straddles the 2nd rope in an attempt to get Shawn to break the hold, but Shawn kicks the rope, causing HHH's nuts to feel some pain. Shawn gives HHH another armdrag, but HHH quickly gets back up, and takes Shawn to the corner. In the corner, HHH charges into Shawn, and they begin to trade blows. Shawn tosses HHH over the top rope after getting the better of the slugfest, and he follows HHH to the outside. Shawn chops him a few times, and sends him back in, where he applies a sleeper. HHH tries a back suplex, but Shawn flips over him and rolls him up for 2. HHH takes Shawn down with a headlock, but Shawn bridges out of the pinning hold to a backslide for 2. HHH rams Shawn into the turnbuckle, but misses a charge, so when Shawn charges at him, he backdrops Shawn over the top rope.   COMMERCIAL BREAK   We're back, as HHH is bringing Shawn back into the ring. He chokes Shawn with his boot, and gives Shawn a backbreaker, which gets a 2 count. Everything done in this match has been simple. And yet it's one of the best matches in the history of RAW. HHH gives Shawn two elbowdrops to the back, and punches him a bit, for a 2 count. Shawn tries to come back, but HHH tosses him out of the ring. He tosses Shawn's into the steps, and the announcers talk about how Shawn's shoulder looks to be separated. I'm no doctor, so I can't say. Shawn tries a sunset flip on the inside and gets 2, but HHH comes back with two clotheslines for a 2 count. HHH puts Shawn in an abdominal stretch, and uses leverage from Ric Flair in order to cheat. He grabbed onto Flair's hand, see. The referee stops him when he sees it, and Shawn gives HHH a hiptoss. Shawn chops away at HHH, but HHH comes back with the leaping KNEE TO FACE. That gets a 2 count, but see, HHH hurt his knee. HHH tries a backbreaker, but Shawn reverses it into a kneebreaker. Then he applies a FIGURE-FOUR leglock, which makes the crowd go apeshit. The referee is distracted by HHH, though, so Flair gouges HBK's eyes. HHH dumps Shawn to the outside, but Shawn comes back in quickly, and up to the top rope. Shawn misses with a double axhandle, and HHH tries for the PEDIGREE. Shawn reverses it into a backdrop, thankfully for him. Shawn gives HHH a shoulderblock, and falls to the canvas exhaustedly, headbutting HHH in the nuts. After a bit of rest, HHH gets up, and is given an inverted atomic drop. And another one. Shawn gives HHH the flying forearm, and he KIPS UP. I love when the crowd and the announce team go nuts for that. Shawn goes up top, for the FLYING ELBOWDROP. Shawn then TUNES UP THE BAND, but Flair gets on the ring apron. So Shawn knocks him down, while HHH hits the referee. Ha. HHH blocks SWEET CHIN MUSIC, and gives Shawn a DDT. Flair gives HHH hit title belt, and he hits Shawn in the face with it, only getting a 2 count. HHH goes for the PEDIGREE, but it's blocked by Shawn. HHH kicks Shawn into the referee, so he's down again. Bischoff comes to the ring in an attempt to revive the referee, while HHH takes a turnbuckle pad off. Shawn rams HHH into an exposed turnbuckle, and BISCHOFF makes the count, which only gets 2. HHH is bleeding, as Shawn tries a 10 punch in the corner. HHH puts him down, but Shawn gets a right for 2. HHH gives Shawn the KNEE TO FACE-BUSTER, for a 2 count. He goes up to the 2nd rope, but eats Shawn's boot on the way down. Shawn is sent upside down at the exposed turnbuckle, but comes down and gives HHH SWEET CHIN MUSIC, for 3 at 29:12, 26:13 of which was shown.   But wait, HHH is still the champion, because...Shawn's shoulders were down during the pin attempt. I nearly forgot why, for some reason. Ric Flair tries to attack Shawn, but he's given SWEET CHIN MUSIC. And Shawn punches Bischoff, for daring to say that he's not the new champion. Shawn walks backstage, and Bischoff fires him. When I first saw this (I flipped channels, came across it about a minute in, and stuck around), I thought this was a sure town-killing finish. UNTIL   STONE COLD STONE COLD STONE COLD makes his way to the ring, says that he's back, and that Shawn is rehired. He also says there's going to be a rematch (which wasn't up to par) and he gives Bischoff a STONE COLD STUNNER, to end the show.   Match Analysis: This was easily the RAW MOTY for 2003. That Smackdown MOTY was obviously Angle/Benoit from the Rumble, which was just a little better than this. Seeing as this wasn't as good, I'll go one mark lower and call it ****1/2. If you have a problem with that, it's probably because you have a different rating scale. Matches from any of the large promotions in this country are obviously rated on a different scale then those from say, Japan. At least for me. I have no problem throwing out snowflakes if the match is deserving. This certainly was. If I worked for the WWE as a trainer, I'd have this match shown to all my trainees. It's so simple, and so well done. I suppose it would've been fine to have Shawn go over, but HHH just won the damn belt two weeks before. If only we could see something like this on TV now. Oh well. ___________________   Rating: Great. Just because of that one match.   Best Segment: HHH/HBK.   Worst Segment: All the boardroom stuff. Who cares, you know they won't get rid of Austin.   Loudest Sound: HBK, Austin, Ric Flair as referee, and HHH. No surprises. ___________________   I already said what I'm putting up next. BTW, the MNW will be on that, too. It'll probably be...the first Nitro, RAW and Nitro from 5/19/97, and the shorties section. I think that'll do.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Judgment Day 2004 (Smackdown), from Los Angeles, CA; 5/16/2004.

Not really looking forward to this, but like all other shows, I'll give it a shot. Card doesn't look so great. ___________________ First match is Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam vs. The Dudley Boys.   Blow-by-Blow: Ok, that sounds weird. RVD and Bubba start, but the referee gets distracted so that D-Von can attack from behind. Good idea. D-Von rams RVD into the buckle before tagging in Bubba, who chokes away. RVD comes back with a spinning heel kick, and a dropkick, before sending Bubba to the corner for a monkey flip. D-Von gets backdropped and clotheslined over the top, so both guys follow them to the floor. RVD with a tope con hilo, Mysterio with a plancha. D-Von and RVD continue in the ring, with an RVD enziguri. Bubba gets hit on accident by D-Von, so to counter that, he pulls RVD over the top and to the floor. After ramming RVD into the table, he sends him back in, where D-Von gives him a jawbreaker. Bubba elbowdrops RVD in the nuts, which all of a sudden fires the WWE's resident pot smoker up. RVD kicks Bubba and gives him a leg trip, allowing him to tag in Rey for the first time. Mysterio flies in with a springboard seated senton, and a springboard crossbody, which gets two. Mysterio gives Bubba a flying headscissors, but when trying the west coast pop, Bubba just tosses him onto the top rope. Ouch. D-Von slams Mysterio and gives him a legdrop, which only gets two. After we go to the chinlock for a few seconds, D-Von gives Mysterio a flying back elbow. Bubba tags in and suplexes the little guy, before they switch and D-Von chokes Mysterio with his boot. Mysterio gives D-Von a bulldog, and RVD tags in...but the referee never saw the tag. Bubba gives Mysterio a spinebuster for two, and sends Mysterio into the corner, in tree of woe position. Mysterio gives Bubba a Diamond Cutter out of that (really), and a moonsault block, which gets two. Now he's able to tag in RVD, who's blazin', dog. A spinning heel kick gets two. D-Von misses a charge to the corner, allowing RVD to give him a springboard kick. Follow it with a ROLLING THUNDER, but only got a two count. Bubba backdrops Mysterio over the top and to the floor, giving the Dudleys a chance to do their headbutt off the top thing. But nope, D-Von got crotched. Mysterio gives Bubba a broncobuster, and hurricanrana's D-Von down from the top for a two count. Bubba tosses out Mysterio, but RVD kicks Bubba so that both he and D-Von are in 619 position. 619, FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH on D-Von, so RVD and Rey pick up the pinfall victory at 15:16.   Match Analysis: This was pretty good. You know, I'd really like to see the Dudley Boys back in the WWE if they could have matches like this with regularity. I guess that's what happens when you don't get stuck with matches against teams like Cade and Jindrak, La Resistance and the like. **1/2. ___________________   We're in Booker T's lockerroom, where he talks about how he's too good for Smackdown, and also the voodoo he'll use to defeat the Undertaker later tonight.   Now we go back to the ring, as Luther Reigns is wheeling out a large platform. All of a sudden, Kurt Angle appears in the center, while sitting in the wheelchair. After making fun of this crowd and our teams, he says that it's Torrie Wilson's fault he's sitting in this wheelchair. As such, if she loses her match tonight, she'll be forced to retire. ___________________   So, of course, Torrie Wilson's going to face Dawn Marie right now.   Blow-by-Blow: Both ladies lock up, but Torrie pushes Dawn down to the canvas. After an un-Perfect like neck snap, she gives Dawn Marie a dropkick for two. Torrie gives her a sunset flip for 2, and a few clotheslines before ramming her into the buckle. Torrie goes up top and misses a crossbody, which leads us to a REALLY, REALLY boring segment of the match. Dawn chokes Torrie and keeps her out of the ring in boring fashion for at least two minutes, before giving her a legdrop. Back in, Torrie gives her a neckbreaker, which gets two. On a rollup attempt by Torrie, Dawn's pants come off. HOLY BUTT. That's just a bit distracting. Dawn gives Torrie a facebuster for two, but after a bit of fighting, Torrie wins the match with a backslide at 6:14.   Match Analysis: I liked seeing Dawn's BUTT. Other than that, the match was brutal. Got no problems giving this a DUD, as it was one of the more boring matches I've watched in a while. ___________________   JBL's in the back, thanking some immigrants out there for what they do. But not all of them, as he says that everyone in this country should speak English. Stuff like that! ___________________   Scotty 2 Hotty comes out, and...you know what time it is. The debut of Mordecai! Those two will face off.   Blow-by-Blow: What a gimmick this Mordecai is. By what a gimmick, I mean, what the fuck was the WWE thinking? For some reason, I associate this with Kevin Sullivan. Mordecai tosses Scotty around, before choking him a whole lot. After ramming Scotty into the post, back to the choke we go. A running boot follows, so Scotty decides he had better get some offense in. After a superkick and facebuster, he looks to do the WORM. But Mordecai tosses Scotty into the second rope. Clothesline, Razor's Edge, match over at 3:02. What a huge victory for this debuting youngster.   Match Analysis: 1/2* for the Razor's Edge. Glad this gimmick was ditched in short fashion. Super dumb. ___________________   Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Classic are in the back, as Jacqueline is giving Chavo Jr. a present. It's a bra and panties! That's cause Chavo's going to be in need of them after being beaten by a woman or something. Chavo Classic checks the sizes as Chavo Jr. and Jackie talk...I laughed. ___________________   Next up, we have Billy Gunn and Hardcore Holly facing Rico and Charlie Haas w/Miss Jackie for the WWE Tag Team Titles.   Blow-by-Blow: I like Rico. He's a funny guy. He grabs BUTT, which makes both opponents bail. Haas and Holly start, with a Haas fireman's carry. He trips Holly, but Holly responds with a shoulderblock. When trying another shoulderblock, Haas gives him an armdrag and tags in Rico. Rico goes behind...which brings Gunn in. Rico wanted to place a kiss on his lips, but Gunn ran away. Rico then grabs Gunn's BUTT to break a headlock, before riding Gunn like a rose and making him act like he was going to suck Rico's dick. Seriously. Haas now tags in, and Holly hits him, letting Gunn get a cover for two. Holly gives Haas a suplex for two, before tagging in Gunn, who rams Haas into the buckle. Holly's back in, and to the chinlock he goes. A sign in the crowd says that this match is a DUD. I don't agree, but it's close! Holly gives Haas a dropkick, and that nutshot of his at the ropes. Ouch? We move forward to a Holly slam, but when he comes off the top, he eats Haas' boot. Rico makes the hot tag, and he's flaming. I tried to go along with the blazin' thing from the RVD match, ya know? After a Rico inverted atomic drop, Haas comes in, only for Rico to be given the FAMEASSER. Haas gives Gunn a GERMAN SUPLEX in response, which brings Holly in. Haas tries a sunset flip, but Holly won't go down, so Rico superkicks Holly, allowing Haas to get the pinfall win at 10:27.   Match Analysis: The only thing really redeeming about the match was the comedy. Seeing as I thought it was funny, I'll go with *...but I'll also say, if someone says this is the dumbest shit they've ever seen, I wouldn't argue with them. Humor is subjective. ___________________   Part #2 begins, and after a promo with Paul Bearer and the Undertaker, we have Chavo Guerrero Jr. w/Chavo Classic vs. Jacqueline for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: Bring back Chavo Classic plz. Anyway, Chavo has to wrestle with one arm tied behind his back. Chavo gives Jackie three backbreakers, showing his dominance. Jackie replies with a headscissors, which takes Chavo to the apron. Jackie jumps on Chavo's back, but he backs up into the corner. Jackie kicks him for two, before knocking Classic down from the apron. A Jackie lowblow and sunset flip get two, so Chavo Jr. bails. Classic goes up behind him, and oh, he untied Chavo Jr's hand. Chavo needs to act like the hand is still tied up, so he does, of course. Chavo clotheslines Jackie pretty hard, then as Chavo Classic distracts, he gives Jackie a GORY BOMB. The cover gets three at 4:45. After the match, Chavo grabs a microphone, and says that everyone shouldn't have laughed at him. Then Chavo Classic kicks Jackie in the gut, before they leave.   Match Analysis: What was this, exactly? Boy, some of the stuff on this PPV is really retarded. I'll go with 1/2*. I don't understand why this stuff can't be on Smackdown and why Chavo couldn't face an actual cruiserweight. But whatever. ___________________   Rene Dupree is up against...John Cena, for the United States Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: Cena wears a James Worthy(!) jersey to the ring, before rapping. Bring that back, plz. They lock-up, but a Cena punch to Dupree makes him bail out. Cena gives Dupree a Thesz Press, before some knees and a backdrop. A clothesline sends Dupree out, so Cena gives him a headbutt. Dupree rams Cena into the post, before a few kicks and punches. In we go, and Dupree gives Cena a backbreaker for two. Dupree applies a bearhug, but Cena gives him a jawbreaker to end the hold. Cena follows it up with a gutshot, and a clothesline. Sidewalk slam, and Cena tries the FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE...but he misses. Dupree gives Cena a chokeslam, and dances, before trying an elbowdrop. It misses. Dupree gives Cena a DDT, and then tries a rollup. But instead, Cena tries an F-U, but a Dupree neckbreaker gets two. Cena gives Dupree a backdrop, and sits down on Dupree during a sunset flip attempt for another two count. A backslide gets two, then Dupree misses a charge to the corner, so we've got an F-U for the pinfall at 9:56. Cena gives away the Worthy jersey after the match...pick me!   Match Analysis: This was far better than I expected. Was surprised to see very little restholds, and rather quick spots. Didn't think Dupree had it in him. We'll go with *** as the rating for this match. ___________________   After a Kenzo Suzuki (ha) vignette, we move forward to Booker T vs. The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer.   Blow-by-Blow: After a lock-up, both trade punches, until a Booker kick does nothing. Then Taker gives him a clothesline, before ramming him into the buckle and shoulder-charging into him a few times. After a Taker sidewalk slam, a big legdrop follows for a two count. Taker sends Booker over the top with a clothesline, but back in, a Booker missile dropkick got a two count. After some Booker rights, Booker goes over to his bag of dust in the corner. Yeah, the voodoo shit. Taker punches away, and it's time for OLD SCHOOL. After a DOWNWARD SPIRAL from the Deadman, he goes for the LAST RIDE. But, Booker gets out of it and flies into the official. So, we've got a ref bump. After he throws dirt into Taker's eye, nothing really happens, because Taker no-sold it. Taker gives Booker an avalanche, but misses a charge to the corner, leading Booker to go to work on the knee. Booker rams Taker's leg into the post before doing the same into the steps, then gives Taker a harlem sidekick, for a two count. Taker punches away, but Booker gives Taker a nice scissors kick, which also gets two. Taker sits up, big boot, CHOKESLAM, TOMBSTONE, all over at 11:27. Just like that.   Match Analysis: Wasn't the best, but still acceptable. Fits right in with the "what are they doing" aspect, because really, what's up with this voodoo stuff? While acceptable, less than pleasing. *3/4. Of course, at the Great American Bash, Taker would move on to pouring cement on Paul Bearer, and Booker moved onto the Best of 5 thing with John Cena. Was that any good? I wasn't watching then. ___________________   Finally, after a whole bunch of trash on this card, we've got John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship. Remember, JBL made Eddie's mom have a heart attack.   Blow-by-Blow: JBL's promo before the match is pretty offensive. I'm not offended, but I'm sure someone out there was. Anyway, Eddie comes right into the ring and punches away at JBL, before sending him into the steel steps. Next, Eddie rams JBL into the ringpost, and then the announce table. He chokes away with a TV cord, and after a few rights, JBL decides to leave. Eddie jumps JBL in the aisle, and assualts him, to end that thought. Back towards the ring, JBL sends Eddie into the steel steps. Ouch. In we go, and we've got a JBL big boot. An elbowdrop gets two, so JBL goes to the knees and chops. After whipping Eddie hard into the buckle, JBL takes him over with a headlock. A shoulderblock follows, and we go back to the headlock. Another shoulderblock follows, but Eddie armdrags the challenger twice, taking him out of the ring. Eddie flies out with a pescado, but JBL catches him on the way down and gives him a fallaway slam. On the floor. Eddie charges at JBL after some chops, but JBL backdrops him onto the Spanish announce table. JBL gives Eddie a neckbreaker on the inside for two, and then a reverse backdrop. You know, a backdrop where the guy lands on his stomach. Got two. To a bearhug we go, but Eddie quickly whips JBL into the buckle. Dropkick...and the THREE AMIGOS come shortly after, except there are only two of them. Instead, JBL tried a powerbomb, only to have it reversed into a move that caused the referee to get knocked out. Eddie backdrops JBL over the top rope, and tells the announcers to get out of the way. He slides JBL across the announce table, but JBL gets up and whacks Eddie in the head with a chair. Wow, we call that tapping an artery. Eddie is just GUSHING blood. JBL picks up the steel steps and hits Eddie with them, before giving him the CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL back inside the ring. Referee is still out, but another referee counts the fall...but we only saw two. Eddie drop-toe holds JBL into our new ref, so when JBL gives Eddie a big boot and powerbomb, that referee isn't there to count. But the original one is, and he counts two. To a sleeper JBL goes, as you can see Eddie wearing, literally, a crimson mask. Now that I've seen this match, this is going to be one of the lasting moments I have of Eddie. Eddie reverses the sleeper into a back suplex, and he also reverses JBL's fallaway slam into a DDT. Picking up momentum...but he misses the FROG SPLASH. Bradshaw grabs the WWE Title and a steel chair, but hands the chair to the referee. What's that about? Oh wait, he was getting the referee to put the chair back, for distraction. But, Eddie kicks him in the nuts, and hits him with the WWE Title for the disqualification at 23:12. I think I can forgive that one. After the match, Eddie just beats the shit out of JBL. Figuratively speaking. Chairshots all over the place make JBL bleed, then he hits the FROG SPLASH on his second attempt. JBL tried to leave, but Eddie jumps him and punches away at him in the aisle. INTENSE! To break things up, Arn Anderson and Dean Malenko(!) among others come out, ending the show.   Match Analysis: Wow, that was pretty good. About just as good as everyone makes it out to be. Not saying it was the best match ever or anything, but I was still pleasantly surprised. Eddie can have a good match with anyone. Had everything, that being good wrestling, blood, and viciousness. I'm still going to take a bit off of the rating, so we've got a ***3/4 match here. ___________________   Rating: Bad. I can try to convince myself that it isn't, but that would be kinda hard. We've got three, maybe four matches someone could've called a DUD. I can't ignore that. It's not like our midcard action was on fire. Honestly, I would never have ordered this card, even though I really liked Eddie Guerrero. Most of the matchups are trash. All but the last two matches could've and should've been on Smackdown.   Best Segment: Eddie/JBL post-match beatdown. Yeah.   Worst Segment: Scotty 2 Hotty/Mordecai squash. While Torrie/Dawn Marie was bad, we got BUTT. I love BUTT. ___________________   As usual, I didn't rate and take notes on the early 1980's MSG show. So the next review will just have the one from 8/22/1987, and that should be up on Saturday. I'll do No Way Out 2008: Elimination Chambers Galore after that.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Cyber Sunday 2007, from Washington D.C., 11/28/2007.

I wanted to watch this, just because of the WWE Title Match. The rest looks good on paper, but not too exciting. ___________________   What in the world is this opening video? It's funny, though, as is the entrance setup. It's funny, but absurd all the same. ___________________   The first match is Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio in a...STRETCHER MATCH. Have to push the stretcher with your opponent on it over the line, remember? The other choices were a shillelagh on a pole match, and a NO DQ match.   Blow-by-blow: This should be fun, but for some reason, this show doesn't feel like a PPV. We lock-up, and Finlay pushes Rey away. Both slap each other, and Finlay takes Rey to the canvas. Finlay knees Rey in the back, and tosses him shoulder-first into the ringpost. Finlay clotheslines Rey, and tosses him onto the stretcher, which was outside of the ring. He tossed him like a fish at that place in Seattle. Anyway, here's a lot of stretcher based stuff. Rey kicks the stretcher into Finlay, but Finlay stops that and gives him a front suplex onto the stretcher. Finlay tosses him into the apron, and begins to wheel Rey towards the line, but it's not the end. Finlay gets in the ring, and gives Rey a European uppercut. Finlay rams Rey's throat into the ring apron, but Rey comes back with a flying headscissors, and a seated dropkick. We go to the outside, where Rey kicks Finlay in the head. Both men get in the ring, and go for the shillelagh that's on that pole over there. Finlay ries to get it first, but he's not able to, as Rey dropkicks him in the nuts. Rey goes for the shillelagh , but Finlay pushes him to the canvas. Finlay goes for it, and gets powerbombed off the top by Rey. Rey grabs the shillelagh, and hits Rey in the knee with it, twice. Rey dropkicks Finlay, but gets knocked onto the stretcher. Rey gets off, and kicks Finlay in the knee, before ramming the stretcher into Finlay's nuts. Rey gives him a modified 619 at the ring apron, and gives him a somersault pescado while Finlay is on the stretcher. Cool visual. Rey tries to roll Finlay across the line, but the stretcher is caught around a TV cable. HAHAHA. That was funny. Fortunately, the improvisation is very good. Finlay rams Rey into the stretcher and charges at him, but Rey flapjacks him onto the stretcher, causing Finlay's momentum to roll the stretcher across the line, for the win at 9:45.   Match Analysis: I like the improvised finish, and I liked the match just as much. It was good, as I expected, and just as good as their match at No Mercy. Same rating, **1/2. ___________________   Matt Hardy's bleeding on the Smackdown prior to this show was nuts. And his face is MASHED. MVP's with him, and says they can't fight. That said, MVP has a tough match ahead, later.   And then, JBL campaigns to be the referee in the match later, between The Undertaker and Batista.   Last in this run of segments, we have some Diva costume crap. Good Lord. Maria's wearing a cat outfit (very nice), and Victoria's dressed as Yokozuna. Ron Simmons comes into the picture during Victoria's little thing and says, well, what else.   DAMN. ___________________   I guess that's how we lead into the match between...THE MIZ and CM Punk, for the ECW Title. The other choices to challenge Punk were Big Daddy V and John Morrison. Needless to say, I'd rather have seen Punk face the last one than the others.   Blow-by-blow: Both wrestlers lock up, until Miz takes him down. This is a LOT of chain wrestling to start, and it ain't that good. We'll go past that, to when they start doing things right. Punk gives Miz a leg lariat, and a snapmare, before kicking him in the back. Punk gives Miz a slingshot suplex (one of my favorite moves), for a 2 count. Punk knees Miz a bunch, but Miz comes back with a snapmare and a legdrop. Miz goes up top, and Punk prevents him from doing something, trying for a superplex. Punk can't do it, as Miz knocks him to the canvas. Miz gives him a snapmare for 2 (what kind of transition move for a pin is that), and rams Punk to the buckle. Then Miz gives him that running clothesline in the corner, which is the only thing he does that I like. Miz applies a neck vice, but Punk takes him to the canvas. Miz misses a charge to the corner, and Punk gives him a totally messed up springboard crossbody for 2. Wow. Miz was on his knees for some reason...after, Miz gouges Punk's eyes, and pins Punk for 2. Miz applies a chinlock, as the crowd chants "Y2J." Miz suplexes Punk and goes up top, where Punk gives him a pop-up armdrag. Punk runs into Miz, and begins to kick him in the face. Punk gives him the running knee-bulldog combination at the corner, and a springboard clothesline, for 2. Punk goes for the GO 2 SLEEP, but Miz rolls him up for 2. Punk reverses the roll-up for 2, and Miz goes for the REALITY CHECK. He can't get it, so Punk gives him a GO 2 SLEEP for the win at 8:51.   Match Analysis: This crowd is one of the worst I've ever seen, although that has little to do with the match. I'm only giving it 1/4* because the right guy went over, and I like Punk. That said, this was the worst match I've ever seen with him involved. Simply put, the Miz doesn't belong in a wrestling ring. He's AWFUL. I probably should give this a DUD, but I won't. ___________________   Mickie James is dressed like a squaw for this costume contest, and Torrie Wilson is dressed as a Washington Redskin. I can't really describe how unprofessional this whole thing looks.   Now we get some leadup featuring Randy Orton for the WWE Title match a little later...although you can see how hard they were trying to push Shawn Michaels as the fans eventual selection. Todd Grisham's with William Regal, to determine who's going to face Orton later. The two who aren't chosen will fight each other next; the choices are Mr. Kennedy, Shawn Michaels, and Jeff Hardy. And the winner is...Shawn Michaels. Yeehaw. ___________________   So, obviously, our next match is Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Kennedy.   Blow-by-blow: Why isn't this an Intercontinental Title match? They trying to make it seem useless? I also wonder how they determine the payouts to the wrestlers for this show. The two wrestlers lock-up, and Hardy takes Kennedy down to the canvas via a headlock. Kennedy grabs onto a headlock of his own, and turns the move into a hammerlock. He goes behind Hardy, but Hardy takes him down with a headlock of his own. Both wrestlers get up, still in the Hardy headlock, and Kennedy gives him a back suplex. Kennedy misses a charge to the corner, and Hardy dropkicks Kennedy out of the ring. Then Hardy follows him out with a plancha, and brings him back in for 1. Hardy takes Kennedy to the corner for a 10 punch, but Kennedy sneaks away and dumps Hardy to the outside. Kennedy hits him with a running boot as Hardy comes in, for 2. Kennedy goes to the chinlock, but gives Hardy a quick DDT for 2. Back to the chinlock we go as Kennedy has a bodyscissor applied, and then gets a clothesline for 2. He goes up to the 2nd rope, but Hardy follows him, and gives him a rana off there. They slug it out, until Hardy gives him two clotheslines. And then he takes Kennedy hard to the canvas, for 2. Jeff goes for the TWIST OF FATE, but gets pushed toward the turnbuckle, where he climbs up and gives Kennedy a WHISPER IN THE WIND, but it only gets a 2 count. Hardy gives Kennedy that weird enziguri he does, and tries to dropkick Kennedy in the corner, but Kennedy swipes his feet, causing Hardy to land on his head. That gets Kennedy the pinfall at 9:07.   Match Analysis: I suppose it was ok, it was just a typical RAW match. I've seen better, and I've seen worse. **, but it was heatless, just like everything else. ___________________   Michelle McCool's dressed as Eve, and Melina's dressed like a Las Vegas showgirl.   Mick Foley's in the back for an interview, but JBL says that nobody gives a damn about Foley. So, JBL runs a campaign video...it's mostly a SMEAR CAMPAIGN! Once that's over, seeing as Foley's standing next to two of those Fathead things (one being Batista, the other, Taker), he calls JBL a fathead. That was kinda funny. ___________________   Our next match is...KANE vs. MVP for the US Title. The other choices to face MVP were the Great Khali and Mark Henry. Needless to say, Kane was the best choice.   Blow-by-blow: MVP bails at the beginning, to take off the t-shirt he's wearing. Smart move, to waste time, anyway. They slug it out, until Kane hits him with a big boot. Kane clotheslines him twice, and gives him a side slam for 2. Kane goes up to the top rope, but MVP knocks him off, and down to the floor, where MVP quickly brings him in. He kicks Kane, and gets a two count, as he begins to go to work on Kane's midsection. He pounds on him, and gives Kane a running big boot, for 2. MVP applies a seated abdominal stretch, and kicks away at Kane's ribs when the hold has to be released. Kane finally takes over, and begins to do the same things MVP was doing. He goes with some knees to the gut, and a backbreaker. He applies an abdominal stretch, and then picks him up and rams him into the turnbuckle. Kane places MVP along the top rope, and kicks him in the gut. That was cool. Kane rams the ribs of MVP into the ringpost and...MVP stays out of the ring for a 10 count, giving Kane the countout victory at 6:39.   Match Analysis: This was headed in the right direction, that being the "this is a hell of a match" direction. And then we had that finish, washing all that goodwill down the toilet. DUD on principle. ___________________   Before anything else, here's a Chris Jericho re-debut spot.   And now, Layla talks about the costume contest, while dressed as a cop. And Kelly Kelly's supposed to be a pimp. Let's not even talk about how gigantic her tits look.   Randy Orton's in the back, and we see video of what he did to HBK at Judgment Day. And now, everyone will have to live with the decision they made, seemingly because he's going to do the same tonight. ___________________   So, our next match is what I've been waiting for, Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.   Blow-by-blow: Both men lock-up, and separate, before Orton gives Shawn a nice knee to the gut. He works Shawn over, until Shawn does the same. Orton ducks out of the ring on a faux SWEET CHIN MUSIC attempt, and Shawn follows him with that somersault pescado he's been doing lately. We go back in, where Shawn chops away, until Orton gives him a droptoehold. Orton grabs onto a front facelock, but Shawn reverses it into a hammerlock and tosses Orton shoulder-first into the ringpost. Shawn takes him down with a wristlock, and goes to work on the left arm. Then Shawn gives Orton a hammerlock slam, and applies a kelock. Orton gets up and stomps on Shawn's face, but misses a charge to the corner. Shawn applies a hammerlock, and gives Orton a back suplex at the same time. Shawn tosses Orton over the top and follows him to the outside, but Orton gives him a back suplex onto the retaining wall. Ouch. Orton brings Shawn in, and begins to stomp on his arm and knee. He gives Shawn a dropkick for 2, and goes to the chinlock. When Shawn powers out, Orton misses a dropkick, so Shawn gives him a jackknife pin, for 2. Orton goes for a back suplex, but Shawn reverses and lands on top of Orton for a 2 count. Orton gives Shawn the inverted backbreaker (that's what they call Mike Sanders' 3.0, so I'll call it that now too), and it gets a 2 count. Orton places Shawn on the top turnbuckle and follows him up, but Shawn pushes him down and goes for a flying elbowdrop. It misses, and Orton's ready to give Shawn an RKO. Shawn catches Orton and gives him a backslide for 2, as the crowd finally is into something tonight. Shawn gives Orton the flying forearm, and kips up, as usual. An inverted atomic drop follows, and a scoop slam. Shawn goes up to the top, and gives Orton a flying elbowdrop. Now Shawn TUNES UP THE BAND, but Orton forearms him right in the nuts in mid-move, getting himself disqualified at 15:52. Oh boy. Orton's going to kick Shawn in the head after the match, but Shawn quickly gets up and gives him SWEET CHIN MUSIC.   Match Analysis: Does the WWE understand that people PAID to watch this shit? This is a damn PPV, not an episode of Monday Night Raw. I suppose this was the only way to book themselves out of a title change, but really now. This match was fantastic, but I don't like the ending at all. ***1/4. ___________________   Brooke is in the back, dressed as Jane from Tarzan. And Jillian is dressed as Britney Spears. So, JR says this might be the worst costume contest he's ever seen. He said it's terrible. Good on him. ___________________   Our next match is Triple H vs. UMAGA in a...STREET FIGHT. The other match selections were a cage match and a first blood match. So, why didn't anyone pick cage match?   Blow-by-blow: I like that Umaga squashed a jobber in all these match selections on RAW before this show. HHH meets him in the aisle during his entrance, and they brawl. Umaga headbutts HHH, and tosses him into the keyboard that's on the set. On the walkway, to be precise. And no, it isn't a real keyboard. HHH goes for the PEDIGREE, but Umaga prevents it, and they brawl behind the stage. HHH charges at Umaga, knocking both men through the stage, in a cool visual. HHH rams him into the guardrail, and they fight in the crow. Umaga charges at HHH near ringside, but flies over the guardrail, putting him near the ring. Both men get in the ring, and Umaga misses a charge to the corner, giving HHH time to grab a trash can from under the ring. Umaga gets hit with it for a 2 count, but he comes back with a samoan drop. He gives HHH multiple headbutts, and a big splash, for 2. On the outside, Umaga rams HHH into the steel steps and brings him back in, giving him a legdrop for 2. They slug it out, but Umaga gives HHH a bearhug, and then, a belly-to-belly suplex. Umaga then gives HHH the running ass to face at the corner, for 2. Umaga chases the referee out of the ring and grabs a chair, but HHH gives him a lowblow, and a DDT on the chair for 2. HHH gives Umaga the knee-to-facebuster, but gets rammed into the turnbuckle, where Umaga misses a charge. Even still, Umaga's in control, and gives HHH a catatonic. On the outside we go, where Umaga peels all the stuff off each announce table. Uh-oh. Umaga grabs a chair and swings it at HHH, but hits the ringpost. HHH rams him into the table, and Umaga does the same. Umaga places HHH on the ECW announce table, and goes over to the Smackdown announce table. And then, he runs all the way over to HHH, and splashes him through the ECW announce table. That was nice. Umaga acts all crazy after throwing HHH in the ring and goes to the top, where he misses a diving headbutt. HHH gets the SLEDGEHAMMER, but misses, as Umaga hits him in the gut. Umaga goes for the SAMOAN SPIKE, but HHH hits him with the SLEDGEHAMMER after he misses, and gives Umaga a PEDIGREE for the 3 count at 17:23.   Match Analysis: This was pedestrian street fight fare, except for the splash spot on the tables. That part was great. This was just average. We know how I rate average. **1/2. That might be an unpopular opinion. Even during all that, nobody bled. ___________________   So, Mickie James won the costume contest. Whoop-de-doo.   Now we get the hype for Batista/Taker...and the announcement of the special guest referee. JBL says that it's time for someone with talent to grab a mic, and now, announce him as the referee. Mick Foley comes to the ring...to silence. And we find out that STONE COLD STONE COLD STONE COLD is our referee. JBL beats up Foley, until Austin comes out, and gives Foley a STUNNER. JBL begins to beat up Austin, until Austin gives him a STUNNER. And now, for the match... ___________________   The match is Undertaker vs. Batista with Steve Austin as the special guest referee, for the World Heavyweight Title. I really, really expect good things from this, given the way everyone talks about their matches.   Blow-by-blow: The crowd loves Batista, so we finally hear some noice. Batista misses a charge at Taker, and is given a boot to the head. Both men lock-up, and Batista gives Taker a headlock, before Taker gives him a big boot for 1. Taker rams him into the buckle, but Batista reverses and begins to shouldercharge into Taker at the corner. Taker gives Batista a back elbow, and tries to apply a triangle choke. He doesn't, though, but instead clubs away at Batista's back for 2. Jerry Lawler's on commentary with Michael Cole, presumably to sell the beating JBL received from Austin. Taker wraps Batista's arm around the top rope, but misses his charge at it. Batista knocks him out of the ring and rams him into the steel steps, and then the ring apron. Back in, and Taker gives Batista a clothesline for 2. He goes for OLD SCHOOL, but is unable to complete the move. Taker misses a charge at Batista, and lies out of the ring, where Batista rams him into the steps again. Once they come back in, Batista jumps on Taker's back, until he gets thrown out of the ring. Taker places Batista's neck along the ring apron, and gives him a legdrop. The cover only gets 2, so Taker gives him 2 clotheslines. When Taker gives Batista SNAKE EYES, Batista counters with a clothesline on Taker's big boot attempt. That gets 2, and Batista goes for the BATISTA BOMB. Taker takes him to the corner, but Batista whips him to the other side, where he misses a charge. Taker goes for OLD SCHOOL, but Batista catches him on the way down with a spinebuster for a 2 count. Taker applies a triangle choke, but Batista positions Taker so that his shoulders are down, forcing a 2 count that causes Taker to break the hold. Taker goes for the CHOKESLAM once, but gets elbowed away. He tries for it AGAIN, and gets the move. Taker goes for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but Batista spears him after countering, for 2. Batista goes for the BATISTA BOMB, but gets backdropped out of it. Batista droptoehold's Taker into the buckle, and goes up for the 10 punch. I know what's going to happen here. LAST RIDE by Taker, but it only gets a 2 count. Taker goes for a TOMBSTONE, but gets spinebustered by Batista for 2. Batista gives him the BATISTA BOMB for 2, and ANOTHER gets the 3 count, at 17:25. So, Batista retains his title.   Match Analysis: Hell, I didn't expect the match to be THAT good. But it was. ***1/2, for the Match of the Night. That was really fun, and had I not already known who would win, well, who would know, given the way that match went. And that's the end of the show. ___________________   Rating: Decent. That wasn't a very easy call to make, given two complete non-finishes in seemingly important matches, one botched finish (even though I liked it) and a terrible costume contest. If I ever watch this show again, I'll only watch the end.   Best Segment: Taker/Batista. I think Orton/HBK would have been the better match with a finish, though.   Worst Segment: Costume Contest. Self explanatory.   Loudest Sound: Basically, I'm just going to list the people that got a modicum of crowd reaction. HHH, Batista, Undertaker, Shawn, and Randy Orton.   No Sound: Everyone else. Basically this was the worst crowd I've ever seen, and the WWE shouldn't go back to DC for a PPV anytime soon. ___________________   My next up will have thoughts from the MSG show that's on 24/7, and Smackdown from last night. Should be up on Monday.
Guest

Guest

9
LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Bad Blood 2003 (RAW), from Houston, Texas; 6/15/2003.

This is the first brand-exclusive PPV, as I'm sure you all are aware of. ___________________   Anyway, the first match is Christopher Nowinski and Rodney Mack w/Theodore Long vs. The Dudley BoyZ. Emphasis on the Z. Nowinski’s wearing a metal face protector, because of his nasal problems.   Blow-by-Blow: You see, on Sunday Night Heat, the guys facing the Dudley's insisted that Bubba Ray is possibly a racist. Or that's what I got from it, because, you know, Bubba's always ordering D-Von to get the tables. Why can't he do it himself? Anyway, Mack and D-Von start the match, and Mack misses a charge to the corner, so D-Von clotheslines him. It only gets a 2 count, so Mack gives D-Von a jawbreaker and tags out. Nowinski is given a drop-toe hold by D-Von, which allows Bubba to come in and gives Nowinski a shoulderblock. You have no idea how hard it is to not type Nowitzki in place of Nowinski. Moving forward, Rodney Mack gives Bubba a clothesline, but Bubba responds by crushing both he and Nowinski in the corner. Both Mack and Nowinski get tossed out of the ring, but Bubba brings Nowinski right back in, the hard way. A Bubba splash gets D-Von a 2 count, but D-Von misses a charge to the buckle. Mack then rams D-Von nut-first into the post, before tagging in and giving him an elbowdrop for 2. Mack gives D-Von a spinebuster, but it only gets 2, as does a Nowinski splash after the tag. To the 2nd rope he goes, but he misses an elbowdrop, which allows Bubba to tag in. Clothesline, backdrop, sidewalk slam for a 2 count. Nowinski misses a charge to the corner, so Bubba gives him a crossbody(?) for a 2 count. Here comes the WAZZUP headbutt, after D-Von and Mack fought for a bit on the outside. GET THE TABLES, but D-Von’s having second thoughts. Why can’t Bubba do it? Anyway, Mack clotheslines D-Von over the top, and Nowinski hits Bubba with the METAL MASK for the three count at 7:07. Match Analysis: That was kind of a surprise. Not in a good way, though. Never could stand Rodney Mack...he was almost instant turn off the television type material. We’ll give this one my favorite rating, which is *1/2. ___________________   The Redneck Triathlon between Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff is right now...good God. The first event is a BURPING CONTEST. The last burp, if not all of them, was/were obviously fake. Austin wins. Whoop-de-doo! ___________________   Test and Scott Steiner are now going to face each other for Stacy Keibler’s managerial services.   Blow-by-Blow: Could there be a worse matchup? Is this the type of thing which makes you glad to have brand exclusive PPV’s? Steiner tries to leap off the apron onto Test...and falls on his face. I busted up, even though I’ve seen it much more than once. Back in the ring, Steiner gives Test a clothesline and an elbowdrop, before doing some pushups...which causes Test to bail to the outside. He uses Stacy as a human shield, then whips Steiner into the steps after a bit. Back inside, Test gives Steiner a slam, and does some pushups of his own. After a Test sleeper, Steiner misses a charge to the corner, allowing Test to make the trip up top. Steiner catches Test on the way down, and gives him a belly-to-belly suplex. After a few clotheslines and a powerslam, Steiner goes for a 10 punch. Test quickly regains control after that, with a full nelson slam for 2. No pumphandle slam though, so Steiner gives Test a reverse DDT for 2. Test then pushes Steiner into the buckle, and finally gives him the pumphandle slam, but it only gets 2. Test now grabs Stacy, but she slaps him. Steiner charges at Test, but Test avoids it and gives him a big boot for 2. Test has a chair, but Stacy tries to take it away. He pushes her to the ground, hits the top rope so that the chair hits him in the face, and a Steiner downward spiral gets the pinfall win at 6:34. Match Analysis: The less said, the better. Although I’ll admit, it was still better than I thought it would be. 1/2*. ___________________   Bischoff and Austin are in the back, preparing for their pie eating contest. Well, lookie here, Bischoff has some nice poontang pie. Well, Bischoff wants to go first. Austin says sure, but he gets to pick which one Bischoff, well, eats. ___________________ Now, we move forward to Booker T vs. Christian for the Intercontinental Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: They lock up to start, and after a Christian armdrag, Booker gives him a shoulderblock. After a hiptoss, Booker gives Christian a bodyslam and takes him down with a headlock. Booker backdrops Christian for a one count, and gives him a spinebuster for 2. Christian rams Booker into the steel steps after a few punches, then goes to a chinlock...which thankfully doesn't last long at all. Booker misses a charge to the corner, but he gives Christian a flapjack anyway. After a flying forearm, Booker gives Christian a sidewalk slam for a 2 count. A side kick gets 2, and after a hotshot, a reverse DDT gets the same. Christian misses a charge to the corner, but he still is able to pin Booker with his hand on the ropes for a 2 count. Christian gives Booker a uranage for a 2 count, but Booker quickly responds with a small package for 2. Christian tosses Booker onto the apron, but Booker responds with the SCISSOR KICK, and a missile dropkick for a 2 count. Booker does a SPINAROONIE after another side kick, which gives Christian to bail out, and head to the back. AHHH. Well, the referee says that Christian better get his ass back to the ring or he'll lose his belt. Once, just ONCE, I want someone to keep walking and give up their title. It would be the ultimate in chicken-shit moves. Booker chases Christian back into the ring after he bailed out again, so Christian hits him with his title belt to get disqualified at 7:52. Match Analysis: I know WWE was on this town killing kick back in 2003, but seriously, WHAT THE FUCK are you doing here? I swear, WWE was intentionally trying to draw people away from their product. People paid good money to watch this shit, this isn't an episode of Monday Night Raw. Or is it. Match was **, but the booking is as fucking stupid as it gets. ___________________   Kevin Nash is warming up in the back...   Now, Jerry Lawler introduces part two of the Redneck Triathlon, which is the pie eating contest. Of course, Bischoff is supposed to go first. Austin makes a few jokes about mature women, before calling out Bischoff's slice of pie...Mae Young. Oh no. Well, she takes off her skirt, revealing a thong. UGH. She gives Bischoff a broncobuster...and now, it's Austin's turn. He says no thanks, and gives her a STUNNER. It's now 1 to 1.   Gail Kim hype video... ___________________   Next match is La Resistance vs. Rob Van Dam and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles.   Blow-by-Blow: First though, La Resistance talked with Jonathan Coachman. Yeah yeah yeah. Rene Dupree and RVD start, and they start by, you know, squaring off. Dupree does that stupid dance of his, so RVD rolls him up for 2. A spinning heel kick follows, and then a springboard crossbody, which gets a 2 count. RVD cradles Dupree for 2, but Sylvan Grenier quickly comes in and allows Dupree to gain control with a DDT for 2. Dupree goes to the chinlock, but RVD replies with an enziguri so he can tag in Kane. Kane gives Grenier a big boot, and tosses Dupree over the top rope. He gives Grenier a sidewalk slam for 2, then goes up to the top, and comes down with a big clothesline for 2. La Resistance gain control as best they can, with a double neckbreaker, but Kane comes right back and clotheslines both of them. A flying kick from RVD lands on Dupree, so RVD backdrops Dupree over the top. RVD flies out with a TOPE CON HILO, but he connects with Kane just as much as he does with his opponents. They bring him back in, double chokeslam, pinfall victory and new champs at 5:47.   Match Analysis: This really is an episode of RAW, isn't it. Fuck. What a waste of my time that match was. *. I still cannot think of any positives (in regards to the fanbase) of these brand exclusive PPV's. I just cannot. While it's good that some guys get a PPV payday, there is little, if any benefit for those paying their hard earned money to watch this. ___________________   Hype video for Goldberg vs. Chris Jericho...and we go to the match.   Blow-by-Blow: I don't want to get started on Goldberg's WWE run, so we'll start the match off with Goldberg tackling Jericho, knocking Jericho out of the ring. Goldberg brings Jericho in and slams him to the canvas, twice. He misses a charge though, but still gives Jericho a press slam. A press slam in which Goldberg drops Jericho nuts-first onto the top rope, that is. Then Goldberg drops Jericho onto the retaining barrier at ringside, but he misses a SPEAR, and goes through it. Ouch. Jericho now rams Goldberg's shoulder into the ringpost, and now, Goldberg's bleeding. Barely. Jericho gives Goldberg a missile dropkick for 2, then he wrenches Goldberg's arm in the bottom rope. Goldberg replies with a shoulderblock, but Jericho gives him a single-arm DDT and goes to the armbar. Goldberg kicks Jericho in the mush, and gives him an inverted atomic drop. Jericho quickly conters with a DDT for 2, and after Goldberg misses a charge to the corner, Jericho gives Goldberg a dropkick. That's followed up with a facebuster, and a LIONSAULT, but Jericho only gets a 2 count. Here's another Jericho facebuster, but Goldberg slams him instead of being given another LIONSAULT. SPEAR, no to the JACKHAMMER, because Jericho gives Goldberg a low blow. WALLS OF JERICHO, but Goldberg kicks off Jericho and runs to the corner. SPEAR, JACKHAMMER, Goldberg wins by pinfall at 10:59.   Match Analysis: This was pretty good, thanks to Jericho. Not to say that Goldberg didn't do his share of the work, it's just that Jericho has/had the ability to make almost any match a watchable one, at the least. Easily the best match on the show thus far, and we'll slap a *** rating on it. ___________________   The third spin of the Redneck Triathlon wheel leaves us with....a sing-off! Bischoff is happy because he KNOWS that Austin can't sing. ___________________   Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair is up next...   Blow-by-Blow: See, Flair attacked Shawn Michaels in a tag match after they agreed to face each other, so this thing isn't about respect anymore. They lock-up at the start, then break and Flair struts. Shawn applies a hammerlock, and takes Flair down to the canvas, before walking over him just like I walk on the carpet that's currently below my feet. He then slaps Flair, which causes Flair to take Shawn down to the mat. After Shawn gets to the ropes, he gives Flair a drop-toe hold, and a clothesline that sends Flair over the top and to the floor. Shawn follows Flair out with a pescado, then brings Flair back in for a shoulderblock. Flair chops away, but Shawn goes for a 10 punch in the corner. After that 10 punch, Flair comes out of the corner with a chopblock, and goes to work on the leg. He kneedrops Shawn's left leg, and applies the FIGURE-FOUR, to many cheers. Shawn breaks the hold, and comes back with an enziguri and a backdrop. Shawn misses a charge to the corner, so Flair goes up top...only to be slammed down to the canvas. Flair blocks SWEET CHIN MUSIC, but Shawn responds with a small package for 2. Shawn now goes to the FIGURE-FOUR, but Flair thumbs him in the eye, and tries a back suplex. No to that, and we've got a ref bump. Shawn sends Flair into the corner and upside down, so when Flair runs onto the top rope, Shawn clotheslines him on the way down. Shawn gives Flair a superplex, before looking under the ring for a table, which he finds. It's set up on the outside, but Flair's now up, and tries to suplex Shawn out of the ring. That won't happen, so Shawn rams Flair into the steel steps and places Flair on the table. Randy Orton tries to run through the crowd and attack Shawn, but HBK gives him SWEET CHIN MUSIC. Shawn goes to the top, and SPLASHES Flair THROUGH THE TABLE. Good. The back of Flair's head is bleeding as both wrestlers climb into the ring, and at the corner, Flair gives both HBK and the referee a low blow. Shawn goes into the regular offense, which starts with a flying forearm and a kip-up. After a bodyslam, Shawn goes to the top, and drops the elbow on Flair. TUNE UP THE BAND, SWEET CHIN MUSIC...but Randy Orton hits Shawn with a chair, and Flair covers Michaels for 3 at 14:19.   Match Analysis: Average match, but the table spot bumps the match up a bit. Somewhat less that what I expected, unfortunately. **3/4. Clearly, it's nice to see Flair getting a victory over a big name during his WWE run, as that was not exactly commonplace, especially in 2003. ___________________   Eric Bischoff is down for part 3 of the Redneck Triathlon...he's going to sing his theme music! Ha, he's not singing! He's lipping it. Austin notices that, and tells him to actually begin singing. Bischoff does, and it sucks. Austin says, well, we're going to re-spin the wheel, as a compromise. It 'lands' on Pig Pen Fun. The winner of this is the one who tosses the other into the pig pen. Austin gives Bischoff a STUNNER, takes him to the stage, and tosses him into the pig pen, to win the Redneck Triathlon. -***** for the entire thing. I don't know, why couldn't they do this on RAW? What makes this worth paying for, anyway? ___________________   Kevin Nash vs. HHH is your Hell in a Cell main event for the World Heavyweight Title, and Mick Foley is your special guest referee.   Blow-by-Blow: None of the referees wanted to officiate this, explaining Foley's appearance. Anyhow, we start, as HHH attacks Nash in the ring. Nash tosses HHH out, but in we go quickly, where they trade punches. Nash pushes HHH into Foley, and then he lines up HHH in the corner for his elbows and knees combo. Nash gives HHH a back elbow and clotheslines him over the top, before ramming him into the post on the outside. He tosses HHH into the cell, and slams him on the floor, before bringing him into the ring. A sidewalk slam from Nash gets 2, and so does two elbowdrops. Nash hits HHH in the mid-section with a chair, and then in the back. Outside now, and Nash picks HHH up so he can ram him into the cell. Then the steps, and HHH tries to run away...only for Nash to toss the steps at him. But they miss, and HHH rams Nash into the other set of steel steps. On the inside now, Nash tries the JACKKNIFE, but HHH takes him to the canvas, before going out to look for more weapons. HHH finds a tool box, and he pulls the lid off, to hit Nash with. Instead, he grabs a hammer out of the box, and hits Nash in the knee with it. Then in the head, and Nash is busted open. Foley pushes HHH down as they argue, and when HHH gets up, he grinds Nash's face into the cell. HHH now has a screwdriver after a bit more of that, and he stabs Nash in the face with it. Awesome. Now HHH grabs a BARBED WIRE 2x4, with which he hits Nash in the gut. Nash then takes the 2x4, and clobbers HHH in the head with it, making him bleed. Nash sets the 2x4 up at the buckle, and after two clotheslines, Nash snake eyes HHH onto the 2x4. The cover only gets 2, so Nash is about to turn to DRASTIC MEASURES. Drastic meaning, bringing in the steel steps from the outside. HHH hits Nash with a wooden box, and he's got the SLEDGEHAMMER! Foley takes it away, so HHH hits him. Nash drop-toe-holds HHH into the steel steps, but that only gets a 2 count. HHH kicks Nash in the knee, so he can hit both Foley and Nash in the head with a steel chair. Foley's bleeding like mad, but he's got Mr. Socko, which finds its way into the mouth of HHH. HHH kicks Foley in the nuts, and Nash hits Foley with the steps on accident, so he's out of commission. HHH knocks Foley off the apron and into the cell, on accident...and tries to give Nash the PEDIGREE. Nash slingshots HHH into the buckle where the 2x4 is currently sitting, but the JACKKNIFE and pinfall only get a TWO count. HHH crawls his way to the corner, and grabs the SLEDGEHAMMER, which he uses to knock Nash woozy for a bit. PEDIGREE, pinfall victory for HHH at 21:03. End show.   Match Analysis: It was actually quite good, but the finish really lacked gusto. They could've fought over the SLEDGEHAMMER, but HHH crawling over and using it without any resistance from Nash was pretty lame, to say the least. ***1/4, with a quarter knocked off for the finish. I take my ratings seriously. Honestly though, this was pretty good, and it adds another name to this question...   ___________________   Rating: Bad. Not exactly how you'd like to start the brand exclusive PPV formula. Not even two *** matches can save this one from being called bad, the first half of the show was just a pile of trash. And on the "would I be pissed if I paid for it" scale, it's about an 8, in the negative section. Plus, the Booker T vs. Christian finish is icing on the cake.   Best Segment: Triple H vs. Kevin Nash. I suppose it's a good thing that so many matches have been rated equally recently, because then I don't have to choose what's the best.   Worst Segment: Redneck Triathlon. Never.Repeat.Again. ___________________   Next, I'll review the house shows that were aired on 24/7 this month. Arrivederci!  
Guest

Guest

1
LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Armageddon 2007, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 12/16/2007.

Who knows how long it'll take to get this up...I'll update when I'm done. Ok, I watched this on Saturday. Wasn't able to finish until Friday. Not very good. ___________________   Of course there's an opening video, but who really cares about that stuff? From now on, if there isn't anything notable in the opening video, I'm not mentioning it. Anyway, the opener is Rey Mysterio vs. MVP for the United States Championship.   Blow-by-blow: Rey's wearing this, um, thing over his head during the introductions...one side looks somewhat like the mask of LA PARKA, and the other half is yellow and ugly. MVP takes Rey down to the canvas at the beginning, but Rey kicks away at MVP, allowing himself to regain his footing. Rey gives MVP a flying headscissors, and pins him with a la magistral, unfortunately only getting a 1 count. Rey armdrags MVP to the outside, then gets ready to dive onto MVP...BUT, the referee gets in the way. We're not allowing that in these parts, not tonight, anyway. After his spiel, Rey just does it anyway. DISOBEYING THE OFFICIALS. Inside the ring, Rey charges into MVP, and MVP launches him into the turnbuckle pad. Ouch? MVP covers Rey for a 2 count, before going to a neck vice. After a drop-toe hold we go right back to the neck vice, which is then powered out of, only for MVP to give Rey a knee-to-face variation. MVP now applies an armbar, then covers Rey for 2. I don't really understand how that's supposed to "make sense." MVP puts Rey on his shoulders, presumably for a fireman's carry, but Rey lands on his feet during the move, and gives MVP a hurricanrana. Rey then gives MVP a springboard hurricanrana for a 2 count, and the crowd, well, they hoped it was over. But it wasn't. Rey goes for a springboard seated senton onto MVP, but he botches it, and both men tumble to the canvas. I laughed. To give this match a boost, Rey jumps backwards (landing back first) onto the top rope and moonsaults onto MVP, for a 2 count. Well, that was different. Both MVP and Rey go up to the top and they fight, with Rey getting the better, as he gives MVP a hurricanrana from up there for 2. MVP gives Rey a big boot for 2, and Rey counters an attempted hold into a reverse DDT, for a 2 count. Rey misses a 619 attempt, as MVP ducks out of the ring. On the outside, Rey gives MVP a hurricanrana, but as the referee is making his count, MVP decides that he's done, getting counted out at 11:28. After the match, Rey gives MVP a 619. Yay(!) and all that. Match Analysis: Standard fare. BUT, do I think these two could do a lot better? Hell yes, they could. **1/2 for a match which was slightly disappointing. ___________________   We flashback to Jeff Hardy and Triple H's victory over the opposing team at Survivor Series, and then, Grisham interviews Jeff Hardy. I WILL NOT QUIT, and that sort of thing. ___________________ Kane and CM Punk (ECW Champion) are now taking on Big Daddy V and Mark Henry w/Matt Striker in a tag team match...   Blow-by-blow: Well, this sucks. To set this match up, Punk was attacked on ECW by his opponents. Henry tosses Punk to the canvas, but Punk gives Henry a few knees and tags in Kane. Kane dropkicks Henry in the knee, before tagging in Punk, who gives Henry a dropkick. Henry responds with a clothesline, and then tags in Big Daddy V, who goes to work on Punk. Matt Striker kicks Punk in the back, which allows Big Daddy V to give him a gorilla press slam. Henry misses a charge to the corner, which allows Kane to tag in and give Henry a clothesline from the top rope. Viscera tags in and gives Kane a powerbomb for a 2 count, followed up by a big splash. Henry tags in to give Kane a bearhug, then tags Viscera in, for a clothesline. Henry comes right back in, but Kane gives Henry a DDT, allowing Kane to tag in Punk. He gives Viscera an enziguri, but after kicking Striker, Viscera gives Punk a samoan drop for the finish at 10:40.   Match Analysis: That was poop. 1/2*. ___________________   Vickie Guerrero is in the back, with Edge. I try my best to just ignore those segments... ___________________   Mr. Kennedy vs. Shawn Michaels is next up...   Blow-by-blow: This should be fun. To start, both wrestlers slug it out. Typical. Kennedy slams Shawn and gives him an elbowdrop, before a backbreaker for 2. They went quick into that. Kennedy sends Shawn into the corner and upside down, but Shawn comes right back with a suplex. A single-arm DDT follows and so does a fujiwara armbar, in favor of Shawn. A cover gets two, so Kennedy knocks HBK to the outside. Smart move. Shawn rams Kennedy into the guardrail, and when Kennedy places his hand on the steel steps, Shawn steps on it. Nice touch, which will add to the match. I really dig it. We get more handwork of the knucklelock variety, until Shawn pins Kennedy for 1. Gee. Kennedy rams Shawn's back into the post when both are standing on the apron, and after coming inside, Kennedy kicks Shawn right in the face for a 2 count. Kennedy goes to the backbreaker submission hold, then puts Shawn down and elbowdrops him for 2. Kennedy goes up to the 2nd rope for a move, obviously, and when Shawn puts his foot up to counter, Kennedy grabs it and gives him an elbowdrop. That was, um, weird looking. To the chinlock we go, until Shawn backdrops Kennedy over the top. In Kennedy comes, and there goes Shawn's flying forearm. Kip-up, inverted atomic drop x2, slam, flying elbow off the top. Yeah, it's usually the same. TUNE UP THE BAND, but Kennedy counters and rolls Shawn up for 2. Shawn counters a fireman's carry pickup with a roll-up of his own for 2, and then Kennedy slingshots him into the ringpost. Ouch. Kennedy gives Shawn a rolling fireman's carry slam, and unsurprisingly, it only gets a 2 count. Kennedy tries for the MIC CHECK (WTF), but it's blocked. Kennedy punches Shawn with his hurt left hand after his right handed punch is blocked, SWEET CHIN MUSIC, Shawn wins by pinfall at 15:16. Hell yes to that finish. Match Analysis: This was the standard HBK PPV match. BUT, the standard HBK PPV match is ***. Add in that finish, and you've got ***1/4. Do I get tired of the formula...oh, not really. It is formula, but the formula is very good. ___________________   Todd Grisham interviews Randy Orton, who says the same stuff Jeff Hardy did, but in a different way. Wow, talk about good writing. ___________________ Jeff Hardy (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Triple H is our for a title shot at the Royal Rumble match...   Blow-by-blow: They shake hands at the start, you know, because they respect each other. HHH pushes Hardy away though, and gives him a shoulderblock. Then HHH gives him a clothesline, but he misses a charge to the corner and gets dropkicked. Jeff misses a baseball slide as HHH is outside the ring, but he's able to ram HHH into the retaining barrier anyway. Jeff falls off when he tries to walk on the top of that wall, and HHH gives him a clothesline. Back in, and HHH slaps Jeff. HHH wants Jeff to fight him. Well. HHH misses a few punches, so Jeff gives him an inverted atomic drop, and the AAHHHH legdrop to the nuts. A dropkick follows for 2, and then, Jeff slaps HHH. HHH smiles and tosses Hardy out of the ring, so he can ram him into the steel steps, and the ring apron. HHH gives Jeff a few elbowdrops inside the ring, and then he pushes Jeff off the top rope and down to the floor. HHH elbows Jeff for a 2 count, and then gives him an abdominal stretch. A suplex is not allowed, so Jeff gives HHH an enziguri. HHH gives Jeff a clothesline for 2...then we go to sleep. Sleep. After that hold, Jeff gives HHH a missile dropkick. After 2 clotheslines Jeff goes up and punches HHH 10 times, but he misses a seated dropkick, allowing HHH to get...a 2 count. Jeff clotheslines HHH over the top rope, and follows him to the floor with a pescado. You know, WWE has trained their crowd so that whenever someone does that, there's a good-sized pop. One of the positives of the "WWE Style," I believe. Jeff gives HHH a crossbody off the top for a 2 count, then follows it up with a WHISPER IN THE WIND, which also gets a 2 count. Jeff now goes for the TWIST OF FATE, but HHH counters with a DDT for a 2 count. HHH gives Jeff a samoan drop when Jeff tried for a crucifix, which gets a 2 count. What also gets a 2 count is when Jeff rolls HHH over, in a strange counter. HHH misses a charge to the corner, which finally allows Jeff to hit that seated dropkick of his. Jeff misses the SWANTON BOMB, so HHH pins him for 2. Finsher reversals galore, and it ends when HHH gives Jeff a spinebuster. HHH tries for the PEDIGREE, but Jeff counters and gives him a jackknife pin for the 3 count at 15:23. You know what, that pop wasn't nearly as big as people made it sound. Match Analysis: I don't think it was as good as the last match, and the big crowd reactions for Jeff didn't really pick up until after this show. I'll give it ***. ___________________ The Great Khali is facing Finlay, but first, Khali cuts a promo. But I don't really care.   Blow-by-blow: Khali pushes Finlay down at the start of the match, and goes through the typical big man offense. Punch, kick, choke, that is. On the outside, Khali rams Finlay into the apron, but Khali hits the ringpost on accident. To the nervehold we go, and then, Khali gives Finlay a horrendous spinning heel kick. Back to the neverhold, and then the HEAD CRUSH, but Hornswoggle distracts Khali. Khali hits Hornswoggle and slams Finlay, before taking a turnbuckle pad off. Honestly, my intelligence is being sapped as I type this. Finlay has a shillelagh, the referee takes it away, Hornswoggle gives Khali a lowblow, Hornswoggle gives Finlay another shillelagh, and he hits Khali with it in order to get the pinfall at 6:04. Whew. That was sorta tough to explain. Match Analysis: Sucked. Avoid at all costs. DUD. ___________________   Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton is for the WWE Championship.   Blow-by-blow: Video first, and yeah, I don't think anyone buys that Jericho's going to win the belt. At least not yet. Jericho gives Orton an armdrag to start, and when Orton responds with a few punches, he also misses a charge to the corner. Jericho gives him another armdrag, and drops him along the top rope. Ouch. Jericho kicks away and applies an armbar, before giving him a spinning heel kick which sends Orton to the outside. Jericho flies out onto Orton with a PLANCHA, which is something he hasn't done in a while. Obviously because he hasn't wrestled in a while. Like, duh. Orton tries for the elevated DDT, but Jericho counters and goes for the WALLS OF JERICHO, which is also countered and turned into an Orton DDT. The cover gets 2, as does a cover after an Orton dropkick. A great looking dropkick, I should add. Before the dropkick, there was a chinlock that I didn't mention. Well, I didn't mention it because Orton went right back to it. Enough is enough, and as soon as I say it, the chinlock is done. Both collide, and after both get up, Jericho clotheslines Orton for 2. Jericho gives Orton a missile dropkick for 2, and in response, Orton gives Jericho a powerslam, which also gets 2. Jericho gives Orton a backslide for 2, but Orton rams Jericho's shoulder into the ringpost. Orton gives Jericho a superplex...for 2. Orton misses a dropkick, and as Jericho attempts to give him the WALLS OF JERICHO, Orton gives him a small package for 2. Jericho gives Orton an enziguri and a facebuster, but the LIONSAULT attempt misses. Orton gives Jericho the 3.0 backbreaker and primes himself for the RKO, but he can't get it, and Jericho gives him the LIONSAULT, for 2. The crowd is now in it, for Jericho to win it. Ok, that was a rotten attempt at humor. Orton sends Jericho to the outside, and after a bit of fighting, Jericho accidentally charges into JBL, who's sitting at the Smackdown announce table (you see, I know what happens, but I'd have put this down even if I didn't. It's notable.). Anyway, Jericho pushes JBL out of the way, and gives Orton a flying forearm off the top rope, as both wrestlers are back inside the ring. Jericho tries for the CODEBREAKER, but Orton rams him into the buckle. Orton tries to kick Jericho's head off, but Jericho counters and puts him in the WALLS OF JERICHO. The hold lasts for a long time and the crowd's going apeshit cause they think there's gonna be a new champ, but no, JBL runs in and kicks Jericho in the head, getting Orton disqualified at 15:04. Well I'll be damned. After the match, Orton gives Jericho an RKO. You know, because Jericho ain't on his level. Match Analysis: I thought this was better than any other match on the card, for at least one notable reason. Doubt of the outcome. All too often crowds don't pop for the nearfall, so this was definitely welcome. Pretty easy ***1/2 for me. The chinlock that Orton ALWAYS goes to nearly kills the momentum of every single match. Unfortunately. ___________________   Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix is for the Women's Title...but first, Jillian Hall comes out, to sing. Man, that's fuckin' funny.   Blow-by-blow: Thankfully, Mickie interrupts that singing crap by making her way to the ring. Also, please be short. I want to finish watching this. Phoenix gives Mickie a shoulder block, but she misses a charge to the corner, only to give Mickie a powerbomb anyway, for 2. Phoenix gives Mickie a dragon sleeper now, but Mickie kicks away, breaking the hold. Phoenix puts Mickie in TREE OF WOE position on the buckles, but Phoenix misses her charge and Mickie rolls her up for 2. Mickie gives Phoenix a hurricanrana, then follows it up with a LOU THESZ PRESS. Mickie gives Phoenix a seated dropkick and a neckbreaker, then goes up top, nailing her with a missile dropkick. Unfortunately, Phoenix just gives her a fisherman's buster kinda out of nowhere, and that gets the pinfall at 4:46. So, Phoenix retains her belt.   Match Analysis: People don't care, which sucks. If they did, these matches would need to be longer, and I'd be in favor of that. But with people who don't care, 5 minutes is long enough. *. ___________________ Our main event is Edge vs. The Undertaker vs. Batista in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship.   Blow-by-blow: WWE's been running too many multi-man title matches lately. Just an observation. Tazz is on commentary for this one, because JBL went to the back after his attack on Jericho. Batista and Taker fight over who gets to take out Edge at the start, and Taker rams Batista into the retaining wall. Batista rams Taker into the buckle back inside the ring, and clotheslines Taker over the top and to the floor, where Taker then begins to choke Edge. Batista gives Edge a baseball slide, and Taker then rams Batista into the steel steps. Taker gives Batista the apron legdrop, but Batista rams Taker into the post, and goes back into the ring. Edge knocks Taker off the apron, and Batista gives Edge a black hole slam type, um, slam, for a 2 count. Edge drop-toe holds Batista into the turnbuckle, but Batista comes right back with a powerslam, for 2. Taker tries another apron legdrop after a few punches, but Batista clotheslines Taker instead. Batista gives him a spinebuster and goes for the BATISTA BOMB, but Edge lowblows Batista and gives him a DDT for a 2 count, as Taker pulled the referee out of the ring. Taker gives Edge SNAKE EYES, and the usual big boot follows for a 2 count. OLD SCHOOL on Edge and Taker goes for the LAST RIDE, but Batista gives him a spear. Batista tosses Edge out, and Taker applies a triangle choke on Batista, which surely would make one believe the match is over. Edge runs over to the ring bell, and guess what, he rings it, which gets Taker to break the hold. That was cute. Taker's really mad, but Edge SPEARS him for 2. Same happens to Batista, but it only gets 2. Edge grabs 2 chairs, but Batista kicks one into his face, and Taker clotheslines him over the top rope. Batista goes to the rope rope, but Taker crotches him, and gives him a superplex, for a 2 count. OLD SCHOOL follows, but Batista catches Taker on the way down, and gives him a spinebuster. Batista SPEARS EDGE, but Taker rams Batista into the buckle. WAIT A SECOND. That was not Edge who Batista SPEARED. Hmmm. Taker chokeslams Batista, and another Edge (yes, I caught on), but Batista clotheslines Taker for 2 as Taker's in a zone. A big boot zone, that is. Taker gives Batista the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but Edge (the real one) hits Taker in the back with a chair, and covers Batista to win the World Heavyweight Title at 13:00. That ends what was a very, very good show.   Match Analysis: Yeah, every match with these three facing one another is pretty good. ***1/4. A bit too overbooked for my taste, but it was fun and enjoyable nevertheless. ___________________   Rating: Good. Almost great, but based on my Survivor Series 2007 review, I can't go there, can I? If there was something over ***1/2, I would've went with the great rating, but of the PPV's I've seen from 2007, this is definitely the best. I probably should call this show great, but I won't.   Best Segment: Uh, Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho.   Worst Segment: The Great Khali vs. Finlay. I wish this Khali experiment would just fucking end. ___________________   I'll probably have a RAW and Nitro from 6/30/97 review up on Sunday.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WWE Armageddon 2003 (RAW), from Orlando, Florida, 12/14/2003.

Since my soccer team, Liverpool FC won yesterday, I was in a good mood. Had they not won, this review wouldn't be up. This is a RAW only show. ___________________   National anthem begins the show, as this event occured on the day that Saddam Hussein was captured...and then, a video package. No surprise, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are on commentary.   The first match of the night is Mark Henry w/THEODORE Long vs. Booker T. I guess it's hatin' if you call Long, Teddy. I said I quit watching late in 2003, but I remember a few things. Not like when I'll review Unforgiven 2007, and know nothing. Anyway, Henry beat Booker up for a few weeks prior to the show.   Blow-by-blow: Booker starts the match by clobbering Henry in the corner, but Henry comes back with a clothesline to end that. Henry chokes Booker, then clotheslines him over the top rope. Henry throws Booker into the steel steps, and they get back in the ring. Booker makes sure Henry doesn't stay back in, though, and dives onto him with a plancha. Yo. Booker rams Henry into the barrier and then throws him into the ring, where Booker comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick, which gets a 2 count. Long distracts Booker, and Henry runs into the poor guy, then gives him a backbreaker afterward for a 2 count. Henry applies a bow and arrow lock, before Booker breaks the hold. Henry places Booker's neck on the 2nd rope, and then runs and jumps on it. Goodness, it looked like he could have broken Booker's fuckin' neck. Henry flew through the ropes, landing on his feet. Henry gets a 2 count on the cover, and goes to the chinlock. Booker powers out of that, but gets bearhugged soon after. IMO, this match was going well until the chinlock. I was liking it, anyway. Henry clotheslines Booker, and Booker does a 360 sell. He's doing everything to make this match good, and I applaud him for it. Booker, that is. I haven't seen him do some of this stuff in a long time. Henry misses a legdrop and charge toward Booker, so Booker gives him an axe kick, Ahmed Johnson style. He gives Henry a savate kick, and a flying forearm. The scissor kick gets 2, but Henry stops Booker's rally with a spinebuster for 2. Henry gives Booker an avalanche in the corner, then a clothesline and legdrop for a 2 count. Henry gives Booker an UGLY looking powerbomb for 2, and misses a charge to the corner, where Booker gives him a scissor kick for 3 at 9:19.   Match Analysis: See, I was liking it, until the middle. Not only that, but the finish kinda came a little too fast, and wasn't built to at all. Kinda jumbled, and one of the things that bothers me about current wrestling. You can't rush into a finish, you have to build to it. If all that stuff Henry did after the first scissor kick had been done BEFORE the first scissor kick, and Booker had came back with his typical spots, like the forearm and savate kick, then finished with the scissor kick, the match would have been better. As it was, it felt like it was lacking something, namely an ending. Just my .02. *1/4. ___________________   Eric Bischoff is with Chris Jericho and Christian before their match later tonight against Trish Stratus and Lita, and for some reason Jericho has feelings, although not verbal, that he doesn't want to participate in the match. My initial reaction to learning about that match when I began watching this show...nothing good can come of it. ___________________   It's Mick Foley! I guess he's the co-GM of RAW. Didn't know that. The petition to bring back Stone Cold Steve Austin has 1 million signatures. Now, Austin being forced to "leave" is something I DID know about. Anyhow, Foley brings Stacy Keibler out, she's wearing a cheerleader outfit and does cartwheels around the ring. Foley tries to do a cartwheel, but he can't. I found it a little weird that the two old men on commentary continually made ass jokes, but that's both the WWE and old men for you. Randy Orton and Ric Flair come to the ring, and Orton says that the party is over. Since the party's over, Foley pulls off his suit, to reveal THE REFEREE SHIRT. Hell yeah. Well, it's time for a match.   It's Randy Orton w/Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam, for RVD's Intercontinental Championship. Mick Foley's the special guest referee, if you couldn't already tell.   Blow-by-blow: RVD gives Orton a legsweep, so Orton bails out of the ring. He comes back in, and gives RVD a headlock, which RVD reverses into a hammerlock. RVD gives him a snap mare and a headscissor, on the mat, and after a few reversals, the two men square off in the middle of the ring. Crowd cheers, and RVD gives Orton a spinning heel kick. Orton misses a charge to the corner, and RVD springboards up to the top and gives him a crossbody, which gets 2. Orton gives RVD a European uppercut, and RVD comes back with a karate kick. Orton bails, and RVD follows him to the floor with a tope con hilo. Orton comes back in, and RVD follows with a slingshot legdrop, for a 2 count. Orton misses a charge, and RVD springboards to the top rope, but gets pushed to the floor. I like what I'm seeing. So far. Unfortunately, that became a trend for the rest of the night. Orton dropkicks RVD on the floor, and gets a cover for 2 on the inside. Orton chokes RVD on the 2nd rope, and RVD's sell of the move is so damn ridiculous that I'm not sure how to describe it. Hey, it's better than nothing. In my notes, I called his sell "RETARDED." Orton rams RVD to the buckle, but RVD comes back with a crossbody for 2. Orton goes to the chinlock, and when RVD breaks the hold, Orton misses a charge to the corner, but comes back with a clothesline. A chinlock fits, in this case, as Orton's offense has been head oriented. Orton dropkicks RVD, who's in a seated position, and then reapplies the chinlock. RVD breaks the hold, then gets a roll-up for 2, and a front bodyslam, prior to the split legged moonsault, which gets 2. Orton gives RVD a neckbreaker from a powerbomb position, which gets 2. Sorry, I ain't down with all the newfangled names for those moves. Orton goes back to the chinlock, and this time it goes for a while. A while long enough to take the crowd out of the match, unfortunately. In my opinion. RVD gets up and both men slug it out, and RVD gets a spinning heel kick. RVD does the 10 punch in the corner, and then a monkey flip after a whip to the other side. RVD gives him 3 shouldercharges in the corner, but flips and misses on the fourth. He gives him a springobard kick and a clothesline, and then a northern lights suplex for 2. Orton bails, and RVD suplexes him on the barrier at ringside. He gives him the spinning legdrop off the apron, and on the way back in, Orton finds a way to give him a DDT. It gets a long 2 count, and only 2, as RVD's hand finds the bottom rope. Orton pins him in the center for 2, then misses a kneedrop. RVD gives him a spinning heel kick type cradle for 2, and when both men get up, RVD gives Orton a spinning heel kick and dropkick, before Rolling Thunder. Ric Flair gets a little too close to RVD, so RVD just kicks him out of the way. Orton gets a rollup for 2, and a kick. RVD goes up top, and Flair tries to knock RVD off the top, but Foley decks Flair, knocking him off the ring apron. Good way for a first interaction. Orton crotches RVD on the top with a dropkick, then both men lie on the mat for a while, before both get up and Orton gives RVD the RKO, for the 3 count and the Intercontinental Title, at 17:59.   Match Analysis: Oooh. Oooh. Oooh. I hate that fucking finish. Hate. Hate. Hate. The finish where a guy lies on the mat for a while, then gives another wrestler his finisher out of nowhere sucks. Not my favorite. Had Orton given RVD the RKO right after crotching him, I'd have liked it more. Still though, it was just an average match. Average means **1/2, minus -1/4* for the shitty finish, giving it **1/4. The large majority of the smark community seems to have biases against Orton, and I don't really get it. He's a decent wrestler. I've seen better, and I've seen worse. And average qualifies as good, nowadays. Or at least that's what I think. ___________________   It's time for the Battle of the Sexes: Chris Jericho and Christian vs. Trish Stratus and Lita. The video package before this match honestly made me embarassed to be a wrestling fan. I didn't want to watch this show with everyone around, cause I'm afraid of, well, getting embarassed. But my entire family was here, and I was embarassed. Oh well. Lame as fuck. The CDN Dollar bet was the only part redeemable about the whole thing, cause it's a Canadian Dollar. Jericho and Christian bet a dollar on who would nail their woman first. Jericho's being Trish, and Christian's being Lita. I chuckled, but that's it. FWIW, I cried during the video when Trish acted all sad about the bet, but that was only because I poked myself in the eye.   Blow-by-blow: Jim Ross compares Eric Bischoff to Saddam Hussein. Boo. Since this fits in the match description, I can't believe how awful the booking was to put these 4 in a match. Nothing good can come of this for Christian and Jericho. Trish and Jericho start the match off, and talk with each other in the ring. See what I'm talking about, nothing good can happen. Trish slaps Jericho a whole bunch, until Jericho bends her over his knee and spanks her ass. My dad guffawed at the visual. Trish kicks Jericho, then gives him a flying headscissor, and tries some dropkicks, but they don't do a thing. Christian tags in, and shoves Trish over towards her corner, where she tags Lita. Christian grabs her by the wrist, until Lita gives him a headbutt. Christian chases her around the ring, until she gets back in. Christian misses a charge to the buckle, and Lita gives him a monkeyflip. Jericho hits Lita, and Christian gives her a bodyslam. Jericho comes in with a bodyslam, and steps on Lita's hair. Heh. Jericho tries a powerbomb, but Lita gives him a hurricanrana for 2. Jericho gives her a back elbow, and tags in Christian, who tears off Lita's shirt. Jericho smells the shirt for some reason, and throws it back in the ring. Christian taunts her, until she gives him a lowblow. Trish comes in, and kicks Christian after a missed clothesline, and then, Christian misses a charge and flies out of the ring through the ropes. Trish tries to rana Jericho, but can't, and he throws her to the canvas, where Christian gets a 2 count. Jericho gets a rollup for 2, and Christian gives her a clothesline. However, Lita comes in with a rana off the top, and then she goes out of the ring, where she's thrown into the barrier by Jericho. Jericho and Trish stare at each other for a second, so Christian comes up from behind and rolls up Trish while holding the tights, for the win at 6:37. Boy oh boy. Jericho looks all sad, as Christian celebrates, on the way backstage.   Match Analysis: I could go on and on forever, but this is such shitty booking. It's like telling Jericho and Christian, "to the midcard you go, where forever you shall stay." I could never buy Jericho as a main eventer after this, had I been watching at the time. EVER. Awful. The match was fine, and *1/2 worthy. But the booking was -****. Terrible. I don't understand it at all, especially why the match would even be made in the first place. Shit like this is what made me quit watching the WWE. And now I remember why. The night after Survivor Series 03 was when I'd start watching both RAW and SMACKDOWN! only once or twice a month, IF that. And after the Royal Rumble, I quit watching RAW entirely. I didn't have the time, but when I did, I didn't watch it anyway. This was a good reminder as to why. I'm glad I saw this. ___________________   Before this next match, we see a clip where HBK practically bled buckets for Austin, in order to save Austin's job. Batista interfered and cost Shawn the match, and Austin's job. So, we have this, a very interesting matchup, to say the least.   Yeah, Shawn Michaels vs. Batista w/Ric Flair. Hmmm....this was the match that piqued my interest, when telling my brother to check what the matches were without telling me the results. Yeah, I'm almost 20 and can do it myself, but why should I? I like to be surprised. Also, in case I've never said this, Shawn's my favorite wrestler to watch. I don't care about the backstage stuff, I'm talking about his matches. He can play both babyface and heel the same way. :Cocky heel that you want to see get his ass kicked OR sympathetic babyface that bleeds buckets and sells like a champ," is something that few wrestlers do well enough. Fuck that noise about him not selling when he kips up. There is not a SINGLE babyface in the entire world that doesn't do shit like that. With that said, him being my favorite to watch is what makes this match very interesting, seeing how the match will be against a limited guy like Batista.   Blow-by-blow: Shawn avoids Batista in the corner, and potshots at him with a few left jabs. They stare at each other and punch in the middle of the ring, until Batista kicks Shawn in the groin area. Batista rams Shawn into the buckle, and Shawn comes back with a few kicks to the leg, and chops to the chest. He avoids Batista again, and punches Flair in the face. For that, Batista chases him around the outside of the ring, until Flair stops him and has a meeting with Batista. Flair whispers something in his ear, and Batista slowly gets back in the ring. Batista corners Shawn and beats him up, mixing in a few knees with the left and right handed punches he throws. Batista clotheslines Shawn on a reversal sequence, which gets a 2 count. Batista gives Shawn a suplex for 2, and then whips him hard into the buckle. Batista gives Shawn an elbow to his face, and a knee to the back, then whips him hard, back into the buckle. Batista chokes Shawn, until Shawn begins chopping him. Batista places Shawn on the top rope after regaining control, but Shawn comes off the top with a moonsault block for 2. He barely hit Batista, but that's better than Shawn's knee clocking someone in the face. Nothing to nitpick about. Shawn gives him a flying forearm and kips up once the referee's double count reaches 7, but Batista springs up too, and gives Shawn a clothesline. Batista puts Shawn into the buckle again, and this time, Shawn goes upside down. Batista tosses Shawn out of the ring, and rams him into the steps. He then throws Shawn in, and gets a cover for a 2 count. A Batista backbreaker gets two, and he gives him another, but of the submission variety. Once Batista drops him, it's at this point that I know what I'm going to rate the match, unless there's a screwup. It's rare, but I could already tell. Usually I can't. Batista punches Shawn, and gets a 2 count. Shawn gives Batista a flying forearm, after a little mistake when Batista shot Shawn into the ropes the first time. Uh-oh, a fuckup. Rating drops. What happened was, Shawn got shot into the ropes, and Batista put his head down. Shawn improvised awfully fast, and kicked him in the head. Then, Batista shot Shawn into the ropes (while Shawn has a clear look of disappointment on his face), and they got the flying forearm right. Every single part of the re-do took part in the exact same place that it happened the first time. I don't mind blown spots, even though they affect my rating, unless they get repeated again. Then they DO bother me a little. I digress. Shawn kips up, and Batista grabs onto a choke. He tries a choke powerbomb, but Shawn reverses it into a DDT. Shawn goes up top, and gives him a flying elbowdrop, for 2. Shawn TUNES UP THE BAND, but Batista blocks SWEET CHIN MUSIC, and gives him a spinebuster. And then, he gives him another. NOT a repeated spot, never blown in the first place. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb, but Shawn flips through the move on the pick-up, and gives Batista SWEET CHIN MUSIC, giving Shawn the pinfall and victory at 12:22. Batista is awfully pissed about losing, and we'll come back to that.   Match Analysis: Without the match being overly violent or longer, I couldn't have seen it being better. I know how nitpicky this is, but since the blown spot bothered me, I'll knock it down to *3/4. Still, it's solid. Very solid, and better than I had originally thought it would be, when hearing of the matchup. Right guy went over, too. I usually don't make comments like that, but in the case of experienced vs. inexperienced or a title change, I think I will from now on, but only when reviewing an entire show, and not a portion of it. ___________________   Part #2 of the program, as Maven makes his way to the ring. LOL. This is the worst thing about split brand PPV's. It's not worth ordering a show to watch Maven in a match. Sorry. Matt Hardy Version 1.0 comes out too, and they brawl on the outside. They're supposed to have a match, but Batista's in the ring, see. Hardy throws Maven into the ring, where he gets FUUUUCKED up by Batista. 2 Batista Bombs are the main course for Maven, and he's out like a light. That means no match, and everyone boos. What the fuck? They wanted to see this? Hardy covers Maven anyway and counts the pin himself, then grabs the mic and says..."your winner, Matt Hardy V1UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." I was eagerly awaiting that. I laughed for a while, which is probably embarassing. ___________________   To follow up on that, Flair and Batista are backstage, as Batista is still pissed about losing. Flair calms him down, and tells him, we're gonna get some titles tonight. ORLY? Flair's awesome at these interview segments. Awesome. ___________________   Oh boy, a match that's hell to review. Because of how long it is, and the multiple teams involved. Tag Team Turmoil, for the World Tag Team Championships. Just a gauntlet match, really.   Blow-by-blow: Starting the match, will be La Resistance (Conway and Dupree) vs. The Hurricane and the S.H.I.T., Rosey. Geez, that sucks. Rosey and Conway start the match, and Rosey gives Conway a clothesline. Hurricane tags in, with a legdrop off the top rope, and when Conway bails to the floor, the Hurricane tries to springboard out onto him, and eats shit, as his feet catch the top rope, causing him to tumble out onto the floor. I laughed, and I didn't stop laughing for a minute. No lie. That was one of the funniest botches I've ever seen, and if I could find a video, I'd share. The crowd is SO dead, they don't even chant "you fucked up." Oh dear. Conway gives Hurricane a full nelson, and then a swinging neckbreaker. Dupree tags in, and gives Hurricane a powerslam after Hurricane misses a charge. The powerslam gets a 2 count, and Hurricane comes back with a face buster. Not so hot tag Rosey, who has shoulderblocks and backdrops for everyone. He gives one opponent a samoan drop, and another a catatonic, for 2. He dumps Conway out, and gives Dupree and UGLY spinebuster. Hurricane jumps on Rosey's shoulders, and gives Dupree a big splash, gaining the pinfall at 3:17. 1/2*.   Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade come through the crowd as their entrance music plays, and Jindrak rolls Hurricane up at 3:34. DUD.   Lance Storm and Val Venis are the next team up, and they both bring some ladies to the ring. Venis shoulderblocks Jindrak, and Jindrak does the same. Venis gives him a hiptoss and both men trade armdrags, before Jindrak slaps Venis across the face. Venis gives him a back elbow, and Storm tags in with an axhandle off the top rope. Storm gives him an armdrag, and Cade comes in, and gives him a headlock takeover. BORING chant begins, and Storm does that little Owen thing, where he plays around on the ropes, and backflips back into the ring. I liked that. Jindrak tags in, and applies a surboard. Venis comes in and kicks Jindrak, then gives him a spinebuster, and Cade a neckbreaker. Venis gives Cade a half nelson slam, and Storm clotheslines Cade out of the ring. Venis gives Jindrak a blue thunder bomb for 2, and when Cade comes back in, he takes out Venis leg and pins him, while Jindrak holds the leg down, for the pinfall at 7:54. *1/2.   Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley (the champions) are the next ones in, and they toss Jindrak out of the ring. Bubba puts Cade on the top, in tree of woe position, and hits him a few times. D-Von tags in, and both he and his partner give Cade a double clothesline for 2. D-Von gives Jindrak a flying back elbow for 2, and Jindrak comes back with a clothesline for 2. Cade hits D-Von, then tags in. He gives D-Von a snapmare and goes to the chinlock. He goes up top after stopping D-Von's comeback with a back elbow, and misses a flying elbowdrop. Bubba tags in, and clotheslines Cade, and hiptosses Jindrak. He gives Cade a backdrop, and gives both men an avalanche at the same time. He tosses Cade out, and D-Von gives Cade a clothesline. Cade puts Bubba into the stars, and Jindrak and D-Von trade rollups, for 2. D-Von tosses Cade out, and once Jindrak misses a dropkick, it's 3D for him, and the Dudleys get the pin at 12:29. *1/4.   Scott Steiner and Test are the last team. Jesus Christ. Test kicks Bubba, and Scott gives him a belly to belly suplex, then tosses him out. Test rams Bubba into the post twice, and Scott Steiner gives him a STEINERLINE inside, and an elbowdrop for 2. Yeah, the one where he kisses his artificially enhanced bicep. Then he does some pushups, and applies a fujiwara armbar. Test comes in and also applies an armbar, when Scott leaves the ring. Test puts Bubba on the top rope, but Bubba comes off with a senton, after not allowing Test to suplex him off. Here we go to the end, it's long and not very good. D-Von comes in and hits both opponents, and gives Test a flying shoulderblock. He gives both a neckbreaker, and gets a 2 count. By this point, the crowd does not give a shit. Scott gives D-Von a t-bone suplex, and Test gives him a sidewalk slam for 2. Test accidentally gives Steiner a big boot, and D-Von rolls Test up for 2. Test gives D-Von a full nelson slam, and gets 2, with his own feet on the ropes. Test grabs a chair and one of the title belts, then throws the belt near the referee, in order to distract him when he hits D-Von with the chair. The cover only gets 2, and Bubba comes in with a Bubba Bomb. That gives D-Von the 3 count, at 19:27. Why in the world was that the longest match? 1/2*.   Now, Eric Bischoff comes out, and says there's still one last team. It's Ric Flair and Batista! Flair chopblocks Bubba and works on his knee, and applies the figure-four on Bubba, while Batista gives D-Von a Batista Bomb, and that's the end, thankfully, at 21:32. *, and new tag team champions. Goodness. JR nearly gives away the ending to the PPV, but I'll ignore it.   Match Analysis: The overall rating of the match averages to 3/4*. That's pretty much how I thought of the thing as a whole. So bad, the crowd didn't give a shit, neither did I, and a majority of the participants in the original match (prior to Bischoff) don't belong on many PPV's, if any at all. Horrendous. Best part of it was the Storm/Venis portion. That's no surprise. ___________________   Here's an announcement of WWE's trip to Iraq, which took place later that month... ___________________   And we have a thrown together match, Ivory vs. Molly Holly for Molly's Womens Title.   Blow-by-blow: Ivory gives Molly a snapmare, and goes up to the top, with a crossbody that gets 2. She slingshots Molly over the top rope, and goes up to the floor, frontflipping onto Molly from the apron. Molly baseball slides Ivory to the floor when she gets thrown back in, and gives her a northern lights suplex, which gets 2. Armbar from Molly, and King says that Molly may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Where the fuck did that come from? Not only that, it offends me. I have it, and I'm perfectly fine. Fuck that guy. Rant: I hate the way people stereotype those with IBS, like it makes them have to spastically shit their pants at random periods. That has never happened to me, and the first time I told someone and they laughed and asked me if I shit my pants all the time, in highschool, I knocked them the fuck out. I got suspended, but I didn't care. It makes me angry when people say things like that. Anyway, back to the match. Molly gives Ivory a suplex for 2, and scratches her face. She springboards into Ivory, and gets a two count, then slams Ivory's face into the mat. Molly pulls the buckle pad off, but gets rammed into it by Ivory for 2. Molly reverses an Ivory roll-up for the 3 count, and retains her title at 4:23.   Match Analysis: Crowd hated it. I didn't care much, but it wasn't bad. *. ___________________   Video package prior to.....   Triple H vs. Kane vs. Goldberg, for Goldberg's World Heavyweight Title, in a triple threat match. Guess who's taking the fall? (I usually type what I write in my notes, so yeah. I don't type something from after the fact before the match, very often anyway.)   Blow-by-blow: You have to gimmick this match to make it look good on paper. And I never got the thing with Kane wearing a towel on his head. HHH hits Goldberg from behind, and both he and Kane work Goldberg over in the corner. HHH looks funny with a completely shaved face. HHH whips Goldberg over to Kane, who clotheslines Golberg. HHH rams Goldberg into the buckle, and Goldberg comes back, clotheslining HHH. Kane clotheslines Goldberg, but Goldberg comes back with a flying shoulderblock. Goldberg powerslams Kane, and dumps HHH out of the ring. Goldberg and Kane fight, and Kane rams him into the buckle, then clotheslines Goldberg twice. Kane tries a suplex, but Goldberg breaks it up, then hits HHH with a butterfly suplex. Kane gives Goldberg a sidewalk slam and goes up top, but Goldberg slams him off. He gives HHH a press powerslam, like the one Dr. Death would do sometimes. Goldberg lines Kane up for a spear, but Kane gives him a big boot. Now both Kane and HHH choke Goldberg, until they both give Goldberg a suplex. HHH hangs out in a corner, while Kane gives Goldberg a powerslam. HHH tries to steal the fall, and now Kane's mad. Kane clotheslines HHH oout of the ring, and gives Goldberg a hotshot. JR calls the match "bowling shoe ugly" and I'd tend to agree, although it's been better than I had thought it would be. HHH accidentally hits Kane with a chair, and Goldberg slams HHH. He puts the chair on HHH's leg, to break it I guess, but he's unable to. Kane tosses Goldberg out of the ring, and into the steel steps. Kane tries to chokeslam Goldberg through the Spanish Announce Table, but Goldberg blocks it, and tries to Jackhammer him through it. Hah. He can't either, so eventually, Kane chokeslams Goldberg through the table after HHH hits Goldberg with a chair. Almost forgot, the table didn't break. SO, HHH gets on the barrier outside the ring, and elbowdrops Goldberg through the table. Heh. HHH won't hit Kane with the chair, no sir, but he'll throw him into the steps instead. He tries to PEDIGREE Kane on the floor, but gets backdropped. Goldberg's out of the match for a while, so forget about him. Unfortunately, the match goes to shit when Goldberg's out on the floor. Inside, Kane gives HHH a big boot and sidewalk slam. Kane goes up top, and clotheslines HHH from up there. Kane tries the chokeslam, but HHH pokes him in the eye, and gives Kane a DDT. HHH gets a neckbreaker, then punches Kane, but that doesn't do anything. Kane clotheslines HHH over the top rope, and then they go to the stage, where Kane gives HHH a chokeslam. They had to do SOMETHING to try and save this match. Kane drags HHH to the ring, and Goldberg finally gets up. He runs in the ring and SPEARS Kane, for a 2 count. HHH breaks up the pin, then all three men fight with each other, until Goldberg beats both up. HHH pokes Goldberg in the eye, but it doesn't hurt Goldberg, so he clotheslines both Kane and HHH. He SPEARS Kane, as Randy Orton and Ric Flair come to the ring. They can't do anything to Goldberg, so Goldberg gives HHH a SPEAR. Kane and Goldberg now choke each other, but HHH gives Goldberg a low blow, and Kane gives Goldberg a chokeslam. Batista comes to the ring and pulls Kane off Goldberg on the pin, and HHH steals the fall to win the match, and his 8th major (meaning WWE, Undisputed or World Heavyweight) title, at 19:29. Guess I was wrong about who would take the fall, wasn't I? Evolution celebrate with all their titles, cause they have all RAW's titles, and the show ends.   Match Analysis: Was decent before the table spot. Was DOGSHIT afterwards. That's like almost every match on this show, started off strong, but wound up being junk. Cause it was decent at one point, it's worth a *. That's it. They made Goldberg look like a straight out bitch. Kane's chokeslam doesn't really win important matches, but it put Goldberg down for the equivalent of a 10 count. No wonder his WWE run wasn't so hot, you can't really have him in this long of a match. It's gotta be short and to the point. Still like him, though. But Kane and HHH should never have a match with one another again. No chemistry. ___________________   Rating: Bad. Nothing over **1/4 is a problem. A big problem. Plus the booking of the Battle of the Sexes and main event really bothered me, and the crowd was dead after Jericho and Christian won. One would say, if this show was so shitty, why'd you watch all the way through? Well, I'll explain why, there's two reasons.   1. I enjoy writing these reviews. A lot.   2. There's only been one show I've seen that's been SO SHITTY that I've gotten no enjoyment out of it. It was that Philly show with Hogan/Race, and I turned it off midway through. That was probably the worst wrestling show I've ever watched. I got a lot of enjoyment out of this. V1UUUUUUUUUUUHH, Hurricane's botch, RVD's sell of the choke, HHH elbowdropping Goldberg through the table, Scott Steiner's overall terribleness, Flair winning a title, and seeing a decent IC Title match. So there.   Best Segment: Rob Van Dam vs. Randy Orton for the Intercontinental Championship.   Worst Segment: Tag Team Turmoil. My goodness, that was terrible.   Loudest Sound: RVD, Goldberg, Val Venis(!), Ric Flair and HHH. Very typical, cause Venis brought some women with him to ringside. Obviously, he's going to get a loud pop doing that.   No Sound: La Resistance and the Women's Match. Sorry. ___________________   Don't know what I'm going to write about next, but hopefully it's better than this. It has to be, right? The best thing I can say about this show is that not much was bad enough to be a DUD, and nothing bad enough to be -*'s. Just checked, and this is my longest review. Yay me.
Guest

Guest

2
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW/nWo Starrcade 1998, from Washington, DC, 12/27/1998.

Ok, I tried, I just can't do the full version. I'm pissed off about it, but what can I do? I took notes, though, so someday, I'll flush this one out and do it the right way. ___________________   The usuals are on commentary, Tony, Bobby and Tenay. The Four Horsemen have been banned from the building by Bischoff, and Mean Gene talks about the WCW Hotline. Which isn't active, as the giant black box on the screen says. ___________________   The first match was Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Kidman, in a Triangle Match for the WCW Cruiserweight Title. It was overly spotty, but that's what I expected. In that context, I was surprised at how slow it seemed. Anyway, the ending went like this. Eddie Guerrero came to the ring, and reversed Kidman's rollup as the referee was distracted. The referee came in, but the count only got two, as Rey dropkicked Juvi in the face, allowing Kidman to retain his Cruiserweight Title, at 14:54. ***1/2, with a very fun ending, which tied into the next match. Anyhow, Eddie tells Rey and Juvi that they suck. They aren't LWO material, and Kidman's a dweeb. So he needs to come out here... ___________________   Kidman comes out to the ring, and he's going to face Eddie Guerrero, for Kidman's WCW Cruiserweight Title. More of the same, but with a defined heel and face. See, there are things that people can like about Juvi, but not Eddie. He's a real dickhead. Eddie's bodyguard came out to the ring, so the ref's distracted. Juvi crotches Kidman, but Rey pushes Eddie off the top, crotching him along the top rope. Eddie falls to the canvas and Kidman gives him the SHOOTING STAR PRESS, for 3, at 10:47. ***1/2. The first 30 minutes of the show was great. And now it goes WAY downhill. ___________________   Video of Nash/Goldberg confrontations in previous weeks...not much to see. ___________________   The next match is Prince Iaukea vs. NORMAN SMILEY!!! I like Smiley, but why? Starrcade's supposed to be a blowoff show. Anyhow, this match is a steaming pile of shit. Iaukea sucks, and Smiley's style doesn't help matters. He's a mat wrestler, and Iaukea is anything but. Norman does the BIG WIGGLE 3 times throughout the match, and once after. Those were 3 of the 4 pops in the match. The 4th was at the finish, because the crowd was glad to see it end. A huge BORING chant got started during the match, but it died down after a while. Smiley won the match, when Iaukea tapped out to the NORMAN CONQUEST, at 11:32. That's a chickenwing, in case you didn't watch WCW back in the day. Entirely too long. 1/2*. ___________________   Scott Hall comes to the ring now, with no music. A man without music, and without a group. Or so he says. Hey, yo; 2 SWEET and all that. 1998 hasn't been the best for Hall, but '99 will be great. He only has to prove things to himself. Then he leaves. ___________________   Same Nash/Goldberg movie as the last one... ___________________   It's Ernest "the Cat" Miller w/Sonny Onoo vs. Perry Saturn. I like Saturn's music. What I don't like is Miller's cheap heat gimmick. That's all it is. Saturn finishes the bout with the Death Valley Driver at 7:06, after Sonny Onoo accidentally kicked Miller in the chest. Good thing it was short. All Miller did during the entire match was kick. *. Afterward, Miller and Onoo argued on their way to the back. ___________________   Mean Gene Okerlund's in the aisleway, and he interviews Ric Flair. Flair's not at all worried about the Four Horsemen being banned from the building. Bischoff's going to bleed, too.   Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell encounter Konnan in the back, and tell him that the Red and Black is dead. Lex Luger comes into the room, and keeps Konnan from fighting the other two. Konnan wants to know what's going on. We found out what was going on a few weeks later, didn't we? ___________________   We find out that Nash vs. Goldberg later on is going to be No DQ. Well that's great. The next match is Fit Finlay and Jerry Flynn vs. NWO Black and White's Brian Adams and Scott Norton w/Vincent. What's this WCW Saturday Night shit doing on my screen? A way's through, Flynn gets the hot-tag from Fit, kicks Vincent, but gets powerbombed by Norton, giving the NWO B-Teamers the win at 8:55. DUD, just because this shit doesn't belong on PPV. Come on, a JERRY FLYNN PPV match? ___________________   Mean Gene's with Eric Bischoff in the aisleway, and Bischoff's promo is ironically funny. All that "Flair didn't save a penny stuff, of course. ___________________   Before this match between Chris Jericho w/Ralphus and Konnan for the WCW TV Title, we flashback to Jericho beating up a Konnan impersonator on Nitro two weeks ago. This is the Jericho I like. He's awesome. Jericho comes to the ring wearing Konnan's TV Title. Cause he stole it, or something. Towards the end, we get a beltshot from Jericho to Konnan. The cover gets two, and Konnan comes back with a facebuster and the TEQUILA SUNRISE for the submission at 7:28. It was decent, **. Let's put it this way, there's been so much worse on this show. ___________________   From a WCW.com thing earlier in the day, the Giant got mad at Lee Marshall. He didn't hit him or anything. ___________________   This is Eric Bischoff vs. Ric Flair. Yeah, Bischoff goes over after Curt Hennig runs in during a ref bump and gives him a foreign object to hit Flair with, at 7:08. The less said, the better. Yes, it really was that bad. Crowd shit all over it, so that backs up my -** rating. This is a blowoff show where the babyfaces are supposed to win. Repeat that. ___________________   We're on to Part 2. ___________________   It's the "People's Champion" Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Giant. I can't believe they would so blatantly rip off the WWF with that People's Champ nonsense. Wait a minute...of course I believe it. This IS WCW. Every promotion that thinks they're the new WWF does it, with TNA being the worst offender. Page comes through the crowd to the ring, and we begin the match. It's really boring, IMO. The finish is nice, though. Ref bump, and Bret Hart comes to the ring, where he accidentally hits The Giant with a chair. They're both NWO 4 LIFE, see. Page chopblocks Bret, knocking Bret out of the ring. Now, The Giant places Page on the top turnbuckle, and tries to CHOKESLAM him, but Page reverses it to a DIAMOND CUTTER, which picks up the win at 12:45. While it was boring, at least Page went over. Giant's bearhug killed the positive momentum this match had at the beginning, so it's a *1/2 match. Like I said, it was going well until the middle. ___________________   The same Goldberg/Nash video precedes...Kevin Nash vs. Goldberg, for the WCW Heavyweight Title, in a match where there are No Disqualifications. Goldberg is 173-0, or so WCW says. Let's skip to the ending. Again, this match was fine until a certain point. Ref bump, and instantly, the entire crowd looks to the entrance way. Every match of importance hasn't ended clean. WCW doesn't care about Jericho, so that's not important. If you have your crowd trained to see interference coming like that, there's a problem. Disco Inferno came to the ring, and got SPEARED by Goldberg. Now Bam Bam Bigelow comes to the ring, and Goldberg clotheslines him over the top rope. But as security comes out to get rid of the hangers-on (Disco, Bam Bam), SCOTT HALL comes out, in a security outfit, and TASERS GOLDBERG. Then Nash gives Goldberg the JACKKNIFE, for 3, at 11:19. NEW CHAMPION, and the streak is OVER. It's a DUD. Just because of the way the entire show has gone. The crowd went apeshit for this, SO...I am unsure of whether or not this was a bad thing. The Fingerpoke was what killed the company. Aside from the overbooking, the match was decent. But you have to give someone the rub of pinning Goldberg clean...and that just didn't happen. You do that, you have a new star. It has to be someone young, not Nash. ___________________   Rating: Bad. The first 30 minutes saved this show from being one of the worst I've ever watched. Too much overbooking.   Best Segment: Cruiserweight stuff at the beginning. The matches were equally good, so I'll generalize it.   Worst Segment: Brian Adams and Scott Norton vs. Fit Finlay and Jerry Flynn. Just, no.   Loudest Sound: Nash's pop for winning the Title, Eddie Guerrero's heel heat before the promo he cut on the participants in the Triangle Match, Scott Hall's promo, and Ric Flair, along with Eric Bischoff.   No Sound: Fit Finlay and Jerry Flynn, Norman and Iaukea, and Ernest "the Cat" Miller. ___________________   I'm only going to do this for the PPV's and MSG shows that get posted, because my hand isn't holding up too well throughout this. RAW's, Nitro's, and all that other stuff won't get reviewed. I'm disappointed about that, but oh well. I don't know what'll be next, but it'll be a few days.
Guest

Guest

3
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Thunder, from Fargo, North Dakota; 8/13/1998.

Tony, Brain, and Lee Marshall will commentate. ___________________ Scott Hall will face Konnan...   - First, Hall cuts a promo. No surprise there. Everyone wants to see the Wolfpac, judging by the survey he gave.   - The match begins, and you could tell that Hall is drunk. No surprise there. Some guy with a sign walks by, and the sign says "Who booked this crap?" Awesome. Hall makes sure that people begin to boo him by cheating, and he wins with the OUTSIDERS EDGE at 6:40. **. Sloppy as could be, but still entertaining. ___________________ Raven w/Lodi is going to face Horace, after Raven cuts a promo.   - Love the sign gimmick. Lodi keeps Raven from hitting Horace with a stop sign for some reason. I don't know why. Raven's Rules, don't forget. The rest of the Flock comes out, and they all run in when Lodi won't beat up Horace, which is a, um, no contest at 3:31. Saturn runs out and everyone stops beating Horace up...then Horace and the rest of the Flock beats up Saturn. Kanyon runs out and beats up the Flock...until Saturn hits Kanyon. What the fuck is this? * for the match, negatives for the angle. ___________________   Tony interviews Stevie Ray...who wants to face The Giant. You see, Jericho was able to steal the TV Title that Stevie was holding for Booker thanks to The Giant. Stevie must get that belt back. ___________________ Chavo Guerrero w/Pepe(!) vs. Chris Jericho for the Television Title is right now.   - I love Pepe. Apparently, Jericho broke him a while back. Damn him.   - A commercial is in the middle, and after a very fun match, Jericho breaks Pepe again. LOL. I busted up pretty good. Chavo had the funniest look on his face. Chavo goes under the ring, and hits Jericho with a Pepe-on-a-bat for the DQ at 7:30(shown). What the hell. **1/2. Hilarious show thus far. ___________________   Mike Tenay is on commentary...Bret Hart comes down, and says he won't lose. Period. ___________________   After that, Public Enemy are going to face Disco Inferno and Alex Wright w/Tokyo Magnum.   - The latter group is the best ever. E-V-E-R. The Disco gimmick would no doubt get over today. PE's table comes in, and Tokyo takes the hit, keeping Wright from beign down for the count. Wright gives Grunge a neckbreaker, picking up the win at 3:24. Meng attacks after the match for no apparent reason at all, and gives everyone the TONGAN DEATH GRIP. Jimmy Hart sends Barbarian to the ring, and he's given a TONGAN DEATH GRIP too. So everyone is left in the ring thanks to Meng. 1/2* for the match. ___________________   Kevin Nash cuts a promo about wanting Goldberg to join the Wolfpac, and then we've got Kevin Nash vs. Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude.   - Weird matchup. Although Hennig vs. Rude would've been fun back in the day.   - Hennig's on too many steroids. He's gigantic. Rude hits the referee at around 3:15, but the bell never rings. Rude gets ready to fight Nash, and Scott Hall sneaks in to attack Nash. They kick his ass, until Lex Luger runs down and saves Nash. I like Rude's character. 1/2*. ___________________ Stevie Ray vs. Eddie Guerrero is right now.   - This should be grand. The Giant and Scott Hall are drinking (lol) in the aisleway, as these two combatants are fucking this up something fierce. Stevie poked Eddie in the eye and my cousin went OOOH! Like real loud. So, of course, I laughed. I don't know how WCW could let Eddie Guerrero get squashed by this slug, but he did, and it was finished with the SLAPJACK at 4:05. -*. Just watch the match if you don't agree with my rating. There were mistakes all over the place. ___________________ Now, in our main event, we have Bret Hart vs. Lex Luger for the United States Championship.   - I hate when wrestlers don't wear their gear. And Luger's not. This isn't a dream match, but it's still one that people would be interested in. Bret dominates the match until the 7 minute mark, at which point Luger takes control with a few clotheslines. Bret grabs a chair, but can't use it. Luger grabs a hold of it, but the referee takes it, only to have Bret push Luger into the poor little guy. Bret DDT's Luger on the chair, but the cover only got two. SHARPSHOOTER'S on, and we've got a new United States Champion as Luger passes out at 9:38. **, and the show's over. ___________________   Rating: Decent. Average show, with much hilarity. Gotta watch it.   Best Segment: Chavo vs. Jericho   Worst Segment: Stevie Ray vs. Eddie Guerrero was an embarassment to wrestling. And the stuff with the Flock was pretty bad too. ___________________   I'll review that Boston house show next.  
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Starrcade: BattleBowl/The Lethal Lottery, from Atlanta, Georgia, 12/28/1992.

Oh yeah, BATTLEBOWL!!!! I'm tempted to make an out battle beat joke, but I can't do it. ___________________   It's JIM ROSS and JESSE VENTURA on commentary. This is the best possible combination of commentators in wrestling history. Eric Bischoff comes on screen to inform us that Rick Rude will not be able to contend for the WCW Title tonight. Well, gee. Instead, it's going to be Steve Williams. Not quite sure how I feel about that. ___________________   Tony Schiavone's in the ring with Bill Watts and Hank Aaron...this is funny, and surely in the way that you're probably thinking of. Considering how Aaron got Watts fired, and all. The winner of BATTLEBOWL gets a ring next year, so Sting, who won the last BATTLEBOWL, gets a ring this year. That was a serious WTF, I mean, why not just present the ring to the winner of this year's BATTLEBOWL tonight? Anyway, Sting gets his ring and all. As a result of winning last year's BATTLEBOWL, Sting is automatically drawn into a match as part of the Lethal Lottery. And now...we go to Larry Zbybyszszszko and Missy Hyatt, for the first 4 names drawn in the LETHAL LOTTERY. ___________________   The first match is...VAN FUCKING HAMMER and Dangerous Dan Spivey vs. Cactus Jack and Johnny B. Badd.   Wow. I know the Lethal Lottery wasn't legit, but one could believe that it was, with the combinations that get spit out. At the end of the match, Van Hammer's pinning Cactus, but Hammer gets up when Badd comes in, and that causes Badd to elbowdrop Cactus Jack. Cactus then pushes Badd, but gets punched in the face, causing Van Hammer to get the roll-up and 3 count at 6:51. Spivey and Van Hammer are into the final stage of BattleBowl. On a side note, the dubbed entrance music for all the participants is quite catchy. *1/2. On another side note, Badd looks so homosexual that I nearly forgot to mention it in passing. It was like, "yeah, he looked gay." Not even anything more than that. ___________________   The second matchup of the teams drawn by Zbyszko and Hyatt is Dustin Rhodes and Big Van Vader w/Harley Race vs. Kensuke Sasaki and the Barbarian. More weird stuff on the surface, BUT, Dustin Rhodes faced Vader in the King of Cable Semifinals. Something to watch for.   Dustin Rhodes is really over. Really. Anyway, Sasaki's not very well inclined to be doing a match over here. Nobody knew who he was. Barbarian and Vader are stiff as fuck, so this is pretty good stuff, albeit short. Barbarian accidentally runs into Sasaki, who's on the ring apron, so he gets rolled up by Rhodes for 3 at 6:56. I thought for sure that Sasaki would take the fall. Like I said, I try hard not to think about or look for results of the events that get posted on this channel. Something like this show was very easy to forget. Match was **. After the match, Race and Vader attack Dustin. Race gives him a kneedrop, after Vader gives him a clothesline. What nice guys. ___________________   The next result of the draw is Barry Windham and THE GREAT MUTA vs. 2 Cold Scorpio and Flyin' Brian. I love that second team.   Scorpio does a bit of crazy shit throughout, namely a slingshot 450 kneedrop. I shit you not. Muta and Windham are clearly saving some energy for later. Windham gives Scorpio a lifted DDT, and Muta comes off the top rope with a moonsault for the finish at 6:59. **1/4. Short and energetic, which is certainly nothing to complain about. ___________________   The last Lethal Lottery match, obviously featuring Sting...is he and Steve Williams vs. Jushin Lyger and "you had me until right there" Erik Watts.   The main thing I'm sure people (Smues included) want to know about the match was...was the DROPKICK that bad. Yes. Yes it was. Watts kicked his opponent with one foot, in the knee. Not to mention, he looked like he was standing up. I was laughing so hard that I didn't even see who he kicked. I think it was Lyger. Anyway, he gave another dropkick to someone, which looked shitty too, if not as bad. It's really hard to say I've seen a worse dropkick than the famed WATTS DROPKICK. The rest of the match was solid. Watts gave Williams a shitty STF that he sold like death, which really bothered me. So after reaching the ropes, Williams gave Watts a hotshot, to win the match at 9:08. I can't believe anyone would let Bill Watts push his son like that. Awful isn't the best word to describe Erik. It was just as bad watching JUSHIN FUCKING LYGER be his tag partner, and have to make the hot tag to Watts. Honestly, the first three participants I named are 3 of 4 guys who would be in a dream match. I can't rate it too poorly. *3/4, with stars obviously knocked off because of Watts participation. ___________________   So, the final eight who will be in BATTLEBOWL are Dan Spivey, Van Hammer, Big Van Vader, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, the Great Muta, Sting and Steve Williams. ___________________   Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko talk about the upcoming match between The Great Muta and Masahiro Chono for the NWA Title. Well look, here it is! The NWA Title is the Big Gold Belt, FWIW.   Ok, that was dogshit. Bad as it was, I thought it would be like this. The style of the match isn't going to cater to an American fanbase. It was puro-ish. Not only that, but the finishing sequence blew dog dick. Chono won with the STF at 12:49. It seemed much longer than that. Much. It's kinda hard to rate this, because of the way it went. I'll just call it a DUD and leave it at that. If I was able to write a full review, it would sound like this is a great match. It really wasn't. Both were lazy as hell. ___________________   We clip to a WCW Saturday Night...well, clip, that talks about Rick Rude's US Title possibly being stripped as a result of the herniated disk in his back, and the same may be the case for his status as the #1 Contender for the WCW Championship. Rude then comes to ringside during the "live" feed, and says that WCW is conspiring against him. He wound up being stripped of the title and didn't wrestle until April. ___________________   The next match is the match that Rude was scheduled to participate in, for the WCW Title. I'd like to have seen what would've happened had Rude been available for this show. It's Steve Williams vs. Ron Simmons.   Jim Ross has about 20 orgasms during this match while talking about OU and FSU. I wasn't surprised in the least. It's a very strange, long match. Too long. Williams works Simmons over, and given Simmons limitations, it's not as pretty as when Williams does it to better workers. The formula doesn't quite work. Not only that, it's really, really slow. When Simmons does his Hogan-esque charge, he gives Williams a spinebuster, and returns the favor from earlier, with a few chopblocks. Williams did that a few minutes ago, see. Simmons flies through the ropes to the floor, and now they brawl on the outside. Simmons accidentally clotheslines the ringpost, and that leads to a Double Countout at 15:12. Both wrestlers fight after the match, and Williams gives Simmons a face smash to the canvas off the top rope, which causes the referee to change his decision to a DQ win for Ron Simmons. The crowd liked that. They liked Simmons too, which explains why they liked that. Anyway, I thought it was a pretty shitty finish. You can't give your babyface champ a clean win at Starrcade? But this is WCW, so I shouldn't be surprised. *1/2. ___________________   Tony and Larry are on again, talking about the tag title match. See, Barry Windham attacked the champions at Clash XXI, after losing the titles to them while teamed with Dustin Rhodes. Anyway, WCW's tag team scene in 1992 was great. ___________________   So, yeah, the next match is Flyin' Brian and Barry Windham vs. Shane Douglas and Ricky Steamboat for the WCW World Tag Team Titles.   Here's what I noticed during the match, that was only somewhat related to the match itself. The floor is disgusting. Shane Douglas was thrown out of the ring, and when he came back in, his back was blackened with dirt and food crumbs. Gross. For things related to the match...the heat segments were awesome. Really great stuff. Windham and Pillman (mostly Windham) just beat the shit out of Douglas and Steamboat between hot tags. Yes, there were two. First heat segment was with Douglas, and the second with Steamboat. My only complaint is that after the second hot tag, the finish came a bit too quickly. But as far as tag team wrestling goes, it's hard to find many matches better than this. Douglas cleaned house when tagging in, and Steamboat gave Windham a crossbody which put both guys out to the ramp that was connected to the ring in the old WCW days. Then Douglas gave Pillman that belly-to-belly suplex of his, to finish the match at 20:02. This pretty much rocked it. I read somewhere that Scott Keith gave this **1/4. He must've been on drugs. This was an easy ****1/4. Easy. If you like tag team wrestling, it's worth looking for this match. Douglas really could take a beating then. ___________________   Prior to Big Van Vader w/Harley Race vs. Sting in the King of Cable Final, we get a clip of Sting attacking Vader at one of the WCW TV shows. Probably WCW Saturday Night.   This is another fantastic match. There are many great spots, and I'll name all of them. Sting gives Vader a german suplex, putting Vader on his head. That was worth a YO. After that, he clotheslines Vader over the top rope, which knocks Vader's mask off. Then, Sting comes back into the ring quickly, and pescado's onto both Vader and Race. That's certainly not the last of the WOW spots. Sting places Vader on the top later, and gives him a DDT from up there. Not Randy Orton style, I mean he followed him up there and gave him a DDT. That was great. Moving on, Vader's standing at the guardrail, and Sting tries a STINGER SPLASH. Unfortunately, he misses, and now Vader goes to work. I've gotta say, Ross' commentary throughout the match is fantastic. I can't quote it, because it doesn't give off the same vibe as the desperate situation he describes the match to be. Vader's giving Sting a real beating now. Vader's giving Sting rights and lefts, but Sting's doing the rope-a-dope strategy, much like Ross says. Vader tries for a superplex later, but he gets pushed off by Sting. Because Sting's so beaten up, he falls off too. Sting then gives Vader a huge samoan drop, and gets a splash off the top rope for 2. Vader then returns the favor with a chokeslam after Race distracts Sting, and gives him a big splash from the top. Vader goes for another, but Sting pops up, and gives him a powerslam in mid-move, for the win at 16:50. Sting's the KING OF CABLE. ****1/2. That's probably one of my favorite matches. It would've been better had Vader been in full-on WHO'S THE MAN mode, but he wasn't, yet. Everything about the match was great. ___________________   Now it's time for BATTLEBOWL. Ok, Tony talked to Paul Hornung before the event...and during the conversation, he said this PPV was on Monday, the 28th of December. MONDAY? What the hell?   The eight participants in BATTLEBOWL are Dan Spivey, Van Hammer, Big Van Vader, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, the Great Muta, Sting and Steve Williams.   Unfortunately, I couldn't keep times, and wikipedia didn't keep elimination times either, so I don't have them. I only have the order of elimination. Before the match, Vader attacked Sting on the entrance ramp. Heh. Sting's then on the ropes, and Vader charges into the ring, taking Sting with him. Van Hammer gets thrown out by Steve Williams, as Dustin Rhodes bulldogs Barry Windham on the ramp. Yeah, that broke something of Windham's, as you could see when he was bleeding later in the match. Sting puts Spivey out, and then, Vader charges into Sting, knocking both he and Sting out. They fight to the back or something, but I was surprised by Windham's blood, so I didn't notice it. The final four are Rhodes, Windham, Muta and Williams. Dustin and Barry beat the crap out of each other, until Williams knocks himself and Rhodes over the top rope. So it's the partners from earlier, Windham and Muta. The crowd liked that. Windham gives Muta a superplex, and then dropkicks Muta over the top. Windham's celebrating, BUT, Muta skins the cat back in, and gives Windham two dropkicks to send him out of the ring. The Great Muta is the winner of BATTLEBOWL. And that's the end of the show, too. 6/10 for a less than spectacular battle royal. ___________________   Rating: Good. It's a must watch show because of the two FANTASTIC matches, but the retardedness of BattleBowl isn't something I would have paid the PPV amount for. When reviewing these, I try to think of the overall rating from the mindset of what I would have thought had I paid the full price for the PPV. I may not have even bought it because of BattleBowl. That's a bad thing. I know I wouldn't have bought BattleBowl '93, although I really want to see it now. Nostalgia factor, and all.   Best Segment: Vader vs. Sting in the King of Cable Final. It was awesome.   Worst Segment: Uh, outside of Erik Watts' dropkick, it has to be Muta vs. Chono. It was awful.   Loudest Sound: Dustin Rhodes, Cactus Jack, Sting, and Vader.   No Sound: Masa Chono, Dan Spivey and Van Hammer, Erik Watts, and Kensuke Sasaki. ___________________   I'll be typing up the Bash at the Beach review in a few days. I'm not promising anything, but if I'm able, I'll post thoughts and not a review about the other shows that are on 24/7 this week.
Guest

Guest

13
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Slamboree 2000, from Kansas City, Missouri; 5/7/2000.

The Millionaire's Club arrives in a bus...while the New Blood watches them on TV. That's how we begin our show! ___________________   Our first matchup is The Artist w/Paisley vs. Chris Candido w/Sunny for the Cruiserweight Championship. Her WCW name isn't Sunny, but I call her that anyway.   Blow-by-Blow: Mark Madden calls the two managers "hot tramps." I lol'd. Artist starts the match with a shoulderblock, but Candido responds with a forward roll for 2. An Artist german suplex gets 2, so Artist takes Candido to the corner for a 10 punch. Candido breaks free, but he misses a charge to the corner and gets backdropped to the floor. Artist hits Candido on a Candido plancha attempt, but Candido comes right back and rams him into the entrance ramp which is connected to the ring, in old-school WCW fashion. Candido tries a piledriver on the entrance ramp, but Artist gives him a backdrop for a two count. In with a hurricanrana, but Candido takes him down sloppily for a two count. Artist gets tossed out of the ring, but he suplexes Candido from the inside to the outside, bringing Chris with him. Candido lowblows Artist on the inside, but The Artist gives him a powerbomb, before going up to the second rope. Candido catches him on the way down and places him on top, but he can't give him a frankensteiner. An Artist flying schoolboy gets a two count, as he gives Candido a backdrop to follow. Candido pokes Artist in the eye, before slamming him and heading up top. Artist stops any planned move, and gives him a SAMOAN DROP OFF THE 2ND ROPE. Sunny distracts so that we don't have a pinfall, so Paisley runs over and pulls Sunny down to the ground. Sunny gets up though and hits the Artist with a chair, for the three count. Uh, why did Artist kick out? The match continues, with a Candido piledriver. A flying headbutt off the top gets the three count at 7:57. Weird. The women fight, and Sunny's dress comes off. Yay!   Match Analysis: Sorta better than I expected, because as has been stated, I don't like Iaukea. He probably wasn't supposed to kick out at the end, but the match was still quite good. Quite! Well, a good eight minute match. Who really can complain, we're talking about WCW 2000 here. **. ___________________   After a video for Terry Funk, we've got a hardcore handicap match, between Norman Smiley and his mystery partner, who are facing Terry Funk, for the Hardcore Title. Figured this was going to be Terry Time.   Blow-by-Blow: Norman attacks Funk as his mystery partner is hiding in the bathroom (wearing Kansas City Royals catcher's equipment), and we're underway. Norman hits Funk a whole bunch of times with a trash can, getting a two count. Funk rams Norman into Mean Gene's interview set (oh yeah, they're backstage. Thought that was a duh.), before hitting Norman's mystery partner with a chair. The partner has not yet been revealed, because they're wearing a mask in addition to a catcher's mask. Norman climbs up along with Funk onto this pile of artificial turf, but Funk kicks him off, putting Norman through a table. Funk smashes Norman into an equipment cart, then hits him with a road block sign. Ha, Road Block! Funk hits the partner, and we move towards the arena. Funk hits Norman with a laptop, and now, we see who the mystery partner is...it's RALPHUS! YES! Oh wait, his BUTT is hanging out. NO! Oh no. Everyone's laughing, as Norman hits Funk with a ladder. Norman then hits Funk with a chair, for a two count. Norman tosses the ladder at Funk, and gives him the BIG WIGGLE! Ralphus does the same as his ass is hanging out, but Funk hits the both of them with a chair. Funk wins with a rollup on Norman, at 10:03.   Match Analysis: Certainly bad, but highly entertaining. I mean, we're talkin' about Ralphus. RALPHUS! If you didn't get some sort of enjoyment out of this, I kinda feel for you. Anyway, I'll rate the match *1/2. It wasn't too bad. ___________________   After David Arquette shows up, Mean Gene interviews Arquette, and Arquette says that he arrived by himself because he's not with the Millionaire's Club.   Moving on, we've got Curt Hennig facing Shawn Stasiak.   Blow-by-Blow: Stasiak comes out to a Mr. Perfect music ripoff. He's the perfect one, you see. Stasiak starts with an armdrag and a hiptoss, but Hennig gives him a hiptoss as well, before slamming him. That causes Stasiak to bail, and when he comes back in, he applies a headlock. Hennig reverses to a wristlock, do those last 9 words again, and Stasiak gives Hennig a crossbody for 2. Stasiak sunset flips in for one, but Hennig slaps him, to gain control. Hennig gives Stasiak a kneelift, as we see that Misfits in Action are sitting at ringside. Oh joy! Stasiak rams Hennig into the announce table, cause we're brawlin'. I'm surprised this match isn't over the rights to the Perfect name. After all, we're talking about Russo here. Stasiak goes up top, and clotheslines Hennig inside of the ring for a two count. He tosses Hennig outside onto the entrance ramp, but Hennig tries a slam, before bringing him in. No slam, and Stasiak pushes him in. Stasiak gives Hennig a sleeper, and when Hennig breaks out, Stasiak pulls him to the canvas by his hair. Up top, Stasiak misses a crossbody, and now Hennig takes over. Slaps, chops, backdrops, big right hands...but Stasiak slingshots Hennig into the ring post. A Perfect-Plex gives STASIAK the pinfall victory, at 7:55. Hah.   Match Analysis: This was just dumb, I'm sorry. I really don't like that Stasiak went over, but I saw it coming. You know, that whole Russo philosophy of "putting over young guys at any time possible, fuck the old guys and make them lose all the time." I hate Russo. Oh, I nearly forgot. Match rating. *1/4. While Hennig was used up at this point, you should be able to have a semi-decent match with him. Stasiak could not. ___________________   After Vince Russo is told by Scott Steiner not to touch him, we move forward to General Rection vs. Scott Steiner w/His Freaks for the United States Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: Steiner jaws with the fans a bit, before heading into the ring and chomping away at Hugh E. Rection. Rection gives Steiner a clothesline, then the Freaks get on the apron to distract, allowing Steiner to take over. Steiner follows with a scoop slam attempt, but Rection reverses it into an inverted atomic drop and gives Steiner an inverted atomic drop and spinning heel kick for two. After a sidewalk slam, Rection goes up top, and comes down with an elbowdrop. Back up, and the Freaks crotch him. Ouchie. Steiner gives Rection a clothesline and elbow, before grabbing the referee like a nutcase. You know, he's teasing this roid rage thing. Kinda funny. A t-bone suplex and spinning belly-to-belly suplex get a two count, before telling the referee that he sucks. Steiner whips Rection into the buckle, but he misses a charge, which causes Rection to give Steiner two avalanches. Steiner responds with a clothesline and double-underhook powerbomb, before going for a...TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER? Weird. Anyway, Rection finds his way out of the hold, and responds with an inverted piledriver of his own! To the top, but he misses the moonsault, which is now called Raging Climax. Seriously now, I mean, come the fuck on. STEINER RECLINER, and Rection taps out at 9:20. R&B Security keeps MIA from running in the ring, but that doesn't stop BOOKER T. He's in, HARLEM SIDEKICK on Steiner, which causes Big Poppa Pump to leave. Match Analysis: I liked the run-in at the end. As far as the match, it was just okay, and really, just a long squash. I hated everything about the M.I.A angle, but this match was okay. Could've been much, much worse, and to be truthful, I'm glad that the usual Russo garbage has been sorta kept to a minimum. **. ___________________   Mean Gene is with Kanyon, who's taking on Mike Awesome, right now!   Blow-by-Blow: A Kanyon shoulderblock doesn't do a thing, but a clothesline sure does. Kanyon misses a charge to the corner, knocking him to the outside, so Awesome flies out with a TOPE. After getting rammed into the steps, Kanyon rams Awesome into the post, and somersaults off the ring apron onto Awesome. We go back in, and after Awesome drops Kanyon throat-first on the top rope, Awesome gives him a clothesline off the top for a 2 count. Awesome hits Kanyon with a chair on the outside, a whole bunch. After ramming Kanyon into the table, he hits him with a water bottle and a chair. After they fight in the crowd, Awesome chokes Kanyon with a television cable, and sends him in the ring for a slingshot splash, which gets a two count. Kanyon tries a sunset flip in an attempt for some sort of offense, but Awesome gives him a clothesline, before tossing him to the outside. Chairshot, back in, and Kanyon crotches him on top. A Kanyon neckbreaker off the top gets two, and a regular neckbreaker does the same. Kanyon comes off the top with a crossbody, but Awesome rolls through for two. Kanyon flapjacks Awesome from fireman's carry position, but that only gets two as well. Awesome responds with a spinebuster, and then, he powerbombs Kanyon ON HIS HEAD. YO. Awesome peels the padding off the floor at ringside, and looks to powerbomb Kanyon out of the ring. Instead, he gives Kanyon a release german suplex. Awesome goes to the other side of the ring, peels off more padding, and looks to powerbomb Kanyon OFF THE RAMP. The Wolfpac music hits...it's BIG KEV! Nash beats on Awesome, which brings Kidman and a whole bunch of dudes out, leading to a no contest at 11:39. The Millionaire's Club follows, and we've got a big brawl, which they get the best of.   Match Analysis: I liked the Millionaire's Club. So, I'm glad they ran out there and kicked some ass. I think my reasons for liking the Millionaire's Club are obvious, being that I like old, washed up wrestlers. Anyway, the match was pretty fantastic, for WCW. Easy ***. You know, that Mike Awesome guy should've been a World Champion. What a great performer he was. ___________________   After Russo argues with Elizabeth, we have The Total Package vs. Buff Bagwell.   Blow-by-Blow: Obviously the Package is Lex Luger. I didn't even need to mention that. Lex looks funny with short hair, I should add. We start with a ton of posing, then a few punches from Buff. Buff chokes away, and gives Luger a back elbow for two. After a Luger suplex, he gives Buff two inverted atomic drops, and a big right hand to put him down to the canvas. Luger tries a ten punch, but instead, he gives Buff a clothesline. He rams Buff into the guardrail, before bringing him back in, only to be dropped on the top rope. A Buff DDT gets two, and we go to the chinlock. Both men collide, and Buff gets up first, to give Luger a bodyslam and splash for two. Buff gets his nuts crunched when trying to jump on Luger's back, and we go to a clip in the back, where Elizabeth hits Russo in the back with his bat. Oh Lord. Here she is at ringside, as Luger's a house of fire. Clotheslines and a powerslam, but Buff ends it with a clothesline. Liz tries to hit Buff with the bat, but Buff hits Luger with it. After a Buff neckbreaker, he goes to the second rope, where Liz hits him with the bat. TORTURE RACK, and it's over at 9:31. Chuck Palumbo attacks Luger after the match, and after a Buff reverse DDT, Chuck puts him in the RACK. Then, Buff takes Liz away from Luger. Ha, what the fuck. It just gets worse later, believe me. Match Analysis: This was a bad idea. Match was *1/4. Sorry, but you can't just have NU BLOOD run in and attack an established star. That shit was not going to work in WCW's, um, atmosphere. ___________________   After Mean Gene interviews the FRANCHISE, we get that sorry sap's match, cause he's facing THE MAN, THE LEGEND, THE NATURE BOY, RIC FLAIR!   Blow-by-Blow: What's with guys not wearing their ring gear? I don't understand that shit at all, and I never will. Unless you get attacked in the back, impromptu, or something. Flair cuts a promo in the ring, and says he'll kick Shane's ECW ASS. I'll believe it when I see it. Shane gives Flair a shoulderblock, and a backdrop, before going for a ten punch at the corner. Douglas misses a charge, but he slams Flair down when Flair goes up top for a leap of faith. FIGURE-FOUR from Douglas, but Flair makes the rope. After Douglas kicks Flair in the crotch, he tries another figure-four, but Flair responds with a lowblow of his own. Flair whips Douglas into the guardrail, and rams him into the post. Good. Back in, and after a Douglas suplex, Douglas grabs a chain from his boot, and nails Flair in the head with it. Three rolling suplexes follow, but the cover only gets two. Why not cover after the chainshot? That's just dumb. After trading blows and Flair getting the best of it, Flair begins to work on the leg. You know what for. He gives Douglas a nut-kick, chopblock and kneebreaker, before applying the figure-four. Buff Bagwell is running distraction as some moron in a Sting mask is hitting Ric Flair with the bat...and Douglas gets the pinfall win at 8:45. That moron being Vince Russo. Shane hits Flair in the nuts with his chain, and when Russo and Douglas leave, Flair calls Russo out. Luger makes Russo get back in the ring, but wait a second, Russo comes down the ramp. Oh, I know what's going on. I'm not that big of a fuckin' idiot, I knew all along. I just forgot who was under the mask...it's DAVID FLAIR. Gimme a fucking break. He's beating on his father as the five minutes begin, and does so until Kevin Nash runs out and beats up the real Russo. Daffney jumps on his back, and that helps things to cool down soon after.   Match Analysis: You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me with this crap. I half-thought that Nash was going to run out and help with the attack on Flair. You have to expect that kind of dumb shit when you're dealing with the genius that is Vince Russo. Oh, and the match was shit. I thought about writing a long spiel about how Meltzer was a little bit out to lunch for rating this ***, but I decided not to. Instead, I'll talk about how much I hate this version of the Franchise. It's almost like he forgot how to wrestle when he left ECW. And now that he can't curse to his heart's content in WCW, he doesn't have any redeeming qualities. His in-ring work sucks, he has no heat, he can't talk worth a shit, and he (everyone else too, which bothers me in regards to Russo WCW) cheats all the fucking time. Just go the fuck away. Thank God he decided to become a manager at Target. I'd rather watch Tank Abbott wrestle than watch the 2000 version of Shane Douglas. I'll stick to the 1992 version, thank you very much. That guy was carryable, not a Dynamic Dude, and over. Who would've thought. I'm going to rate the match 1/2*. Such an abortion of a segment that I feel like giving the whole thing negative stars, but really, I can't. I already took off enough.   Whew, now that's over... ___________________   Sting vs. Vampiro is on...   Blow-by-Blow: This angle is so bad, just, ugh. Sting hits Vampiro with the bat at the start as they fight on the ramp, and after a Sting suplex and inverted atomic drop, he sends Vampiro into the ring. Sting gives Vampiro a missile dropkick, which knocks him out for a Sting dive off the top turnbuckle. Sting gives Vampiro a DDT on the floor, before bringing him in, only to be given a lowblow. Vampiro comes off the top with a clothesline, before grabbing a LEAD PIPE and hitting Sting with it. After a kneedrop, he goes back to the pipe, and does a facebuster on the entrance ramp. After a Vampiro spin kick, he clotheslines Sting into the ring. Sting replies with a lowblow, and powerbombs him off the top rope. Lead pipe, STINGER SPLASH...and two SCORPION DEATHDROPS, is what picks up the pinfall victory at 6:50. After the match, Sting hits Vampiro with the lead pipe...guess this feud is over. HA, or not.   Match Analysis: *1/2. Not good, not bad. But there's really nothing about this to talk about. ___________________   Mike Tenay is with DDP and David Arquette, going over their gameplan for later. After we see Nash looking for Russo, Tenay interviews Billy Kidman and Eric Bischoff.   Hulk Hogan w/Horace Hogan (during the entrance) is facing Billy Kidman w/Torrie Wilson, and Eric Bischoff is the special guest referee. And this is a hardcore match.   Blow-by-Blow: Hogan's wearing the F.U.N.B vest. Lolz. Hogan chases Kidman around the ring and tries a bodyslam when they get back in, but Kidman creadles him for a two count. When Kidman tries a sunset flip, Hogan picks him up, choke tosses him, and clotheslines him to the floor. Hogan brings Kidman in and press slams him onto a folding chair, but misses a charge at the corner. After a Kidman hurricanrana (which I was surprised to see Hogan take quite well), he follows it up with a dropkick. Back tot he outside, where Hogan tosses Kidman into the guardrail. A Kidman forearm puts Hogan down, but Hogan comes back with a clothesline, before taking off the weightlifting belt. Hits Kidman in the back a whole bunch, and after Bischoff takes it away, Kidman grabs it and goes to town on Hogan. Hogan hiptosses Kidman to the floor after a reversal sequence, but when he brings Kidman back in, Bischoff won't count the fall. Bischoff also won't count the fall after a Hogan back suplex, so Hogan misses a few elbowdrops. Now Kidman should get control. BUT, after a few Kidman punches, guess who Hulks up? Big boot, but Bischoff blocks the legdrop. So Hogan punches him. After Hogan drops the leg, Bischoff grabs a chair, which Hogan takes. Hogan hits both Bischoff and Kidman with the chair, and goes out to get a table. Kidman hits Hogan all over with a chair, but the cover only gets two. Hogan's bleeding, but he still boots the chair into Kidman's face. Hogan POWERBOMBS Bischoff through the table, before going to get another one. After it's set up, Kidman hits Hogan with a chair, before heading up top. He goes for a splash...but slams through the table on the way down. Horace goes over and makes Bischoff count the pinfall, which takes place at 13:36.   Match Analysis: Quite enjoyable! I liked how things weren't formula for a Hogan match, at all. Did I just throw Russo a bone? Yeah, I kinda did. Good job for all involved. I'll rate it **3/4. ___________________   Vince Russo leaves, but first, he gives Elizabeth back to Luger. See what I'm talking about, that doesn't make any fuckin' sense whatsoever. He went through all that trouble to get her back, and just handed her to the person she was taken from. Man oh man.   After a video and interview with Jeff Jarrett, we have Jeff Jarrett vs. Diamond Dallas Page vs. David Arquette in a Triple Cage Match for the WCW Heavyweight Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: The top cage is full of guitars, the second cage from the top is filled with PLUNDAH, and in the first cage, you have to climb a ladder to get to the second one. The belt hangs from the ceiling. Was that a good explanation? Arquette and DDP have a plan that Arquette's supposed to hang around on the side. Jarrett chases Arquette around the ring to start, but DDP rams Jarrett into the cage. Jarrett gives Page a DDT and chases Arquette again, but DDP gives Jarrett a clothesline to end it. In the ring, DDP gives Jarrett a uranage. Arquette tries to splash Jarrett from the top, but he misses. I was really surprised to see Arquette do that. After DDP rams Jarrett into the cage, Jarrett dropkicks the ladder into DDP. That's smart. DDP tries to ram Jarrett's nuts into the ringpost, but Jarrett turns the tables and rams DDP's face into said post. Page sets the ladder up as Jarrett's bleeding, so DDP takes Jarrett out for a few more shots into the cage. Jarrett back suplexes DDP off the ladder as both try to escape, and after DDP's able to push Jarrett from the ladder onto the entrance ramp, DDP makes it to Cage #2!   Page cut the lock to exit the second cage, but Jarrett arrived and kept him from leaving. Jarrett hits Page with a chair, and tries to go to the third level. He can't. Jarrett breaks a tray over Page's head, but Page responds by hitting him with a trash can. Both knock over one of the walls in Cage #2, leaving an open walkway to the outside. They could've both fell into the crowd, there. Page slams Jarrett through a table, and oh yeah, both guys are bleeding now. Arquette runs up to the third level, apparently to guard the title from intereference or a Jarrett victory. Mike Awesome shows up and attacks Page, but Page gives him a DIAMOND CUTTER.   Jarrett and Page finally make it into guitar heaven, otherwise known as Cage #3. Both of them miss multiple guitar shots, leaving Arquette the only one with a guitar. So both make their climb toward the top and the belt. Page is almost there, but Arquette waffles Page with the guitar, allowing Jarrett to grab the title and become two time WCW Champion. Awesome gets up now, to attack Page, but Kanyon makes the save. So Awesome throws him off the second cage to the ramp below, in the same arena where Owen Hart died, after a big fall. Stay classy, WCW. Don't ever change. End of the show.   Match Analysis: Anyone who didn't see that coming when watching the show live should slap themselves. Both things. I was pleasantly surprised in regards to the match. I thought it was pretty damn good. My favorite part was the frequent missed guitar shots in Cage #3. In such a small space, it's pretty damn hard to miss that many guitar shots. I'd kinda like if WWE were to one day revive this match. It's fun! We'll go with ***1/4 as the rating. I don't feel like getting all hissy about the swerve and Kanyon's fall to the floor. ___________________ Rating: The show was bad, there's just no way around it. It doesn't even matter that there were a few good decisions, some of the booking just boggled my mind. Too many swerves.   Best Segment: I liked Awesome vs. Kanyon, myself. While there was a better match on this show, I preferred this, given that there were no SWERVES.   Worst Segment: David Flair hitting Ric Flair. Good God. ___________________   Judgment Day 2004 review should be up sometime soon.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, from Birmingham, Alabama; 8/15/1997.

Sorry I couldn't do the Boston show. I was too wrapped up in NHL free agency and couldn't find time to do it before it went off. We're gonna separate the Nitro and RAW reviews again. ___________________   Comments from Raven open the show. Guess what sort of things he says. Not a very typical WCW open, mind. ___________________ Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline vs. Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell w/Vincent is going to be our first match.   - Jackie shows up with the Heat during Nitro for the first time. I really like the Southern crowds that ooo every move. You know what I'm talkin' about. Booker's in, and he's a house of fire. Vincent interferes, that gives Harlem Heat the win by DQ at 4:36. Booker beats all of them up. All. *3/4. Nice way to give Booker a short little push there. ___________________ Next up, we've got the Barbarian facing Mortis w/James Vandenberg.   - LOL. Just a funny match. Mortis has a great moveset, as you all know. Not near as heated as the last match, but Barbarian wins with a big boot at 2:22. Weird time. Anyway, Wrath comes out and gives Barb the DEATH PENALTY. OMG. Then Meng runs out and puts the GRIP on Wrath until Wrath and Mortis gather themselves and leave. *1/4. ___________________   Eric Bischoff comes out, and says that he wants everyone to come to the NWO Birthday Party at Clash XXXV this Thursday. I already covered that. Bischoff says that a restraining order was given to Larry Z as well. I did not know this.   Curt Hennig and Ric Flair then have an interview with Mean Gene, in which they talk about the Clash. Hennig still is not a Horseman. ___________________   Stevie Richards vs. Scotty Riggs will be Richards first match on Nitro...   - Knowing what will happen to both, this is funny! Somewhat lengthy for this sort of match, and unfortunately, it wasn't anything special. STEVIEKICK finishes Riggs at 5:13, then Raven comes through the crowd and gives Richards a DDT. Raven got a huge babyface reaction. HUGE. *. ___________________   Jeff Jarrett and Eddie Guerrero talked with Mean Gene...Alex Wright apparently wants to join their group. But Debra says that he needs a title first. Okay. They cut out Jarrett and Guerrero vs. Benoit and Mongo, I believe.   Paid announcement by the NWO... ___________________   Hour #2 begins with an Outsiders promo. They talk about how everyone came to see the NWO, that this is NWO Country and that stuff. Luger and Page will face them tonight, I don't think they care. ___________________   Syxx vs. Ric Flair is now.   - They were talking earlier about this being Konnan vs. Ric Flair. Suppose not.   - Competitive, but you can see that Flair is just not feeling it tonight. Syxx misses the BRONCOBUSTER, so Flair beats him up. FIGURE-FOUR time, but the B-Team comes in and beats Flair up until Hennig runs out for the save. 5:46 the time, Flair wins by DQ. **. ___________________   JJ Dillon and Gene Okerlund talk about the referee situation from Road Wild...then Randy Anderson and Nick Patrick argue and I don't care at all. ___________________   LA PARKA w/Sonny Onoo vs. Ultimo Dragon is for the TV Title...   - Dragon with the plancha! Good action, of course. Onoo kicks Dragon a bunch on the outside, but Dragon gives La Parka a frankensteiner, prior to applying the DRAGON SLEEPER. Onoo distracts the Dragon, but accidentally knees La Parka in the back, allowing the DRAGON SLEEPER to be locked in, for the submission at 4:08. Dragon retains. **1/2, for much fun. ___________________   Curt Hennig is going to face The Giant.   - The green lighting during the Giant's entrance makes him look pretty funny. Why they would job Hennig here I have no idea.   - Bischoff comes out, and says that the Giant's violating the restraining order. Now this makes sense. Doug Dillinger says that the Giant doesn't have to get back, but the Giant walks over and gets counted out at 3:43. He then stares down Bischoff, and Bischoff turns around, but...Larry Z is in his way. Oh man. Bischoff tries to run into the crowd, can't make it, and they both chase him to the back. 1/2* for the match. ___________________   Mean Gene is with JJ Dillon, who says that he isn't sure Sting wants to be a part of WCW anymore. Sting needs to step up his effort, and he has until the Clash to say something. Sting comes down, puts hands on Dillon, and points to some signs. You know what signs. Then he grabs a sign that says Hulk vs. Sting. Oh yeah!   After a paid announcement from the NWO... ___________________   Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger are facing The Outsiders for the WCW Tag Team Championships.   - Toothpick on Luger is LOL worthy, as always. Nash wants to fight Page, and he's got Page. Very heated match we have here...Page is the face in peril, btw. I don't understand how the match at the Clash is supposed to draw ratings when you've got this main on Nitro...   - Glad we got a REAL main event tonight. After drawing the big tag out as long as possible, Luger tags in at the 13 minute mark. Crowd went batshit, but as soon as Luger enters, the NWO interferes, at 13:41. Made perfect sense. For three quarters of a match, I can only go with **1/4, but with a good ending sequence and finish, would've been three stars easy. Anyway, the NWO beats up Luger and Page, until Ric Flair and the Giant run down and even things up. They kick ass, too, as the babyfaces regain the advantage. And that should've been your WCW WarGames team right there, facing Syxx, Nash, Hall, and Savage. But then you have the problem of filling out a terrible midcard, and Hogan wasn't showing up. So, NAW. ___________________ Rating: Good. I thought the main was pretty fun, and the angles were somewhat enjoyable.   Best Segment: Whole main event thing.   Worst Segment: Bischoff's waste of time promo inviting everyone to the NWO Birthday Party. Okay. ___________________   RAW from the same week will be next.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, 4/7/97, from Huntsville, Alabama.

It's the greatest night in the history of our sport! ___________________   First up, as usual, WCW shows the ending of the PPV which took place on the day before Nitro, when it applies. At Spring Stampede, Randy Savage wanted to slap Kimberly, but wound up doing that to Eric Bischoff instead. After a bit of still photos from the DDP/Savage match the night before, we begin the action with   Alex Wright and Psychosis vs. Hugh Morrus and Konnan.   Alex avoids Morrus' wild punches, and Morrus does the same when Wright attempts a springboard moonsault. A leg lariat by Wright gets a 1 count, and Psychosis tags in. Konnan tags in, and gives Psychosis a running clothesline. Psychosis gets a superkick and flying headscissor, then a spinning heel kick from the top rope. He goes up again, and corkscrew moonsaults onto Morrus, who's out on the floor. We go to a split screen view, and DDP has arrived at the arena. Konnan gets a powerbomb for 2 on Psychosis, and Morrus comes in and powerslams Psychosis. He goes up to the 2nd rope and misses an elbowdrop, finally, Alex Wright tags in. A missile dropkick by Wright follows, and a dropkick comes after that. He armdrags Morrus, and goes up top for a crossbody, which gets 2. Morrus gives him a swinging neckbreaker out of nowhere, and goes up for No Laughing Matter, which gets his team the victory at 5:04. **, decent opener. ___________________   Right out of the commercial break, we have Lord Steven Regal vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. Sounds good.   The bell rings almost immediately, so Regal gives Mysterio a stiff European uppercut. He waves to the crowd, then gives Mysterio a flapjack. Regal's arrogance is amusing, to say the least. He drops Mysterio on the guardrail from a fireman's carry position, and we go to a FULLSCREEN shot of Hogan arriving. He's so special, he can't just have half the screen. He has to be on the whole thing. Back to the match, and Regal's choking Rey with his boot. Regal goes for an underhook powerbomb, but Rey armdrags him in the middle of the move. A springboard dropkick by Rey puts Regal out of the ring, and as Regal comes into back into the ring off the top rope, Mysterio gives him a flying headscissor. Neat. Rey's springboard hurricanrana gets a 2 count, and Regal gives him a reverse suplex. Now there's a move I haven't seen in a long time. The Regal Stretch is applied, and once Rey reaches the ropes, Regal won't break the hold. Needless to say, Regal gets DQ'd, at 4:33. Prince Iaukea runs to the ring and tries to attack Regal, and HE gets put in the Regal Stretch. Regal keeps the hold applied for a long time, until a couple referees make him break it. **.   The rest of the NWO arrives, namely Savage, Kevin Nash, Fake Sting, Syxx, Elizabeth and Buff Bagwell. Teasing tension, I see. ___________________   After a break, we're treated to the presence of Dennis Rodman, at the premiere of the movie, Double Team. Rodman looks really gay right here.   Chris Benoit v. Ice Train. I'll say this, once Benoit's career gets out of the point where he's squashing people on Nitro, and to the point where he's facing important wrestlers, his matches should be shown. But stuff like this, I don't care.   Now, we have Kevin Sullivan w/Jacqueline and Jimmy Hart facing Hector Guerrero. Sullivan beats the shit out of Hector over the whole match, and Jacqueline does too. Sullivan stomps on Hector, which finishes the match at 2:48. 1/2* for Jacqueline's involvement. ___________________   The NWO makes their way down to the ring, but they're separated in two groups. Fake Sting is the only one that switched groups from before, it's Hogan, DiBiase, fake Sting, Bischoff and Vincent, and the rest are the ones that arrived with Savage and Nash. Mostly the B-teamers. Billionaire Ted has the mic, and says if you're in the NWO, you're in 4 LIFE. There shouldn't be any problems, he says. To save space, Hogan wonders where Scott Hall is, Nash says Hall is NWO 4 LIFE; Savage and Bischoff bury the hatchet, in regards to their problems at Spring Stampede, and that's the end of the segment. Ghey. ___________________   It's HOUR #2~!!!~!~!~!~!~!~! That means Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan replace Larry Zbyszko at the commentary table, see.   Mean Gene invites Ric Flair out to join him, both Flair and Roddy Piper are ready to fight the NWO, and they'll do it at Slamboree, with Kevin Greene as their partner. WCW PPV's were so weaksauce. Hogan didn't have a PPV match from Uncensored to Bash at the Beach. That's 3 PPV's without the champion wrestling, and since the title wasn't defended from Superbrawl to Road Wild, 5 PPV's without a title defense. Lame. ___________________   In a US Title match, the challenger, Chris Jericho will take on the champion, Dean Malenko. A precursor to what would become just a year later, for sure.   The opening sequence is sweet, not too sweet, just sweet. Dean tries a hiptoss but can't get it, but his rollup gets 2. Jericho gets an enziguri and spinning heel kick, which puts Dean on the ring apron. Jericho springboards out with a crossbody, and on the inside, gives Dean a missile dropkick. Jericho backslides Malenko for 2, but afterward, Malenko gives him a powerbomb. That's what I'm TALKIN' ABOUT. He goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Jericho grabs the bottom rope. Jericho misses a charge to the corner, but gets a superplex. Dean rams Jericho's head into the ringpost, and then kicks him in the face, as Jericho sells a "broken nose." Dean pins him and retains his title, at 3:00. Strange finish, but these two did really well with the time they were given. *3/4. ___________________   The Public Enemy vs. High Voltage is next, and this match is a revenge match, as a result of what happened two weeks ago. If you want to see, look HERE.   Both teams brawl, and the Public Enemy get the best of it after a double backdrop and double suplex. Rage pulls down the top rope, which puts Rocco Rock out of the ring, but Rocco comes back in quickly, and gets shoulderblocked for a 2 count. Kaos tags in, and Rocco gives him a swinging neckbreaker. Not-so-hot tag Grunge, so Grunge clotheslines everyone, then slams Rage. It's TABLE TIME, but Grunge misses a splash of Kaos, as Kaos gets out of the way. Grunge pretty much flew through that table. Rage gives Rocco a northern lights suplex, which finishes the bout at 3:06! Wow. High Voltage beat them twice. That's a surprise. *, after the bout, the Public Enemy say that they want to face High Voltage in a Philadelphia Streetfight next week. Unfortunately, we won't see it, as Nitro and RAW are going to be skipped. The Public Enemy are "going to take it to...the EXTREME." If I were Paul Heyman, I would have used that as an opportunity to get some cash out of Ted Turner.   After the commercial break, we see that Prince Iaukea's ribs are hurt. He still has to defend the Television Title! ___________________   Harlem Heat w/Sister Sherri are supposed to face Jeff Jarrett and Mongo McMichael w/Debra, but Mongo isn't there. HANDICAP MATCH.   Booker gives Jarrett a shoulderblock, and Jarrett comes back with an armdrag and hiptoss. Stevie Ray comes in to stop that, and chokes Jarrett. He gives Jarrett a falldown slam, and once Jarrett gets up, he dropkicks both men, then does that gay dance of his. Booker gives Jarrett a Harlem Sidekick, and since it occured to me at that point of the match...was there anyone on this planet that thought Jarrett and Booker would become WCW Champions? By that, I mean, in 1997, could anyone believe that would occur? I know, since it was WCW post-1998 it doesn't really count, but still. Stevie comes in with a legdrop, and gets a 2 count. A Booker forearm gets 2, and a scoop slam follows. Booker gives Jarrett a scissor kick, but no SPINAROONIE! and tags Stevie in. Stevie gives Jarrett an axe kick, but only gets 2. A Jarrett small package gets 2, and Harlem Heat give him a double suplex for his trouble. Sherri punches Jarrett a few times, then Booker crotches himself on the top rope after a Harlem Sidekick attempt. Stevie comes in and suplexes Jarrett, then Mongo grants us with his presence. What a swell fellow. He tags in and chopblocks Harlem Heat. Mongo shows us how great of a man he is, by tagging Jarrett into the match as Jarrett's out of gas. Booker gives Jarrett a Harlem Sidekick, and gets the 3 count, at 9:02. 3/4*, wasn't very good.   Gene Okerlund interviews Mongo, at which point Mongo rambles about a whole lot of nothing, pretty much stating that he's out for himself. Like I said, he's a great guy. ___________________   On The Road with Lee Marshall. Gay.   Anyway, here's the TV Title match, The Ultimate (they were still calling him this) Dragon w/Sonny Onoo vs. the champ, Prince Iaukea.   Iaukea gets a small package for 2, as that's pretty much all he can do. Remember, his ribs. A backslide gets two, then Dragon kicks him in the ribs a whole bunch. He slams Iaukea and goes up top, but eats the bare foot of Iaukea. Prince chops him, and Dragon gives him a few more kicks. Sensing victory, Dragon pins Iaukea at 2:03, and we have a new Television Champion. Congrats on your first TV Title, Ultimate Dragon. I'm not a fan of him, btw. 1/2*. ___________________   See, the Giant and Scott Steiner were supposed to have a match, but that evil Mexican, Konnan and the crazy guy, Hugh Morrus attacked Steiner in the aisleway. Morrus hit Giant with a chair, but it didn't do anything. No match. ___________________   DDP comes out for a promo, says he's an anomaly, and explains the meaning of the word.     Yeah, pretty much. He wants Savage, and Savage hobbles down toward the ring. Hollywood Hogan stops him though, and says he, and the NWO will take care of Page. "Don't lose your shades, we'll handle it." Savage can sit back and watch.   IT'S STING!   He comes out of the rafters with two baseball bats, and tosses one to DDP. He climbs in the ring with Page, and honestly, I would have finished the Savage/Page thing at Spring Stampede, and had Page attack Sting here, giving Sting even more reason to stay a loner. I wouldn't have had DDP join the NWO, though, I would have had him program with The Giant for a while, and once Sting beat Hogan, would have had Sting get his revenge on DDP. That's just fantasy booking. What really happens is, the announcers proclaim that DDP has a friend, and that's the end of the show. ___________________   Rating: Good. There were good matches, albeit short, throughout, and Sting made an appearance. Not only that, but Hogan made his first appearance after a couple week absence. That, and a title change, are grounds for a good rating. After all, it's a TV show, so they should be held to different standards than a PPV or MSG show.   Best Match: Alex Wright and Psychosis vs. Konnan and Hugh Morrus. Although Rey vs Regal was enjoyable, this had a clean finish. Thus, better.   Worst Match: Harlem Heat vs. Jeff Jarrett (mostly) and Mongo McMichael.   Loudest Sound: NWO and Sting. Duh. Outside of that, Ric Flair and The Giant. No surprises here, the crowd pretty much cheers everyone in WCW. Rarely do people get booed.   No Sound: Prince Iaukea and High Voltage. Again, no surprises. ___________________   RAW's next.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, 4/28/97, from Norfolk, Virginia.

In reverse order. This was the one that aired second, but since I was watching the Kings game, didn't get around to finishing until about 11:30, my time. So, the shorter one will have to do, won't it. 1 hour, unfortunately. ___________________   Flashback to Starrcade '93, since Flair's coming back as a wrestler soon, and all. My feelings on that match are known. Tony, Larry and Bobby are the announcers this time. No Mike Tenay. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair come to the announce table, and tear into the NWO. They're both sick of the NWO, and want to fight them tonight. Flair goes into his dancing routine, and we cut away, to the show's opening video. ___________________   In typical WCW fashion, we get a US Title defense to open the show, it's Prince Iaukea vs. Dean Malenko, the guy that probably would open the show even if he didn't have the title. Jeff Jarrett joins us in the split screen, and mentions how he's proved himself to Benoit, Flair and Arn Anderson. And at Slamboree, he'll be bringing back the US Title to those guys, after beating Dean. So he says.   Dean gives Iaukea an armwinger, then pulls him by the hair down to the canvas. Iaukea kips up, but Dean applies an armbar. Dean gives him a droptoehold, and Iaukea decides to give him an armdrag, and droptoehold of his own when he gets up. Dean misses a charge to the corner, and then misses another, and Iaukea gives him a superkick for 2. That was kinda strange. Iaukea gives him an ugly backdrop for 2, and we go to the finish. Dean comes back with a powerbomb and rolls on top of Iaukea for a count, but he reverses it, and Dean does the same, before winding up in the ropes. Dean rams him into the buckle and gives him a powerslam, before the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF finishes at 3:01. *3/4. Typical "Dean on Nitro" fare, but Iaukea sucks, and nearly dragged down the match with his presence alone. Damn, they moved him down the card awful quick, too. ___________________   We're jumping quickly from segment to segment, and this one is Juventud Guerrera vs. Syxx for the Cruiserweight Title. Syxx is NWO 4 LIFE BRAH, but none of his buddies showed up. Where's the love?   Juvi gives Syxx a flying headscissors, so Syxx bails to the outside. When he comes back in, he's given a taste of his own medicine, via a Juvi spin kick. Juvi chops Syxx, but he's given a hard spinning heel kick by Syxx. Right in the fucking mush. It was one of those, "bitch, don't steal my fucking moves" things. Syxx gives him a double chop, and some kicks in the corner, which leads to....THE BRONCO BUSTAHHHHHHH. He gives Juvi a headbutt, and then, a delayed vertical suplex which gets 2. Moveset variation! Syxx gives Juvi a legdrop, and then an elbow to the head off the top rop. For some reason, I don't think that's what was supposed to happen. As evidenced when Syxx goes up top again, and gets crotched by Juvi. See. You can't just yell for a guy to come over to you, unless you're Rico. Juvi tries to spring up to give Syxx a hurricanrana, but botches it. Thankfully, he saves himself from embarassment, by landing on his feet. He climbs up instead, and delivers a rana to Syxx, but he leans back, as if it was going to end up in a rollup for Syxx. I'm just typing what I saw. Juvi springboards in from the apron with a somersault dropkick for 2, but he misses a springboard moonsault block. BUZZKILLER time, and Syxx puts him away at 4:37. Juvi tried his best to fuck shit up here, but it's unnoticeable unless you're really looking for it. Still **, and worthwhile. ___________________   On the Road with Lee Marshall in Lakeland, Florida. Ugh, get off my TV. ___________________   Scott Hall, Syxx, and Big Kevin Nash make their way to the announce table now. I love, LOVE how the announcers bail like they're legitimately afraid of the NWO. Little things like that really help a segment. Hey yo, Flair and Piper are dinosaurs. As far as the challenge goes, hey, whatever. Hall don't care. He says the crowd is here to see the NWO, and that's it. Nash wants 75% of the gate if he agrees to fight Piper and Flair. Geez, guy, you're not Ted DiBiase. Gimmick infringement. Syxx says that he wants all the LOOT, BRO. Haha.   Following that, we have a paid announcement brought to you by the NWO. YES!!!!! It's Macho and Liz. The MADNESS IS OUT OF CONTROOOLLLLLLL. He's DDP's master, too. The rapid cut promos featured in these videos probably benefit Macho the most. Makes him sound extra cool. Loved it. ___________________   It's the French Canadians w/Colonel Robert Parker vs. Lex Luger and THE GIANT.   Luger and Carl Oulette start the match. This'll be simple, short and to the point. Luger gives him a hiptoss, and slams Jacques, but both are dastardly foreign cheaters, so they give Luger a double hotshot onto the top rope. Robert Parker starts kicking Luger, and Luger gets rammed into the guardrail. Move forward about a minute, cause the French Canadians are tagging in back and forth and doing a whole lot of nothing. Oulette misses an elbowdrop from the 2nd rope after a kneedrop from the 2nd by Jacques, and now, the GIANT tags in. GIANT clotheslines both, gives both big boots, and the end is near. CHOKESLAM Jacques, TORTURE RACK Carl, and that's it for the French Canadians at 3:02. Crowd went nuts for the finish. *1/2. ___________________   A bit of Reggie White vs. Mongo at Slamboree hype, before Mongo w/Debra vs. the Barbarian. Sounds bad.   Barbarian chokes Mongo, before Mongo gives him a clothesline. Barbarian goes for his finisher early, the piledriver, but he doesn't get it, as Mongo gives him a backdrop. Barb gives Mongo a big boot, and dumps Mongo to the outside. He rams Mongo into the guardrail, and charges into him. The poor family they were fighting next to was sitting down, and the wife looked scared. Legitimately. Barbarian slams Mongo into the post, and throws him back in. Barbarian gives Mongo a piledriver, but it only gets two. I can see where this is going, but I didn't see the way it took to get there. Barbarian gives Mongo some of the 80's OFFENSE(!1!11!1!), which consists of a headbutt, poke in the eye, and a push of the ref. Now, Debra distracts the referee, and Mongo grabs the Haliburton, and in turn, nails Barbarian in the head with it. Yeah, I saw that coming. Mongo picks up the pinfall at 3:04. As bad as it sounds, but short enough to not be a DUD. Just 1/4*. ___________________   Flair and Piper come to the ring, with a microphone. All Flair has to say, is that he wants the NWO out here now. He says he knows he can whip Syxx's ass, and that he's been World Champ more times than Syxx has had pieces of ass. Them's fightin' words. The NWO's music begins to blare throughout the arena, but it cuts off. And now, papers come from out of the ceiling. It's propaganda(!), communist style. COOL. The papers say, Tradition Bites! NWO 4 LIFE. NOW, we go to school. Hall, Nash and Syxx make their way out, and Flair attacks Syxx in the aisleway, giving him the figure-four leglock. Piper is seemingly mesmerized by these papers, so he's just standing in the ring. Not watching the fight, or participating at all. Just reading. Flair's getting his ass beaten by Hall and Syxx, as Nash holds him there for his buddies to hit. The crowd is starting to heel on Piper a bit, until he pulls off his belt, and starts beating Nash with it, to end the show. ___________________   Rating: Good. Didn't drag like some of the 2 hour shows do, thankfully. And when this show goes to three hours, I'm not going to be able to watch both Nitro and RAW in one sitting. Hopefully they're separated, because I won't be able to handle it. The three hour shows are SO LONG. If you've never seen them before, prepare. You think WrestleMania IV was boring? I'm extremely interested in the ending, and seeing where it goes. Remember, I haven't seen this stuff in forever.   Best Segment: The ending. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the NWO, and Piper's indecisiveness. I have to see what happens.   Worst Segment: Mongo vs. The Barbarian. Save me.   Loudest Sound: Luger and the Giant, and the NWO.   No Sound: Prince Iaukea, and Barbarian. Sorry to name a jobber, but I had to. ___________________   I'm typing the RAW review up, starting...now.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, 4/21/97, from Saginaw, MI.

And, here we are..... ___________________   JJ Dillon is there..whoop-de-doo.   The first match is for the US Title, and it's Yuji Nagata vs. the champ, Dean Malenko.   Dean grabs onto an armbar, and Nagata reverses. Dean does the same and pins Nagata, and gets a two count. Dean gets a droptoehold, and goes to the chinlock. This early? Dean gives Nagata an armdrag, but a Nagata enziguri misses, and Dean sells it for a while. Dear Lord. Nagata grabs onto a chinlock, but Dean gives him a back suplex. A Dean suplex gets 2, and back to the chinlock. Nagata reverses, and once Dean gets out of it, Dean gets a leg lariat for 2. Dean gives him a dragon screw, then Nagata misses a charge to the corner, but gets a superkick and belly-to-belly suplex for 2. Nagata with another belly-to-belly for 2, and Nagata misses an enziguri, so Dean stomps on his knee and applies the Texas Cloverleaf, for the submission at 6:02. Match was a mess. 1/2*. ___________________   Back from the break, and it's Glacier vs. Ciclope. Glacier's entrance is wild, to say the least. His whole Sub Zero-ish getup is worse. The match starts, as Ciclope misses a charge to the corner. "Glacier sucks" chant gets going, so, Glacier gets rid of those thoughts, by giving Ciclope a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and Cryonic kick, for the victory at 0:32. DUD. OH MY GOD, IT'S THAT ADAM BOMB GUY FROM THE WWF. MORTIS comes out of the ring and gives Glacier a superkick, then Wrath gives him ROCK BOTTOM. Mortis and James Vandenburg steal Glacier's helmet, then Mortis starts trying to rip Glacier's eye out of his head. Seriously now, what the fuck. That was one of the worst segments I've ever watched. ___________________   From last week, which nobody was able to watch, Sting gave Giant and Luger bats to keep the NWO off their backs. Now, Nick Patrick comes to the announce table, and apologizes for his NWO allegiance.   And now, a TV Title match, with Bobby Eaton (how the mighty have fallen) vs. the Ultimate Dragon, the champion, who's accompanied by Sonny Onoo. I feel bad for Eaton, I really do. All he did was job in 97. Dragon's outfit is BRIGHT pink. Eaton gives Dragon a back elbow and a bodyslam, then gievs him 3 kneedrops. Eaton gives Dragon a clothesline, and now, Dragon starts to come back. He kicks Eaton a whole bunch, then gives him a dropkick to put Eaton out of the ring. Sonny Onoo starts kicking Eaton, then gets on the apron and gives Eaton a jumping kick. Dragon gives Eaton a rana off the top, and the Dragon Sleeper finishes at 2:47. 3/4*. Quickly afterward, Lord Steven Regal's in the aisleway, for an interview with Gene Okerlund. Regal talks about getting a TV Title shot at Slamboree, which he won. I like how Regal makes it sound like the TV Title means something. It's a really good interview, too. ___________________   Back from the commercial, it's Meng w/Jimmy Hart vs. Chris Jericho. There's a fight in the crowd, while Jericho gives Meng a dropkick. Meng misses a charge after a chop, and Jericho misses a missile dropkick. Meng gives him a back suplex and starts to choke, but Jericho gets a spinning heel kick. The two wrestlers fuck up Jericho's springboard moonsault block, and then fuck up a reversal sequence, so Jericho just gives him a german suplex for 2. Jericho jumps off the top rope, and Meng catches him, and drapes him over the top rope. Meng applies the TONGAN DEATH GRIP, and that's it for Jericho at 3:20. So much was screwed up, so DUD. ___________________   Back from another commercial, and we have the Public Enemy v. The Steiner Brothers. However, backstage, Konnan and Hugh Morrus attack the Steiners. I don't understand why they've been doing this, but this is WCW. Remember that. The Steiners get the better of the brawl, and make their way to the ring for their match. Rick and Grunge start the match off, as Rick gets a shoulderblock and powerslam, before barking. I used to, and still do love when he does the barking. Brings me back to my mark days, I tell you. Rocco Rock tags in, along with Scott, who rams Rocco into the turnbuckle. Scott misses a charge, but he press slams Rocco onto Grunge. He gives both a STEINERLINE, and after PE regroup, both Grunge and Rick wind up in the ring again. Rick misses a charge, and a "Michigan" chant gets going. You know, cause the Steiners went to Michigan, and that's where they are. The PE's give Rick a double back elbow, and Rocco Rock slams Rick and goes up top, but misses a rolling senton. Morrus and Konnan make their presence known at 3:13, and attack both teams. What the hell? Anyway, DQ, as both the Steiners and Public Enemy fend off the attack of Konnan and Morrus. That's twice those two guys have been made to look like jobbers. Oh, and *. ___________________   Hour #2   Gene's with JJ Dillon, the new chairman of the WCW Executive Commitee. Honestly, I can't stand the authority angles WCW always did. Nothing of note is said, until Eric Bischoff comes out. Apparently, Big Bubba Rogers and VK Wallstreet aren't allowed to be NWO. Bischoff says "bite me" a whole bunch, and that's basically it.   Last week, we see that Reggie White and Mongo came to blows in the ring. Rrrr. ___________________   We saw that, because Mongo's tag team partner, Jeff Jarrett w/Debra, is facing Scotty Riggs. They had a match on WCW Saturday Night or something, whatever. I hate the American Males theme, and it's funny, at least to me, that Riggs went from that, to Raven's Flock. Jarrett kicks Riggs, then gets a swinging neckbreaker and gutwrench suplex. Holy crap, it's the STROKE, SLAPNUTS, but it really doesn't mean anything then, so Jarrett does his little dance. Riggs comes back with an inverted atomic drop, and a back elbow. Debra's on the ring apron, to distract the referee while Jarrett backdrops Riggs over the top rope. That was a DQ in WCW, explaining the distraction. I CAN'T STAND how they have two of the Horsemen working as heels, and the other two working as faces. He rams Riggs into the steel steps, and drops him on the guardrail. Jarrett misses an enziguri, so Riggs backdrops him. Riggs goes up top after a clothesline, and gets a crossbody for 2. A flying forearm gets 2, only because Debra put Jarrett's foot on the bottom rope. Mongo comes to the ring, presumably because he gets mad when Jarrett cheats, but Reggie White comes out of the crowd and steals his briefcase. Riggs goes up top, and messes up a spot that he was supposed to get crotched in, completely missing the rope and landing funny on the canvas, so Jarrett applies the figure-four leglock for the submission at 3:54. *. ___________________   As we learn that Nitro will only be one hour next week, the intros for the Cruiserweight Title match begin. It's the challenger, Rey Mysterio vs. the champion, Syxx w/Kevin Nash. Whenever an NWO guy would wrestle on Nitro, it was like an event. Syxx applies a hammerlock, but Rey reverses it, with a headlock takeover. He gives Syxx a droptoehold, and reapplies the headlock. He then slaps Syxx once the hold is broken, and gives him a headscissor takeover. Syxx gives Rey a flapjack, and some kicks, before giving Rey the BRONCOBUSTER. No wonder people boo this guy, he still does the same shit, even in Mexico. Yeah, I saw him on TV a few weeks ago. Syxx applies an abdominal stretch, and cheats by holding the ropes, until the referee kicks Syxx's hand away. Nash distracts the referee while Syxx tosses Rey over the top rope, and back insie, Syxx misses a charge, and on a flapjack attempt, gets rana'd by Rey. Rey gives him another one, but from the top rope, and after Syxx bails, Rey comes to the floor with a tope con hilo. Love when he does that. On the inside, while Syxx distracts from the apron, Kevin Nash gives Mysterio a big boot, and the JACKKNIFE, to put him down for the count. Syxx applies a crossface-chickenwing, and that's it for Mysterio at 5:54. They did a good job of NOT making Mysterio look like a jobber, thankfully. **. Nash and Syxx beat Mysterio up, as Mysterio's knocked "unconscious." Then they beat up security, and when told to leave, Nash says "bite me." Also, Mysterio does a stretcher job. I enjoyed the match. ___________________   For some reason, we now see a Lex Luger video package. WCW is SO FAR behind on this sort of thing. Looks like something out of the early 90's. ___________________   On The Road in Norfolk, Virginia, the site of next week's Nitro. Don't like these segments very much.   NWO advertisment, with Hollywood Hogan on the set of some shitty movie. All the crew members, including the director, are wearing NWO shirts. Hogan's heel promo style doesn't fail to make me laugh. It's so sarcastic sounding.   The NWO makes their way to the ring, this time it's Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Vincent, Fake Sting, Syxx and Kevin Nash. Nash says it's time for Flair and Piper to step aside, and that it's the New Generation's time to shine. I thought they already had their time, and nearly put a company out of business. But what do I know? It's not a bad interview or anything, but it drags. Nash says that WCW used to be guys pushing their sons (SHEWT COMMENT~!), and that Flair and Piper will have to beat respect out of him. Nash talks about how the NWO is regular guys, and that they don't need to ride first class and drive limos. They're NWO 4 LIFE, BRAH. ___________________   The last match on the show, is Psychosis vs. Diamond Dallas Page w/Kimberly. DDP gives Psychosis a kneelift, but Psychosis gets a dropkick. DDP crotches Psychosis on the top rope, then gives him a DIAMOND CUTTER from up there for the win at 0:50. 1/2*. Randy Savage and Elizabeth are in the crowd again, and Savage asks everyone if they can FEEL THE MADNESS, YEAH. He says Kimberly sure felt it, and DDP counters by saying, if Savage wants some, he can come down to the ring and get some. Savage won't, and it's time for a break. ___________________   Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and Kevin Greene make their way to the ring, along with Gene Okerlund, and Flair just has one thing to say. He wants the NWO in the ring, NOW. There they are, with Ted DiBiase in tow this time. They get close to the ring, and point to the entrance way, with all members holding up the Kliq sign. Figures, it's SCOTT HALL! I've been wondering about him for the past few weeks. Back from the dead he is, and the NWO tries to get in the ring. Vincent, Fake Sting and Norton jump in, but Greene clotheslines Norton over the top, and all the others get dumped out. The heavy hitters, Hall, Nash and Syxx jump in the ring, and THEY BRAWL, but we're out of time! ___________________   Rating: Above-average. Not as good as RAW, and I'd be lying if I said so. That said, I enjoy WCW a little more, cause all my favorites from when I was a kid were there. The three things which dragged the show down were Dean's match, Meng's match, and the whole Glacier thing. Awful stuff.   Best Segment: End of show with Scott Hall. Yeah, changing the best match thing to best segment. Syxx vs. Rey was close, but getting the NWO to fight pretty much made this show worth watching.   Worst Segment: The Glacier garbage. Awful. I have a hard time believing I'll see worse for a few weeks.   Loudest Sound: Flair and Piper, NWO, and the Steiner Brothers.   No Sound: Glacier (X-Pac heat puts anyone over here), Ultimate Dragon, and Scotty Riggs. I try not to put jobbers over here, like Bobby Eaton. ___________________   ECW will be next, as I only have time to watch a 1 hour show today. Oh yeah, RAW wins. Better angles, better matchups.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, 3/31/97, from Roanoke, Virginia.

The NWO have arrived.... ___________________   Anyway, the first match is Lex Luger and The Giant vs. Roadblock and Rick Fuller. Giant chops Fuller HARD early on in the corner, clotheslines him, then tags in Luger. Luger goes up to the 2nd rope, and comes down hard with a double axehandle. Fuller pokes Luger in the eye, and tags in Roadblock. Roadblock with a big avalanche, and some other shitty oldschool offense. Roadblock misses an elbow drop from the 2nd rope, and The Giant is on his way in. Superkick by the Giant (wtf) and then Giant clotheslines both of his opponents. The CHOKESLAM and POWER RACK, OMG finish at 5:00. After the match, Harlem Heat run in and attack Luger and the Giant. There's a 4 way match at Spring Stampede, see. *1/4. Harlem Heat then have an interview, they're the Patriots cause they get no respect, and Sherri says they will divide and conquer on Sunday. Whatever. ___________________   Now there's a women's match that I'm not rating, because the incompetent commentary team didn't tell me who they were. Not only that, I don't rate women's squash matches. A regular match is different. This is part of a "Ladies Cruiserweight Title" tournament, and I can only assume this angle was dropped, because the crowd just doesn't care. ___________________   Villano IV vs. Psychosis is the next match...and both wrestlers do a lucha sequence where they armdrag each other and kip-up. To the chinlock we go, until Villano decides he wants to rana Psychosis. Psychosis with a spinning heel kick to knock Villano to the floor, and he follows that by going up to the top and getting a HUGE corkscrew moonsault, landing on Villano IV, on the floor. Backstage, the NWO is having some problems. Hogan, Hall, Bischoff, DiBiase, and Vincent are at Dennis Rodman's movie premiere. VK Wallstreet is the one with problems...back to the ring, and Villano gives Psychosis a fisherman belly-to-belly suplex. Strange move. He misses a moonsault, and a Psychosis superkick and guillotine legdrop finish at 4:25. *3/4, could have been better. ___________________   RIC FUCKIN' FLAIR is on his way to the ring, for an interview with Mean Gene, and Roddy Piper eventually joins them. Flair wants to go party with Piper, and Piper says ok. Then they leave. That.was.pointless. ___________________   Prince Iaukea vs. LA PARKA is the next match, and it's for Prince's TV Title. La Parka misses a charge toward the turnbuckle, but he comes back with a spinning heel kick. Both guys REALLY blow a springboard moonsault spot, and La Parka could have really hurt Iaukea there. Prince charged in toward the turnbuckle and nearly was met with a flying knee to the top of the head. Idiot. It was his fault, IMO. Anyway, a La Parka senton bomb (senton is no flip, remember) gets a 2 count. A double jump moonsault by La Parka gets the same. Somehow both guys wind up on the outside, and Prince springboards off the ropes with a body press. La Parka has his chair, cause he's chairman of WCW. He sits Prince down in the chair, and does a suicide dive onto him. Prince superkicks La Parka back on the inside, but misses a crossbody. La Parka kicks the chair onto Prince, and then he does some Sabu thing where he uses the chair to springboard and jump into Prince. A Prince crossbody off the top rope out of nowhere gets the pin at around 5:05. Way too many blown spots. 3/4*. ___________________   The next match is Lord Steven Regal vs. Chris Jericho, and prior to the match, Regal has some words for the people out there. Rey Mysterio's a dwarf, and Rey will get the first shot at the TV Title if Regal wins it at Spring Stampede. The crowd chants USA, which makes me laugh for obvious reasons, and Regal begins the bout with some mat wrestling, and a drop toe hold. Jericho clotheslines him, and gives him a spinning heel kick. A springboard dropkick and suplex follows from Jericho, and he's in control. A lionsault from Jericho gets a two count, and Regal gives him a stiff kick to the midsection. Jericho then rolls up Regal at 2:27 for THE WIN! I'm very surprised. *. Regal attacks Jericho post match, he gives him a huge halfnelson suplex off the top turnbuckle. whoa. A piledriver and the Regal Stretch follows, and the Renegade and Joe Gomez come out to help Jericho, but Renegade doesn't want to. What the hell? Gomez gets piledriven, and Lenny Lane and Billy Kidman come out and try to help. But they can't. The beatdown was fun... ___________________   This is hour two...and we find out that VK Wallstreet is leaving...and there's another women's match I'm not reviewing or rating. Akira Hokuto is in this one, and post-match, Hokuto attacks Madusa. Following that, there's a video package highlighting the past of Sting. And this package shows how far behind WCW is compared to WWE in this sense. ___________________   The next match is the Amazing French Canadians w/Col. Robert Parker vs. Jeff Jarrett and Mongo McMichael w/Debra. OH CANADA, OUR HOME AND NATIVE LAND. Sorry. This match really, really sucks. Mongo chopblocks the AFC's, and Public Enemy hits the ring. They try to take the Haliburton briefcase, but Robert Parker winds up with it, and he tosses it in to Jacques Rougeau, who hits Mongo with it for the win at 3:00. Just, no. DUD. Mean Gene comes to the ring, and Mongo wants to know why Jeff has the briefcase. He thinks Jeff was the one that hit him with it. ___________________   DDP is facing off against a guy my brother said was named Lance Ringo..and it ends quick with a DIAMOND CUTTER out of a firemans carry position. It kinda looked like an F-5. 1:43 is the time, and 1/2* is the rating. Randy Savage is in the crowd with a mic, and he says he finally found out what DDP's name was. But he's still wonderin' if DDP has family jewels. Oh, you. ___________________   The last match is The Steiner Brothers vs. High Voltage. I love the Steiners music. STEINERLINE! It's so overly corny. Scott starts with a pumphandle slam, and Rick comes in with a STEINERLINE. RUFF, RUFF, RUFF (just doin' the Rick thing). Rick with a release German suplex, and Rage rams Rick's head into the ringpost. Rick has a problem with his head, see, so he's hurt. A Kaos neckbreaker follows, and Rage comes in and misses a springboard rolling senton. He almost jumped all the way out of the ring, lol. Scott's in, an overhead belly-to-belly, press slam and the STEINER SCREWDRIVER finishes at 3:30. I love that move, so the match gets * as a result. ___________________   The NWO invade the broadcast table now, and Nash will fight WCW by himself if the other NWO members don't want to show up.   End of show ___________________   That sucked. Sucked dick. From now on, I'm not going to give Nitro a full review unless there's something important, like a title change, or important match or angle. There was literally nothing here except for some matches. NOTHING. It's a waste of my time to type all this up unless there's something worth doing so, for. Here's what it'll look like next time if nothing good happens.   Steiners vs. High Voltage: *, good Steiner Scredriver in there led to a Steiners win   DDP vs. Lance Ringo: 1/2*, inventive Diamond Cutter...   ___________________   Yeah, like that. Hopefully, I don't have to, because I want to be entertained and given something worth watching.   Rating: Bad.   Best match: Lord Steven Regal vs. Chris Jericho: the one time on the show something good happened.   Worst match: Jeff Jarrett and Mongo McMichael vs. The Amazing French Canadians.   Until next time...
Guest

Guest

2
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro, 3/24/97, from Duluth, Minnesota.

Waiting for the Kings to restart their season after the London trip really sucks, I just want to see my team play some games.     We're live (not) from Duluth, and Larry the Ax Hennig is there. I don't know why the guys so overdressed for the occasion, but whatever.   The first match is for the US Title, it's the challenger, Konan v. DEAN MALENKO. I don't know why Konnan is billed as Konan, but regardless, the match begins. The Dungeon of Doom guys were OVER as babyfaces, I've got no clue why. Dean does a nice reversal out of a Konnan armbar, and gives Konnan a stiff kick to the back. Dean slams him, but Konnan kips up and gives Dean an armdrag. What the fuck happened to the Konnan I'm watching in this match. Double feature time with Syxx and he cuts a TERRIBLE promo, about 5 times worse than the Undertaker one I watched 10 minutes ago. Konnan with a rolling clothesline and powerbomb for a two count. Whip to the ropes and Dean comes off with a leg lariat, but Konnan counters that with an elbow drop while Dean's down, and a la magistral rollup for 2. Konnan goes up to the top and misses a ________, then Dean gets the Texas Cloverleaf at 3:30 for the submission. Good while it lasted. *3/4.   Once Malenko exits the ring, he has some words for Eddie Guerrero and Syxx, as he believes the two to be in cahoots. He insults Benoit as well, and I sit stunned in shock that they actually mentioned his name on this channel.   ___________________     We've got the MACHO MAN, OOOOOOOOOOOYEAHHHHHHH vs Prince Iaukea for the TV Title in the main event, because the NWO won the right to challenge for any title, whenever they want to challenge for it, at Uncensored. This unnamed guy appeared at Uncensored and attacked Glacier, well that guy is Wrath/Brian Clarke/Adam Bomb.   That ties into this match, as we have Mortis w/James Vandenburg v. Jerry Flynn. Let me say this, Mortis' entrance is the most awesome thing in the history of this very sport. James Vandenburg is Father James Mitchell and the Sinister Minister, in case you didn't know. Holy crap. Tony just called Mortis' kicks back leg front kicks. Wow. Both Flynn and Mortis kick each other for a while because they're both "martial artists," so this match picks up when Mortis jumps off the top rope and hits Flynn with a Rocker Dropper. Vandenburg beats up Flynn a bit from the outside and Mortis goes up to the top. Flynn hits him with a powerbomb from the 2nd rope (yeesh, these guys are busting out teh sick offense), Mortis lowblows him after the cover, and the Flatliner finishes at 4:55. The Flatliner is a samoan drop from the 2nd rope, FWIW. **, I got into it and these two busted their ass. I wonder what they'd do with more time. I really like Mortis, and I'm sure that has something to do with the rating.   ___________________   Back from the commercial break and holy crap La Parka's in the ring. YESS!!!!! He's facing Juventud Guerrera. Juvi goes straight up and La Parka catches him on a crossbody attempt. This is La Parka, and La Parka loves to dance. He puts Juvi down for some reason once he's done dancing, and somehow Juvi gives him a rana off the top. On the outside, Juvi comes off the ropes and hits a HUGE crossbody to the outside after springboarding off the top rope. He flew! La Parka's back in, but Juvi's not. Juvi hits a springboard dropkick for a 2 count. Juvi does a nice 360 sell after a La Parka lariat, but unfortunately, La Parka blows a springboard moonsault. He pins Juvi and gets 2, but if I were Juvi I would have no-sold it. LP dumps the artist that would become the JUICE, and dives from the ring to the outside. Back in, and Juvi somersaults off the ropes and kicks La Parka. Juvi tries a rana off the top but gets superbombed (damn) and a somersault finishes the match for La Parka at 4:19. His music is obviously dubbed. *1/4. Didn't hold up when I watched it again.   ___________________   Flashback to the Outsiders/Steiners feud, nothing of note here. Then they cut to the Steiners with Mean Gene, and Scott's taking up more than half my TV screen. The guy is on every steroid known to man at this point. Dare I say he looked bigger then than he did during his Big Poppa Pump days.   High Voltage v. Public Enemy. The PE are over as shit, they control High Voltage for the duration of the match and Rocco then puts one of them through a table with a tope over the top rope. The crowd asked for it, they got it. PE are more over than anyone else who appeared on this show, no joke. Jeff Jarrett runs out to the ring with Mongo's briefcase, hits Johnny Grunge in the back with it and HIGH VOLTAGE get the upset win at 3:46. *. Mongo's really pissed off at Jarrett and says, you shouldn't have done that. Whatever.   ___________________   The Giant and Lex Luger are out with Mean Gene after the break, and they've got some things to say about Hollywood Hogan. Well, the Giant's wearing a bib. For some reason, I'm not afraid of a man that wears a bib.   Psicosis v. Super Calo is next and this match sucks balls. Super Calo looks like one of the PE's, therefore, he must do the job. He does the job at 4 minutes after a Psicosis guillotine legdrop. DUD.   ___________________   The Faces of Fear are going to face Harlem Heat, who are accompanied by Sister Sherri.   The Barbarian tosses Booker T over the top rope to get started, and back on the inside, Booker gets a crossbody for two. Stevie Ray in with a scoop slam. Tag Meng, Meng poses and looks mean and shit. Once he's done with that, he backsuplexes Stevie, and then Stevie comes back with a big boot. Booker's in and he's heating up, scissor kick to Barbarian. Book tries it again, but gets crotched on the top rope this time. A double headbutt by the FoF gets a two count on Booker, and Meng gets a good looking backbreaker. Booker can't slam Meng and Meng gets two on the subsequent count. After that, Meng throws Booker into the head of Barbarian, as the Barbarian tags in. Sidewalk slam by Barb gets two. The Harlem Heat switch right in front of the ref and the ref allows it, and that's the first time I've ever seen a babyface team get away with that. And I've watched a lot of wrestling, folks. A Rocket Launcher by the Harlem Heat gets a two count, and Booker follows with the Harlem Sidekick. See, this is what you get when Booker does most of the work. A good match. Booker goes for a rana and gets a sitout powerbomb from Meng (wow, never seen him do that). Sherri's on the apron, Meng hits her and Booker rolls Meng up and grabs the tights at 8:32. **1/4, really good stuff. I thought it would blow at first.   ___________________   Madusa faces a Japanese lady whose name I don't want to butcher. This is a terrible match, there's nothing to note outside of Madusa's german suplex finisher at 2:43. DUD. They blew quite a few spots, no doubt because of Madusa's fake titties.   ___________________   On the road in Roanoke, yeah, yeah, yeah....   Renegade faces Jim Duggan in a Duggan squash, this match is completely useless and almost in -* range, but I'll give it a DUD to be nice. Duggan finished with a taped fist at 3:50. IF the match would have gone past the 5 minute mark, I would have neg star'd it.   ___________________   The French-Canadians w/Col. Robert Parker (who I like) are going to take on the Steiner Brothers, as we come out of the commercial break. Jacques Rougeau wants everyone to stand up for Oh Canada, but the referee Randy Anderson steals the mike from the Canadians before they can finish. Scott Steiner does his double-underhook front suplex to start and Rick clears the ring. The FC's team up and focus on Scott, they give him some generic offense and a short heat sequence. Tag Rick and the Steiners clean house again, but Robert Parker swings the Quebec flag at Scott and misses. While that's going on, Rick Steiner gets a piledriver from Carl Oulette and Le Cannonball for the 2 count. I really thought the match was going to be over there, just like PE's v. High Voltage from earlier. Jacques grabs the boot of Parker and swings it at a Steiner but misses, and Scott gets the pin at 4:02. Not bad. *1/4.   ___________________   Now, it's time for the main event of the evening...this match is for the Television Title! The challenger, accompanied to the ring by the NWO sans Scott Hall and Hollywood Hogan, he is the Macho Man RANDY SAVAGE OOOOOOOOHHHH YEAH!. The champion, with me having no fucking idea why he has the TV Title, is Prince Iaukea!.   On the way to the ring, Kevin Nash gives the widely known Kilq sign and says, "this is for you HBK." Savage armdrags Iaukea and Iaukea gets a shoulderblock in return. Tony says this is the first time Savage has wrestled on TV since October. Sheesh. A springboard crossbody by Iaukea gets two and he slams Savage for a 1 count. He chops Savage and goes to the top, but misses a crossbody. Savage takes over and drops Iaukea across the top rope. He slams him and GOES UP TOP FOR THE FLYING ELBOW. Savage picks Iaukea up, seemingly planning to deliver more punishment. BUT DDP HITS THE RING, and DEY BE BEATIN EACH OTHA TIL DEY CAN BARLY WALK TONY, but the NWO comes in from the outside and it's burial time. DQ win for Savage at 3:16, which is an odd time considering the direct WWF reference 5 minutes ago. 3/4*. The NWO gives a straight out ass-whoopin' to Page as Iaukea just lies in the center of the ring. Powerbomb for Page from Nash. Elbow on Page by Savage. They then hold Page still as Bischoff karate kicks him in the head. Tony calls that a back leg round kick. Jesus. Spraypaint for Iaukea after a powerbomb by Nash. Iaukea gets the obvious, NWO tag. But Page on the other hand, he gets a 0 on his back, cause that's what Savage says he is. End show. I don't know why they buried the TV champ like that, but it's WCW. Iaukea should have got out of dodge once he saw them hit the ring.   They kept a lot of top talent off the show this week, so I can't in good conscience give a good rating. This show dragged more than any show I've ever watched. By the time it hit Hour 2, the show had felt like it's been going for an hour and a half. A good Faces of Fear vs. Harlem Heat was the highlight of this show, and I'll probably rewatch it again.     Rating: Decent.   If you miss the MNW show this time around, you aren't missing very much.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Monday Nitro and WWF Monday Night RAW from 8/11/1997.

After Road Wild, and The Giant has been given a restraining order. Oh Lord, these angles suck. Also, we're from Denver! ___________________   The Wolfpac come out, talk about the Steiners, and then, The Outsiders take on two jobbers.   - The Steiners music hit, which introduced the Outsiders opponents. How cute. Nash jackknifes the one with red hair for the win at 1:28. 1/4*. Lame. Steiners run through the crowd and beat the Wolfpac up. Good! ___________________   Meng is taking on Wrath w/James Vandenberg...   - They meet in the aisle, and Meng beats him up on the inside. Haku vs. Adam Bomb is the stuff of dreams. Meng applies the TONGAN DEATH GRIP, which gets THE WIN at 2:40. So, Wrath's first TV loss is to a lower midcard guy in less than three minutes. That makes a lot of sense. *. Mortis and Barbarian run down to beat each other up. ___________________   The Steiners and Ted DiBiase are with Gene Okerlund, for an interview. They say that the Outsiders were lucky to have had such an incompetent official for their match at Road Wild. ___________________   Eddie Guerrero faces Chris Jericho here...   - One of many matches soon to take place between these two. After Jericho german's Eddie on his head, he gives Eddie a GIANT SWING. Eddie crotches Jericho on the top rope, and FROG SPLASHES him from all the way across the ring. All over at 4:33. **1/4. Entertaining. ___________________   Alex Wright invades during a Nitro Girl performance, then cuts a promo about how bad these fans are. ___________________ Now we've got Dean Malenko against Jeff Jarrett w/Debra for the US Title.   - Road Wild explains this matchup. Read the results. Jarrett wanted to leave the area, but an appearance from Mongo brought him back to the ring. Some WarGames hype follows from our commentary crew, and then Dean applies the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF. Eddie Guerrero runs in, and along with Jarrett, beats Dean up for the DQ at 4:13 (shown). *1/2. Mongo hits all the heels, and Dean beats up Mongo when he comes to. Weird. ___________________   Mean Gene is with Curt Hennig and Ric Flair...then the other Four Horsemen come out, and they talk about Hennig's match against Savage later tonight, and the Clash XXXV tag between Hennig & Flair who are facing Konnan and Syxx. ___________________   Hour #2 begins, with Scott Norton and Eric Bischoff coming down to the ring. The Giant was supposed to face Norton, but this whole restraining order thing got in the way. Other NWO guys came out and sung happy birthday to Hogan...so, the guy wins the World Title on the previous night and doesn't come to TV the next day. That makes a ton of sense. Buff Bagwell spraypaints the fifty feet line, and the Giant comes out to cross it. WHOA. Larry Z comes out to bring him back, and Scott Hall toothpicks Larry. They nearly fight. All done! ___________________   Lex Luger calls out Hulk Hogan, and then, we have Buff Bagwell w/Vincent vs. DDP.   - Strange matchup. Not very entertaining, although competitive. DIAMOND CUTTER finishes at 4:09 after Vincent botches interference. *. ___________________   On the Road... ___________________   We've got Mortis w/James Vandenberg vs. Ultimo Dragon for the Television Title...   - Now THIS is a strange matchup. Dragon powerbombs Mortis from the second rope and locks in the DRAGON SLEEPER for the submission at 3:09. *3/4. I do not understand why Mortis and Wrath have been jobbed out tonight. ___________________   JJ Dillon wants Sting back, Sting comes to the ring, and Dillon offers him a contract to face Syxx. Syxx? That's a step down from last week, when Dillon asked him to face Curt Hennig. Sting rips the contract up and leaves. ___________________ In our main event, we have Curt Hennig vs. Randy Savage w/Liz.   - All I can think about while watching this is, if only this had happened 9 years earlier. Page runs down for the no contest at 3:05, and he gets beaten up by Hall and Savage. Elbowdrops galore, as Hennig has been tossed out. Luger runs down, and we have our Clash XXXV main event. Easy as that. 1/2*, end show. ___________________   Rating is poor, didn't care for this at all. Best segment was Eddie/Jericho, worst was Savage/Hennig. Cause it was disappointing, you know? ___________________   RAW this week is from Biloxi, Mississippi. ___________________   Shawn Michaels is out, talking about SummerSlam and such, before the crowd chants that he's gay. "Why don't you ask your mom and sister how gay I am?" Slaughter comes out, spits in Shawn's face, and tells him to face Mankind. Okay. HBK talks about his insurance policy... ___________________ The British Bulldog and Owen Hart are out, to watch Hawk face Henry Godwinn in a Country Whippin' Match.   - To win, you must toss your opponent out of the ring. Both guys have straps, but they are not attached to each other. Owen and Bulldog both challenge the Patriot during commentary...   - Both men's partners run in, and Henry gets knocked out by Animal at 3:48, so Hawk wins. 1/2*. ___________________   Slaughter tosses Pillman his ring gear, as a guy named Tony Williams faces Scott Putski.   - Goldust comes out to watch, because he's going to show us a split-screen view of Pillman putting on his dress. Oh Lord. Pillman's really distraught about this whole situation, and he can't even get the dress on. Polish Hammer wins, I had to open the front door so I don't have the etime. Anyway, Slaughter makes Goldust leave after the match. *. ___________________   Taker's going to watch Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind later. Okay.   Flash Funk is facing Brian Pillman.   - Nice dress! Vince and the crew hype Hardcore Heaven 1997 a bit, then Slaugher says that Bulldog and Owen will face the Patriot and a partner of his choosing. All these fucking cameos during matches are pissing me off. Ridiculous. Goldust comes out, and shows us the footage of Pillman putting on his dress. Funk cradles Pillman from behind for the win at 3:16. *1/4. ___________________   Dude Love comes out, for an interview. It's pretty funny. He talks about the damage Mankind will do to Shawn Michaels, until Shawn Michaels appears on the TitanTron and rebutts these statements. ___________________ Warzone begins, with Owen Hart and the British Bulldog facing the Patriot and his mystery partner...KEN SHAMROCK!   - With Shamrock being the partner, Bulldog is quite terrified. After a commercial, we come back, and Bret Hart is on the walkway. Patriot makes the hot tag, and cleans house. Slaughter keeps Bret from walking down the ramp, and the referee is distracted as well. A chair comes in, the Hart Foundation can't use it, but Patriot full-nelson slams Bulldog onto the chair for the win at 8:06. **. ___________________   Shawn's with his insurance policy...but you can't see his face.   During a Patriot interview, Bret attacks the Patriot. Of course, he kicks his ass. Obviously. ___________________ Faarooq is scheduled to face Chainz...   - This will suck. Chainz clotheslines Faarooq into the referee on accident, and...Rocky Maivia(?) runs into the ring. ROCK BOTTOM on Chainz(!), and Faarooq pins him for the win at 3:04. What a surprise. 1/2*. I like it! ___________________   Sable's supposed to be the ring announcer for this next match, but Patriot comes to the ring and calls out Bret Hart. Bret Hart comes, and they fight. When the Hart Foundation come down, they really kick the Patriot's ass. Nobody runs in either. ___________________   Mankind tells Shawn Michaels that his insurance policy had better be life insurance...   and after a Brakus vignette, we have ___________________   Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind in our main event.   - Mankind brought a trash can. Unfortunately, Shawn put it on Mankind and the trash back stayed on the big lug. All covered up! This is a huge brawl, featuring lots of weird shit. Mick gets backdropped onto the announce table, and then for some reason, Shawn flies off the apron with an elbowdrop onto the announce table. These two have good chemistry. After Shawn rans Mankind's head into the post and back suplexes him onto the announce table, HHH and Chyna make their way out, as we head to a commercial.   - We're back, and Mankind's mask has been ripped off. RICK RUDE(!) walks down to the ring, stands there for a moment, and then grabs a chair. He clocks Mick in the head with it, and SWEET CHIN MUSIC leads to the pinfall victory at 8:42. ***1/2 for an outstanding TV match. Undertaker heads down to the ring, but Paul Bearer shows up on the TitanTron. KANE IS COMING. You will BURN IN HELL!   So yeah, show over. ___________________   Raw was good this time around, best segment was HBK/Mankind and the worst was Putski/Williams, in which we had to watch Pillman get dressed. Ugh.   Way better than Nitro. ___________________   REVIEW WCW THUNDER       Yeah, I'm reviewing that next.  
Guest

Guest

5
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Great American Bash 1992, from Albany, Georgia; 7/12/1992.

I've been wanting to watch this...all those darn tag teams. ___________________   Tony Schiavone and Magnum TA are the hosts...but Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura are the commentators.   Eric Bischoff is now with Bill Watts, who explains some differences in the rules of the matchups tonight. In the NWA Tag Team Tournament matches, you can come off the top rope and that sort of thing. But in the WCW Championship match, you can't. That makes no fucking sense at all. Typical WCW. ___________________   The Miracle Violence Connection are already in the semifinals after beating the Steiners at Clash 19. So, now, we've got the second match of the quarterfinals for the NWA Tag Team Titles, which is Jushin Liger and Brian Pillman vs. Nikita Koloff and Ricky Steamboat.   Blow-by-Blow: Quite the interesting match here, and a relative dream match to boot. I always wanted to see Liger face Steamboat one on one. Obviously this isn't, but still. Nikita is also a bit out of shape, for Nikita, anyway. Koloff tosses Pillman into Liger, before giving Pillman a shoulderblock, as we begin. Pillman gives Nikita a drop-toe hold, but Nikita places him on top. Now Pillman dropkicks Nikita, but Nikita responds with an inverted atomic drop. Pillman rolls up Nikita for two, then tags in Liger, who works on the arm. They switch out a few times, before Liger gives Nikita a dropkick and shoulderblock. Pillman tags in, but Koloff gives him a back elbow before bringing in Steamboat. Steamboat gives Pillman a dropkick, and Liger comes in to get rammed into his partner. Steamboat tosses Liger out, so we've got Pillman and Steamboat. The latter applies an armbar on the former, but shoots Pillman into the ropes and gives him an inverted atomic drop. After a clothesline and armdrag, Liger tags in, and they give Steamboat a double dropkick. Nikita comes in after a Steamboat shoulderblock, and slams Liger to the canvas. Nikita shoulderblocks Liger, then both switch out, for a Pillman backdrop to Steamboat. Pillman elbowdrops Steamboat for two, and gives him a dropkick for two. Liger comes in with a backbreaker and a MOONSAULT, getting a two count, as the crowd went nuts. A Liger TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER gets two, and a running senton also gets two. Steamboat gives him a back suplex, before tagging in Nikita, who elbowdrops away for a two count. Nikita knees Liger in the gut after going to the chinlock, then brings in Steamboat, who gives Liger three consecutive backbreakers. A powerslam gets a two count, causing Nikita to come in to try something else. A double back elbow gets one, and to the chinlock we go. Steamboat in, with a flying fist off the top for two, but Liger kicks him and makes the tag to Pillman. Backdrops, chops ahoy, and a scoop slam for two. Liger flies back in with a missile dropkick, and a clothesline for a two count. With Nikita in, he shoulderblocks Liger, before a flying shoulderblock and a slam. Pillman dropkicks Nikita twice, but can't slam Pillman. Instead, he tosses Pillman over the top, only for Pillman to sneak in and deliver his slingshot clothesline. After a missile dropkick, the cover gets a super close two count. Nikita misses two charges, allowing Pillman to apply the sleeper. Sloppy. Nikita gives him a jawbreaker, but Liger comes in and gives Nikita an enziguri for a two count. Liger backslides Nikita for two, before Pillman makes the tag and gives Nikita a crossbody, for a two count. Steamboat tags in, and tries to bridge to a backslide...but he can't do the bridge out part. The backslide gets two, and Pillman gives Steamboat a back suplex in response. Up top Pillman goes, but Steamboat crotches him. Even still, Pillman flies off the top, only to see Steamboat reverse the crossbody and get the cover at 19:27. Match Analysis: Very nice match, but some stuff was either sloppy or botched. Still, the crowd enjoyed it. As I've said like, forever, I love WCW at this point in time. I'd still love to see Liger face Steamboat. Oh yeah, ***. ___________________   Bischoff is with the Steiners...still don't understand why they aren't wrestling here. Their promos suck, as you know. No wonder they left this shithole of a company. ___________________ Now, in our second quarterfinal match on the show (third overall), we've got Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto vs. The Freebirds.   Blow-by-Blow: Of course, these Freebirds are Garvin and Hayes. When I got on a puro kick a while back, I watched a lot of Shinya matches. He's nice. This is a real styles clash, moreso than anything I've seen on this channel yet. Hayes' strutting got the crowd in a tizzy, but Hase takes him down with a headlock. Hase shoots for the takedown, but Hayes works on the arm, before tagging in Garvin. Garvin applies a hammerlock on Shinya, but Shinya gives him a drop-toe hold, and a headlock takedown. Garvin tries a wristlock, but Hase comes in off the top with an elbow. Hase chops at Garvin, then tags in Shinya who slams Garvin for two. After Hayes comes in, Shinya gives him a back elbow. Then Hase comes in, and slams Hayes, before a rolling senton for two. There's no heat here. Hase gives Hayes a gutbuster and a gutshot, before they trade blows. As they do, Shinya comes in, kicks away, and gives Hayes a spinning heel kick. Shinya gives Hayes a fallaway slam with a bridge for a two count, prior to a chinlock. Hase's quickly in, with a few kicks. Hayes hits the both of them after tossing Hase into Shinya, and makes the hot tag to Garvin. He slams 'em, clotheslines 'em, until Shinya kicks him. Hase with the NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX, Hase and Shinya with the victory at 9:16. Match Analysis: I really question that booking decision. Um, in the sense that, really, these two teams should not have faced each other. While both are supposed to be heels, let's be honest, MVC vs. Shinya and Hase would've rocked. Oh, the rating. *3/4. ___________________   Bill Watts and Hiro Matsuda are with Tony, announcing that the NWA World Title Tournament will be in Tokyo. Okay, uh, I still don't know why WCW were messing with the NWA. Nearly everything they do hurts WCW. Watts then says that he wants the NWA Champ and the WCW Champ to face each other. Sure! ___________________ Now, we've got the last of the quarterfinal matches. This features two Dangerous Alliance members, these being Steve Austin (TV Champion) and Rick Rude (United States Champion) w/Madusa. They're facing Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes.   Blow-by-Blow: Typical Rude introduction. Who hates that? Windham and Austin will start in the lock-up, before a Windham armdrag. Austin tries a backslide which gets two, as does a forward roll. Austin gives Windham a shoulderblock, but Windham responds with a big right hand. That cheater has a taped fist! Windham takes Austin down to the canvas, and slaps him, after Austin hesitates to trade punches. Rude comes in, with a lot of heat behind him. Rhodes also comes in, and gives Rude a back suplex, prior to an armdrag. Rude drives Rhodes to the corner, and goes to the chinlock. They go to standing position, and Rude tries a TOMBSTONE...but Rhodes reverses and gives him one of his own for a two count. Austin comes in after Rhodes misses a splash...why isn't Austin wearing kneepads? Austin clotheslines Rhodes, for a two count. Rhodes applies an abdominal stretch after sending Austin out with a knee, and works on said ab stretch for a while, even after an Austin hiptoss. Windham comes in with a clothesline off the top for a two count, but Austin backdrops him. Rude comes in, back suplexes Windham for two, and tags Austin back in. Austin places Windham on top, but Windham headbutts him and comes down with a crossbody for two. Rude pulls Windham's hair to put him down, and during a Madusa distraction, Rude gives Windham a missile dropkick for two. Rude piledrives Windham, for a no count, as Rhodes made the save. Austin comes in with a leap onto Windham, and gives him a suplex for two. Now, to the chinlock. Rude comes in with an elbow, and Austin quickly comes in, ramming Windham into the buckle. To the front-facelock with Rude, but Windham backdrops his way out. Austin in, tosses Windham out, but Windham comes back in with a knee. An Austin boot gets a two count, and back to the chinlock we go. Rude comes in on a switch and pummels Windham, before the referee makes him break a chinlock. Austin comes in with a backdrop, and Windham cradles Austin for two. They both clothesline each other, but Austin gets up first with a back suplex. Rude comes in, but Windham gives him an inverted atomic drop, before they collide in the center of the ring. Rhodes and Austin enter, elbows from Dustin onto both opponents, and a reverse back elbow from the second rope too. Rhodes and Rude brawl on the outside, but when Austin tries a piledriver, Rhodes clotheslines Austin off the top, allowing Windham to make the cover for the victory at 19:16. Our semifinals have been set.   Match Analysis: It was good, but I'm starting to see an awful trend in these matches. They're getting slower and slower, which is something to expect through the next round and the final. Anyway, I like Rude and Austin as a team. **1/4. ___________________   Eric Bischoff is with Vader and Harley Race...Harley does most of the talking, thank goodness.   After, they talk about Halloween Havoc which'll be in October, and ___________________   Now, for the first match of the semifinals. It's the Miracle Violence Connection (WCW Tag Team Champions) vs. Nikita Koloff and Ricky Steamboat.   Blow-by-Blow: Yes, this sounds awesome. Steamboat and Gordy lock-up, but Gordy gives Steamboat a shoulderblock and takes him to the canvas with a headlock. Steamboat gives Gordy a hiptoss and armdrag, which causes Gordy to tag in Williams. Steamboat armdrags him too, but Williams gives him a drop-toe hold. Steamboat goes to a hammerlock and knees Williams a few times, then goes behind, only to be rammed into the buckle. Gordy comes in along with Koloff, but Williams quickly makes the tag, only to be given a drop-toe hold. It's grappling time, until Gordy tags in and tries a shoulderblock. It does nothing, so Koloff dropkicks him. He's very over. Williams takes him down for two, before going to the chinlock. Koloff reverses to a front-facelock, and after Williams tries a counter and the same happens, both Steamboat and Gordy tag in. Steamboat armdrags Gordy, but Williams comes in and gives him a lariat for two. Steamboat tries a crucifix, but Williams backs him into the corner and chops saway. Gordy comes in with a bodyslam, and another, before a clothesline. Williams comes in for a double three-point stance shouldertackle, and he elbowdrops Steamboat as well. Gordy in, Gordy pulls Steamboat to the canvas for two. Williams comes in and they give Steamboat a double suplex for two, but see, they never tagged. So the referee makes Williams get out. Williams then makes the real tag, and gives Steamboat a backbreaker for two. Gordy comes in, but Steamboat gives him a weird DDT for two. Koloff makes the tag, shoulderblocks abound, but Gordy gives him a facebuster. Williams comes in and slams Koloff, before applying a figure-four neck lock. Gordy tags in, and causes Koloff to miss a charge to the corner, allowing Gordy to apply an STF. Williams comes in, and after a few knees to the head, he applies a BOSTON CRAB. Gordy comes in after a tag and applies the STF again, before Williams comes in and powerslams Koloff for two. The life is being sucked out of the crowd. It's almost as if the wrestlers are acting like they aren't there. That's one aspect of the WWF that I always thought was vastly better than their competition. Double collision, and finally, Steamboat makes the tag. He tosses Williams into Gordy, and gives Williams a back suplex. Up on top, a flying chop. Again, and, well, Gordy pushes Steamboat into Williams arms, rams him into the buckle, and a spinebuster for the win at 21:39.   Match Analysis: Too long, and the crowd didn't like it. The wrestling has been top notch for most of the show, but the crowd ain't feeling it. That ties into the lack of crowd interaction. The action's been in the ring almost the whole time. No ram into the guardrails stuff or any of that. **. ___________________   Part two, and we've got Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto vs. Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham, in the last semifinal bout.   Blow-by-Blow: Rhodes and Hase lock-up, and Rhodes gives Hase a fireman's carry to begin the action. Windham comes in, and gives Hase an armdrag. Hase wants a TEST OF STRENGTH, and Windham complies. Windham gets the better at first, but Hase bridges back to standing position and kicks him. Shinya comes in, so both he and Windham do a TEST OF STRENGTH, until Windham gives him a double-arm suplex. Shinya responds with a shoulderblock, but Rhodes comes in with a headlock, before trying a shoulderblock of his own...which does nothing. Hase comes in, applies an armbar, but Windham comes in, and gives Hase a hammerlock slam. Shinya in, with a back elbow and a headscissors...which turns into a cross-armbreaker. Rhodes comes in with a big Dusty elbow, and another elbow after a few rights. Shinya pokes him in the eye to end the rally, and slams him, before a spinning heel kick. Shinya and Hase give Rhodes a SPIKE PILEDRIVER..now he's dead. Hase knees Rhodes before making the tag, and both he and Shinya give Rhodes a shoulderblock at once. Shinya knees Rhodes in the gut, and suplexes him for a two count. Hase comes in, and they give Rhodes a double suplex, before Hase applies a BOSTON CRAB. Hase gives Rhodes a belly-to-belly, but misses a double kneedrop off the top. Ouch! Rhodes gives him a lariat, and tags in Windham, who goes to town. Back elbow, suplex, and a powerslam which gets two. Windham goes for an abdominal stretch, but Hase finds his way out. So, Shinya and Hase are both given lariats, allowing Windham to pin Hase and pick up the victory at 14:55. Match Analysis: It could've been much worse. Uh, while the crowd hated it, I actually quite liked it. Still was no heat, but in this match, there were actually things going on. I know, shocking. Too much mat wrestling on this show. **1/2 for that. ___________________   Ron Simmons cuts a promo with Magnum and Tony...Simmons wants the world title. Simple as that. ___________________ Now, of course, it's time for a mega-bout. Of course, it's gotta be Big Van Vader and Harley Race vs. Sting for the WCW Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: I could never get tired of this match. Vader has this shoulderpad and helmet thing that he wears to the ring...the eyes blink on the helmet. Weird. Anyway, Vader gives Sting a few clubbing blows, and a clothesline to start us off. Sting responds with a clothesline of his own, but the cover does nothing. Vader catches Sting on a crossbody attempt, and pushes him down to the canvas. BUT, Vader misses a charge, so Sting gives him a back suplex. That sort of offense against someone that big is super impressive. Sting clotheslines Vader over the top, and when Vader comes back in, Vader wants a TEST OF STRENGTH. Sting says sure, but pokes Vader in the eye. Smart. Sting gives Vader two dropkicks, before suplexing him in from the apron for a two count. Vader runs into Sting, but Sting cradles him for a two count. Sting then tries a sunset flip, only to be sat on and given an elbowdrop. A Vader splash only gets one (one!), before picking Sting up in a chokehold and tossing him to the canvas. Vader applies the SCORPION DEATHLOCK...but Sting breaks the hold. After a clothesline and powerslam from Vader for two, Sting responds with a rolling koppou kick (surprise!), and a DDT. Sting's shoulderblock sends Vader to the outside, and after a few blows, Vader goes up top. Sting crotches Vader and puts him on his shoulders for a, wait for it, SAMOAN DROP. Love the spots on display here. Cover only gets two. Vader tries a back suplex, but Sting kicks the referee on accident, and hits a GERMAN, for a two count. Yeesh, these bumps. A dropkick follows from Sting, and a STINGER SPLASH too! Sting tries another STINGER SPLASH, but misses, and his head collides with the ringpost. Sting's bleeding, but covers Vader for two. He falls to the canvas after a few missed punch attempts, so we've got a Vader POWERBOMB. It's all over, and we've got a new World Champion at 17:04. First of his career. Sting's down flat on his face in the ring, so Steamboat and Koloff come out to help him to the back. Match Analysis: Wow, they made a mega-heel here. But, this was just slightly not as good as their match at Starrcade '92. I've got many reasons for that. One, somewhat flat finish. Two, Sting's babyface comeback at Starrcade was one of the best I've seen. Ever. You can never go wrong with this match, in fact, I'm going to watch it again in a few minutes. Seriously. ****1/4, match of the night, no doubt. Unless MVC vs. Windham and Rhodes is fantastic. ___________________   Bischoff is with Vader...he's the man! ___________________   Finally, it's time for the NWA Tag Team Title Tournament Final. On one side, we've got the Miracle Violence Connection, Steve Williams and Terry Gordy. On the other, we've got Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes. This should be grand.   Blow-by-Blow: Well, the Steiners plan on interrupting this party, but security leads them out. Darn. Lock-up, with Gordy and Windham. Ole Anderson's the referee, and he isn't very good at it.Rhodes is in, and Gordy takes him down. Rhodes responds with some elbows, and Windham comes in and applies a figure-four. Williams runs in and gives him a belly-to-belly, but Windham latches on the arm and goes to work, with an armdrag. Gordy clotheslines Windham after tagging in, for a two count, but Rhodes comes in with an elbowdrop. Williams and Rhodes trade headlocks, until Rhodes rolls him up for two. Rhodes armdrags Williams, but Gordy tags in, trips Rhodes, and applies an STF. Williams comes in and elbows Rhodes a few times for two, as I notice that the crowd's emptied out a bit. Rhodes gives Williams a jawbreaker and forward rolls for two, then Gordy tags in and applies a boston crab on Rhodes. It's really easy to make tags without fighting your opponent off, because the ring is so small. Williams gives Rhodes a powerslam for two, but it also allows Windham to make the tag. He clotheslines Gordy, suplexes Williams, and also gives Williams a gutwrench suplex. Windham gives Williams a sleeper, but Williams pulls him into the ropes, which allows Gordy to tag in. Gordy suplexes Windham for two, and gives him a clothesline for two, before going to the chinlock. WIndham gives Gordy a back suplex, but Williams comes in and clobbers him. Williams applies a leg grapevine, while Gordy gives Windham an elbowdrop. Williams applies an abdominal stretch, but Windham makes the ropes. Gordy in with a shoulderblock, but Windham falls backwards and makes the tag to Rhodes. ELBOWS FOR ALL, but Gordy applies a front-facelock. Ended that! Williams is beginning to rev up for the OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE, but Windham gives him a dropkick. Williams misses a charge to the corner, but Rhodes misses a bulldog. In my world, he would have hit the bulldog, and the match would've been over. But in the real world, Williams gave Rhodes a giant LARIAT complete with a 360 sell, and the Miracle Violence Connection are now the NWA Tag Team Champs in addition to being the WCW Tag Team Champs. Time of the fall was 21:09. After the bout, the MVC ran over to Magnum and Tony, and Williams cut a brutal promo. Wow. Oh yeah, after some talk about Halloween Havoc and thoughts from JR and Jesse Ventura, the show's over. Match Analysis: Not the best match, but it's wrestling. No gimmicks, no trash. Williams and Gordy were such dominant heels, but the crowd didn't really have a reason to hate them. They didn't cheat, but I still love them. It's fun watching them stretch their opponents to death. **1/2. ___________________ Rating: Decent. I can't in good faith call this show good, because the crowd didn't care about it. I think they liked the wrestling, but there wasn't a reason to care about the competitiors. Throwaway show, and I don't understand why they didn't give the NWA Belts to someone else. Build to the unification. But, we are talking about WCW. Something like that just ain't going to happen. Makes too much sense. Another thing, having this and another tag centric show (Lethal Lottery/BattleBowl) in the same year isn't very smart. Just my .02.   Best Segment: Sting/Vader. In a word, fantastic. A wrestling fan who doesn't like these matches is not a wrestling fan.   Worst Segment: Outside of Williams' promo, I'll say Hase & Hashimoto vs. The Freebirds was the worst, although it wasn't bad at all. ___________________   If in fact King of the Ring 1993 gets put up tomorrow evening, that shall be my next review. I can't wait to watch it.  
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Clash of the Champions XXXV, from Nashville, Tennessee; 8/21/1997.

Been interested in this one...I don't know, I suppose Raven vs. Stevie Richards appeals to me. ___________________   Tony, Bobby, and Dusty are our commentators. They run down the card, and then, our first match is Mongo McMichael vs. Jeff Jarrett w/Queen Debra, for the United States Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: Jarrett's a hometown guy, you know. Jarrett slams Mongo at the start and struts, prior to ramming Mongo's head into the turnbuckle pad. He then takes Mongo down from behind, and follows it up with a chopblock, Mongo style, out of the three point stance. Jarrett rams Mongo into the buckle again, but Mongo comes out of there with a clothesline, before the commercial.   We're back, and Jarrett has rammed Mongo into the steel steps, twice. Back in, and Jarrett jumps on Mongo's back, as Mongo's throat is draped along the second rope. Jarrett gives Mongo a suplex and goes to the sleeper, but Mongo breaks the hold and gives him a sleeper of his own. Debra gets on the ring apron to distract, whoa, wait a minute. It's Eddie Guerrero! He gets up on the top rope with the US Title, comes down and...hits Jeff Jarrett on accident. Mongo covers Jarrett at 5:53, and we've got a new United States Champion.   Match Analysis: Nothing special, and with Mongo, the shorter the better. I don't think he should've been given the US Belt, but he was super over. I guess they had to do something with the guy. *. ___________________   Mean Gene is with Alex Wright, who's going to take on Ultimo Dragon for Dragon's Television Title later on. He talks in German a bit, then calls the title his.   After, Gene is with the guys from Dinner and a Movie, which airs on TBS. Seriously. ___________________   We now move forward to Stevie Richards vs. Raven, which is also Raven's debut match in WCW.   Blow-by-Blow: Raven enters from the crowd, and takes the microphone. He wants no disqualifications in this match, and the referee says, sure. At the start, Raven rams Stevie into the buckle, before sending him outside. Raven flies out with a pescado, and after bringing Stevie back in, Stevie comes back with a backslide for one. Raven puts Stevie on the apron and knocks him to the floor, then flies off the apron with two elbowdrops. Back in, Raven's got a chair, and he drop-toe holds Stevie into it. A bulldog into the chair follows, but when Raven sets the chair up in the corner, Stevie's the one who tosses his opponent into it. A sidewalk slam is delivered to Raven for 2, so Richards prepares for the Steviekick. That doesn't happen, but he still rolls Raven up for a two count. Raven responds with a clothesline for two, gutshot, EVENFLOW DDT, for the pinfall victory at 5:03.   Match Analysis: This wasn't the best match, but it was a good way to introduce Raven. Quite convincingly, I should add. I'll give this one my favorite rating, that being *1/2. I like how this show is a progression of storylines that are currently on the Nitros that WWE 24/7 is airing. ___________________   Alex Wright is now facing the Ultimo Dragon for the Television Title.   Blow-by-Blow: Wright gives Dragon a hiptoss to start, and a snapmare too, but Dragon applies a wristlock. Wright reverses into a hammerlock, but Dragon takes him to the canvas and applies an armbar. Wright pokes him in the eye to break the hold, but his shoulderblock can't knock Dragon to the canvas. Dragon's shoulderblock does though, and he follows it up with a dropkick. After Dragon's multi-kick combo, he goes to the chinlock. When Wright gets up, he gives Dragon a powerbomb, and a backbreaker, for a 2 count. Another backbreaker only gets two, and so does a gutwrench suplex. Now to the   commercial. I've gotta mention, from the beginning to the commercial is some of the most fluid wrestling I've seen. Smooth.   and we're back, with Dragon tied up in a chinlock. Wright gives Dragon a clothesline, and a scoop slam, before heading up top. He comes down with a stomp on Dragon's head, then dances. Now back to the chinlock, and when Dragon breaks free, he gives Wright a sleeper. Wright reverses, so Dragon gives him a back suplex. They now trade chops, until Wright gives Dragon a European uppercut, ending that flurry. After a Wright back suplex, Dragon responds with a springboard dropkick, bringing the house down. Ok, not really. Dragon misses a pescado as Wright's on the outside, so Wright decides to stomp on him. He tries to whip Dragon into the railing, but Dragon reverses and does that to Wright instead. Dragon follows that up with an asai moonsault, and brings Wright in the hard way, with a front suplex off the top rope. Dragon tries LA MAGISTRAL, but that only gets a two count. A handspring back elbow from Dragon misses, but Wright's pin with his feet on the ropes only gets two. Damn. Wright reverses an attempt at a DRAGON SUPLEX into a rollup, which Dragon reverses for 2. Now they get up as Wright has Dragon's back, and Wright gives Dragon a GERMAN SUPLEX for the victory at 10:54. We've got a new TV Champion! And he's German! Match Analysis: Awesome match, but the TV Title time limit and the commercial kinda killed the likelihood of going ****. Must watch. I gave it ***1/2. Commercials hurt a match, especially when it's going as well as this one was. ___________________   Now, we've got Eddie Guerrero challenging Chris Jericho for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.   Blow-by-Blow: Eddie Guerrero's music hasn't changed yet. Boo. To start, Jericho gives Eddie a few armdrags, and then a dropkick. Eddie tells the referee that his hair was pulled, and shows the referee exactly how it was done. Jericho gives Eddie a press slam and a flapjack, which causes Eddie to duck out of the ring. Eddie comes right back in with a sneak attack, and a big flying back elbow. Eddie gives Jericho a hilo, and a hurricanrana off the top rope for 2. Eddie then tries a hurricanrana in which he grabs Jericho's hand, leaps onto the top rope and springboards off with a rana, but Jericho catches him and powerbombs him. After a Jericho GIANT SWING(!), he gives Eddie a spinning heel kick. He botches a springboard plancha though, landing on his face outside. HA! Instead of sulking and doing nothing, Jericho runs right over and suplexes Eddie to the floor from the apron. A very good spot to replace that botch, IMO. Eddie brings Jericho in after a few punches and gives him my favorite move, a superplex, for a two count. Jericho tries a powerbomb, but can't get it...so after a reversal sequence, Jericho gives Eddie a release German suplex, which puts Eddie on his head. For real. But, the cover only gets two. Eddie gives Jericho a springboard sunset flip, which only gets two. We go into an UGLY pinfall rollup reversal sequence, and Jericho picks up the win at 6:40. After the match, Eddie dropkicks Jericho, in anger. A brainbuster and a FROG SPLASH follow, as Eddie leaves Jericho in the dust. I guess that's a good phrase to use.   Match Analysis: A disappointing effort. I mean, there were great things about it. Like the post-match beatdown. I mean, Eddie's character at that time is one of the best I've ever seen. Dead serious. Only ** for the match...if you had just watched this and none of their prior or later work, it would be hard to say, oh, they had a match that neared **** just a month later. You wouldn't believe it. ___________________   Part #2 begins, with a big lucha libre tag match. We've got Lizmark Jr., Super Calo, Juventud Guerrera, and Hector Garza facing Psychosis, Silver King, Villano IV, and Villano V w/Sonny Onoo.   Blow-by-Blow: IV and Calo will start things off, and Calo takes IV to the canvas with an armdrag. They go into a reversal sequence, and afterward, Calo gives IV an armdrag and a flying headscissors. Calo gives Silver King a dropkick, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to IV, which gets a two count. Garza comes right in, and misses a charge to the corner. Silver King also misses a charge to the corner, but he gives Garza a hiptoss and shoulderblock. Garza responds with an armdrag and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, before clotheslining King over the top. Juvi and Psychosis come in, and the latter of the two gives the other a superkick. Psychosis tosses him out, so Garza and IV come in. IV and Silver King monkey flip Garza and Lizmark Jr. to the outside, and here comes the crazy shit, as the heels get tossed out too. Calo flies out with a tope con hilo onto Silver King and Villano IV. Lizmark does the same, but with a regular tope...Juvi leaps off of Garza's back to the outside, landing on everyone...Villano V flies out with another tope...and Garza ends the sequence with a SICK CORKSCREW PLANCHA. Onoo grabs Calo's leg with he and Psychosis back in the ring, knocking Calo to the canvas. Psychosis comes off the top with a GUILLOTINE LEGDROP, which finishes Calo via pinfall at 4:52.   Match Analysis: Typical lucha spotfest. I like them. You know, the sequence where everyone decides to dive on one another is one of my favorites. Required viewing. **3/4, for a pretty good little match. You take what you can get. ___________________   Mean Gene is with the guys from Dinner and a Movie, who are naming their culinary creations. Macho Mayo...Macho Nacho...NWOkra....oh, that explains it all. These cooks are NWO 4 LIFE! What in the hell did I just say. Or, rather, what in the hell is this. The cooks tear their shirts off to reveal an NWO one, which brings Randy Savage out. You see, this is the NWO's birthday party. Now we go to a commercial.   We're back, and DDP is destroying all of this cooking utensils. He gives one of those dudes a DIAMOND CUTTER, and leaves. What a tough guy. ___________________   On the road, then Konnan and Syxx are taking on Ric Flair and Curt Hennig.   Blow-by-Blow: Gee, who's going over here? Hennig's being recruited by the Four Horsemen, if you didn't know. Hennig spits his gum at Konnan, and we're underway. Konnan puts Hennig in a headlock, but Hennig drop-toe holds his way out of it. Konnan pulls on Hennig's hair, which allows him to bring in his partner. Hennig tags out as well, so Syxx gives Flair a shoulderblock. Syxx gives Flair a backdrop, but Flair comes right back with a few chops and a kneedrop for two. After a Flair backdrop, Hennig comes in and gives Syxx a kneelift, knocking Syxx over to his corner, allowing him to tag in Konnan. They both collide after a few punches, and Syxx makes the tag. Flair chops away at Konnan, who misses a dropkick. Syxx clips Flair in the knee on accident, because Hennig pushed him into Flair, inadvertently, of course. Hennig gives Konnan the HENNIG-PLEX, which picks up the pinfall victory at 5:10. After the match, Mean Gene is with Hennig, to ask him whether or not he's decided to be a Horseman. Hennig just says, no. Gene asks him what his decision is, and Hennig says, no. What an ambiguous answer.   Match Analysis: Basic, formula Nitro match. Seeing as this Clash is nothing more than a glorified Nitro, I can't say that there's anything wrong with that. *3/4. ___________________   Here's our main event. Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger are facing Randy Savage and Scott Hall, who are accompanied by the entirety of the NWO. Before the match, Kevin Nash grabs a microphone, and well, he's going to allow Savage to defend his portion of the tag team titles. Now we've got a REAL main event, as this is for the WCW Tag Team Titles.   Blow-by-Blow: Only Nash was allowed to stay at ringside. How unfortunate. Hall and Page were going to start things off, but Hall wants Luger instead. So, we begin. Luger pushes Hall to the canvas and poses, pretty much as you'd figure. Hall pulls Luger to the outside for a bit, so Savage can give Luger a double axhandle when he comes back in. Savage misses an elbowdrop, so DDP tags in and hits everyone, ending his run of big hits with a clothesline. Savage comes back with a clothesline of his own, and a boot choke, before tagging in Hall. Hall gives Page a fallaway slam for a two count, before Savage tags in and rams Page into the buckle. Both work on Page in the corner, before Savage gives Page an elbowdrop for 2. Savage and Hall stomp on Page outside of the ring, which Savage follows it up with a double axhandle off the ring apron. Hall's in the ring, and applies an STF type hold. Page gives him a clothesline, and finally makes the hot tag to Luger. Luger cleans house, gives Hall an inverted atomic drop, and clotheslines both. He tosses Savage over the top, and puts Hall in THE RACK! Savage comes in, pokes Page in the eye, so Hall rams Luger into Page. You see, Page's eye was hurt, so he didn't see that it was Luger. He turns around, Luger's standing there, and he gives Luger the DIAMOND CUTTER. After a long delay, Hall pins Luger, for the three count at 9:55.   Match Analysis: I like that the Diamond Cutter was put over so huge. Well, any finisher in which the guy had to lay down for that long afterward is one that is put over huge. I wrote something about remembering something from Flair's book, but I forgot. Maybe it was about how Savage and Hall didn't get along. I don't know. Match was **. ___________________   The NWO are staying in the ring, as Eric Bischoff is saying some stuff to the winners. If not for them, these people wouldn't be here. Maybe that's true. The lights flicker for a few moments, and look to the rafters. Hey, there's Sting. A buzzard is up there with him, as his music plays. The lights go out, then back on, and a buzzard is attached to the top rope. What's awful is that you could see the person who attached it walking away from the bird. Brutal. One of the most bizarre show endings I've seen. ___________________   Rating: Decent. I would say the show was good for a Clash, but that ending sorta soured me on things, as did the Dinner and a Movie segment. Absolutely retarded.   Best Segment: Definitely Alex Wright's victory over Ultimo Dragon. Fantastic TV match.   Worst Segment: The Sting thing. I don't really follow. ___________________   I don't have any reviews to do for a while. That's good! Ok, not really. It just means I'll do something else with my time.  
Guest

Guest

2
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCW Bash at the Beach 1994, from Orlando, Florida, 7/17/1994.

My hand is nearly ready to start typing these in full. Nearly, but who knows how long that'll be. Anyhow, nothing will be there to review in full like that until the 15th, at which point I'll probably bring back a full review with Royal Rumble 1988. Fitting in with the theme of the month "Big Bangs and Dazzling Debuts," it's Hulk Hogan's WCW debut. So... ___________________   Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan talk for a while, until we are given a rendition of the national anthem by some guy named Daron Norwood. Who? Next, we see a clip of Sting vs. Ric Flair from WCW Saturday Night. I've heard that match is a very good one, but it's just a clip here. Anyway, Sting was scheduled to challenge Lord Steven Regal for the TV Title tonight. But since he has a lacarated cornea or something from Sensous (their name for her, not mine) Sherri scratching him on the face, after coming through the crowd dressed as a man. After that, Hulk Hogan ran into the ring to save Sting, until Ric Flair got the edge on him after a chopblock. The attack continued until Mr. T and Jimmy Hart save Hogan from Flair. Ok, then. ___________________   The first match on the card is Johnny B. Badd vs. Lord Steven Regal w/Sir William for the WCW TV Title. Yes, Sir William is Bill Dundee. My brother thinks Badd looks really fabulous. Take that for what you will.   I don't like that there's confetti all over the ring during the match, from when Badd shot it out of the Badd Blaster during his entrance. The crowd was into this match, which was definitely a good thing. However, this one was strange. The match didn't get going well until at the end, at which point Badd began to take over the match. He hit Regal with a left hook, which knocked him to the floor, and then he hit Regal with a pescado. He tossed Regal in and came in with a sunset flip, but Regal reversed it (strangely) into a rollup for 3 at 10:40. After the match, Badd attacks Sir William, and then, WCW's crew clears the confetti out of the ring. Thank you. The ending looked really bad, but it was still something good to open the show. **1/2. ___________________   Next, Antonio Inoki's in the ring. Zuh? Well, Steven Regal comes into the ring, and runs down the fact that he's not being given an award, while Inoki is. After talking for a while, Inoki chases him around the inside of the ring, until Regal chickens out and goes backstage. Jesse Ventura then comes out for commentary, prior to... ___________________   This bout is The Guardian Angel vs. Vader w/Harley Race. Guardian Angel = Ray Traylor.   My brother points out to me that Traylor looks like a Russian with the beret he wears during his entrance. He's right. This was a fun one. And Vader gave Traylor the moonsault, which was great. Anyway, Race gave Vader this baton thing to hit Traylor with as the referee was down, but Traylor stole it. The referee then wakes up and sees Traylor with the baton, and he disqualifies Traylor, giving Vader the win by disqualification, at 7:58. He never even hit Vader with the thing, which soured me on an otherwise decent affair. *3/4. ___________________   Mike Tenay and Chris Cruise, who are operating the WCW Hotline, want to speak to Terry Funk, but Funk wants no part of that. Now, for a recap of the feud between Dustin Rhodes, Bunkhouse Buck and Funk. On some show, Terry hit Dustin with a branding iron. And Dustin does a great bladejob, which was a surprise, given WCW's restrictions on blood. Anyway, Dustin wants Arn Anderson to team with him against Buck and Funk, and Arn says sure.   Before that match, there's a video of some silly match before the show. I have no idea what this is. ___________________   And now, we have Bunkhouse Buck and Terry Funk w/Meng and Colonel Robert Parker vs. Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson in a Grudge Match.   I'm very interested to see what happens in this match. I don't know what happens here at all. Anyway, Dustin takes an asskicking. Funk acts like a nutcase for most of the match, which is great. Anyway, Dustin finally powers up and hits both opponents with multiple elbows, and when he hits Robert Parker, he decides to tag in Arn. Arn is fired up too...but he gives DUSTIN A DDT. What the FUCK. Ok, that one surprised me. Wow. Funk then covers Dustin at 11:15 for the 3 count. There is monstrous heel heat here. Now the heels go to work on the arm, stomping it and kneedropping it. What a great match finish, ***. There was a gigantic WTF factor there, the crowd didn't expect, and neither did I. Like I said, I try not to find things out about these shows, and not only that, I've never seen this show in my life. WCW post-Hogan arrival to Fall Brawl 1995 is a blank slate to me. Mean Gene Okerlund then encounters Arn in the aisleway, and asks him why he did that. He sidesteps the question, and says that they're going to celebrate. ___________________   Tony and Bobby begin to talk to Hank Aaron, but thankfully, it's time for Part 2, as this conversation is edited out. ___________________   A Jimmy Hart thing (not part of the Bash show) opens up Part 2, and then it's Ric Flair and Sensous Sherri with Mean Gene. I've gotta ask, couldn't they think of a better first name for Sherri? That one sucks. Flair loves the match being live, and worldwide. This isn't on Worldwide, what the hell's he talking about? Sherri says that Flair's the man, and now, we have... ___________________   Ricky Steamboat vs. Steve Austin, for the US Title. This match sounds great, and it should be. Steamboat's entrance with the dubbed music sounds like something out of Pirates of the Carribean. Just sayin'.   I love watching Steamboat chop the shit out of his opponent. Austin has the words, "Dragon Slayer" on his trunks. Thought that was worth a mention. Ventura gushes over Steamboat throughout the match, which is no surprise. He always gives Ricky credit. Unfortunately, this match is a disappointment. I expected far more. There's too much "going through the motions" here, and Tony never fails to disappoint with his "biggest night in the history of our sport" crap. I think that's the first time he's done so thus far. The match gets good at the end, but by that point it was a bit beyond being saved. Steamboat gives Austin a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER after multiple reversals, and goes to the top rope. Before this, Austin tried to toss Steamboat over the top rope twice. You know, because of that retarded DQ rule. Austin then pushes the referee, and the referee goes to make a disqualification. Steamboat then talks to the referee, and pleads for the match to continue and not be ended via disqualification. And the referee listens. Austin then spears Steamboat and beats him up. He throws him into the ropes and misses a clothesline, so Steamboat counters with a crossbody. Austin reverses the crossbody and puts his feet on the ropes, to get the pinfall at 20:06. I expected much, much more from this. A disappointing ***1/4. Still good, but nowhere near what one would expect from these two. ___________________   Next is a WCW Hotline promo, before Bobby Heenan (back on commentary in place of Ventura) and Tony make their predictions of who will win the tag team match that's up next. I didn't pay attention to what they said. Following that, Mean Gene is with the newly formed Stud's Stable. That's what Arn joined, see. Arn talks about the Sid thing without mentioning him by name, and says that this is the real Arn Anderson. ___________________   Ok, the next match is Pretty Wonderful vs. Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan w/Dave Sullivan for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Pretty Wonderful was the team of Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma.   This sounds decent on paper. On paper. In actuality, this is a pile of shit. So much so, that the crowd starts doing the wave during the match. That's gotta be disheartening to the wrestlers involved. This is so boring, there's at been at least 6 minutes of restholds. Anyway, Cactus gets the cold tag, and gives Orndorff a double-arm DDT. Dave Sullivan then gets on the ring apron for some inexplicable reason, and Roma trips Cactus. Orndorff then pins Cactus while Roma holds Cactus' feet down, giving Pretty Wonderful the win and tag titles at 20:11. This was terrible. DUD. Everyone should be ashamed of the shitty effort they put in. ___________________   It's time for the main event, the biggest match in the history of our sport! First Nick Bockwinkel comes to the ring, and then, Shaquille O'Neal. That gets a rise out of the crowd, this being Orlando and all. ___________________   The match everyone's talking about is Hulk Hogan w/Mr. T and Jimmy Hart vs. Ric Flair w/Sensous Sherri for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Well, Hogan's music is shit. Not that I forgot about it, but it's terrible.   Ok, since this match has so much overbooking, I'll give that the rundown. Multiple times Ric Flair pulls Sherri in between he and Hogan when outside of the ring. That's no surprise. Hogan's technical wrestling is solid in this match, and that was a surprise. Ok, a bit later, Sherri grabs Hulk's leg while Hulk is running the ropes. It causes Hulk to turn around, and Flair chops him out of the ring. Sherri then grabs a chair, but Jimmy Hart steals it away from her. Flair takes a back suplex outside of the ring during the match, which was great. Hogan does a faux Hulk-Up, and gives Flair a big boot, which gets 2 as a result of Sherri pulling the official out of the ring. Sherri then hits Jimmy Hart, and gives Hogan a big splash off the top rope. There's a new referee, but Flair distracts him, while Sherri chokes Hogan with her panty hose. Flair then puts Hogan in the figure-four, and Sherri tries another splash on Hogan from the top. She misses, so Hogan knocks her out of the ring, while clotheslining Flair. He gives Flair a figure-four, as Mr. T carries Sherri to the back. But before T gets there, she tosses Flair a foreign object to hit Hogan with. Flair punches Hogan and only gets two, so it's HULK-UP TIME LITTLE DUDE. ONE TWO THREE, BOOT, DROP THE FUCKING LEG for 3 at 21:50. Ok, at first, I was going to call this **3/4. However, there's a gigantic amount of overbooking. I'm not going to deduct anything, for third reasons. First, the segments in between the overbooking are outstanding. The wrestling is crisp, and psychology is sound. Secondly, I feel like I already deducted stars for rating it that low in the first place. Third, should I deduct stars, I have no idea how low I should go. There was just SO MUCH. My rating is still **3/4, with an aforementioned warning that the overbooking is such that it can make the match un-enjoyable. However, I still enjoyed it.   After the match, Shaq hands Hogan the title, and Hogan poses. I was hoping this was the end of the show, but it's not. Hogan gives an interview in the back, and runs into Brutus Beefcake and Jim Duggan along the way back there. Talk about who I would not want in WCW, those two are atop the list. Once he gets back there to talk to Gene Okerlund, he goes into formula Hogan mode. He puts over Johnny B. Badd, Duggan, Beefcake and Brian Pillman(?) as loyal Hulkamaniacs, and rambles for a while, until the interview ends and we go back to Bobby and Tony. Show's over, after they say a few things. ___________________   Rating: Decent. Largely disappointing, IMO. I thought this was going to be a great show, I really did. I nearly forgot to mention that NO babyfaces won on the entire card until the main event. I think that's shitty of WCW. Had I paid for the show, I would've been a little peeved. However, unlike StarrCade '92, I definitely would have bought this in the first place. Not a question about it. That said, there are still things about this show that are well worth checking out, namely Hogan/Flair, and Arn Anderson's turn.   Best Segment: Arn Anderson's turn on Dustin Rhodes. No contest.   Worst Segment: Kevin Sullivan and Cactus Jack vs. Pretty Wonderful. Brutal stuff.   Loudest Sound: Johnny B. Badd, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and all participants in the grudge match. After the Arn heel turn, the crowd really turned down the volume. That wasn't a good thing.   No Sound: Ricky Steamboat, Cactus Jack, Kevin Sullivan, and Steve Austin. Although Pretty Wonderful are Pretty Awful, they got massive heel heat prior to and after their title win. Austin was the only heel to get little reaction. ___________________   The Lakers play tonight, so when I post that "Random Thoughts" thing in a few days, there won't be anything about Smackdown except for what I thought of the booking, if anything at all. I won't be watching much of Smackdown unless there's a blowout in the Laker game. Anyhow, that thing will probably be up Monday afternoon.
Guest

Guest

4
LFC Blog
 

Review: WCCW 1/15/83

I'm bored, so I'll type this out now, instead of later. I far prefer the one hour shows as opposed to the 2 and 3 hour ones, because it's easier to review them.   From the Sportatorium in Dallas, this is World Class Championship Wrestling. Yadayadayada, the host is Bill Mercer.   We start with Brian Adias vs. Buddy Roberts of the Fabulous Freebirds, Michael Hayes is at ringside. This is right after the angle where the Freebirds slammed Kerry Von Erich's head with the steel cage door, so the crowd hates the Freebirds. Hayes cuts a promo to start and we're underway. Roberts grabs onto a side headlock and takes Adias over three times. Adias dropkicks him after getting up from each takeover, and Roberts bails to the outside. I'm not all too familiar with WCCW, so I kinda though Adias was a jobber. He's not. Buddy grabs onto Adias arm and gives him an armlock figure-four. I like that move a lot. Not much here, except for Buddy's bloody knee, and they pick up the pace once the ring announcer says there's two minutes left in the bout. Buddy hits Adias with a nice swinging neckbreaker for a two count, and I believe it when someone says, that's how the move's supposed to be done. Because it is. Roberts follows with a backbreaker and 2nd rope elbow, each get a 2 count. Adias sunset flips over Roberts for two, and we have a time-limit draw at 8:26. The times are always fudged on the time-limit draws, of course. I don't recall very many announced time-limit draws going the duration of the announced time-limit. Anyway, I kinda liked it. *1/2.   ___________________     After a commercial break (and I love WCCW's intro to commercials, btw), we go to the Freebirds house. During this promo, country music plays in the background. It fits, see. The Freebirds have a Georgia flag (which at the time, had the stars and bars of the Confederacy on it) hanging up in the background, and they defend their position on why they attacked Kerry Von Erich during his title match against Ric Flair at the beginning of the month. It was shown last month, and I thought it was ***1/4.   Another break, and we come back with Michael Hayes in the ring, as he will be facing off against Al Madril. I thought Madril was a jobber too, but Mercer says he's a former Texas State champion. OK. Hayes stalls for a while, and plays the "chickenshit heel" role very well. Not much to see here, until Hayes piledrives Madril and decides not to cover him. Hayes then beats up Madril, and Jose Lothario comes down to the ring to save Madril, so Hayes gets the DQ win at 7:46. I had no idea Lothario was still wrestling at this point. 3/4*.   ___________________   Promo time, and Lothario wants to fight Hayes anytime, anywhere. He says it's ok to beat someone, but to try to hurt them after they're beat is crossing the line.   Andre follows with a promo of his own about the upcoming 6 man elimination match...   And now it's time for the main event! It's a 6 man elimination match, and the winner gets 5,000 dollars. You can be eliminated by pinfall, submission or going over the top rope, and it's every man for himself. The participants are Kerry Von Erich, Terry Gordy, Wild Bill Irwin, Bugsy McGraw, King Kong Bundy, and Andre The Giant.   Kerry goes straight for Gordy, a Freebird, before the match starts. They brawl before Andre gets to the ring, and once Andre hits the ring and the match starts, out Kerry goes after Michael Hayes pulls the rope down as Kerry's trying to put Gordy out. That took 10 seconds. Kerry tries to brawl with Gordy, but the officials send him out of the building. Andre makes Bundy look like a child, and that's no exaggeration. Andre tries to choke out Gordy for a really long time, but Bundy takes him down. Once Bundy does that, he throws McGraw out at 2:40, and we have 4 men left. Andre's still trying to choke Gordy, but Irwin gets in the way. Uh-oh. Andre throws Irwin out of the way like Irvin's a child, and Andre's still after Gordy. The crowd loves Andre. Irwin keeps trying to impede the Giant, but Andre throws him out of the way like a jabroni. Bundy tries to slam Andre, but he can't. The other three men triple team Andre for a really long time,until Andre throws Irwin out at 10:38. One thing I've drawn from this match is that Andre probably didn't like Gordy. Or it seems like it. Gordy almost goes out, but Hayes saves him. Andre goes over the top rope at 11:15 to chase Hayes, so he's gone. And he's pissed, too. Bundy then slams Gordy for a two count, as we have two men left. Bundy then misses an avalanche and gets put out over the top via a Gordy dropkick, at 12:54. Gordy wins the match, and the 5,000 dollars. I really liked the Andre portion of this match, because the guy really knew how to work the crowd, and he was still mobile enough to work. He didn't use the ropes to get up at all, and he wasn't stuck to the ropes during his matches like at the end of his career. ** for the whole thing, I was entertained.   ___________________   Brian Adias and Kerry Von Erich cut a promo about Adias match vs. Terry Gordy next week, and wow, Kerry is terrible on the mic. Why didn't they reshoot that?   Anyway, the show's over. Now, as we flashback to the present, Hayes is with Buddy Roberts in the studio. Wow, Roberts looks to be in rough shape. It also looks like he's had a bout with throat cancer, as he needs to push on something attached to his chest to be able to speak. Poor guy. They then tell a story about Gordy being double-booked because of Ole Anderson, and they bury the guy. I don't even think Ole likes Ole, as I've never heard a single person say something good about him. Did he piss on everyone, or what?   ___________________     Rating: Above-average. That was a fun way to spend an hour, and it was nice to see Andre before he became immobile. Hopefully with the update tomorrow comes some good stuff.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: Undertaker DVD, Part 5.

Time for something easy to review.... ___________________   The first match in this part of the DVD is from Fully Loaded 1999. It's for the World Wrestling Federation Championship, and the challenger is, of course, the Undertaker. The Champion is Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the match is a First Blood, End of an Era match. If Austin loses, he can't challenge for the WWF Title again. If the Undertaker loses, Vince McMahon will have to leave the WWF "forever."   Blow-by-blow: First, this mix of the Undertaker's music kicks ass. Austin made Taker bleed earlier in the night, and Taker tells the referee not to worry about that cut. Second, Vince McMahon is a guest commentator for the bout. Austin comes out and Taker meets him in the aisle. They brawl, and Austin swings the Smokin' Skull belt at Taker, but misses. They're by the guardrails in the aisle, and Austin is covering up to protect himself from the rights and lefts that Taker is throwing. Taker knocks Austin into the crowd after a right hand, and throws the steel stairs at him. But they miss, and Austin tries to hit Taker with the steps. Taker kicks him in the gut, throws him over the rail, and rams him into the announce table. Finally they get in the ring, and Taker chokes Austin with his boot. Taker tries to rip the stitches out of Austin's head from attacks on RAW in the previous weeks, then chokes Austin, but Austin chopblocks him after a missed big boot. Austin goes for the left leg, and tells someone out there, "you got this shit." Austin kicks him in the nuts, and for some reason, the crowd's kinda dead. I've never seen this show, so I don't know why. Austin rams the left leg of Taker into the post, and on the outside afterwards, Taker knocks Austin into the crowd. They trade rights, and Taker knocks Austin back to ringside. For some reason I like this match, even though the crowd may not. Taker grabs a chair, and swings it twice, both times missing. He attempts to swing it a third time, and Austin drop-toeholds him into what's left of the steel steps. Austin chokes Taker with a television cable, during the process, he takes a mini-electrical fan and rams it into Taker's face. Taker pushes the ref back in the ring, then trips over the ref and winds up tied in the ropes. Shane McMahon runs in with a chair, and he takes a hard chairshot from Austin to put him on the outside. Austin is gonna hit Taker with the chair, but Taker gives him a big boot. Taker kicks Austin in the groin, and takes off the turnbuckle pad. Steve with a low blow, and a STONE COLD STUNNER. Vince McMahon hobbles to the ring and tries to hit Austin with a crutch because he's hurt, so he can't walk, see. Austin has a chair after he hits Vince, but Taker hits Austin in the back with it. X-PAC (WTF?) comes down to the ring and spinning heelkicks the chair into the face of Taker, and Austin grabs a television camera. Oh yeah, now I remember why X-Pac came down to the ring. He was partners with Kane, and Kane had a match with the Big Show. Who was the Undertakers partner. Anyhow, Austin hits Taker with the camera, and WE HAVE BLOOD. BAH GAWD, BAH GAWD. The ref's down, so the match isn't stopped immediately. Taker goes for the TOMBSTONE, and Earl Hebner sees that Taker's bleeding. We all go "RING THE FUCKING BELL," and the match is over at 15:38. Austin gives Vince a STUNNER, and Triple H comes out. THE ROCK comes out to attack HHH, and we brawl. Taker hits Austin with the chair, and Austin's bloody. Austin hits Taker with the crutch of McMahon's, and Shane gets punched by Taker. Finally, the brawl breaks up. Austin offers to give Vince a goodbye handshake, well, he does that, then gives him a Stunner.   Match Analysis: Wow. People complain about Russo's use of run-ins in TNA, but what I saw there, now THAT was overbooking. It was fun though, and well within the context of the match and other angles that were going on at the time. **1/4, although that may be overrating the match, I liked it. ___________________   This match is from Wrestlemania 17, and it's The Undertaker vs. Triple H. Remember, this all started because HHH said he's beaten everyone, Taker came out and said no, then HHH destroyed his bike. Yada, yada, yada.   Blow-by-blow: The dubbed music of the Undertaker actually sounds pretty good. Like that could be his real music, or something. Unusual to find good dubbed music on this channel... They brawl on the outside, which is when I start the timer, when the action starts. Taker gets the best of it, and punches HHH who flies through the makeshift Spanish Announce Table. Just a regular table, in Dudley Boyz fashion. HHH with a high knee in the ring, and Taker no-sells it. He backdrops HHH, and clotheslines him. An Undertaker powerslam gets two, but he misses his elbow drop. Taker does a flying clothesline and goes up for OLD SCHOOL, but HHH armdrags him off the top. HHH with a neckbreaker that gets two, and two elbows to the head of Taker. HHH gets another neckbreaker, this time of the swinging variety, for a 2 count. HHH goes outside and grabs the SLEDGEHAMMER, as he gets this sick and twisted look on his face. That's good acting. The referee steals the SLEDGEHAMMER, and Taker slingshots HHH into the referee after a Pedigree attempt is reversed. Taker chokeslams HHH for a 2 count, and because it was ONLY a two count, Taker stomps on the ref and gives him an elbowdrop. He tosses HHH over the top rope and over to the floor, and HHH rams Taker's head into the steps. Taker backdrops HHH into the crowd, and they brawl up to the technical, usually off camera area. HHH hits Taker in the back and the head with a chair, and then wallops him all over the body with it. Taker chokeslams HHH "down to the floor," and I'll be honest, when I saw WM 17 on PPV, I thought HHH was dead. But, as we see on the replay, it was a well-cushioned fall. Taker jumps off the stage thing and elbowdrops HHH, and EMT's have brought out a stretcher to wheel HHH back with. Taker shoves them sumbitches out of the way, and the two men make their way back to the ring. Taker has the SLEDGEHAMMER now, and HHH gives him a nut-shot. HHH has the SLEDGEHAMMER, but Taker with a big boot. HHH goes for the TOMBSTONE but Taker reverses, and there's no referee to make the count. Taker "revives" the official, and picks HHH up for the LAST RIDE. HHH hits him with the SLEDGEHAMMER in mid-flight, and the cover gets 2. Taker's busted wide open, and HHH goes up for the 10 punch in the corner. Unfortunately for him, Taker gets the LAST RIDE (which I think looks visually better than almost all other powerbomb variations) for the 3 count at 18:58.   Match Analysis: Fun, and the overly gimmicked chokeslam at the technical area really didn't bother me. A good, dramatic match which made me think HHH would be the one to beat Taker at Mania the first time I watched it. Cool finish too. ***1/4. ___________________   From Judgment Day 2002, this match is for the Undisputed Championship, and it's the challenger, The Undertaker vs. the Champion, Hulk Hogan.   Blow-by-blow: Hogan's ring entrance took a while, and it could give someone a seizure. The lights in front of the stage setup hurt my eyes. Taker's wearing Hogan's weightlifting belt to the ring, and once Hogan gets in, Taker smacks him with it a few times. Hogan finds a way to get the belt away, then hits Taker with it three times. Hogan clotheslines Taker as JR says, "this won't be a classic." No shit, huh. Hogan backdrops Taker and dumps him, and then he goes into HULKAMANIA BROTHER and tears his shirt off. Hogan with an eye rake, but Taker gives him a headbutt on the outside. Still on the outside, Hogan whips Taker into the steps. Hogan with some chops, but Taker gets an armbar and goes up for OLD SCHOOL. Hogan crotches him and gets a superplex (WTF?) for 2. It looked kinda funny. Taker with a chopblock, and he rams Hogan's knee into the ringpost. He wrenches the leg, but Hogan continually kicks Taker in the head to get out of it. They trade right hands, then Hogan misses the BIG BOOT AND LEGDROP, and Taker grabs Hogan's leg in a half crab. Hogan gets to the ropes and both men trade right hands. Hogan misses a clothesline, and Taker gives him the ugliest chokeslam I've ever seen. Hogan kicks out at two, and Hulks up. We all know the routine, 3 right hands, a big boot, and HE DROPS THE FUCKIN' LEG, but only gets two. A Taker running DDT gets a 2 count and Vince McMahon makes his way to the ring. Taker goes and grabs a chair, but Hogan kicks it into his face. He gives Taker the LEGDROP, but the ref isn't counting thanks to Vince. Hogan punches Vince and legdrops him, but Taker hits him with the chair and chokeslams him at 12:23 to become the new Undisputed Champion. Undertaker tells Hebner to put the belt around his waist, and he goes and grabs the chair "for his motorcycle." He "Team 3D's" him, you know, cause of what they did to Shark Boy, and that's it.   Match Analysis: Not a DUD, cause I was entertained. And I thought it was better than their match at Survivor Series 1991 so...I have to give it 3/4*. It was kept short, and to the point. That was for the better. If both men had more time for this match, it would have been terrible. With a capital T. ___________________   An overall rating of the DVD will be coming soon, when I post Part 6. Since there's not much content that I haven't reviewed on 24/7 right now, I'll take my time.
Guest

Guest

4
LFC Blog
 

Review: Undertaker DVD, Part 4.

Now, the DVD set moves into the heart of the Attitude Era. I don't mind that, as it's a time period I enjoy. Most people say that a person's favorite wrestling period is the one they grew up on. I don't necessarily disagree, even though late-80's NWA is my favorite, this is right behind. I don't give a damn how many people look back and think it sucks. If you disagree, comment and we can discuss it.   And since the Kings won, I'm doing this tonight. Otherwise, I wouldn't work on it until tomorrow.   ___________________   From IYH: Unforgiven in 1998, we have The Undertaker v. Kane w/Paul Bearer in an Inferno Match.   Prematch: This is the end of the UT/Kane feud until they come full-circle with partners they each don't trust, and then they decide to team up themselves. Rinse and repeat about 10 times, and you have Kane's career. The inferno visuals are cool, they kept the flame low so everyone could see.   Blow-by-blow: They trade punches (and I had the feeling I'd be saying that a lot...), until UT avalanches Kane in the corner. Kane's in this phase where he sells nothing, from nobody, so that's what he does. It's even worse than when Taker does it. UT goes up for OLD SCHOOL and the fire blaze gets really high, almost to the knee of UT as he's standing on the ropes. Kane just drops him on the turnbuckle, and hits him with some rights. Whip hard to buckle, rinse and repeat 3 or 4 times. Kane powerslams UT and they both try to smother each other, until Bearer tosses a chair into the ring. Kane hits UT with the chair, and then the camera pans to Bearer wiping the sweat off his face. Yeah, I'm sure those flames are hot. Kane pushes UT toward the flame AND BAH GAWD HE'S GONNA PUT HIS ASS ON FIRE, but Taker finds his way away from it. Taker gives him a russian leg sweep and a legdrop. CHOKESLAM, CHOKESLAM STRAIGHT TO HELL by Kane, so logically, Taker must return the favor. Then, both guys give each other a big boot. It looked weird. Undertaker misses his running, flying clothesline, and he almost flies too far and into the flames. That was close. Kane sideslams Taker and goes up to the top rope, but UT crotches him on the turnbuckle, then superplexes him. Kane gets tossed out over the top rope, but the flames don't get him. OK. What's the point of the match then. As Kane walks towards the back, Vader makes his first televised appearance since No Way Out of Texas, and gives Kane a piece of his mind. The two wrestlers get a little closer to the ring, and UT FLIES over the top rope with a tope, knocking both men down. Taker chases Bearer onto a stage set-up on the side, and puts a drum through Bearer's head after Bearer gives him a WEAK ASS chairshot. Bearer does a blade-job, and back at the ring, Undertaker knocks Kane into the fire after Kane CLEARLY put on a flame-retardant sleeve or something, and that's it. HE'S ON FIRE, OH MAH GAWD. The bell rings at 16:01.   Match analysis: It was weird. Really weird. Not negative star worthy or anything, but the booking was bizarre. The guys never should have left the ring, but then again, Kane would never have been able to put on the flame-retardant sleeve. It's not BAD though, like one would expect. The gimmick (and other reviews out there) tends to have people thinking the match is dogshit. *.   ___________________   From King of the Ring 1998, it's Mankind vs. The Undertaker, in Hell in a Cell.   Prematch: We all know what happens here. UT limps out and climbs the cell. Nothing else sticks out except for the sheer number of lighters while the lights are turned out. Goodness.   Blow-by-blow: Undertaker goes up the Cell, takes a few chairshots and throws Mick off the Cell. The bump still holds up to this day, and it will hold up forever. Two shittier workers, and nobody would have given a fuck. But because it was these two guys, because the Undertaker character was going in a darker direction, and because Mick Foley was supposed to be a sick sonofabitch, it worked. Moving on from that, I like seeing Hugo Savinovich of the Spanish announce team sprawled out after the giant throw off the Cell. It always makes me laugh. Terry Funk, Sgt. Slaughter and Vince McMahon make their way out, he does a stretcher job, BUT HE AIN'T DONE, BAH GAWD, HE'S CRAZY, HE'S SICK!   Stop here. Nothing tops this. I would have loved to seen Mick return the favor, and that would have been the perfect way to end the match, IMO.   They both re-climb the Cell, and Undertaker headbutts Mick. That's a strange thing to see Taker do. Then Taker chokeslams Mick through the Cell. This bump is more impressive than the first, I think. Once UT struggles to get through the hole in the Cell, he chokeslams Terry Funk out of his shoes. Legit LOL there, from both my brother, my father and I. Like I said, I don't watch these alone. This channel brings back good, old memories. Taker punches Mick, and Mick falls down in a heap. It's almost funny, in a sick way. Then the infamous clip of Foley's tooth in his nose follows, and he SAYS that he was trying to stick his tongue through a hole in his lip, but his beard kept everyone from seeing it. For some reason, I'm not so sure about that one. Taker goes up for OLD SCHOOL, but Mick knocks him off. Taker grabs the stairs because Mick can't hold them, so they improvise and Taker launches the stairs into Mick's injured shoulder. Geez, dude. Watch out. Taker then flies into the cell, and you can see the guy scraping his blade up toward his face, trying to get his face to cut. Business exposure, kids. Learn to love it, learn to live with it, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, AND SO ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN. Sorry. Back in the ring...Mick piledrives Taker onto a chair for two. I'm calling him Mick because his mask is gone, see. A legdrop onto Taker as a chair is draped over Taker's face gets 2, then Mick gives him an ugly looking double arm DDT. He goes under the ring...and we have TACKS. OH MY GAWD, TACKS, TACKS, HE'S SICK...but Mick gives UT FINGERS IN THE MOUTH a MANDIBLE CLAW instead. UT lifts Mick on his back, and then drops him onto a small portion of the TACKS. But Mick ROLLS IN THEM. A chokeslam on the tacks gets most of them stuck to Mick's back, and then Mick gets TOMBSTONE'D for the finish at 17:38.   Match analysis:   1. Both bumps off the top of the Cell were nuts.   2. Most people deride the match because they think all it was, was two big bumps and some thumbtacks.   No.   Fuck those people. The match told a story. A story about two sick motherfuckers that would do anything to win. The only thing that irks me, is that they weren't trying to win anything in particular. Except for pride. And with the history of these two, that's all it takes. I'm stuck in the middle about how I really feel about this match. I've watched it about 10 times including the live airing, I have it on DVD, and my opinion still hasn't changed. So my rating shall be in the middle, as well. **1/2. It isn't the best one of these matches, but it's memorable, and with damn good reason.   ___________________   From King of the Ring 1999, it's a World Wrestling Federation Championship match, with the challenger being The Rock, and the Champion being The Undertaker. Undertaker is accompanied by Paul Bearer...   Prematch: Undertaker is just sick at this point, I'll leave it at that. Yes, this is the PPV where Billy Gunn wins the King of the Ring. No, I haven't seen the whole PPV, or this match. I made a point not to order any WWF PPV's post WM XV until Royal Rumble 2000, and I haven't seen a single one in between, although I watched RAW all the time. My parents felt that ripped off by WM XV, and I didn't disagree. Instead, we ordered WCW PPV's.   Yeah.   Blow-by-blow: Ref bump quick and early before anything starts, and if history is any indication, it should be good. Remember Ground Zero 1997? Unfortunately, when Vince Russo's booking, both logic and history is thrown in the garbage. This match was 3rd from last at this PPV, Billy Gunn's KotR win and a shitty Austin ladder match followed. Anyway, ROCK BOTTOM, HE JUST HIT ROCK BOTTOM, but there's no ref. The new one gets to the ring, and Bearer pulls him out while he was making the count. Fuck. Overbooking at the start? I'm used to that at the finish. Bearer punches the new ref to the ground, and a UT chokeslam gets 2. This match is going in reverse. Rocky clotheslines Taker to gain control, and does his spit punch to finish the combination. This guy was, and is, GOLD. He throws UT out of the ring, and now we brawl. They beat each other up near the stage, and on the way back toward the ring, Taker suplexes Rocky in the entranceway. Back in, and an Undertaker cover gets a 1 count. Armwringer and OLD SCHOOL follows, but nope, Taker's nuts must suffer after being crotched along the top rope. Rocky has a water bottle, and he takes a swig and spits it out at Taker. He's still getting the catchphrases down, and stuff. Into the crowd we go, and Rocky pours beer on Taker. Back near the announce table after some shitty brawling, and Rocky rams the face of Taker into the ringbell. Taker grabs the bell, and Rocky has a chair, and the weapons meet. Who the fuck came up with that idea. The visual is terrible, and accomplishes nothing other than that hitting a bell with a chair hurt Rocky. Bearer then hits Rocky with his shoe. Uh. Lots of Taker punches, and his running DDT gets 2. To the chinlock we go, then Rocky powers out and gives Taker a samoan drop for 2. Double clothesline follows, and Rocky's up first. A Taker TOMBSTONE attempt leads to a Rocky counter, as Rocky DDT's him. Ref bump after a whip and collision, and we HAVE THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW. THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW PAD COMES OFF, AND HE DROPS THE FUCKING ELBOW for no count, as there isn't a ref to do so. Taker gives Rock a nutshot, and Bearer has a rag. He soaks it with ETHER. AND BAH GAWD, IT SMELLS LIKE ETHER. This shit is so fucking stupid, I remember when Taker was going to embalm Steve Austin alive and that sort of booking really reminds me of it. Maybe because it's done by the same guy, I dunno. Well, actually, I do. Rocky steals the rag after a clothesline, and smothers Undertaker with it. But Triple H HAS to come to the ring, and he HAS to PEDIGREE Rocky, and JR has to call him a lousy, no good son of a bitch, and we have to have a run-in, and just fuck it I want this to be over. Taker somehow gets his finger on Rocky as both are out, but Rocky kicks out at 2. Taker gets up first, and TOMBSTONE'S Rocky for the win at 19:47. HHH came out because he's in the Corporate Ministry, ya know?   Match analysis: It's a really shitty, really overbooked title match. My initial rating while watching it was *1/2, but after thinking about it, there's really no way I can go that high. The brawling sucked. The booking sucked. The promos before this match on RAW sucked (yes, I do remember. Learning tree yourself, bitch.). Just the overall writing of the company sucked, but damn, I look on it fondly. The match is 1/2*, and I can't possibly watch it again. If you can't book a 20 minute straight wrestling match ONCE in your ENTIRE fucking life, chances are you're on the wrong business. And you show me a match that Russo booked all by himself that went more than 20 minutes, without run-ins, ref bumps, ether soaked rags, human torches, graveyards, celebrity world champions, a tazer, a heel turn, a "shoot", "blood" coming out of the ceiling, partners that hate each other, tits and ass, or any other shitty gimmick out there...   and I'll show you Michael Jordan. Seriously, if anyone can find a straight, non-gimmicked, Russo booked wrestling match with none of the things I mentioned, I'll review it. I don't think such a thing exists. To be truthful, in this case, Undertaker carried the match. I'm not shittin'. I don't know if this match, with this booking, could have been any better.   ___________________   And that's it. I don't know what I'll do next, but I'll have something done tomorrow. I sure would like to see some comments after some of the statements I've made...   This part of the DVD is worth a watch, if you haven't seen the Inferno match. But if you want to watch it until the end, please take caution. And try to laugh, as often as possible.
Guest

Guest

6
LFC Blog
 

Review: Undertaker DVD, Part 3.

Ok, before I start, I'll throw out a few snowflakes for the matches in the first two parts of the DVD.   SPOILERS     The Undertaker beat Hulk Hogan, from Survivor Series 1991: 1/2*. Junk.   Yokozuna beat The Undertaker in a casket match, from Royal Rumble 1994: Complete and utter trash. -***** for the whole thing, just -****1/2 for the actual match. Having all those guys come in the match gave a reason for UT's long hiatus. That was the first wrestling match I watched. Yeah, no shit. So how did I become a wrestling fan? The tape I got from the video store was at this spot when I started watching. I didn't rewind it, I could only watch one match before I went to sleep, and I didn't have time.   The Undertaker beat Diesel, from WM 12: It's ok. **3/4.   The Undertaker beat Mankind in a Buried Alive match, from guess what, IYH: Buried Alive: Solid match, the entire spectacle was shitty. It took forever to bury "Undertaker" to the point where they could go to the finish of the show. ***.   And then they fought again, at Revenge of the Taker: I thought that was much better. ***1/2.   Bret Hart beat The Undertaker, from SSlam 97: Good wrestling match, but real long. ***1/4.   And now, to the review.   ___________________   From In Your House: Ground Zero, it's The Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels.   Prematch: They're having this match because of the incident at Summerslam where HBK hit UT with a steel chair, costing UT his title. We all know what this feud leads to.   Blow-by-blow: I started timing way before the bell rang, because I feel that was the time that should be recorded. Once UT gets in the ring, he punches the ref. So the bell doesn't ring for 5 more minutes. Slaughter tells HBK to get back in the ring, because HBK's scared shitless of The Undertaker. Undertaker tosses the ref out of the ring, and onto HBK. HBK runs like hell, and tries to break down the door of the House setup the WWF had going for these shows. UT press slams him onto the stage, then punches HBK, and HBK bumps the whole way down the ramp, back toward the ring. I'm sure that hurt. UT throws Shawn into the stairs, chokes him with a microphone cord, and slams him over the guardrail. We go back in the ring, and UT clotheslines Shawn. There's no referee to count the pinfall, so UT picks Shawn up. Then he whips Shawn into the buckle, and Shawn goes upside down. NOW we have a ref, it's Earl Hebner btw, and Shawn asks him to disqualify the Undertaker. Shawn cuts out UT's left knee, and the bell finally rings. UT tries a chokeslam but gets a boot to the midsection, then Shawn tries an axhandle from the top and misses. He then gets dumped, but on his way back in, he tries a sunset flip that he can't finish. UT picks him up from the ground, chokes him, and then throws him. UT then puts Shawn in position to do that spot where Shawn launches himself into the air, and lands on the top rope, crotching himself. Shawn does that, then gets clotheslined by UT. UT goes for OLD SCHOOL, but gets crotched along the top rope. UT winds up on the outside, and Shawn baseball slides into him. Shawn attempts a plancha, but is caught by UT and slammed into the ringpost. UT punches Shawn in the nuts, and backdrops Shawn for a 2 count. Shawn finally gets some offense with a swinging neckbreaker, but UT sits up. Shawn puts his running boots on, and grabs a chair. He's not able to hit Undertaker, though, and UT grabs the chair. Hebner grabs the chair, and Shawn dropkicks UT into Hebner. Shawn goes up, and does his elbowdrop off the top twice. Rick Rude comes out and tosses Shawn some brass knuckles, and coldcocks Undertaker. Once a new referee comes to the ring, the cover gets a 2 count. The new referee gets punched out, and HHH and Chyna have made their way to the ring. HH beats up UT, and Shawn takes care of Hebner, as he comes to. Someone in the crowd heckles HHH, so he tells them to suck it. Crotch chop, motherfucker. Under Shawn's eye is a cut, and it looks to have came the hardway, when he came off the top rope to the floor to hit UT. Shawn misses SWEET CHIN MUSIC BAH GAWD after a TOMBSTONE reversal, and then UT beats him up and grabs the brass knuckles out of Shawn's pants. He hits Shawn and HHH with them, and covers Shawn, but the referee is too tired to make the count fast enough for UT to win. UT chokeslams Hebner, then Tim White comes down to the ring at 21:58 (my time, which is far different than the other ones out there) and rings the bell. No contest. That's the 4th ref to make an appearance during the match.   After that, HHH gets chokeslammed into Shawn, but Shawn hits UT with SWEET CHIN MUSIC. UT gets tied in the ropes, and Shawn runs and tries to hit him with a chair. But UT kicks the chair into his face, see. Shawn gives SWEET CHIN MUSIC to all of the officials that make their way to ringside in an attempt to break this up, and during the process, UT TOMBSTONES HHH. Now wrestlers from the back make their way out to stop things, with Rocky Maivia among them. He's wearing an ugly ass shirt. A huge UT tope onto everyone on the outside, including Shawn, and DX leaves ringside. And that's it.   Match analysis: I've never seen this match before. It's terrific, and sets up the following month's Hell in a Cell perfectly. Just awesome. ****1/4. It's a must watch, and the best WWF brawl up to that point. It might sound overbooked, but it's not. It's brilliant.   ___________________   I'm skipping UT/Shawn from Badd Blood, cause they're posting the entire event this week. I took notes, and I'm going to put the match review on the Badd Blood review. ___________________   From Wrestlemania XIV, it's The Undertaker vs. Kane w/Paul Bearer.   Prematch: The WWE put in the prematch video package, which I feel is the best one WWE has done to this date. It recapped the feud perfectly, and got me excited for the match the first time I saw it. The druids appear during the entrance for UT, but the part where Kane tombstoned Pete Rose was cut out. Too bad, I really like it.   Blow-by-blow: Staredown to start, and Undertaker throws the first blow. Kane elbows UT, then tosses him into the turnbuckle. UT does the same, and then we have a UT big boot. Kane clotheslines him, and puts him in tree of woe position at the turnbuckle. Kane then suplexes UT across the ropes, and clotheslines him from the top rope in order to dump UT to the outside. Kane chokes him on the inside, and gives him some high knees to the midsection. UT climbs up Kane's shoulders, but Kane drops him. We go to the outside, and Kane beats up UT pretty bad. Stairs to the midsection, and we go back in on a Kane suplex. A Kane chokeslam gets 2 after Kane picks UT up off the canvas, so we go to the chinlock. Kane works around that for a while, which is nice, a straight out chinlock for 5 minutes is boring as fuck and a crutch for shitty workers. An Undertaker big boot gets Kane to the floor, and Undertaker FLIES to the outside with a tope, but misses and goes through a table. Not as impressive as it once used to be, I hate to say. The bump doesn't hold up. Back inside, and Kane clotheslines Undertaker after jumping off the top rope. They trade right hands, and a Kane TOMBSTONE gets 2. No-sold afterward by UT, and then UT clotheslines him to put Kane down for the first time in the match. UT chokeslams Kane, and Paul Bearer says, "DAMN YOU UNDERTAKER, DAMN YOU TO HELL." Pretty weird moment, but I enjoyed it. Evil Paul is cool. An Undertaker TOMBSTONE gets two, a legdrop follows, and Kane sits up. UT TOMBSTONE again, and it gets 2. Then UT goes up to the top, hits Kane with a flying clothesline, and TOMBSTONES him for the pin at 16:58. Kane and Bearer lay UT out after the match, and that's it.     Match analysis: It's just a decent match. The crowd wasn't very into it, and I attribute that to three things.   1. The Dusty Finish of the Rock/Shamrock match. The crowd went nuts for Shamrock winning the IC title, but they were sorta dead until the main.   2. The tag title match before this one finished backstage, and there was no giant Titantron to watch the ending on. Just the video screens on the scoreboard.   3. Position on the card. It was right before the main, and this match probably should have been right after the mixed tag, when the crowd was hot. But good luck getting UT to go down the card, even though it was the right thing to do.   I gave the match ***, had there been more heat for the match, the rating would have been higher. I DO punish matches that don't have crowd heat, with a few exceptions. If you don't have heat, something's wrong. ___________________   This part of the DVD is a must watch. I'll do the next part tomorrow.
Guest

Guest

0
LFC Blog
 

Review: The History of the WWE Championship, Part 1.

Since nobody was here, I figured I could watch this without someone getting pissed off about me watching something without them. Because the footage is really old, and all. ___________________   Starts off with a video package, of course, and now, to a match.   It's Pedro Morales vs. Ivan Koloff, for Koloff's WWWF Title, and the match took place at MSG on 2/8/1971.   Blow-by-blow: On a look at thehistoryofwwe.com, I see that the match has been clipped. However, I'll make an exception and rate it anyway, because I honestly couldn't tell. When I can't tell if something's clipped, I rate it, and it's probably clipped because the footage is so poor. Wow. If I didn't know better, I'd say that Koloff looked like King Kong Bundy. I'm so used to the, "my nephew Nikita" version that I had forgotten he looked like this before. Anyhow, both wrestlers act like they're going to box when the match starts, until Koloff begs off. Koloff threatens to leave, and Pedro grabs onto a headlock when Koloff comes back in. Pedro gives him a shoulderblock, and Koloff comes back with a backdrop. Pedro slams Ivan twice, and gives him two headlock takeovers. The crowd heat is off the charts. The ring also has 4 ropes, like a boxing ring. Pedro gets kicked, and Ivan grabs onto a chinlock. Koloff breaks it, and begins to choke Pedro with the strap on his attire. The crowd got PISSED off when he did that. Now Koloff wants to shake hands, but instead, we begin a TEST OF STRENGTH. Pedro monkeyflips out of it, but Koloff grabs onto a bearhug. Pedro gets out and slams Ivan, then does it again. Koloff gets 2 as Pedro can't slam him after an Ivan shoulderblock, and then, Koloff misses a splash. He gets a slam, though, but misses his finisher, a kneedrop off the top rope. Pedro goes up, and gets a crossbody for 2. Koloff rams Pedro into the buckle three times, then goes for a suplex, and on the cover, PEDRO MORALES lifts a shoulder at 2, gaining the win and WWWF Title, as Koloff's shoulders stay pinned to the mat. Crowd goes nuts, yadayadayada.   Match Analysis: FWIW, at that point, the title wasn't going to stay on a heel for longer than a few weeks. Heels had to be brought in for the champion to face, business wasn't going to stay the same if a heel champion faced off against babyfaces that came in every few months. Or so that was the conventional wisdom. You decide whether it was right or not. Match was *, and I was glad to see it end. Hate that finish (both men's shoulders on mat, one lifts at 2) with a passion, though. I can understand its use, but when it comes out of nowhere like this? Hell no. ___________________   Bruno Sammartino vs. Killer Kowalski is joined in progress, and it's the same one from the shorties section two months back, which I never got around to watching. Let's put it this way, it's probably a good thing that the match is joined in progress. I fastforwarded, but Bruno bleeds, and the match gets stopped. Now THAT is a copout finish, UNLESS...it sets up a gimmick match at the next show. Which it did, a Texas Death Match. So no worries. ___________________   From Baltimore, Maryland on 4/30/77, it's Superstar Billy Graham vs. Bruno Sammartino, for Bruno's WWWF Title. It's in full.   Blow-by-blow: Superstar pushes Bruno into the buckle on a lockup, and then does the same. Bruno returns the favor, and gives Graham an armdrag. Bruno applies a wristlock, then takes Superstar down to the canvas. Superstar puts his leg on the bottom rope to break the hold, then goes outside the ring to take a breather. Once he comes back in, we have a TEST OF STRENGTH that goes about 3, maybe 4 minutes. Superstar wins, Bruno comes back, Superstar puts Bruno's shoulders down for 2, and Bruno puts Superstar down to end the hold. That covers it. Superstar grabs onto Bruno's wrist, and Bruno reverses the hold, putting Superstar on the canvas. Superstar gets up, and begins to kick and punch Bruno. He chokes Bruno, and whips him hard into the turnbuckle. Bruno knocks Superstar out of the ring, and when Superstar comes back in, he's bleeding. Bruno punches Superstar a few times, but Superstar is able to grab onto a bearhug, after shoving Bruno into the buckle. Bruno also puts Superstar into the buckle after breaking the bearhug, but Superstar applies the bearhug again. Bruno hits Superstar a few times in the corner, and suddenly (somehow applies too), Superstar rolls up Bruno and sticks his feet on the ropes, giving him the leverage to get the 3 count and end Bruno's long title reign, at 13:45.   Match Analysis: It's really quite simple to explain why the title change happened in Baltimore. There was no way Graham would have made it home safely, had the match been at the Garden. No way, no how. The match sucked, IMO. It was centered around three things.     That doesn't quite cut it for me. 1/2*. Maybe that's being nice. I really, really like old wrestling, but so far, I haven't liked what I've seen. Thankfully, that changes. ___________________   Superstar Billy Graham vs. Bob Backlund is JIP, and cut to about a minute. Backlund wins the title with an atomic drop, while Superstar's foot is on the rope. Is that justice? I'd say so. ___________________   And again, another JIP match, Greg Valentine vs. Bob Backlund in a steel cage. I'd like to see this one in full. Anyhow, it's cut to 4 minutes, and ends when Backlund escapes through the door after giving Valentine a piledriver. ___________________   Finally, a match that looks good on paper. Sgt. Slaughter w/The Grand Wizard vs. Bob Backlund, for Backlund's WWF Title, from MSG on 5/23/83. Slaughter whipped Backlund like a government mule with a riding crop, so Backlund has all kinds of welts on his back.   Blow-by-blow: Brawl to start, of course, as these two are supposed to hate each other. Backlund rams Slaughter into the ringpost a whole bunch, and the crowd goes nuts. Gorilla says that Slaughter is on "Queer Street," and this time, I'm not laughing because of the lack of politically correctness. During HBO broadcasts, whenever a boxer gets knocked down, Lennox Lewis says that the guy was put on Queer Street. So there. Slaughter bails, and upon getting back in the ring, is beat up more. Backlund elbows Slaughter in the face twice, and Slaughter bails again. When getting back in the ring, Backlund gives Slaughter a snapmare, then stomps on his face a few times. You know, where the guy spins on his opponent's nose. Really don't like that. Backlund gives Slaughter two flying forearms, but on the third attempt, gets clotheslined. Slaughter drops Backlund on the top rope, and gives him a kneedrop for two. Slaughter rakes Backlund's back, and then his eyes, on the rop rope. Slaughter gets a backbreaker for 2, and then a back elbow for 2. Slaughter gives Backlund a chestbreaker, but the referee is unable to make the count, due to the position of Backlund's feet. Slaughter gives him a double stomp(!), and a knee to Backlund's gut. Backlund tries to clothesline Slaughter, but can't, so instead, we get a double collision. Both men are down and out, until Backlund rises up and gives Slaughter a swinging neckbreaker. Backlund misses a charge to the corner, and gets suplexed for a 2 count. Backlund reverses another suplex attempt by Slaughter, into a suplex of his own, which gets a 2 count. Backlund gives Slaughter an ugly looking piledriver, made that way because Slaughter was overly protective of his neck. But really now, you can't be overprotective of your neck, can you? It's one of those things you have to do. It gets a 2 count, and Backlund tries another swinging neckbreaker, but can't get it as Slaughter grabs the top rope, leading Backlund to hit his head on the canvas. Slaughter shoots Backlund into the ropes, and gives him a dropkick, which gets two. This match is very fun, if slow. Slaughter drops Backlund on the top rope and gets an elbowdrop for 2. However, he misses a charge to the buckle, ramming his own shoulder into the ringpost. Backlund begins to hit Slaughter's arm, then applies the Crossface-Chickenwing. It's locked in, but near the ropes, the Grand Wizard hands Slaughter that riding crop, and Slaughter hits Backlund with it, getting disqualified at 15:55. Backlund gets the riding crop away from Slaughter, and hits Slaughter a few times, before Slaughter runs away.   Match Analysis: Good, solid wrestling. The match featured a lot of good spots, most of which were the "highspots" of that era. Anyway, it's solid, and one of the better early (read: pre-1985) WWF matches I've seen. Yes, I know the WWF was around for long before that, and it really wasn't early. ***1/4. ___________________   Yes! Haven't seen this one in a few years, so I'm glad to review it. It's "The Incredible" Hulk Hogan vs. The Iron Sheik w/Classy Freddie Blassie, for Sheik's WWF Title. Yeah, they called Hogan "the Incredible," and I don't know why. It's from 1/23/1984 at MSG, if you didn't already know. When MSG was doing extremely well, as far as getting asses in the seats.   Blow-by-blow: If you haven't seen any part of this match, you aren't a real wrestling fan. Hogan attacks Sheik, and gives him a back elbow in the corner. He takes Sheik's entrance attire, and clotheslines Sheik with it. Hogan gives Sheik a clothesline and kneedrop, then a choketoss. He spits on Sheik, and the crowd loves it. Hogan gets a big boot for 2, and then a running elbow and elbowdrop for 2. Hogan misses a charge to the corner, and Sheik takes over. The crowd is wild, of course. Not like during the Morales match, though. Sheik chops Hogan, and gives him a backbreaker for 2. Sheik "loads" his boot, and kicks Hogan in the gut. He applies a Boston Crab, but Hogan powers out of it in a hurry. Sheik gets a gutwrench suplex for 2, and applies the CAMEL CLUTCH, BREAK YOUR FUCKING BACK BRIAN BLAIR, IRAN #1, USA, AH PUH. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. Hogan of course, powers out, and rams Sheik into the buckle. And then he DROPS THE FUCKING LEG, and HULKAMANIA'S RUNNIN' WILD BROTHER, as he wins his first WWF Title, at 5:40. Hurrah.   Match Analysis: Simple, and short. How it should have been, BUT...I didn't like that the match went so quickly to the legdrop after powering out of the Camel Clutch. Would have liked to see a slam or big boot, prior to the finish. For that, *3/4. And I know how picky my criticism is, in this case. ___________________   No rating for this, cause I'm not doing the whole thing. I really enjoyed watching it, even though the matches weren't so great. Nostalgia trips are usually fun. What I review tomorrow depends on what happens today. How I feel, more or less. In all likelihood, it'll be Armageddon 2003. If not, it'll probably be the Jesse Ventura stuff.   The best thing on part 2, IMO, was the title change from the Main Event.   Andre the Giant: "I win the tag team championship, and now I present tag team championship to Ted DiBiase."   Great stuff.
Guest

Guest

0
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
×