A new generation.....a new attitude?

[to4sty]

 

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Week 3, March 1998

Worcester Centrum (Worcester, Massachusetts)

ATT: 13,334

TV: 38.16

 

 

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.....it’s Monday night, we are just two weeks away from WrestleMania, and after the chaotic ending to last weeks show, we are starting Raw is War off with a very ticked off Vince McMahon making his way down the aisle, with his Corporate Champions (and Mankind) close behind.....

 

.....the five men soak in the jeers of the crowd, before McMahon finally tells the fans to shut up.....

 

.....he says that this right here, this show that we are witnessing right now, this should have been the home stretch.....the run in to the greatest spectacle in all of sports entertainment.....WrestleMania.....

 

”.....and I say ‘home stretch’, because as far as we were concerned, the black cloud, the blemish.....the unpredictable intangible that is Stone Cold Steve Austin had been eliminated, and we were set to be two weeks away from witnessing my Corporate Cannon Brian Pillman, defend the WWF Championship in a ONE ON ONE match against Bret Hart.....”

 

.....Vince says that while he has every confidence in his champion, McMahon is also painfully aware that anyone can get lucky for three seconds.....and while he and Bret Hart certainly have no love lost, Vince is not too proud to admit that the Hitman is one of the greatest wrestlers to grace a WWF ring.....

 

”.....and certainly a more worthy champion that that beer swilling, middle finger waving, foul mouthed, bar brawling redneck hick would be.....”

 

.....but now (again) like that bad smell that just won’t go away, Steve Austin is back in contention, and once again we have a triple threat match for the WWF Championship.....and so tonight.....tonight we are going to have a triple threat match as well.....

 

”.....so tonight it’s going to be Brian Pillman.....vs Bret Hart.....vs Stone Cold Steve Austin.....”

 

.....obviously the crowd pops huge for that (while the announcers are slightly confused as to why Mr. McMahon would book our WrestleMania main event for right here tonight) but obviously it’s not that simple.....

 

.....McMahon let’s the excitement levels hit fever pitch, before breaking the bad news to the crowd.....

 

”.....or at least.....their representatives.....”

 

.....well that killed the excitement.....

 

.....Vince says that while he COULD very easily book Mr. Austin and Mr. Hart in matches here tonight that would jeopardise their very careers.....their very health.....hell, even their lives.....instead what he is going to do, is allow each man to choose a participant in tonight’s main event.....because quite frankly, these fans here tonight don’t DESERVE to see his Corporate Cannon.....his Corporate Champion Brian Pillman in action.....

 

.....speaking of Pillman, he’s looking as wild eyed as ever here tonight, as he takes the microphone from Vince to berate the braying crowd as only he can, before turning his attention to his two challengers.....

 

”.....because while three might be the magic number, there is only ONE man that deserves to stand atop the mountain in the World Wrestling Federation.....one man that has scratched and clawed, lied and manipulated, backstabbed and downright betrayed his way to the kingdoms peak.....

 

.....heavy is the head that wears the crown.....heavier is the price that you pay to stake your claim as the ruler of the revolution to begin with.....but heaviest still are the acts of depravity needed to stop the upstarts from usurping your reign.....”

 

.....Pillman says that he’s worked too hard (and done too many deplorable acts) to bow out gracefully now.....so while he WILL be in the building for the main event, he will not be competing.....but he has the perfect candidate to compete on his behalf.....

 

”.....because Bret Hart.....you might be, ONE of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up his boots.....you might be a god amongst men in Canada.....but when it comes to the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.....that moniker is reserved for THE greatest wrestler to ever lace up his boots.....and the man who mentored me to become the new dirtiest player in the game.....the Nature Boy.....Ric Flair.....”

 

.....Pillman says that while Bret Hart is a great wrestler, Steve Austin is not.....Steve Austin is simply these moronic fans latest flavour of the month.....and if there’s one thing that Ric Flair does best, it’s taking these fans next great white hope and snuffing out their dreams over and over again.....

 

”.....which is why my representative tonight.....is the man.....the myth.....the living legend.....the Nature Boy.....Ric Fl.....”

 

.....before Pillman can make his announcement though, he’s cut off by Mankind, who grabs the microphone from his hand.....

 

.....Mankind has been feeling a little sorry for himself recently, especially after seemingly being snubbed from all the finer things that an association with Vince McMahon would usually bring (like last weeks limousine arrival for example) and is keen to make his presence felt.....

 

.....he says that he is aware that his appearance may be a little disheveled.....he might not be the typical epitome of a corporate suit.....but he’s trying, he’s really trying.....(he has a shirt and tie and everything dammit).....

 

.....Mankind says that his WrestleMania opponent Kane is more interested in Raven.....Uncle Vince is more interested in Brian Pillman.....Brian Pillman is more interested in Steve Austin.....no one is interested in Mankind, and frankly it’s starting to hurt his feelings.....so tonight.....just for tonight.....let him matter.....let him be Brian Pillman’s representative.....

 

.....in all honesty, Pillman doesn’t look to sold on the idea.....and neither does Vince to be fair.....but being the master manipulator that he is Brian Pillman has the perfect solution to his problem.....

 

”.....because you matter Mankind.....you are the most important man in this ring.....because YOU are the head of the royal guard.....the protector of the Crowned Prince of Chaos.....you are the man that I trust to keep me (Pillman holds up the WWF Title) and THIS safe.....

 

.....so no.....I don’t want you to be my representative tonight.....you are much more important than that.....in fact, me and Vince, we already booked you in a very important match, didn’t we Vince?.....”

 

.....McMahon stares blankly for a second (clearly they had done nothing of the such) before emphatically nodding his head, proclaiming that of course they have booked him a match.....stammering (and repeating what Pillman said) that Mankind is the protector of the Corporation.....

 

.....but Bret Hart.....he and his little Foundation, they have a “protector” too.....so Pillman and Vince thought it was best to show them where the real power around here lies.....which is why Ric Flair WILL be the chosen representative tonight.....because Mankind, he’s going to tear apart Test.....

 

.....right now.....

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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.....we air a quick promo package for WrestleMania and then it’s right into the action.....McMahon has sent the rest of his Corporate team to the back, but (I guess) in an effort to show Mankind that he really does matter, Vince has decided to stick around to join Jim Ross and Rick Rude on commentary.....

 

.....Test was clearly as unprepared for this match as McMahon was unprepared to book it, because while he does make his way out, he’s not dressed to compete, still wearing his street clothes.....

 

.....you’d think Mankind would notice a little detail like that.....but apparently not.....he’s obviously just keen to impress.....

 

.....it was Foley that carried this match obviously.....Test is improving week in and week out, but he’s still pretty green around the edges.....the match was decent enough for what it was though, especially considering it was technically heel vs heel.....although with that being said, the crowd definitely favoured Mankind.....because despite what he may think, these WWF crowds clearly always have a soft spot for everyone’s favourite lost sheep, no matter who he aligns himself with.....

 

.....obviously this was little more than a brawl.....in the ring and outside of it.....but eventually, being unprepared for the match backfired on Test.....

 

.....the big man went for a running big boot to try and finish his opponent off.....but he slipped at the last second (a fact which JR blames on him not wearing his wrestling boots.....unprepared see.....that’s good storytelling right there dammit) and misses the final blow, leaving Mankind ample opportunity to lock in the Mandible Claw and pick up the victory.....

 

Winner: Mankind

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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.....Mankind is pleased with his victory, and like a proud father, Vince McMahon stands up in the announce booth to give a very enthusiastic round of applause......at least, very enthusiastic any time Mankind stares his way for the approval he so desperately wants.....because as soon as Foley glances away, Vince looks kind of uninterested.....

 

.....Mankind grabs a microphone (as Vince casually wanders to the back) to say that he hopes Kane was watching.....

 

”.....because in a few weeks time Kane, it’s going to be you and me, on the grandest stage of all.....it’s going to be you and me at WrestleMania.....and right now, you don’t seem to give a damn.....”

 

.....Mankind says that he knows that Kane is focused on Raven right now.....he knows that Raven gets inside peoples heads, pitches his tent and lives there.....

 

”.....I know that, because I’ve been there myself.....LAST year at Wrestlemania.....last year at Wrestlemania, Raven had been living rent free in my head for months.....and let’s face it, he had plenty of space in there.....it’s not exactly crowded.....he’d been living rent free in my head and I was focused solely on one thing.....beating him to a bloody and broken pulp.....and that exactly what I did.....

 

.....LAST year at Wrestlemania, I was solely focused on Raven.....the difference is Kane, Raven was my opponent.....THIS year at Wrestlemania, YOU are solely focused on Raven.....and I am your opponent.....and while I’m wholly used to being rejected, neglected and ignored, frankly this is a little insulting, even for me.....”

 

.....Mankind says that even tonight Kane doesn’t have so much as a thought to spare for poor old Mankind.....in fact tonight, it’s not even Raven that the Big Red Machine is focused in on.....its The Snake.....

 

”.....so where does that leave me Kane?.....third on the list? Fourth? Do I even register?.....Kane, take it from me.....you need to refocus your attention.....

 

.....before I refocus it for you.....”

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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.....from there we head to the back, where Dok Hendrix is standing by with the Hart Foundation.....

 

.....Test has made his way back (and is recuperating in the corner from the effects of that Mandible claw, while Dok tries to pry an answer out of the Hitman.....

 

”.....because Bret, you heard the boss.....you need to choose a participant in tonight’s triple threat match.....and after the Corporate enforcer Mankind just picked up a victory over your Canadian enforcer Test, you could really do with a victory tonight.....”

 

.....Bret smirks at that comment, stating that an American like Dok probably thought it was pretty funny to watch another superior Canadian athlete get screwed over here in the World Wrestling Federation.....

 

”.....because everyone knows that the only reason Test lost that match tonight, was because he wasn’t dressed in his wrestling gear.....you can’t wrestle in street clothes on 30 seconds notice Hendrix, you know that as well as I do.....”

 

.....Bret says that he shouldn’t be surprised, but ultimately none of that will matter when Wrestlemania rolls around.....because after ‘Boy Toy’s’, ‘Genetic Freaks’ and ‘Loose Cannon’s’, order is going to finally be restored here in the WWF, when the World Title goes back around the waist of the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.....Bret Hart.....

 

”.....as for tonight, I really can’t go wrong with my choice.....on one hand I’ve got my brother Owen, on the other, Chris Jericho.....and I’m sick to death of hearing Ric Flair being referred to as the greatest wrestler to ever lace up his boots......not only is it an insult to me, it’s an insult to both of these men by my side, because either one of these two men could outwrestle the ‘most overrated player in the game’.....and they’ll prove it tonight.....”

 

.....the three men discuss amongst themselves just who it should be that gets the match tonight, but finally they decide it comes down to one thing, proving a point.....and since Chris Jericho is going to be facing off against another perceived ‘great wrestler’ (Dean Malenko) at Wrestlemania (in what has apparently developed into a Title vs. Career match) it seems only fitting that he gives the world a taste of exactly what Malenko will be facing.....

 

”.....so tonight, I choose Chris Jericho.....now get out of here Hendrix.....”

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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.....the Nation of Domination continues to wage a war against its former members (ahead of what is sure to be a huge battle of attrition at Wrestlemania) we have former Nation Light-heavyweight Champion Scorpio here, facing off against D-Lo Brown.....

 

.....on paper, both of these two men are solid workers, so the match itself is scattered with high spots and decent spots.....they might not be too high up the food chain in terms of popularity, but there is no questioning the fact that the action itself was decent.....

 

.....D-Lo was accompanied (as he often is) by the Worlds Strongest Man, Mark Henry.....and Henry did get involved at times (at one point displaying his awesome strength by catching Scorpio as he launched himself over the top rope and down to the floor, before driving him spine first into the ring post to give Brown the advantage) but even that wasn’t enough to halt Scorpio this evening.....

 

.....it was actually the presence of Mark Henry that cost the Nation tonight.....the big man hopped up onto the apron, looking to get involved in the action again, but Scorpio was able to reverse an Irish Whip attempt, sending D-Lo crashing into his own man, before rolling him up from behind for the one, two and three......

 

Winner: Scorpio

Rating: B

 

 

 

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.....the match is over, and while Scorpio may have picked up the victory (as the rest of the Nation of Domination make their way out from the back) the commentators question at what price.....

 

.....Scorpio isn’t the biggest man on the roster at the best of times, so the thought of him having to defend himself against the entire Nation doesn’t seem like a move that is going to bode well for him.....

 

.....fortunately he isn’t a man alone.....and before the Nation can strike he is quickly joined by Faarooq, Bradshaw, and a man who is a Nation all by himself, the mammoth Nelson.....

 

.....the two warring sides stand face to face on opposite sides of the ring, but while insults and threats are thrown freely towards each other, fists are NOT thrown.....because despite having a man advantage, Ahmed decides that this isn’t the time or place to be throwing down.....

 

”.....a nation is built on power.....and money.....this can wait until Wrestlemania.....when we are getting paid to take out these fools.....”

 

.....and as quickly as the arrived, the Nation leave again.....but as JR tells us, there is going to be quite a war come Wrestlemania.....

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

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.....from there we go to pre-recorded footage of the Lethal Weapon Steve Blackman training in what appears to be his dojo.....

 

.....we see him working over the bags with his hands and feet.....see him working over one of those wooden mannequins with his fighting sticks.....before finally watching him spa with (and easily dispatch) a number of other competitors.....

 

.....quite the lethal weapon indeed.....

 

.....and workout complete, all there is left to do is clear the area, as the janitor makes his way into the dojo with mop and bucket.....

 

.....only for him to blindside Blackman with a mop handle across the back of his head.....

 

.....it’s Savio Vega!.....

 

.....Savio has developed quite the attitude as of late.....a far cry from Razor Ramon’s colourful buddy from Puerto Rico that debuted back in 1995.....he’s far more of a street smart rudo these days, and he takes advantage of his sneak attack to beat the holy hell out of the fallen Blackman.....

 

.....Savio clearly didn’t take too kindly to The Lethal Weapon’s arrival here in the WWF, and he’s looking to take back the spotlight, telling Blackman that the World Wrestling Federation isn’t the place for him, putting the finishing touches on his beat down by tipping the contents of the mop bucket all over his fallen victim.....

 

.....is this the hottest feud in the WWF right now? No.....is it an easy way to introduce Steve Blackman into the World Wrestling Federation without impacting the popularity of an opponent that actually matters? You’re damn skippy hippy.....

 

.....will these two lower card acts clash at Wrestlemania?.....

 

.....ehhh.....maybe on the pre-show.....

 

.....let’s head back to the arena.....

 

Rating: C

 

 

 

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.....where the crowd erupts at the sight of Stone Cold Steve Austin arriving at the arena.....

 

.....Austin is marching through the backstage area with his usual look of purpose on his face, when he is (perhaps stupidly) stopped in his tracks by Michael Cole.....and Austin doesn’t look happy about the intrusion.....

 

.....Cole quickly gives Austin a rundown of Vince McMahon’s opening statement this evening, telling the Rattlesnake that there will be a triple threat match tonight, where he, Pillman and the Hitman can each choose a representative.....

 

”.....and both Bret Hart and Brian Pillman have named their competitors.....Chris Jericho and Ric Flair respectively.....Mr. Austin, do you have anyone in mind to compete for you this evening?.....”

 

.....Austin looks at Cole like he’s an idiot for a minute, before asking him to repeat the question, because he’s damn sure that he musta heard him wrong.....

 

”.....because hell son, there ain’t no way in hell you can be stupid enough to think that Stone Cold Steve Austin is going to let someone else lace up those boots and fight in his place on any night of the week.....

 

.....I’ll tell ya what, you can take your little microphone, you can get it out of my face, and you can run back there and find Vince McMahon.....and you can tell him from Stone Cold that it really doesn’t matter if it’s Bret Hart, Brian Pillman, Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, or any other two of those jackasses.....tonight, just like every other night and just like at Wrestlemania, Steve Austin is gonna walk down that aisle, open up a can of whoop ass on anyone stupid enough to get in his way, walk that sumbitch dry, and get his arm raised.....

 

.....you can tell him that Stone Cold said he’ll go out there tonight, and it ain’t gonna be a damn bit different than it’s going to be at Wrestlemania, Steve Austin’s gonna Stun one jackass.....Steve Austin is gonna Stun another jackass.....and he’s gonna get his arm raised.....the only difference there WILL be, is when I do it at Wrestlemania, I’m gonna be walking out the World Wrestling Federation Champion.....

 

.....now get outta my way, before I Stun another Jackass right here, right now.....”

 

.....and with that, Austin shoves Cole to one side and continues his way to the dressing rooms.....

 

.....I guess that makes tonight’s main event, Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho.....vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin.....

 

.....let’s go down to ringside.....

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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.....where we actually have a title match, as WWF European Champion Booker T puts it all on the line against an unlikely challenger in High Voltage’s Kenny Kaos.....

 

.....quite what Mr. Kaos did to garner a championship opportunity I am not entirely sure, but in all honesty, the majority of the storytelling from this one came from the commentary table.....because Booker T’s brother (and Wrestlemania opponent) Stevie Ray decided to join the booth to offer his thoughts on the match.....

 

.....he didn’t think much of the match.....

 

.....or the challenger.....

 

.....in fact, Jim Ross went as far as to ask Stevie if he was concerned about Booker T losing the European Championship mere weeks away from his shot at his brother.....a question that Stevie found laughable.....

 

”.....Jim Ross, everybody knows that the only reason my brother has that belt is because of me, but my brother is still my brother, and he’s tougher than 90% of those chumps in the back.....I mean, he ain’t tougher than me.....or anyone else in the Nation.....but he can still whoop this fruitbooty right here, ya dig.....”

 

.....JR wonders out loud exactly what a ‘fruitbooty’ is.....but before he has time to get a reply, Stevie Ray decides to step out of the booth with a ”ahh hell no”.....mainly because Kenny Kaos’ partner Robbie Rage has decided to make his way out of the back.....

 

.....Stevie and Rage come face to face on the outside, which distracts the hell out of Kaos.....his partner intervening was obviously part of his game-plan.....unfortunately you can’t be distracted with an athlete the caliber of Booker T......and when Kaos DOES turn his attention back to the champion, he’s met with a kick to the gut and an axe kick to the back.....for the one, two, three.....

 

Winner: ....and Still WWF European Champion.....Booker T

Rating: B

 

 

 

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.....Booker makes a successful (and predictable) title defence ahead of Wrestlemania, but Robbie Rage isn’t happy that Stevie Ray thwarted his plans, telling the Nation member that they still would have given him the title match at Mania, before shoving Stevie aside and rolling into the ring to take his frustrations out on the European Champion.....

 

.....Kaos soon regains his senses and joins his partner in a beat down of Booker T, as Stevie Ray watches on from the outside with a disappointed look on his face.....eventually he shakes his head and turns to the camera, telling the people at home that this is exactly his brothers problem.....without Stevie Ray, he’s nothing.....

 

”.....can’t even handle a pair of sad sacks like these two chumps.....back on the streets, Stevie Ray would slapped them around 110th with one hand tied behind his back.....sucka’s gotta know.....”

 

.....and with that Stevie does one thing no one was expecting.....he rolls into the ring and whoops the holy hell out of High Voltage, sending the two muscle bound wrestlers scrambling to safety.....

 

.....Stevie picks up the European Championship (which got dropped on the mat in the melee) and looks at it for a minute, before looking over at his brother.....

 

”.....I won you this.....I kept you this.....and I just stopped you getting your ass whooped by a couple of no name nobodies.....you ain’t nothing without me, and at Wrestlemania.....I’m taking that title sucka.....”

 

.....and with that Stevie tosses the strap to Booker, before heading to the back, as we go to commercial break.....

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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.....and when we come back, we head down to the announce table, where Jim Ross and Rick Rude inform us that we have something a little.....different up next.....

 

”.....because I think it will come as a surprise to no one Rick, that when it comes to Raven, any arena he shares with the brothers of destruction, Kane and the Undertaker, is a hostile environment.....”

 

“.....hostile environment or not Jim Ross, I don’t think ANY environment is quite as hostile as the one Raven has placed himself in right now.....and I should know, I’ve been there.....”

 

.....JR says that Raven has made no secret of his, shall we say.....hardcore history.....and with Jake Roberts in action this evening against the Big Red Monster Kane, you would THINK that Raven wouldn’t be far behind.....but after desecrating the graves of the mother and father of destruction, apparently Raven has decided that a WWF arena this evening.....is simply not a safe place to be.....

 

.....roll the footage.....

 

.....oh!.....

 

.....and viewer discretion IS advised.....

 

Rating: N/A

 

 

 

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.....because for the first time (possibly) ever.....we are about to witness a WWF Superstar facing off against an ECW star.....in an ECW arena.....at an ECW show.....on WWF TV.....as Raven faces off against perennial underdog, Mikey Whipwreck.....

 

.....now you would think that the traitorous sell out (Raven) who went running for the big leagues the second that a big pile of cash was flashed at him (abandoning the little company that made him) would be met with jeers by the notoriously rowdy ECW crowd.....but he actually received somewhat of a heroes welcome.....

 

.....a hell of a pop actually.....

 

.....at least until he spent about 45 seconds on the microphone.....condemning ECW for being a cesspool of human garbage.....

 

.....and here comes Mikey to defend the honour(?) of the little company that could.....

 

(yes this is rather a difficult thing to replicate here in the game world.....but thanks to the working agreement between the WWF and ECW, I was able to loan Mikey, book the match here on RAW.....and thanks to the wonders of imagination, we’ll all just pretend this is a match happening down in the old bingo hall shall we? Yes? Okay good.....let’s go)

 

.....this being ECW, the match went about as you would expect.....it was the kind of brawl from start to finish that (Attitude or not) Vince could never book on prime time Network TV usually.....it was brutal, it was bloody, it was weapon based bedlam through and through......but since Raven’s popularity is A’s and A*’s across the board, and poor Mikey barely scrapes E’s on a good day, was the result ever in question?.....

 

.....Evenflow DDT.....one, two, three.....

 

Winner: Raven

Rating: B

 

 

 

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.....match over with (and because we all know Raven loves to hear the sound of his own voice) the Deity of the Damned kicks poor Mikey to the outside, grabs a microphone and takes his usual position seated in the corner of the ring.....

 

”.....they say that all men are created equal, but society as a whole knows that this is not really the case.....the baby born in the alleyway to the drug abusing mother and the baby born into high society are as far away from equal as humanly possible.....yes they are both born with spoons in their mouths, but while ones spoon is silver, the other is blackened and burnt and surrounded by hypodermic needles.....

 

.....the paths to our futures are forged in those early years.....but for some, life doesn’t begin when you are born, but when you are re-born into the happy little sociopath you were always destined to be.....sometimes you need to rise up from whence you came and build an empire on the embers of your pain.....not every man is created equally, but everyone is equally weak on the inside, and while some crumble and shatter under the pressures of the world, SOME present those ruins as castles and become kings of their own destiny......

 

.....Undertaker, I’ve visited the embers from whence you came.....I’ve been to your home.....I’ve been to the place you were born.....I’ve seen where shaped you.....I’ve seen where you were forged.....and more importantly, I’ve been to where you were re-born.....I stood on the edge of the death of your childhood.....

 

.....and I watched it burn.....”

 

.....Raven says that he is aware of the repercussions of his actions.....he’s aware (and he says this with a sick smirk) of the fire he’s lit inside the deadman.....and he’s aware, that tonight, Jake Roberts is the sacrificial lamb.....because while The Snake will be competing against Kane this evening, Raven is obviously not there.....

 

.....not because he’s scared.....not because he’s avoiding the inevitable.....but because for The Undertaker to truly re-embrace the phenom he once was.....to truly shed that mask of morality that he’s been wearing.....for the Undertaker to truly be re-born.....he needs to understand.....

 

”.....you need to understand.....

 

.....and you need to come to me.....

 

.....you need to come to where I was born.....

 

.....walk the path I walked.....

 

.....stand and stare into the bloody, barbwire abyss that I stared into night after night.....

 

.....I came to your birthplace.....

 

.....now come to mine.....

 

.....come to me......

 

.....come to me.....

 

.....for I can set you free.....

 

.....come to me.....

 

.....or I’ll come to you.....

 

.....Quote the Raven.....

 

.....Nevermore.....”

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ZsRu0sp.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TSkVfRF.jpg">

 

.....from there we go back to the arena, where the announcers spend a few moments talking about what we just witnessed, before speculating on whether Raven is actually suggesting that The Undertaker take a trip down to the land of the extreme, before they announce our next segment.....

 

.....a contract signing between Big Sexy Kevin Nash and Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner.....

 

.....obviously things have gotten a bit heated between these two gentlemen as of late, evidenced by the number of backstage brawls, beat downs and general chaos that has ensued anytime they have been within five feet of each other.....

 

.....so this could get interesting.....

 

.....the ring is set up with the usual contract signing regalia.....table, chairs, two contracts.....and a man to oversee it all, Jerry “The King” Lawler.....

 

.....the King introduces our two signees, bringing out Kevin Nash first.....Nash makes his way out, with Sean Waltman by his side (and the announcers letting us know that Scott Hall is not here this evening due to personal reasons) while Big Poppa Pump comes out with his number one freak Sable on his arm.....

 

.....the two Wrestlemania competitors take their seats at opposite ends of the table, where the King runs through some of the finer points of the contract.....including this little titbit.....

 

”.....because Mr. McMahon has instructed that I let you both know.....that he’s sick of having to pay for the damages that you two keep racking up beating the holy hell out of each other backstage week in and week out.....so in that contract is a clause.....once you sign, all physical contact between you is OFF until Wrestlemania.....if EITHER one of you so much as lays one finger on the other between now and the opening bell of your match, not only is that match OFF, but the instigator will be fired on the spot.....do we both understand gentlemen?.....”

 

.....they do understand.....and so keen are they to make their match official, that both men sign the contract without incident.....

 

.....maybe this segment will pass without a hitch after all.....

 

.....or maybe not....

 

”.....BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT ‘B!TCH SEXY’.....NOT ONLY IS BIG POPPA PUMP BIG IN ALL THE AREAS THAT MATTER TO HIS FREAKS, AND NOT ONLY IS HE A GENIUS BETWEEN THE SHEETS.....HE’S GOT A BIG BRAIN TOO.....AND THIS GENETIC FREAK IS A GENETIC GENIUS.....BECAUSE WHILE I CAN’T BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU TONIGHT, THERE AIN’T NOTHING IN THIS CONTRACT THAT SAYS I CAN’T TAKE THIS LEAD PIPE, AND SHOVE IT STRAIGHT UP YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIENDS ASS.....”

 

.....and with that, Sean Waltman suddenly doubles over in pain.....because Sable has casually wandered behind him while Scotty was yelling.....and nails him with a nasty low blow.....

 

.....Steiner quickly orders Sable to the back (perhaps envisioning a similar retribution happening to her at the hands of Big Sexy) before he flips the table to one side and crashes that lead pipe across the back of Waltman.....

 

.....Nash makes a move to save his friend, but Lawler is quick to remind him that he’s signed the contract now.....so much as one finger laid on Scott Steiner and Big Sexy will be finding himself in the unemployment line.....maybe Steiner is a genius after all.....

 

.....either way, genius or not, he is definitely a nasty son of a bitch.....and he beats the holy hell out of Waltman as Nash is forced to stand on and watch with a look of pure rage on his face.....rage that turns into a look of serious concern as Scotty locks in the Steiner Recliner, using that lead pipe to choke out Waltman at the same time.....

 

.....finally finished with his attack, the cocky Steiner walks right up to Kevin Nash’s face, getting as close to the man as humanly possible without actually touching him and taunting him right there to his face.....

 

.....and Nash really wants to lay him out.....

 

.....Scotty knows it too.....and to see how far he can really push it he takes a step back and hands that lead pipe to Big Sexy, before dropping to his knees right in front of him and cockily hitting that double biceps pose that he does so well.....

 

.....it looks for a second that Nash isn’t going to be able to stop himself.....he might get fired, but there’s a strong possibility that he’s going to straight up kill Scott Steiner right here, right now.....

 

.....eventually however he drops the pipe and walks past the laughing Steiner to check on his friend, and we go to commercial while all this mess gets cleaned up......

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/wWH32sR.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/xV2Bmd9.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/36M8SYR.jpg">

 

.....if Jake Roberts wasn’t such a sick, sadistic son of a bitch, you could almost be forgiven for feeling sorry for him here.....

 

.....yes he’s done some despicable hints over the years.....yes he’s done some despicable things over the last few weeks.....but my god.....Kane beat the ever loving sh!t out of the Snake here tonight.....

 

.....obviously the Brothers of Destruction are keen to get their hands on the mastermind behind the madness, but (as the man himself pointed out) Raven isn’t here tonight.....which (after playing his own part in the desecration of the brothers parents graves) really does leave Jake “The Snake” Roberts as the sacrificial lamb after all.....

 

.....Jake got his licks in (he’s still a snake after all) but when all was said and done, Kane’s wrath was simply too much for him.....and much like his brother did way back at Wrestlemania VII, Kane finishes off Roberts with a Tombstone for the one, two, three.....

 

Winner: Kane

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/wWH32sR.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/4mzhWEv.jpg">

 

.....Kane didn’t look anywhere near satisfied with that victory however, and despite picking up a victory he dragged Jake back to his feet, before wrapping that big gloved had around the neck of the Snake.....

 

.....before Roberts can go to chokeslam city however, the Big Red Monster gets a big grey steel chair smashed against his back courtesy of a reappearing Mankind.....

 

.....everyone’s favourite schizoaffective superstar warned Kane earlier this evening that if he didn’t switch his attention away from Raven then he was going to refocus his attention himself, and that exactly what it looks like he’s doing here as he unleashes a barrage of chair shots onto the Undertakers baby brother.....

 

.....not staying down for long runs in the family though, and even a multitude of steel assisted blows don’t put Kane out of action, and soon these two masked maniacs begin to brawl......

 

.....all the way to the back and out of sight.....

 

.....I guess The Snake got lucky after all.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

....::::!!!!GONG!!!!::::....

 

.....or not.....

 

.....because as the lights go out, the familiar sound of the Undertakers music hits.....and as the smoke fills the arena, the Deadman himself makes his way out from the back.....

 

.....and he’s not alone.....

 

.....because following right behind him is a group of hooded druids, carrying what looks to be an effigy of the Undertakers symbol.....

 

(honestly.....it kinda looks like a cross.....but the announcers are very specific in their description of it.....it’s a symbol dammit)

 

.....the Deadman enters the ring just as Roberts is pulling himself to his feet.....and he drops him instantly with a huge chokeslam.....

 

.....Taker drags Jake into a corner and proceeds to beat the hell out of him, before finishing him off with Roberts second Tombstone of the evening.....

 

.....The Snake is done, and the Undertaker tosses him to the druids, who go about fixing Jake in place upon the crucifix....erm, symbol....definitely a symbol.....and as the Deadman drops to one knee, they raise Roberts up, arms outstretched for all to see.....

 

”.....Raven.....you wanted my attention.....you had it.....you wanted my dark side.....you had it.....you wanted my vengeance? Well boy, after what you did last week.....you’re going to get it.....you may have walked through your own personal hell, but Satan himself would cower at the mere thought of what I’m going to do to you.....

 

.....you wanted the Deadman.....you wanted the Phenom.....you wanted the Lord of Darkness.....

 

.....you want to set me free?.....

 

.....I’ll come to you.....

 

.....and you will.....

 

.....Rest.....

 

.....in.....

 

.....Peace.....”

 

.....is the Undertaker going to go to ‘extreme’ measures to get his hands on Raven?.....

 

.....I guess we’ll find out next week.....

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/f1SRNNg.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/ikMhavN.jpg">

 

.....from there we head backstage.....wayyyyyyyy backstage.....so far backstage in fact that we are almost in the parking lot, where Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner and his head freak Sable are just about ready to leave for the evening.....until Scotty gets stopped by big brother Rich and the rest of the Million Dollar Corporation.....

 

.....the Corporation slow Scotty down to a halt, as Rich and DiBiase try to catch a word with the former WWF Champion.....who honestly.....isn’t impressed.....

 

”.....BECAUSE EVERY MINUTE I’M STOOD HERE TALKING TO YOU BY THESE STREETS, IS ANOTHER MINUTE I’M NOT BACK AT THE HOTEL ROOM MAKING SABLE MOAN BETWEEN THOSE SHEETS.....YOU BOYS ALREADY COST ME TWO MOANS.....NOW I’M NOT SO GREAT AT MATH, BUT YOU CAN’T BUY THAT RICH BOY.....”

 

.....Deebs says that actually, you CAN buy that.....because EVERYBODY has a price for the Million Dollar Man.....

 

.....Ted clicks his fingers and let’s out his signature laugh as two rather scantily clad ladies walk into shot.....so scantily clad, that if we had some sort of Pimp character here in the WWF, you would almost be mistaken for believing they were....well, Ho’s.....

 

.....DiBiase says that as compensation for this rude interruption, he has already booked and paid for the entire penthouse suite in the finest hotel the city has to offer.....as well as procuring the services of these two ladies here, who want nothing more than to.....entertain the Genetic Freak.....

 

.....Ted hands a key card to Scotty, telling him that this will just take a minute.....

 

.....Scotty looks at the key.....then the ladies.....then at Sable.....Sable looks at the key.....then at the ladies.....then gives Steiner a rather suggestive smile as she nods her head at him, taking the key card from DiBiase and depositing it in her ample cleavage.....

 

”.....MAKE IT QUICK THEN.....BECAUSE I’M ALREADY FIVE MOAN’S DOWN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE A BUSY NIGHT AHEAD OF ME.....”

 

.....Rich tells his brother that it’s simple.....Scott can’t touch Kevin Nash.....Kevin Nash can’t touch him.....but after what Scotty pulled tonight, he knows that Scott Hall and Sean Waltman are going to be coming for him next week.....

 

”.....SO WHAT? LET THEM COME.....COMING IS SOMETHING THAT THE BIG BAD BOOTY DADDY KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH BETTER THAN ANYONE.....JUST ASK SABLE.....”

 

.....Jeff Jarrett pipes in, telling Steiner that while they know he could take out the entire Wolfpac single handed (work that ego Double J) why work hard when you can work smart.....

 

.....Jeff says that those two greasy haired punks Hall and Waltman have been getting in the way of Corporation business for weeks now.....and they just want the opportunity to give them (as he pulls out a set of electric hair clippers) a little corporate makeover.....

 

.....Rich says that next week, him and Southern Justice will take on Nash, Hall and Waltman.....which will keep them out of Scotty’s hair (lots of hair talk here) and Big Poppa Pump and Sable can even sit there at ringside and watch the show.....

 

.....Scotty asks if that’s it? Are they done?.....

 

”.....YOU WANNA BEAT UP THE WOLFPAC THEN GO RIGHT AHEAD, I DON’T GIVE A CRAP.....NOW IF YOU’RE FINISHED WORKING YOUR MOUTHS, IT’S TIME BIG POPPA PUMP GOT THESE THREE FREAKS BACK TO HIS HOTEL.....SO THEY CAN WORK THEIR MOUTHS.....IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.....”

 

.....with that Scotty and Sable take a girl each, and the four walk away.....before Scotty pauses for a moment to look back.....

 

”.....AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I MEAN.....I MEAN WORK THEIR MOUTHS ON MY PENI....”

 

“.....we know what you meant Scotty.....everyone knows what you meant.....”

 

.....looks like we have a six man tag match next week.....who’d have thunk it.....

 

.....it’s main event time.....

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Bn2VdRx.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/sBDSK1J.jpg">

 

.....and it’s a biggie.....as Ric Flair, Chris Jericho and Stone Cold Steve Austin face off in a triple threat match.....

 

.....obviously The Nature Boy and The Ayatollah of Rock’n’Rolla are here as representatives of Brian Pillman and Bret Hart respectively, but Steve Austin is very much about fighting his own battles.....something that Jim Ross commends, while Rick Rude remarks that it’s incredibly stupid.....

 

”.....thirteen days away from the biggest match of his career Jim Ross, this is a stupid move on Austin’s part if you ask me.....thirteen might just prove to be his unlucky number tonight by the time Ric Flair and Chris Jericho are finished with him.....”

 

.....it’s not a bad observation on Rude's part to be fair.....Brian Pillman already did a number on Austin’s ankle a few weeks back, now he’s in here with two men that utilise primarily submission manoeuvres to finish their opponents off.....

 

.....Austin might find himself limping out of here tonight.....

 

.....Flair and Jericho form an uneasy alliance for the early part of this match too, so Austin does take a decent amount of punishment.....the ego’s of our tag team and intercontinental champion were never going to allow them to coexist for long though, and by the time the end of the match rolls around a three way brawl has broken out.....

 

.....in the end though, it turns out that thirteen really isn’t Steve Austin’s unlucky number.....

 

.....particularly when the disturbed Al Snow makes his way out from the back (yes, along with Head) to act as somewhat of a distraction to the Nature Boy at ringside.....

 

.....Austin backdrops Chris Jericho over the top rope and down to the floor, and as Flair turns back around to face his ACTUAL opponent this evening, he is met with a Stone Cold Stunner for his troubles, for the one, two, three.....

 

Winner: Steve Austin

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/KML9jkS.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Mz6kcGj.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/18C12Wi.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/A6LCW03.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/MoOqyqm.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/tBSXKA8.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/408g4W4.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/vN0BOgM.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7TVDrCJ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LsqvFhh.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/MuzkJNO.jpg">

 

.....and then.....all hell breaks loose.....McMahon leads his Corporate team out from the back to lead the charge against both Steve Austin AND (since he played a part in Flair’s loss) Al Snow.....

 

.....which brings out the rest of the Hart Foundation.....

 

.....along with Chris Candido looking to back up his partner.....

 

.....the New Age Outlaws (with Sunny).....

 

......Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero (with Terri).....

 

.....and just for good measure (since Chris Jericho and Owen Hart are already out there) Dean Malenko and Rey Mysterio.....

 

.....like I say, quite the commotion.....

 

.....and all hell does indeed break loose, as the near twenty men (two ladies, and a Vince McMahon who joins the commentary table) explode in what the Chairman calls.....

 

”.....Wrestlemania fever Jim Ross.....and I hope that one of these gentlemen out here solves my Son of a Bitch Redneck, Steve Austin problem.....”

 

.....wait, speaking of Steve Austin.....

 

.....where is he?.....

 

.....because as Jim Ross points out, while Brian Pillman and Bret Hart beat the hell out of each other, the Rattlesnake is nowhere to be seen......

 

 

 

 

....::::!!!!GLASS SHATTERS!!!!::::....

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/sBDSK1J.jpg">

 

 

.....oh.....there he is.....

 

.....driving a beer truck into the arena?.....

 

.....yes you read that right.....and the action in (and outside) the ring comes to a halt, as the Rattlesnake drives right down to ringside, before hopping out of the cab and standing atop the truck, middle fingers raised.....

 

.....even McMahon is confused as to the point of this little stunt.....going so far as to climb into the ring himself amongst the sea of humanity to question Austin’s actions.....

 

.....actions that soon become clear.....

 

.....as Austin takes hold of what looks to be a huge fire hose.....points it at the ring.....and douses every man, woman and McMahon with enough beer to get everyone in this whole arena wasted.....

 

.....and I mean DOUSED.....

 

.....people are slipping over left, right and centre, Sunny is having a beer soaked meltdown at the state of her hair.....heel, face, manager or chairman, no one is safe from Austin’s beer bath.....

 

.....Steve Austin really is a man alone.....and only when every drop of beer has been distributed into the ring does he throw down the hose......grab a cooler full of Steveweisers.....and salute this crowd the only way he knows how.....before saluting Vince McMahon and Brian Pillman with his middle fingers.....

 

.....we are less than two weeks away from Wrestlemania and Stone Cold is already celebrating.....

 

.....but is he celebrating too early?.....

 

.....I guess time will tell.....

 

.....we’ll see you next week folks.....

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating: A

 

 

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/hzf7tIZ.jpg">

 

Week 3, March 1998

Club La Veda (Panama City Beach, Florida)

ATT: 4,000

TV: 29.34

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

 

<img style="max-width:30%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/0mIw7jG.jpg">

 

.....ladies and gentleman it is spring break, and you know what that means.....it’s time for the annual WCW Nitro Spring Breakout, as we come to you live from Club La Veda.....and yes, that swimming pool is once again surrounding the WCW ring.....

 

.....we open up at the announce booth, where Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay are in high spirits.....and not just because of the party atmosphere.....but because he’s back.....and he has some matches to announce.....

 

.....who’s he you ask?.....

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/XAYhgc0.jpg">

 

.....why Eric Bischoff of course.....and the public face of the WCW Championship committee has a few things to get off his chest.....

 

.....Bischoff gets a decent pop from the smaller than usual crowd (small venue, WCW never did worry about losing money on a unique venue) and he’s all smiles as he stands in the middle of the ring.....

 

.....Eric tells the crowd that it’s good to be back.....and while he’s still got a little bit of a headache (”.....that Con-Chair-To ‘totally sucked’ by the way.....”) he’s here on official Championship Committee business.....

 

”.....because we are less than a week away from UnCensored.....and by my reckoning, we still need a stipulation for our main event.....”

 

.....Eric says that UnCensored is the most unbridled, uncontrollable, unpredictable event in the WCW calendar year.....and since Shawn Michaels thinks himself to be quite the degenerate, it’s only fair that he gives him a match that follows suit.....

 

”.....and since where Shawn Michaels likes to get his little lapdogs to do most of his dirty work for him, we need to make sure that he is kept on a very short leash.....

 

.....or should I say, strap.....”

 

.....Eric says that there won’t be any cheap shots, or help from the outside, no fluke three counts.....if Shawn Michaels wants to win that WCW Championship, then he’s going to have to earn it.....because he’s going to have to drag his opponent to all four corners of the ring.....with a leaner strap secured to his wrist.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/nIAz8RC.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/PifOkmV.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/w52KdTn.jpg">

 

.....which brings those aforementioned degenerates out from the back.....with Shawn Michaels looking just about as cocky as always.....as he asks Bischoff.....

 

”.....did these two totally awesome degenerates here scramble your brains a little bit too much a couple of weeks ago? Or do you actually think strapping Sting to old H.B (oh hey, I can’t say that) is going to stop me from kicking Mr. WCW’s ass?.....all you’re doing is making it nice and legal for me to whip that paint right off his face.....”

 

.....Bischoff says that it’s funny that Shawn should use the word legal.....because in the spirit of UnCensored that’s something else he wants to address.....because for all matches that DON’T already have a stipulation in place, they’re going to.....relax the rules just a little bit.....no easy count outs or disqualifications (”.....I’m looking at you Eddie Guerrero.....”) just some good old fashioned uncensored action.....

 

.....this puts Copeland and Cage in an even better mood, as they tell Bischoff that he totally just booked Big Ray-Ray a place at ringside for their tag team encounter with Randy Savage and the Warrior.....a statement that Bischoff quickly interrupts.....

 

”.....because I said all matches that DON’T currently have a stipulation attached.....”

 

 

 

“.....Bischoff! Dude!....I know we totally kicked your ass on Thunder, but we didn’t think we did permanent damage.....it’s a TAG TEAM match.....no stipulation.....Christian, spell it out for him.....”

 

“.....I can totally spell!......tag...team...match.....T, for totally awesome.....A, for awesome....totally awesome.....G, for....gee! That’s totally awesome......T again.....for.....”

 

 

 

“.....Bro.....seriously.....shut the hell up.....”

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/XjyLvuu.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/qQQiQxd.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LHpb7B1.jpg">

 

.....oh, it’s Vince Russo.....and he’s not alone.....he’s got the Warrior and Randy Savage with him.....and they both have steel chairs in hand.....

 

.....Russo starts to talk, but Savage is in no mood to stand idly by and listen, snatching the microphone from the boss and telling Copeland and Cage that he heard what they said last week.....

 

”.....that we wouldn’t fight ya in the back yeah.....something about ‘too many chairs’ huh.....well brother, brother, brother.....I got some bad news for ya.....because the Macho Man and the Warrior Man, we’ll fight you right now.....we’ll fight you in the back.....fight you in the front too, yeah.....we’ll even fight you in the water you dig.....”

 

.....Copeland tells Savage that they don’t need to worry about the back.....or the front.....OR the water.....in fact they don’t need to worry about them at all until Sunday.....

 

”.....so why don’t you two guys set those chairs up and totally sit down.....before you break a hip.....”

 

.....clearly Copeland and Cage have developed a little bit more of a snarky streak since aligning themselves with the King of Obnoxiousness Shawn Michaels, as the group break out in fits of laughter.....laughter which Russo tells them to enjoy.....because they won’t be laughing later.....and they won’t be laughing on Sunday.....

 

”.....because you DO need to worry about it tonight.....and you DO need to worry about it on Sunday.....because at UnCensored, your tag team match.....that’s gonna be a Street Fight bro.....so good luck.....”

 

.....the Totally Awesome Twosome don’t like that news.....and they protest loudly about it.....that wasn’t the news that was interesting Shawn Michaels though.....it was the ‘tonight’ part of the statement that caught his ear, as he asks Russo what he meant by that.....

 

.....Russo smiles, telling Shawn that he hates to spoil all the surprises......but let’s just say that he hopes they all have their wrestling boots with them.....because Shawn, JPL and the Totally Tiresome Two, they have a little eight man tag team match booked for later this evening.....against who you ask? Well (as Russo looks at Macho and Warrior wielding their chairs) you’re just going to have to wait and see.....

 

.....mystery main event?.....

 

.....I think it’s safe to say that Randy Savage and The Warrior are two of the opponents.....

 

.....but who are the other two?.....

 

.....the suspense is going to kill Tony Schiavone.....

 

.....let’s air an UnCensored promo package ahead of our first match.....

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/I9lnbBk.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/WH2bm4L.jpg">

 

.....our first match of the evening sees Curt Hennig facing off against Konnan.....and a win against a man of Hennig’s standing would certainly do wonders for Konnan.....after all, his last high profile feud WAS with Jimmy Hart’s First Family.....

 

.....of course getting that victory is going to be easier said than done.....it’s not like you get to BE a man of Hennig’s standing by losing matches easily.....although with that being said, it would be easy for Curt to be looking past his opponent here this evening, with a view to his match with Jeff Hardy at UnCensored.....

 

.....and as our announcers say, that COULD play to Konnan’s advantage.....

 

.....I mean, it doesn’t.....but it could have done.....

 

.....as it was it was Curt Hennig that picked up the victory.....it was a solid effort from Konnan (who is slowly climbing the ladder here in WCW) but try as he might, he simply couldn’t kick out of the Hennig Plex.....which means that a one, two, three count later, it was Curt Hennig that had his hand raised.....

 

Winner: Curt Hennig

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/KvDgZcZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/k0IkY9r.jpg">

 

.....a Hawaiian shirt wearing Mean Gene makes his way out (clearly enjoying the spring break shenanigans....dirty old man) to grab a few words with the victor.....he spends a few minutes shilling the hotline (1-900-909-9900) telling the fans that all the last minute news around WCW UnCensored, airing live on PPV this coming Sunday.....

 

”.....option 2 for all the latest news.....

 

.....speaking of Uncensored, you Curt Hennig will be going one on one with one of the hot new talents here in World Championship Wrestling, a very fired up Jeff Hardy....and he is gunning for you Mr. Hennig.....”

 

.....Hennig scoffs at that, telling Gene that the important word there in that statement is “new”.....

 

”.....because that’s exactly what Jeff Hardy is Okerlund.....nothing more than a punk kid, stepping into the ring with an eighteen year veteran.....and eighteen year veteran who has beat more “hot new talent” than anybody.....”

 

.....Curt says that Jeff Hardy can be as ‘fired up’ as he wants, all that’s going to do is ensure that his inexperience shines though.....and one mistake is all that Hennig will need to put that pretty boy in his place.....

 

”.....and all these idiots in the crowd that cheer for him, all those braying teenage girls that scream when he pulls that tatty shirt off over that raggedy haired head, they’re going to be screaming alright.....screaming at the sight of Jeff Hardys face, when I’ve finished scraping my boots all over it.....”

 

.....Curt says that last week (thanks to Eddie Guerrero) he had to fight both Jeff Hardy AND that Neanderthal Bill Goldberg singlehandedly.....

 

”.....but on Sunday night, it’s just you and me kid.....no tag teams.....you won’t have that big gorilla Goldberg to hide behind.....and like Eric Bischoff said earlier, the referee isn’t gonna save you.....”

 

.....I guess we’ll find out at Uncensored, whether all the hype surrounding Jeff Hardy is actually worth it or not.....

 

.....least go to commercial.....

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/CFs0lWM.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/bnX093W.jpg">

 

.....and we’re back.....and apparently Jeff Hardy did not take kindly to the comments made by Curt Hennig.....because we come back to a shot (with the words ‘during the commercial break’ in the bottom corner of the screen) to Curt Hennig walking through the curtain backstage, only to get ambushed by his UnCensored opponent.....

 

.....we see a brief scuffle (as the announcers inform us that this all happened the moment Curt Hennig stepped backstage following the interview with Mean Gene) before we go to live action, as the two wrestlers battle through the backstage and production area, all the way to the outside of the building.....

 

.....they brawl about around the production trucks, company vehicles, as well as the countless equipment that gets transported from arena to arena.....Jeff Hardy might just be a ‘punk kid’, but he’s fighting like a wild animal here as he bounces Hennig off every available surface going, before sweeping a bunch off equipment off the top of a nearby table, rolling Hennig on top.....and then staring up at the top of the production truck.....

 

.....Bobby Heenan loses his mind saying that Jeff Hardy might be a fool.....but he isn’t that foolhardy (pun intended I’m sure) surely.....

 

.....it looks like he is though.....because with Hennig in position, Hardy climbs, and climbs, and climbs some more.....until he’s right up there at the top.....

 

.....and that’s a long way down.....

 

.....Jeff strips off his shirt (cue screams from the girls in the arena watching on the TurnerTron) before making his way to the edge of the truck.....

 

.....fortunately for Curt, the time it took for Hardy to reach the top was ample time to regain his senses.....and he groggily rolls off the table, staring up at Jeff, before giving him the universal ‘up yours’ gesture, waving off the battle and telling Hardy that this can wait until Sunday.....

 

.....nothing but a punk kid? There might be more to Jeff Hardy that that after all huh Curt.....

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/G9blWo1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/IE8aIxg.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/KziTNSK.jpg">

 

.....time for some in ring action now, and we see Diamond Dallas Page (accompanied to the ring by the gorgeous Kimberly) putting his Television Title on the line, against First Family member Hugh Morris.....

 

.....with DDP set to put the gold on the line once more on Sunday evening against Chris Benoit, it would put quite the spanner in the works should he lose here against the Laughing Man.....

 

............

 

 

......who are we kidding right? That was never going to happen......

 

.....Hugh put on a decent showing, but he was never winning here......and with Page always looking to find new and innovative ways to apply the Diamond Cutter, he pulled a new on out of the bag here tonight, popping back to his feet in time to catch hold of a Moonsaulting Morris.....using his own momentum to drive his head into the mat for the one, two, three......

 

Winner: ....and Still WCW Television Champion......Diamond Dallas Page

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/G9blWo1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/6Ta6Awn.jpg">

 

.....apparently Jimmy Hart was not happy with that.....and as such, sent the rest of his family in to try and pick the bones of a fatigued Dallas Page.....

 

.....granted (outside of a devastating rear chin lock) VK Wallstreet is never going to be a major challenge to most people.....but when you throw in the combined might of Meng and The Barbarian (as well as Hugh Morris.....once he regained his senses) then it wasn’t long before Page was utterly overwhelmed by his attackers.....

 

....and it looked like things were about to go from bad to worse.....

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/JjTal3v.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/izACez5.jpg">

 

.....as Chris Benoit and Lance Storm come running out from the back to join the assault.....

 

.....except they don’t.....

 

.....in fact (rather surprisingly) they begin to fight off the First Family long enough for Dallas to mount a resurgence.....and before long the three men have vanquished Jimmy Hart’s men, who quickly scarper to the back.....

 

.....Dallas turns to face his rescuers, fully anticipating another fight.....but it’s a fight that doesn’t come......

 

.....instead Storm hands Benoit a microphone, which the Crippler uses to tell Page that he’s not here to fight him.....

 

”.....I just wanted to make sure that you’re 100% for UnCensored.....because when I beat you, for the WCW TV Title.....and I will beat you for the WCW TV Title.....I don’t want there to be ANY doubt, as to exactly who.....the best man really is.....”

 

.....and as quickly as they arrived, Benoit and Storm leave again.....

 

.....let’s go to the back.....

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/dICBV2c.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/78a2W3O.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/O69T1oO.jpg">

 

.....where we appear to be in some undisclosed location, as Mean Gene joins Eddie (and Chavo) Guerrero for a rather clandestine interview......clandestine because (as Gene tells us) Eddie Guerrero is desperately trying to keep out of Bill Goldbergs way for as long as possible.....

 

”.....woah! Hey esè!.....what are you trying to say holmes?.....the only reason I’m staying out of that big goof’s way, is because the last two times I bumped into him backstage, he would up in the hospital esè.....he don’t want none of the Papi of Perfection.....”

 

.....Gene disagrees, stating that Bill Goldberg very much wants some of Eddie Guerrero.....he wants that United States Title that’s around his waist too.....but all that withstanding, just why has Eddie asked for this interview time?.....

 

.....Eddie says that it’s not interview time.....it’s announcement time.....he says that Bill Goldberg has a match coming up next, and (since Eric Bischoff has apparently relaxed the rules for UnCensored) in order to make sure that he’s FULLY prepared to face a wrestler as powerful as Eddie Guerrero, Eddie has handpicked an opponent guaranteed to toughen Goldberg up a little bit......

 

”.....because everyone wants a piece of that winning streak esè, it wasn’t hard to find someone.....and sure holmes, he’s not QUITE as much of a man as me.....but then, not many people are.....”

 

.....Eddie tells Gene to go and watch the match.....

 

.....let’s go and do the same.....

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/i8r2pQi.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LcEfQAC.jpg">

 

.....oh what a rush.....Eddie really wasn’t joking.....if anyone is going to give Goldberg a run for his money, it’s going to be Road Warrior Hawk.....

 

.....it looks like Eddie was right about everyone wanting to be the one to end the streak too.....because fan favourite and heel alike are clearly queuing up to have their chance of marking their names in the history as the one to PUT the one in Goldbergs loss column.....

 

.....of course that’s easier said than done.....

 

.....otherwise someone would have done it already.....

 

.....anyway.....this was ugly.....

 

.....it was two big stiffs who have no idea about the concept of selling, beating the crap out of each other.....

 

.....in the end though, did you really think we’d break the streak with a tag team guy?.....

 

.....granted Hawk is a main event caliber opponent.....but he’s still mainly known as a tag team wrestler.....and frankly, hardly in his prime.....

 

.....in the end it came down to two things.....one spear.....and one Jackhammer.....

 

.....Goldberg gets the win.....

 

.....Goldberg goes 65-0.....

 

.....Goldberg is coming for Eddie Guerrero.....

 

Winner: Bill Goldberg

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/VjDf3iG.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/j7lH3gu.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/JmRqRET.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/jshu5sL.jpg">

 

.....rather predictably, Hawk isn’t down for long.....in fact he’s up quicker than Hulk Hogan after a Randy Savage elbow drop.....his partner soon joins him in the ring, and it could spell trouble for our undefeated rookie.....

 

....instead, Hawk offers a fist for his opponent to bump, showing a rare display of effect, before Goldberg exits to the back.....

 

.....the fun doesn’t stop there though.....because (after giving Goldberg plenty of time to get to the back) Eddie Guerrero (with Chavo in tow) makes his way out from the back, where he instantly begins berating Hawk for his loss.....

 

.....now Hawk might have been magnanimous in defeat, but that doesn’t mean he was happy with the loss.....so obviously it doesn’t take much to set him off.....and it’s after a misjudged slap on the part of Eddie that the Road Warriors explode.....

 

.....they start laying into the Guerrero’s.....or rather Guerrero.....singular.....because after taking a couple of right hands, Eddie quickly scarpers to the back, leaving Chavo to take the punishment.....

 

.....and punished he is.....

 

.....Hawk and Animal beat on the youngster like he’s a jobber, before finally nailing the Doomsday Device to leave him flat.....

 

.....oh.....did I say finally?.....

 

.....not quite.....

 

.....because not content with that, Hawk tosses him to the outside.....

 

.....where Animal presses Chavo high over head.....

 

.....and dumps him in the pool.....

 

.....come on, we all knew someone was going in the drink tonight.....

 

.....let’s go to commercial.....

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/nIAz8RC.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/aNE9X2Q.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/w52KdTn.jpg">

 

…..and on return we head back to the locker room of Shawn Michaels and his band of degenerates…..and while I’m sure an egomaniac like Shawn would have a private locker room written into his contract perks, let’s face it, who really wants to share with these jackasses…..

 

…..we’ll actually, right now…..probably quite a few folks…..because as the Totally Awesome Trinity enter the room, Michaels and Levesque are surrounded by a bevy of half naked ladies and embarking in what is clearly an EPIC game of strip poker…..and it looks as though the ladies are losing…..

 

…..Copeland and Cage come to a halt at the sight (with Cage remarking that this is ‘totally awesome’) and even Big Ray-Ray goes as far as pulling his aviators from his eyes to take in the sight, before Copeland remembers why they are there…..telling Shawn that totally couldn’t find out who Randy Savage and The Warriors partners were tonight…..

 

”…..and we totally asked everyone, right Christian?…..”

 

“…..totally everyone…..even Mike Tenay…..”

 

“…..and we HATE Mike Tenay…..”

 

“…..we totally hate Mike Tenay…..”

 

“…..SHUT UP MIKE TENAY!…..”

 

“…..Big Ray-Ray even slapped a few of those production monkeys around…..”

 

“…..they must know who right? They’ve gotta play their music…..”

 

“…..and it totally reeks in those trucks…..”

 

“…..totally…..”

 

“…..like pizza and ass…..”

 

“…..but nobody knows…..”

 

…..Cage tells Shawn that he knows he is worried about who the Titans are going to pick, but no one is talking…..

 

…..Shawn slams his cards down on the table, looking briefly annoyed…..before slipping back into his usually confident self (shit eating grin plastered firmly on his face) as he tells Cage that Shawn Michaels has absolutely nothing to worry about…..especially from a roster of Souther Fried dubbya see dubbya wannabes…..

 

”…..so ladies, if you’ll excuse us for a minute…..why don’t you walk those long legs down to catering, and pick Mr. Wrestling up a snack or two…..”

 

…..the ladies leave the room (much to the apparent dismay of Copeland and Cage) and Michaels waits for them to leave the room, before turning to the Trinity and screaming at them to get back out there and find out who the damn partners are going to be…..

 

…..he says that there is an entire locker room worth of idiots back here, who would LOVE the chance to take a piece of Shawn Michaels less than a week before he faces Sting for the WCW Title…..Shawn would at least like to know WHO was coming for him…..

 

…..Copeland and Cage look a little taken aback by Shawn’s outburst, but Levesque pats his good friend on the back, telling him not to worry…..

 

”…..I mean come on, it’s Savage and Warrior for one…..we’ve kicked their asses more times than Warrior has walked out on companies…..and who, who’s gonna team with them? People round here might not like us, but the Titans aren’t exactly flavour of the month either……Bagwell, he’s already got a match…..that big goof the Giant, haven’t you already kicked his teeth down his throat once before?…..

 

…..I’m telling you now, it’s Savage, Warrior, the Giant…..and…..who cares who else…..you’re Shawn freaking Michaels man, who cares which scrub they talk into teaming with them…..”

 

…..Michaels let’s out a deep breath and nods his head, repeating what JPL just said…..he IS Shawn freaking Michaels…..he IS the Icon…..he IS the main event…..and on Sunday night, he IS going to be the WCW Champion…..

 

…..clearly the pep talk did its job…..and the mood returns to its previous jovial atmosphere…..

 

…..so much so that Christian HAS to ask…..

 

”…..so, can we get the girls back now? Because they were totally hot…..”

 

…..okay, let’s go down to ringside…..before we objectify the ladies anymore than we have to…..

 

…..over to you Tony Schiavone…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/AUZCTGZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/y8xpNTI.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/48KEVY1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/XbCqKVH.jpg">

 

…..where we have the rather unusual pairing of Brian Lawler and Psychosis facing off against everyone’s favourite dancing morons, Alex Wright and the Disco Inferno…..

 

…..I say unusual because Lawler and Psychosis are partners tonight, they are actually going to be opponents on Sunday evening, when they both bid to capture the WCW Cruiserweight Championship from Hayabusa…..in a triple treat match…..

 

…..so with that being said, they won here tonight right? To gain some momentum going into the Pay Per View? And because let’s face it, it’s Alex Wright and Disco Inferno…..no one expects them to win right?…..

 

…..wrong…..I expect them to win…..I love those dancing idiots…..

 

…..okay, bias withstanding, Wright and Disco did win here tonight…..

 

…..it’s called story telling people…..

 

…..Lawler and Psychosis are enemies…..of course they don’t gel well here…..

 

…..Lawler spends a good portion of the match showboating and refusing to tag his partner in……

 

…..the two men eventually get into a shoving match…..

 

…..Psychosis shoves Lawler right back towards Disco…

 

…..who rolls him up for a surprise one, two, three…..

 

…..the dancing fools win!…..

 

…..yay!…..

 

Winner(s): Alex Wright and Disco Inferno

Rating: B-

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/AUZCTGZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/y8xpNTI.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/8El8DGj.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/QPFbiE5.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/jMg73vi.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/uTZgfp1.jpg">

 

…..Disco and Alex Wright dance their way to the back, leaving Lawler and Psychosis alone in the ring…..and predictably, Lawler isn’t happy about being the one to take the loss…..

 

…..the two men have an exchange of words (although I doubt either man has an idea of what the other is saying) before a second shoving match breaks out…..a shoving match that only halts when James Vandenberg and his disciples make their way out from the back…..

 

…..Vandenberg comes to a halt at ringside, telling the two Cruiserweight challengers that in tag team action, cohesion is key to victory…..and during times of war, it’s all about the numbers…..

 

…..with that he motions towards the ring, as Hayabusa, Shinzaki and Mortis climb through the ropes and rush Lawler and Psychosis…..

 

…..and much like Vandenberg said, cohesion is key to victory…..and the numbers definitely help…..as the trio go to work as a unit, dismantling Hayabusa’s two UnCensored opponents, leaving the joint number one contenders down on the mat, before Vandenberg speaks again……

 

…..he tells the two men that the final key to victory in times of war…..is that you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to take the win…..

 

”…..and with Mr. Bischoff being so kind as to relax the rules at UnCensored…..believe me when I say…..there is nothing that we won’t do…..to keep this Cruiserweight Championship that we hold so dear within the flock…..

 

…..WE will see you gentlemen on Sunday…..

 

…..and I do mean WE…..”

 

…..looks like that triple threat match is going to have a few additional spectators at ringside…..

 

…..I guess we’ll find out on Sunday…..

 

Rating: C+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/OvbHblE.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/ngncMpn.jpg">

 

…..next up it’s time for Buff Bagwell to face off against Lex Lugers mystery opponent, ahead of Bagwell and The Giants clash with the Total Package and Rowdy Roddy Piper at UnCensored……in what is billed as being Roddy Pipers retirement match…..

 

…..obviously The Giant joins Buff at ringside for this one…..as Lex makes his way out to announce the other participant in the match…..

 

…..the two sides jackjaw for a few moments, with the two Titan men mocking Piper in his absence, while Luger tells them that they will be laughing on the other side of their faces when Roddy slaps the taste out of their mouths……

 

…..I could write up a whole segment here..…leading up to the surprise announcement of tonight’s opponent…..but let’s be honest…..it’s a Lex Luger promo, with Buff posing and Giant spraying spittle everywhere…..so honestly why bother…..

 

…..the opponent is Sid…..

 

…..ring the bell already…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/5Awfwoh.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/v1KVXA2.jpg">

 

…..so it’s Buff Bagwell against Sid Vicious…..real barnburner right?…..

 

…..in fairness, Sid has a bit of history with the other big man at ringside (The Giant) so his involvement here does have some logic to it…..

 

…..Bagwell isn’t so happy about his (much) larger opponent here…..and honestly gets his ass handed to him for the longest time…..until he’s finally able to distract the official long enough for Giant to nail he rival big man with a hard rabbit punch to the back of the skull…..

 

…..Luger does his best to keep the Giant at bay for the rest of the match as Bagwell tries his hardest to keep Big Sid grounded without the assistance of his Titan Teammate…..

 

…..he does pretty well too…..even looking like he’s going to pick up the victory as the match comes to a close, mounting the ropes and looking for that Blockbuster…..

 

…..before he can leap however, the bagpipes begin to play, as the theme music of the Hot Rod blares through the arena…..clearly it’s all a case of mind games however, because while Piper doesn’t appear, the action does distract Bagwell long enough for Sid to regain his senses, grab the mounted Bagwell by the throat…..and crash him into the mat with a massive choke slam for the one, two, three…..

 

…..advantage Piper…..

 

…..just when you think you know all the answers……

 

…..he changes the question…..

 

…..let’s take a commercial break…..

 

…..our main event is next…..

 

Winner: Sid Vicious

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/nIAz8RC.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/w52KdTn.jpg">

 

…..and when we do return, it’s to the arrival of Shawn Michaels and his band of Merry degenerates…..

 

…..it’s an eight man tag match coming up, but obviously, where Copeland and Cage go, Big Ray-Ray isn’t far behind…..as all five men make their way out…..

 

…..despite his less than collected outburst earlier, Shawn Michaels has clearly got his mojo back…..and is back to his gum chewing, obnoxious gesture making, sh!t eating grin wearing best as he trades barbs with the fans at ringside, waiting for he announcement of their opponents……

 

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/LHpb7B1.jpg">

 

…..they don’t have to wait long…..because Savage and Warrior (along with a microphone wielding Vince Russo) are out next…..and Vinnie Ru wastes no time in telling everyone that they just might have, the most electrifying partner…..in all of sports entertainment…..

 

 

 

 

…..:::::!!!!!IF YA SMELLLLLLLLLLL……WHAT THE ROCK…..IS COOKING!!!!!:::::…..

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/NDHKuSs.jpg">

 

…..as the Great One himself comes marching out from the back……

 

…..JPL was cool as a cucumber in his prediction that the two Titans would struggle in finding a partner this evening…..but not only have they found a partner…..they’ve found a partner in Levesque’s UnCensored opponent…..The Rock…..

 

…..Rocky stands in the aisle way for a moment, soaking in the cheers of the crowd in attendance…..

 

…..before holding up his hands…..

 

…..and pointing at the sky……

 

…..as a helicopter flys over Club La Veda…..

 

…..and Tony Schiavone loses his mind…..

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:30%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/yzuOzke.jpg">

 

 

…..as Sting climbs out of the side of the rotary aircraft…..

 

…..and begins his descent into the makeshift arena…..

 

 

 

 

…..the degenerates in the ring are beside themselves at the partners the Titans have chosen…..

 

…..well…..Shawn and JPL are beside themselves……Copeland and Cage are doing their comical best to stay upright as the backdraft from the helicopter blasts over the ring……

 

…..we have our mystery partners…..

 

…..we have all our competitors…..let’s get to the match……

 

…..my god what an entrance by the WCW Champion……

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/NDHKuSs.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/uneZrHv.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/2EPs81y.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/XaRFzNT.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LZspeNS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/psEGFc8.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/dfHWDxP.jpg">

 

…..so it’s main event time…..and damn if it ain’t a biggie…..

 

…..not only do we have a preview of three of our upcoming UnCensored matches, but we also have eight of the biggest names in WCW in the ring at one time…..not to mention the fact that for the first time since it’s inception, you have the Titans of Wrestling WILLINGLY teaming up with WCW…..

 

…..and that (as Tony Schiavone point out) speaks volumes about everyone’s opinion of Shawn Michaels and his Merry Men…..that even two sides who have been at war for close to two years are even willing to set aside their differences against a common enemy…..

 

…..the match (as you would expect) garnered a massive reaction from this crowd…..even Savage and The Warrior were cheered as they traded blows with Copeland and Cage…..it was a wild affair from the start, with the official finding it close to impossible to gain any measure of control…..

 

…..eventually the match settles into a standard tag team encounter, with the WCW/ToW alliance gaining the control early on…..it’s not long until the degenerate collective bends the rules to gain the advantage though, as they manage to isolate Randy Savage, cut the ring in half, and all four members of the heel team go to work with quick tags in and out of the match……

 

…..Copeland and Cage in particular take great pleasure in beating down on the Macho Man…..even tossing him to the outside, where Big Ray-Ray gets his licks in too…..eventually though, you knew this was all going to break down again…..and that’s exactly what happens when Savage is able to make the tag to the WCW Champion…..

 

…..the Stinger his the ring hot, and fires off on all four members of the opposing team, before branching out to focus his attack on his UnCensored opponent Shawn Michaels…..

 

…..from there all eight men break out into an all out war, brawling all around the ring and ringside area…..so much so that the official finally gives up trying…..he throws this one out, throws his hands up in the air…..and heads to the back, leaving the eight men to kill each other for all he cares……

 

Winner(s): No Contest

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/OAG1jFB.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/dfHWDxP.jpg">

 

…..the action doesn’t stop there though…..as these eight men (with the added addition of Big Ray-Ray too) continue to brawl all over the ringside area…..

 

…..dangerously close to the water that surrounds the ring…..

 

…..it doesn’t take long for security to come rushing out from the back…..with Dangerous Doug leading his crack team out to try and break up the war…..

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/iNMScXa.jpg">

 

…..although they are quickly stopped by Vince Russo…..who follows closely behind them with a microphone…..

 

…..he tells Doug Dillinger to call off his team…..

 

”…..because bro, we are six days away from Uncensored…..we’re throwing the rules out of the window there…..so we may as well start right now…..”

 

…..orders received, security heads to the back and leaves the brawl to continue…..

 

…..much to the delight of the fans…..

 

…..and since we are getting uncensored, it seems like it’s time to break out the plunder, as one by one the degenerate side gets nailed with chair shots left and right…..

 

…..Savage and The Warrior light up Copeland and Cage with shots to the back that leaves them teetering over the safety rail…..

 

…..so the Titan pair tips them right into the pool…..

 

…..an angry Big Ray-Ray charges at Savage…..

 

…..and gets backdropped right into the pool…..

 

…..Rocky and JPL trade blows on the outside, until The Rock gains the upper hand, landing right hand after right hand after right hand…..before delivering one final open handed blow that sends Levesque staggering backwards……

 

…..right into the pool…..

 

…..and then there was one…..

 

…..THE one…..

 

…..the one that everybody wants a piece of…..

 

…..and all four men circle Shawn Michaels…..

 

…..with a pissed off Sting pointing that black baseball bat right at him…..

 

…..Michaels assesses the situation and sees that he is severely outnumbered…..never one nit to have a plan though, Michaels spots his opportunity, drops to his back, and manages to scramble to the outside before anyone can lay a hand (or bat) on him…..

 

….Shawn scrambles backwards and climbs onto the safety rail…..throws a crotch chop towards the ring…..tells all four men to suck it…..

 

…..and jumps in the pool out of harms way…..

 

…..the crowd laps it up as the degenerates swim to safety…..leaving the four men to celebrate in the ring…..Randy Savage even goes so far as to hand the WCW title to Sting (but not until after giving it a long hard look) and telling him that he’d better let Shawn Michaels nowhere near it…..

 

…..which brings the show to a close…..with an excited Tony Schiavone revelling in Shawn Michaels humiliation…..before imploring us to tune in in six days time, for more Uncensored action…..

 

…..enjoy the rest of your spring break folks…..

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating: A

 

 

[to4sty]

 

From Thunder to the Extreme: Week 3, March 1998

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/2Tb7b5r.jpg">

 

Preview for WCW Thunder: Week 2, March 1998

 

Lex Luger vs. The Giant

Comments:

 

Road Warriors vs. Los Guerrero’s

Comments:

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Hayabusa © vs. Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright

Comments:

 

Sgt. Craig Pittman vs. Lance Storm

Comments:

 

Rikishi & The SST vs. The Lumana’i

Comments:

 

Chris Benoit vs. VK Wallstreet

Comments:

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/9CadHVo.jpg">

 

Preview for ECW Hardcore TV: Week 2, March 1998

 

Matches From ECW Living Dangerously 1998

 

ECW Television Championship Match

Shane Douglas © vs. Jerry Lynn

Comments:

 

The Dudley Boys (D-Von & Buh Buh) vs. Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney

Comments:

 

JT. Smith vs. Little Guido

Comments:

 

[DHK1989]

WCW Thunder: Week 2, March 1998

 

Lex Luger vs. The Giant

 

Road Warriors vs. Los Guerrero’s

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Hayabusa © vs. Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright

 

Sgt. Craig Pittman vs. Lance Storm

 

Rikishi & The SST vs. The Lumana’i

 

Chris Benoit vs. VK Wallstreet

 

 

ECW Hardcore TV: Week 2, March 1998

 

ECW Television Championship Match

Shane Douglas © vs. Jerry Lynn

 

The Dudley Boys (D-Von & Buh Buh) vs. Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney

 

JT. Smith vs. Little Guido

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/yBV7cXp.jpg">

 

Week 3, March 1998

Portland Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)

ATT: 12,900

TV: 28.52

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes and Larry Zbyszko

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/H5AU4wf.jpg">

 

 

 

”.....!!!IF YA SMELLLLLLLLLLLLLL......WHAT THE ROCK.....IS COOKING!!!.....”

 

 

…..it’s Thursday night folks, we are 3 days away from the most unpredictable event of the WCW Calendar year…..we are three days away from WCW UnCensored……and we are coming in hot…..because WCW Thunder belongs to one man…..

 

…..The Rock…..

 

…..the people’s champ makes his way out to a thunderous (pun intended) ovation and soaks up the adoration of the crowd before grabbing a microphone, telling the crowd that it’s Thursday night, it’s the Rocks night, the Rocks show, and the Rock is here tonight for one reason and one reason only…..

 

”…..and that is to take this size 16 boot, turn it sideways, and shove it straight up Jipple the Nipple’s candy ass…..

 

…..so the Rock says this…..tonight, it’s as simple as the letters that Ray Traylor writes to his fat momma in crayon…..The Rock is here alllllllll night….and he’s not hard to find…..Jipple, The Rock knows it’s hard, he knows that…..but if you can just pull that monstrosity that you call a nose out of Shawn Michaels ass for one night, The Rock will be happy to give the millions (and millions) of the Rocks fans a little preview of the uncensored smack down that the great one is going to be delivering on Sunday night…..”

 

…..Rocky says that he’s got all night, so all the jabroni’s in the back (Jumping Joey, Mean Mike, Tough Tom, Candy-Ass Cletus, and whoever the hell else is back there) may as well kick off their wrestling boots, because this is The Rock’s show, The Rock’s People and The Rock’s night…..

 

 

 

 

 

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…..although apparently someone disagrees…..two someone’s actually…..as the Dancing Fools, Alex Wright and the Disco Inferno come strutting down the aisle…..

 

…..the two men climb into the ring, where Disco tells Rocky that he has it all wrong…..this isn’t the Rock’s show and these people aren’t HERE for a rock show……

 

”…..they’re here to shake their booty to the sweet sound of disco baby…..so music man, play my song…..and let’s give these people what they really want…..”

 

“……woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, WOAH…..hold on a minute there John Travolta…..just who in the blue hell are you?…..”

 

“…..Disc…..”

 

“…..IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE……

 

……it doesn’t matter who you are, and the Rock says this…..first of all, you two come out here shaking your little hips, interrupting the Rock and looking like Liberace and the Gimp would look if they lived in their mothers basements…..”

 

…..the Rock says that second of all, no one wants to hear their god awful music either……

 

…..but what they do want to hear, is the sound of The Rock slapping the taste out of both their mouths…..

 

…..so that’s exactly what he does…..

 

…..Rock takes it to both men simultaneously, before levelling Disco with a huge right hand and Rock Bottoming Wright hard to the mat…..

 

…..Rocky unceremoniously boots Alex Wright to the floor and turns around just in time to catch a charging Disco Inferno with a Spine Buster that plants him firmly in the centre of the ring…..

 

…..he looks at the people for a moment, before kicking Discos arms into position by his sides and then running the ropes……pausing just at the last second to hit some sweet disco dance moves straight out of Saturday Night Fever…..and nails Inferno with a huge People’s Elbow…..

 

…..Rocky grabs the mic one more time, telling the crowd that it looks like JPL doesn’t have the grapefruits to come down here this evening…..so it looks like The Rock will have to go to him…..

 

…..I guess the Hunter is about to become the Hunted…..

 

…..game on…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/KhGt6Q7.jpg">

 

…..our first match this evening sees Chris Benoit facing off against VK Wallstreet……a bit of a strange one on paper, but it actually stems from this past Monday Nitro, which saw Chris Benoit thwart the First Family’s assault on Diamond Dallas Page…..Jimmy Hart clearly took offence to this and thus tonight’s match was born…..

 

…..the match itself was as you would expect…..Wallstreet is nothing if not reliable, while Benoit is arguably one of the most consistent workers in the company…..so yes, this match is decent…..

 

…..Wallstreet gets some some decent offence in, but this is more of a showcase for the man that’s going to be challenging for the Television Title in three days time, which is why it’s Chris Benoit that picks up the victory…..

 

……it could quite easily have gone the other way (when Hugh Morrus attempted to interfere) but Lance Storm was on hand to ensure that the First Family didn’t get involved, leaving Benoit to lock on the Crossface for the victory.

 

Winner: Chris Benoit

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/G9blWo1.jpg">

 

…..Lance Storm climbs into the ring to congratulate his…..I guess friend is the right word, since Chris Benoit is still not an official member of the Sovereignty…..and raises his hand in victory…..which is when the current Television Champion (and Benoit’s Uncensored opponent) Diamond Dallas Page makes his way out…..

 

…..Page comes to a halt on the entrance way and asks Benoit if this is what’s we are going to see at Uncensored…..

 

”…..what’s it gonna be Chris? Is it gonna be Chris Benoit vs. DDP?….or is it gonna be DDP vs. The Sovereignty?…..should I be watching my back now bro?…..is Regal gonna jump me from behind now while I got my back to the curtain?…..”

 

…..as if to emphasise his point, Page stops talking for a moment and outstretches his arms, waiting for an assault that doesn’t come…..

 

…..Dallas says that one thing he’s always had for Benoit, is respect…..that’s why he chose him as a brother in arms against the Titans of Wrestling…..and that’s why he chose him to be his tag team partner when they won the straps from Copeland and Cage…..

 

”…..you were like a brother to me Chris…..but THIS guy…..THIS Chris Benoit…..him I don’t know…..you never needed nothing from nobody, and yet here you are week in and week out following Lance Storm around like a schmuck…..so who am I fighting Sunday?…..

 

…..Chris Benoit? Or the whole freaking Sovereignty bro?…..”

 

…..Storm goes to speak, but Benoit cuts him off…..he tells Page not to worry about Lance Storm…..Steven Regal…..or any other members of the Sovereignty…..

 

”…..see Dallas…..I always respected you too…..but not more than I respect myself…..the reason I saved you last week, was because I want you at 100% on Sunday night…..yeah you beat me to win that belt…..but you only beat 50% of me…..at Uncensored…..you’re going to get all of me…..no excuses, no injuries…..and you don’t have to worry aboot Lance…..you don’t have to worry aboot Regal…..the Blue Bloods…..Jacques or Carl……I give you my word as a man, not one of them will be anywhere near ringside when I make you tap out to the Crossface…..

 

…..all you have to worry aboot Dallas…..is me taking that title from you…..I’ll see you Sunday…..”

 

…..and that should be quite some match…..

 

…..speaking of matches, we should probably have another one…..

 

…..after this brief intermission…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/H5AU4wf.jpg">

 

…..an intermission which sees The Rock pacing back and forth in the parking area…..

 

…..he said he wasn’t leaving here tonight until he got a piece of JPL, but apparently Levesque isn’t here yet…..

 

…..the announcers say that neither JPL, Shawn Michaels, OR the Totally Awesome Trinity are scheduled to be here tonight, but as Schiavone points out, when has that ever stopped those degenerate clowns from doing whatever they want…..

 

…..will they show?…..

 

…..the Rock clearly thinks so…..

 

…..let’s go back down to ringside…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/48xRpDs.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/s7X4frd.jpg">

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/N9nIuAu.jpg">

 

…..where it’s time for a family feud to conclude, as the Samoan SWAT Team faces off against Kokina’s Lumina’i group of Ekmo, Kimo and LA Smooth…..

 

…..yes not all feuds must make it to pay per view…..and just as Thunder is the perfect playground for the lesser rivalries that serve to elevate some of our younger talent, it’s the perfect place for this particular rivalry to end…..particularly since it has all played out here…..

 

…..there’s no denying that Rikishi, Fatu and Samu have the experience advantage…..in fact these three were a regular unit about a decade ago here in WCW (back when it was still marketed as the NWA) so to say they had the edge there against their greener than green family members would be an understatement…..

 

…..the Lumana’i are lead by a bonafide former world champion in Kokina though, and the big man from the islands is ready to lead his group into the future…..and he’s gonna lead them from right there at ringside…..

 

…..now arguably we could have booked Kokina in this match (having him replace any one of his young protégés) but we really don’t need to get the former WWF Champion over, he’s already a star…..no it’s the three rookies that we are looking to make names for here tonight…..

 

…..and that’s exactly what we did with the booking…..

 

…..the match was ugly to say the least…..a flat out brawl, with the SST getting plenty of offence in against these young upstarts…..in the end though, the Lumana’i were hungrier for the victory…..and with ‘Kina on the outside running interference, victory was just what they got, after Ekmo picked up the three count with a top rope splash to Fatu…..

 

Winner(s): The Lumana’i

Rating: C+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/48xRpDs.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/djndXtd.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/s7X4frd.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/L9zZ2r1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/xUc9aac.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/n21UiQS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/N9nIuAu.jpg">

 

…..not content with just a victory however, Kokina doesn’t want his boys stopping just there…..and he orders the three samoans to continue the assault…..which is exactly what they do……

 

…..Fatu is already down from that big splash, which leaves Samu and Rikishi fighting off three men…..Ekmo is able to get the better of Samu and beats him unmercifully down to the mat……Kimo and Smooth go to work double teaming Rikishi, and they’re doing a damn good job of it too, until the big man gets his second wind and starts pinballing them with lefts and rights…..

 

…..which is when Kokina climbs into the ring and nails his one time partner in the back of the head……

 

…..and with Kishi down all four men put the boots to him, before Smooth drags him over to the corner, where Kokina mounts the second turnbuckle and crushes the life out of him with a massive Samoan Squat (Banzai Drop)…..

 

…..still sitting on the chest of the broken Rikishi, Kokina is handed a microphone by Ekmo, which he uses to tell the crowd that what they are seeing right now is the future of the Samoan dynasty…..

 

”…..not the past, or even the present…..but what you’re going to be seeing going forward from this day and every other day that comes…..WE are the future…..WE are the Lumana’i…..and WE cannot be stopped…..”

 

…..Kokina says that they have had their fun on Thunder…..but now it’s time to bring the future to Nitro…..they want the glory…..they want the gold…..and they WILL be seen…..

 

…..there are a lot of big pairings in the tag team division right now…..

 

…..it sounds like that division is about to get a whole lot bigger…..

 

…..let’s go to the back…..

 

Rating:

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/48KEVY1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/owb2y1y.jpg">

 

…..where Disco Inferno and Alex Wright are licking their wounds after their run in with The Rock earlier this evening…..

 

…..I’m keeping the write ups deliberately shorter tonight, so this won’t be an exception…..

 

…..the two men appear to be giving each other a pep talk, with Alex saying that he’s fed up of being disrespected by these stupid loud mouth Americans…..he says that he’s Das Wünderkind…..he deserves to be treated in the manner he expects…..

 

…..Disco agrees, saying that they are treated by second class citizens week in and week out…..

 

”…..no one appreciates us Alex, just like no one appreciates the genius that is disco music….or, whatever it is you call that noise you like to dance to…..we’ll it’s time we started taking what we want…..come on…..I have a plan…..”

 

…..oh good…..Disco has a plan…..that’ll end well for them I’m sure…..

 

…..on with the show…..

 

Rating: C+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/BvtzE0w.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/izACez5.jpg">

 

…..we’ve already seen Lance Storm once this evening, but now it’s time to see him in an in-ring capacity, as he faces off against another proud American patriot in Sgt. Craig Pittman…..

 

…..speaking of patriots, that’s exactly who Lance is going to be facing on Sunday, THE Patriot, when these two warring nations go to battle in what is sure to be an exciting Flag Match…..

 

…..yeah there was some sarcasm there…..flag matches are rarely exciting…..but still…..it’ll be more exciting than this match…..

 

…..Storm won…..quite easily……tapping out the Sarge with the Canadian Maple Leaf…..

 

Winner: Lance Storm

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/izACez5.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/BvtzE0w.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/gLOR7w6.jpg">

 

…..Storm isn’t done there either…..he climbs to the outside to collect the Canadian flag and a microphone, before climbing back into the ring, where he nails (a limping) Pittman in the back of the head with the microphone, which makes a resounding THUMP sound through the house speakers…..

 

…..with Pittman down, Lance drapes the flag over his fallen body, telling the crowd that this is exactly what they will see on Sunday…..

 

”…..a superior Canadian athlete…..standing over yet another second rate American…..now everybody please rise…..for the playing of the Canadian National Anthem…..”

 

…..Storm places his hand over his heart and his foot on the chest of the flag covered Pittman as the Anthem begins to play…..

 

…..which is when The Patriot comes rushing out from the back…..

 

…..he’s not about to stand for this…..

 

…..he hits the ring and rushes at Storm (who quickly bails to the outside) before snatching the flag up off the fallen Pittman and helping his countryman to his feet…..

 

…..Patriot snatches up the microphone, telling Storm that this is the last time they’ll have to hear the Canadian anthem, the last time they’ll have to see the Canadian flag……

 

”…..and the last time we’ll have to listen to you running your mouth…..because on Sunday, I’m gonna give you a good old fashioned American ass whipping boy…..”

 

…..are you excited for our Uncensored Flag Match yet?…..

 

…..what do you mean no?…..

 

…..philistines…..

 

…..on with the show…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/GkumtLy.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/iMTTL4m.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/QWljnPs.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/bSi5cly.jpg">

 

…..where the announcers tell us that they have been sent in some anonymous footage featuring an altercation that took place between The Forgotten and their opponents at Uncensored, Mike Awesome and Gideon Cain…..

 

…..they roll the footage, which is clearly some sort of CCTV footage from a dingy bar of some sorts…..it’s grainy and black and white, but the picture is surprisingly clear to watch……

 

…..what we see is Awesome and Cain throwing back a few at the bar, clearly having a good time……when our tag team champions (without titles and in street clothes obviously) enter the bar…..

 

…..there’s no sound in the footage, but clearly the two teams are having words of some sort…..which ultimately breaks out into a shoving match…..

 

…..Vader shoves Cain into a bystander, just as Awesome does the same to Bigelow…..something that the other patrons don’t take too kindly too…..which is when a mass bar brawl breaks out…..

 

…..well, less a brawl…..more wrestlers vs. patrons……and the patrons don’t fare too well……

 

…..it almost looks like the two teams are trying to one up each other in a “can you top this” kind of way…..Awesome slams someone through a pool table, Vader drives someone’s head into a jukebox, Cain smashes a bottle over someone’s head, Bigelow breaks a bar stool across someone’s back…..

 

…..etc, etc…..

 

…..this continues until our four wrestlers are the only ones standing…..at which point the feed cuts out…..just as the four men come face to face…..

 

…..did they come to blows?…..

 

…..who knows…..

 

…..one things for sure though, they’ll definitely be fighting on Sunday……

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/48KEVY1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/owb2y1y.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/8El8DGj.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/mUmJjMS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/2o5c9e1.jpg">

 

…..I guess it’s time to hear Discos plan…..because the two dancing fools make their way out, and even Alex doesn’t look sure as to what’s about to happen…..

 

…..they hit the ring and bust out a few moves, before Disco grabs a microphone and says that it’s time that he and Alex were taken a little more seriously around here…..

 

……he says that the two of them kicked the Rocks ass earlier this evening (before poorly covering the microphone with his hand to check with Wright that Rocky was still in the back and can’t hear this right?) and that’s not all they’ve done…..

 

”…..we’ve beat up the Rock…..the Nasty Boys….the Forgotten…..and just this last Monday, we beat the two top contenders to the Cruiserweight title…..”

 

…..while most of those accomplishments have been embellished to say the least, that last one was actually true…..Disco and Alex DID beat the team of Brian Lawler and Psychosis this past Monday night…..and as such, Disco says that as far as they are concerned, THEY should be the top contenders, and THEY should be fighting for the Cruiserweight title at Uncensored…..

 

…..that brings out our Cruiserweight Champion Hayabusa…..along with James Vandenberg and the rest of his creepy little church of followers…..

 

…..Vandenberg says that his entire mission since pursuing the Cruiserweight title from Jeff Hardy to begin with, was to ensure that the title remained pure and untouched by the unworthy…..

 

”…..and you two morons, are the very antithesis of unworthy…..but…..with that being said…..we are nothing if not benevolent, and Hayabusa is the very definition of a fighting champion…..so while you won’t have the honour of competing for this prestigious championship at Unsensored…..

 

…..Hayabusa will allow you to grace his ring…..

 

…..right now…..”

 

…..I guess we have a title match…..

 

…..ring the bell…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/mUmJjMS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/OylBAgj.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/48KEVY1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/OylBAgj.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/owb2y1y.jpg">

 

…..and so much like we will see on Sunday, Hayabusa puts the WCW Cruiserweight title on the line here against two opponents, as he defends the gold in a triple threat match against Alex Wright and the Disco Inferno…..

 

…..the announcers question the logic of Vandenberg here, accepting a match against two opponents mere days before Hayabusa has to defend against two more opponents…..particularly since Wright and Inferno are somewhat of a cohesive unit…..

 

…..it does look as though teamwork could be the key to victory here for our challengers, especially as the double team our champion…..in the end though, greed and competitiveness takes over…..had Disco and Wright perhaps discussed a game plan beforehand, one of them could indeed have helped the other to victory…..as it is they began to bicker and argue about who should be the one to go for the pin, eventually leading to Hayabusa back dropping Alex Wright to the outside (where Mortis nails him with a Flatliner right to the floor) before our Champion finishes off Disco with a Phoenix Splash to retain the gold…..

 

….let’s see what excuse Disco comes up with for this one……

 

Winner: and Still WCW Cruiserweight Champion…..Hayabusa

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/KvDgZcZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/78a2W3O.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/cfcuN2G.jpg">

 

…..from there we see highlights of Bill Goldberg going 65-0 on Nitro when he defeated Road Warrior Hawk, as well as clips from the aftermath of that match, which saw Eddie Guerrero high tail it, leaving his Nephew Chavo to get sent for a swim on Nitro’s Spring Breakout edition…..before we head backstage, where Mean Gene is standing by with United States Champion Eddie Guerrero, and his partner this evening, Chavo……

 

…..Gene says that following the events of this Monday night, Vince Russo has booked the Guerrero’s to face The Road Warriors in tag team action…..

 

”…..and Eddie Guerrero, I hope you stick around this time, and not run away with your tail between your legs to leave this young man to take on Hawk and Animal alone…..”

 

“…..run away? Eddie Guerrero doesn’t run away holmes…..the Papi of Perfection doesn’t run from nobody esè…..”

 

…..Eddie says that he was simply making sure that those two idiots Hawk and Animal didn’t try and injure him and deliberately try and soften him up for that big goof Bill Goldberg…..Eddie says that everyone wants to be the one to hand Goldberg his first defeat…..

 

”…..and I don’t know why esè, winning 65 matches isn’t that impressive holmes…..Eddie Guerrero has been the United States Champion for 8 months Gene…..240 days esè……do you know how many wins I’ve had in that time…..?”

 

“…..well I would venture it was far less than 65…..especially since a lot of those matches also saw you running away with your tail between your legs…..”

 

“…..143 Mean Gene…..”

 

“…..143? Eddie Guerrero, that is an out and out lie…..”

 

“…..a lie? A LIE?!….a Guerrero never lies Esè!…..Chavo, tell him how many wins I have…..

 

“…..143 Gene…..and zero defeats…..”

 

…..Mean Gene isn’t buying the blatant lie, but Eddie carries on regardless…..he says that everyone in the back wants to be the one to beat Goldberg…..and those stupid Road Warriors know (just like everyone else knows) that Eddie Guerrero will beat the streak without even breaking a sweat…..

 

…..Eddie says that Hawk and Animal would have tried to soften him up in the hope that it would give Bill Goldberg a fighting chance against the Papi of Perfection, and he’ll probably try to do the same tonight…..

 

”…..but don’t worry Gene, because Chavito here is going to take care of those two face painted idiots tonight…..and Bill Goldberg, you count those 65 victories esè, because on Sunday, Eddie Guerrero is gonna kick your butt holmes…..all you’ve beat around here are scrubs and nobodies…..well Eddie Guerrero isn’t some scrub, Eddie Guerrero isn’t some nobody esè……Eddie Guerrero is the Papi of Perfection…..and you can’t beat me esè……come on Chavo…..”

 

…..I guess it’s match time…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/euDJPjl.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TdRIFsT.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7iBD1Xq.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Hg3s4o1.jpg">

 

…..and this is the match…..and The Road Warriors looks to be in a particularly bad mood tonight, especially after they were unable to get their hands on Eddie Guerrero this past Monday…..

 

…..they’ll have to get their hands on him tonight though right? He’s in the match…..

 

…..well…..not really…..

 

…..they do manage to lay a couple of shots on him, but Eddie soon relegates himself to the apron out of harms way, and to be honest he’s a pretty bad tag team partner…..because every time Chavo tries to tag out, Eddie is miraculously out of position…..

 

…..of course Eddie has become quite the expert in avoiding people that want to hurt him…..after all, Bill Goldberg has been trying to get his hands on the US Champion for months now with little success…..and he might have Eddie on Sunday, but he’s apparently sick of seeing Guerrero hiding on the apron…..

 

…..the (now) instantly recognisable music hits and the crowd explodes as the number one contender makes his way out…..

 

…..Eddie explodes too…..right off the apron and into the crowd before you can blink…..

 

…..he wasn’t much use in this match to begin with, but it’s officially a handicap match now…..and Chavo Guerrero facing off against the Road Warriors single handedly was never going to end well…..

 

…..they play with the younger Guerrero for a little bit, but in the end the result was inevitable…..Doomsday Device…..one, two, three…..

 

…..Eddie Guerrero might have ran again tonight…..but he won’t be able to run on Sunday…..

 

…..let’s go to the back…..

 

Winner(s): The Road Warriors

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/WH2bm4L.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ClbEoLB.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/XMjklgs.jpg">

 

…..where there is more action going on…..although this one is more of the unsanctioned variety…..as Jeff Hardy and Curt Hennig continue their recent rivalry which almost saw Hardy leap from the top of a production truck through a table laying Hennig…..

 

…..fortunately Hennig got the heck out of dodge before that (frankly insane thing) happened, but it hasn’t stopped these two from tearing up the backstage area this evening…..

 

…..the two men are crashing their way through the hallways of the building much as they did on Nitro, except they at least stay away from the production trucks this time…..although it’s no less chaotic…..

 

…..Hardy arguably got the upper hand on Monday night, but he’s not as fortunate here as he winds up getting backdropped through a catering table…..

 

…..and yes it does send food flying…..

 

…..security rushes the scene then to keep these two men from causing anymore damage…..and they’re joined by the public face of the Championship Committee, Eric Bischoff…..

 

…..Bischoff says that he knows that Hardy and Hennig aren’t having a championship match at Uncensored, but since Vince Russo is not in the building this evening he is going to make an executive decision…..

 

”…..and since you seem intent on attempting to (and in your case Curt, succeeding in) driving each other through tables…..and since your match IS taking place at Uncensored…..that’s exactly what you will have to do to win your match on Sunday…..no pinfalls, no submissions, no count outs and no disqualification…..the only way to win will be to send your opponent crashing through a table…..so have fun with that…..and get the hell out of the building before you cause anymore damage…..”

 

…..I guess we have WCW’s first ever tables match booked for UnCensored…..

 

…..who’d have thunk it…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/H5AU4wf.jpg">

 

…..we stay backstage briefly while we catch another shot of the Rock, still waiting on the arrival of JPL…..the announcers say that it doesn’t look like Levesque is going to be showing up this evening, particularly since we only have one match to go…..

 

…..they may be wrong though…..because just then a car pulls up, and quick as a flash Rocky is over there swinging open the door……

 

…..it’s not JPL though…..nor any other one of his associates…..

 

…..instead it’s a terrified looking delivery driver, who hands The Rock a package, telling him to “give this to Sting”, before screeching off as quickly as he arrived……

 

…..Rocky stares at the package for a moment before tearing it open and pulling out what looks very much like a long leather strap…..which he tosses to the floor in frustration, before continuing his wait…..

 

…..let’s go to our main event…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/RZyWR9b.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TFVQgbO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ngncMpn.jpg">

 

…..and it’s a match that we’ve actually seen a number of times, because Lex Luger and The Giant have had quite the bitter rivalry dating back to last year…..

 

…..this won’t be the only time this week that they clash either, because they are set to clash in tag team action this Sunday, teaming up with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Buff Bagwell respectively, in what is being touted as the Hot Rod’s final match……

 

…..of course Piper isn’t here tonight…..he hasn’t been seen since Buff Bagwell and The Giant interrupted his retirement speech with a vicious beat down a few weeks back on Nitro…..

 

…..Buff Bagwell on the other hand IS here…..because where the Giant goes, Buff Daddy isn’t far behind…..and he certainly makes his presence known tonight…..

 

…..the match itself was as good as a Lex Luger/Giant match is ever going to be…..that’s to say it was judged more on the crowd reaction than the ACTUAL action…..but the crowd did react, so that’s all that really matters…..the two men hammer into each other with big heavy blows, while Luger shows some impressive strength against his much bigger opponent…..

 

…..things are going well for Lex too…..he even manages to rack the big man for what would have been the end of the match, had Buff Bagwell not had the official distracted…..

 

…..as it was, Giant was able to break free by gouging at the eyes of his opponent…..and with the official still distracted, the seven footer punts Luger right between the legs, before driving him into the mat with a huge Chokeslam for the one, two, three…..

 

Winner: The Giant

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/RZyWR9b.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ngncMpn.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/aQrP0BT.jpg">

 

…..and since Luger is down, the two Titans may as well take advantage of it…..and take advantage they do…..because Buff joins his partner in the ring, and the two men go about putting the boots to the Total Package…..

 

…..Bagwell tells Lex that he should have stayed out of their business, and let them put Piper out of his misery once and for all…..because now, all he’s done is tick off the Titans…..and he’s going to find himself hobbled, just like the old man…..

 

…..with that Bagwell snatches up a steel chair…..and as The Giant puts all of his (considerable) weight on the ankle of Luger (pinning his leg to the mat) Buff raises the chair high in the air, ready to strike…..

 

…..cue the bagpipes…..

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/UwnugQL.jpg">

 

…..as the Hot Rod makes his way out from the back…..

 

…..with a thick metal chain wrapped around his fist…..

 

…..Bagwell goes rushing up the aisle (chair in hand) to meet him…..but he gets met right in the jaw by that chain clad fist, knocking him flat on his back…..

 

…..Piper steps over the fallen Buff and continues to the ring, where the Giant is waiting…..he ducks a big right hand from the big man, before putting that amateur boxing background to good use as he nails Giant in the side of the head with a trio of chain aided blows…..

 

…..all that does is rock the Titan man though…..even that isn’t enough to put the Giant down, as he staggers backwards into the ropes…..

 

…..where Lex Luger comes flying across the ring to nail him with a running forearm blow that sends him tottering to the floor…..

 

…..Giant is p!ssed…..and looks to want to get back in there…..Bagwell has other ideas though, managing to talk his partner into saving it for Uncensored…..and the two men head to the back, leaving The Total Package and The Hot Rod to celebrate in the ring…..

 

…..we’ll see you on Sunday folks…..

 

…..oh wait…..

 

…..there’s more…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/H5AU4wf.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/nIAz8RC.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/PifOkmV.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/DJt4Wpa.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/aNE9X2Q.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/w52KdTn.jpg">

 

…..where we see JPL, Shawn Michaels and The Totally Awesome Trinity beating the holy hell out of the Rock…..

 

…..we have a brief Picture in Picture shot showing us how we got to this situation (Rocky had apparently given up waiting for something that wasn’t about to happen, and was heading out of the arena, when he got blindsided by a five on one assault) before we go back to our main shot…..which sees Levesque mounting the chest of The People’s Champion, laying into him with a series of hard right hands…..

 

…..the entire group talks smack to the master of talking smack, before Michaels snatches up that discarded leather strap, wrapping it around the feet of the Great One…..

 

…..Michaels yells into the camera that he knows there are no rafters out here…..

 

”…..and there sure as hell isn’t a helicopter in sight…..but Sting…..Mr. WCW…..I hope you’re watching this…..because you’re about to see what Mr. Wrestling can do with a strap…..before I take YOUR strap at Uncensored…..

 

…..Copeland…..Cage…..string him up boys…..”

 

…..JPL continues to put the boots to Rocky, as The Totally Awesome Two take the other end of the strap and hook it up to the back of a nearby car, as Big Ray-Ray heads around to the drivers seat…..

 

…..the announcers are losing their minds at the depravity of Michaels and Company, stating that the Rocks very life is going to be in danger if Ray Traylor pulls off in that car……

 

…..fortunately, these degenerates are universally hated by all…..and half the locker room comes rushing into the parking lot to put a stop to this madness…..

 

…..none of them manage to get hold of these jackasses though…..as Michaels, Levesque and The Trinity scatter and run laughing into the night, leaving Dallas Page to unhook The Rock, as the announcers tell us that if you think what you just saw was uncensored, just wait until you see what we have in store for you on Sunday night…..

 

…..you should probably join us then…..

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating:

 

 

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/KHIBBqF.jpg">

Week 3, March 1998

Highlights from ECW Living Dangerously 1998

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/mHb1rPs.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/ffK2sJr.jpg">

 

…..it’s that time of the week when things get a little bit extreme up in here, as we put away the bingo balls and bring out the blades…..it’s time for more highlights from ECW Living Dangerously…..and we are opening up the show hot!…..well…..warm…..humid?…..okay, we’re starting…..that’s the main thing…..

 

…..we head straight into the action, as JT. Smith looks to not only call off the hit that the Big Don placed on him with the “kiss of death” recently, but also regain his made man status as a full card carrying member of the Full Bloodied Italians…..

 

…..of course to do so, he’s got to beat Little Guido here tonight, and since Guido has the rest of the FBI in his corner (and is actually a very accomplished worker) that might be easier said than done…..particularly given Smith penchant for misfortune…..

 

…..the match was a mixture of wrestling (Guido) comedy (Smith) and outside interference (the rest of the FBI) with no one really giving the inept JT much chance at picking up the victory…..

 

…..he’s a klutz right?…..

 

…..honestly it doesn’t look like he has much of a chance either, because Guido wrestles circles around him…..at least until that clumsiness of Smith’s finally pays off…..

 

…..he rallies a small comeback (after basically getting destroyed by all four FBI members for the majority of the match) and decides to take a huge risk by climbing to the top rope…..Smith being Smith though he loses his footing, tumbling backwards all the way to the outside…..

 

…..where he lands flat on top of Smothers and the Big Don, completely taking them out of the action for a few minutes…..and as he climbs back into the ring, he catches his foot on the middle rope and stumbles forward…..

 

…..head first into Guidos crotch…..

 

…..Guido doubles over in pain from the unintentional headbutt to the groin, and for once Smith’s misfortune goes his way, as he nails his opponent with a DDT for a surprise victory……

 

…..Smith wins!…..

 

Winner: JT. Smith

Rating: D+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/QrnBC5X.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/qaatDJe.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ffK2sJr.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/78kyKyt.jpg">

 

…..the match is over and even JT is shocked, but a deal is a deal, and he quickly grabs a microphone to remind the Big Don of that fact…..

 

…..he tells Rich to call off the hit, do his thing…..and make JT Smith a Made Man again…..

 

…..Guido and Smothers aren’t happy about this development, circling Smith and telling Rich to say the word ”and this mook will be sleeping with the fishies…..fuggeddaboutit”…..

 

…..the Big Don reluctantly tells his men to stand down though, borrowing a line from Tony Montana as he tells the crowd that ”all I have in this world is my balls, and my word…..and I don’t break them for no one…..capiche?…..”

 

…..the rest of the group don’t look too pleased about that, but the godfather has spoken, telling Guido (since he was the one who lost) to head over to the merchandise tables and pick up a shirt for their new wise guy…..

 

…..Guido comes back with a brand new FBI shirt, which the Big Don ceremoniously presents to an ecstatic JT Smith…..who mugs to the crowd as we go to some interview packages…..

 

…..JT. Smith…..Made Man…..who’d have thunk it amirite?…..

 

Rating: C

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/EWneHkq.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/rIGo2e7.jpg">

 

…..the first of those promo packages comes courtesy of our now FORMER tag team champions, Perry Saturn and John Kronus, the Eliminators…..

 

…..the Eliminators impressive near nine month reign as champions (after capturing the ECW Tag Titles back in June of last year) came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Brood, and clearly Saturn and Kronus are keen to get those straps back……

 

…..Kronus is his usual slightly unhinged self, while Saturn is the more intense of the two, as they tell the Vampire Warrior and the Fallen Angel that it’s only a matter of time before they get them back in the ring…..and when they do, not even Luna Vachon is going to be able to save them from Total Elimination……

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/V818T30.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Xdedctc.jpg">

 

…..speaking of teams looking for gold, we go over to Rob Van Dam and Sabu next (along with their loudmouth manager Bill Alfonso) who have aspirations of their own…..

 

…..Sabu recently made his surprising return to ECW, costing the man who was responsible for breaking his neck (Taz) a match against RVD……and while Taz is far from done with this trio (and while he and Sabu are bound to go to war once more) Van Dam is over it already…..

 

”…..did you hear what Taz is going to do to us Fonzie?…..whatever…..see Taz, Rob Van Dam already beat you…..and when he did, his stock went up…..that means more shots for me and more money in my pocket…..see everybody knows it’s only a matter of time until RVD is working Mondays, it until then, it’s all about the money and the gold…..”

 

…..Van Dam says that Taz is old news, been there, done that, got the t-shirt…..now it’s all about who’s holding the gold…..be that singles or tag team…..either way, Van Dam is putting everyone on notice…..

 

”…..because it’s time to put some gold around the waist of the whole f#@king show…..Rob….Van…..Dam…..

 

…..oh…..

 

…..and sure, Sabu too…..”

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/odZWe5I.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Bes4kmO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Eh85fRt.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/cf64mRq.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/jYEyr2I.jpg">

 

…..and we may as well stay on the theme of tag teams…..because we have a tag team bout up next…..as those chair swinging freaks, Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney continue their war with the Dudley Clan…..

 

…..this one has been building for months, as D-Von Dudley has systematically abused, berated and insulted his brothers continually in an effort to make them somewhat worthy of Big Daddy Dudleys name…..

 

…..it’s an effort that has been mainly in vain for the most part…..Chubby, Sign Guy and Dances with are still for the most part pretty useless…..but after some initial reluctance, D-Von seems to think that Buh Buh and Big Dick are finally starting to show some promise…..

 

…..with that being said, Buh Buh is going to have to find a bit of a mean streak here…..particularly since he’s in there with two people that love to swing a chair in Rotten and Mahoney……and find a mean streak he does, because this is an arena wide blood soaked brawl…..

 

…..D-Von tries to get his other brothers involved in the brawl, clearly looking to get them to ‘Dudley’ up a little bit, but outside of Big Dick the rest of the clan are fairly useless…..

 

…..speaking of Big Dick, he makes an impact at the end of the match…..because after some coaxing from D-Von (coupled with a huge slap across the face while telling him to grow some balls) Dick finally snaps and grabs Mahoney by the throat, before chokeslamming him through a table on the outside…..

 

…..back on the inside, D-Von is smashing the crap out of Rotten with a steel chair, before handing it to Buh Buh and telling him to finish it off…..

 

…..Buh Buh is still someone reluctant though, tossing the steel chair to the mat and shaking his head…..

 

…..this infuriates D-Von, who screams at his brother, only to get shut up by a Buh Buh smack to the mouth……Buh Buh tells D-Von to ”shut the f#@k up…..get him up”…..which is exactly what a smiling D-Von does…..whipping Axl into the ropes and then hoisting him in the air…..

 

…..where Buh Buh catches him with a Diamond Cutter variation, driving his skull into the steel chair on the mat…..and yes, that is the debut of the 3D…..

 

…..Buh Buh makes the cover, and three seconds later, the Dudley Boys have the victory…..

 

Winner(s): The Dudley Boys

Rating: C

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/cf64mRq.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/jYEyr2I.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/aRJz2us.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LHYTIFp.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Oj11tW9.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/3BLNboC.jpg">

 

…..D-Von is ecstatic at this development, embracing both Buh Buh (who has a very different and much more aggressive look on his face) and Big Dick, before telling the three lesser Dudleys that this is how it’s done…..

 

”…..and you know what you three fat f#@ks, I’m just about done…..I’ve spent months trying to make Dudleys out of you, but the fact of the matter is, your wh#re mother’s should have aborted you before you were even born…..but since your mother’s didn’t do it then, I guess we’re just going to have to do it now…..”

 

…..and that’s exactly what the now trio of Dudleys do…..as Buh Buh and Big Dick join D-Von in beating the holy hell out of Chubby, Sign Guy and Dances with…..

 

…..at least until AC/DC’s Highway to Hell (copyright issues be damned) starts to play…..and……I want to say ‘a man’ makes his way out from the back…..but if he is a man, he’s a runt of one…..

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/Sxa6Z02.jpg">

 

…..but he is kitted out in Dudley colours…..and considering that there have been rumours of further brothers out there in the wild as of late, you have to assume that this is the person that Dances with Dudley was calling last week…..

 

…..D-Von looks briefly confused at the identity of the new arrival (at least until Buh Buh whispers something in his ear) at which point he breaks out into a huge smile, saying the more second rate Dudleys he can eliminate the better……particularly runts of the litter like this one…..

 

…..even Joey Styles is sceptical at this…..even HE is bigger than this newest Dudley…..exactly how is he planning on taking on all three Dudley Boys alone?…..

 

…..except…..there were whisperings of THREE previously unknown Dudley Brothers…..

 

…..and this little guy isn’t alone…..

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/EGVyRI6.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/jsWjznH.jpg">

 

…..as a former racing car driver and a former cowboy come walking out from the back clad in the tie-dye colours…..

 

…..and all three of these new ‘Dudley Boys’ come running down the aisle and into the ring, where they go straight to work brawling with Buh Buh, D-Von and Big Dick…..

 

…..the little guy might not look much…..but clearly he is completely unhinged as he goes straight for Big Dick like a rabid Jack Russell…..and he’s kinda holding his own too…..

 

…..in fact all three new arrivals are…..

 

…..and then Axl and Balls get back into the mix…..

 

…..and Buh Buh, Big Dick and D-Von decide that they have inflicted enough violence for one evening and head to the back…..

 

…..quite a night for the Dudley family…..

 

…..a split, a union, an assault and new members…..

 

…..families…..

 

…..never a dull moment…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/oUdDGeT.jpg">

 

…..we have a brief stop off with Joey Styles in the ‘studio’ who talks about the scenes we have just witnessed, before he recaps the formation of the Triple Threat, which came after Chris Chetti turned on Tommy Dreamer…..

 

…..he has some…..unkind words for our Television Champion…..stating that while Tommy Dreamer isn’t going to be challenging for the gold here, SOMEONE is going to…..so why don’t we find out who…..

 

…..from there we go down to the ring, where Shane Douglas, Francine, and the rest of the Triple Threat are in the ring…..

 

…..Douglas laughs as he introduces Chris Chetti to the crowd as the latest member of his group, saying that they have the perfect mix…..they have the muscle in Hellraiser…..they have the future of the business right here, a pure blue chipper in Chris Chetti…..they have a thing of beauty in Francine…..and then you’ve got him…..the Franchise…..the ECW Television Champion…..the man that took Tommy Dreamer out earlier this evening, and the man that’s going to take whoever walks through that curtain now to school…..

 

”…..so send them out…..because whoever it is is about to get their ass Franchised…..”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/QnSRv4b.jpg">

 

…..well that might not be as simple as Mr. Douglas thinks it will…..

 

…..because his opponent tonight is Jerry Lynn…..

 

…..ring that bell…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/QnSRv4b.jpg">

 

…..I’m guessing Douglas was expecting one of your run of the mill ECW brawlers to make their way out tonight…..and with Hellraiser milling around at ringside I expect he was feeling fairly confident…..

 

…..except that wasn’t what he got…..

 

…..he got a wrestler…..

 

…..and a pretty damn good one at that…..

 

…..Jerry Lynn might not be the stereotypical Extreme superstar, but if there’s one thing the ECW crowd loves it’s an accomplished wrestler……just ask Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero…..ask Dean Malenko…..and they took to Lynn in no time at all…..

 

…..this was a really good match…..no blood, no guts, no barbed wire or insane bumps…..just two men wrestling, with the occasional high spot from Lynn to pop the crowd in the right places…..

 

…..Lynn put on a hell of a showing too, and could well have won this thing had it not been for the rest of the recently reformed Triple Threat…..in the end, Francine distracted the official long enough for Chetti to prove his worth by sliding into the ring with the Television title in hand, nailing Lynn in the back of the head with the gold, just as Jerry was attempting a cradle piledriver…..Lynn drops Douglas (and drops to a knee) Douglas quickly catches hold of the Belly to Belly suplex…..and three seconds later, we’re doing…..

 

Winner: and Still ECW Television Champion…..Shane Douglas

Rating: C+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/2zlMfHd.jpg">

 

…..we close out the show tonight with a triple promo package from the three men that competed for the ECW Championship at Living Dangerously…..a match that we will see next week on this very show…..and while promo packages don’t always add a great deal to a storyline, this one certainly does……because we open up with Justin Credible…..

 

…..well actually we open up outside of a closed door…..with a lot of screaming and poorly attempted censoring of an expletive filled argument, before Paul E. Dangerously can be heard screaming ”FINE…..YOU GOT IT…..NOW GET OUT YOU BUREAUCRATIC PR!CK”…..followed by Justin Credible exiting said room…..followed by none other than Philadelphia State Athletic Commissioner Buford T. Pinkerton……

 

……Credible smiles at the camera, saying that while ECW and it’s little rinky-dink carny promotor thought they could back door Justin Credible out of the World Title by having that fat drunk and the old man work together to eliminate the only true athlete here in ECW……

 

”…..this should be my shot and my shot alone…..but you should all know by now, that if there’s one thing the kliq knows, it’s how to play the game brother…..so Buford, tell how it’s going to go down…..”

 

…..Buford says that as the commissioner of the Philadelphia State Athletic Committee, he has some pull around here…..and he doesn’t want to see some kind of two on one assault…..he wants a fair and equal and CLEAN fight…..so this three way dance won’t be elimination style…..you won’t see The Sandman and Terry Funk working together to get rid of this young man right here……because there won’t be any pin falls…..there won’t be any submissions…..the only way to win this match, will be to retrieve that World Heavyweight Championship that will be hanging high above the ring……

 

…..because this match…..

 

…..will be a ladder match…..

 

…..something that Justin Credible seems very happy about…..telling Sandman that his drunk ass can barely walk straight let alone climb a ladder…..and Terry Funk, he’s likely to break a hip if he even tries to scale those rungs…..

 

”……so what you’re going to see…..is a true champion climbing to the top of the world tonight…..and that’s not just the coolest, that’s not just the best……that my friends…..is just incredible…..”

 

 

 

 

…..from there we go from comments from both the Sandman and Terry Funk, seemingly right before this world title match is scheduled to start…..because both men are sat in their respective dressing rooms…..

 

…..the Sandman says that he’s been in every kind of match imaginable…..he’s gone through tables, bent guard rails, he’s wrestled in a ring surrounded by barbed wire ropes…..he’s fought in bars, back alleys and parking lots all around the country…..against much tougher men than Justin Credible…..and he’s done it all with a beer in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth…..tonight, he’s going to go out there and do what he does best…..fight…..and when he’s done…..he’s still going to be the ECW World Heavyweight Champion…..

 

…..likewise, Terry Funk doesn’t seem to give a damn about the added stipulation…..

 

…..he says that people have been calling him washed up for years…..he’s been ‘middle aged and crazy’ for a decade and he just gets better with age…..

 

”…..see Justin Credible…..you goofy, buck toothed b@stard…..I’ve been taking punk kids like you to the woodshed like your daddy oughta since before you were suckling on your mommas wrinkled old chest…..you name them, I’ve beat them…..and you, you rat faced son of a b!tch…..you’re not Dusty Rhodes…..you’re not Ric Flair…..you’re not Harley Race, Sting…..you’re just a kid that’s been carrying his buddies bags so long that he thinks he’s better than he is…..

 

…..this ain’t Home Depot son…..and if you think that becoming world champion around here is as easy as climbing a ladder, then you’re in for a very long night…..this is EC f’n W…..and I’m Terry f’n Funk…..and the only thing you’re going to need to worry about where that ladder is concerned……is how much it’s gonna hurt when I shove it up your ass…..”

 

…..the stakes are set…..the stipulations added……all that remains is to see the match itself……

 

…..which is exactly what we will do…..

 

…..next week…..

 

…..we’ll see you there…..

 

Rating: B

 

Final Rating: C+

 

 

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/DWk15AH.jpg">

 

WCW Championship: Strap Match

Sting © vs. Shawn Michaels

Comments:

 

WCW United States Championship Match

Eddie Guerrero © vs. Goldberg

Comments:

 

WCW Tag Team Championship Match

The Forgotten © vs. Mike Awesome & Gideon Cain

Comments:

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Hayabusa © vs. Brian Lawler vs. Psychosis

Comments:

 

WCW Television Championship Match

Diamond Dallas Page © vs. Chris Benoit

Comments:

 

Street Fight

Randy Savage & The Warrior vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage

Comments:

 

Flag Match

The Patriot vs. Lance Storm

Comments:

 

Tables Match

Jeff Hardy vs. Curt Hennig

Comments:

 

The Rock vs. JPL

Comments:

 

Lex Luger & Roddy Piper vs. Buff Bagwell & The Giant

Comments:

 

[MisterRomanini]

WCW Championship: Strap Match

Sting © vs. Shawn Michaels

Comments:

 

WCW United States Championship Match

Eddie Guerrero © vs. Goldberg

Comments:

 

WCW Tag Team Championship Match

The Forgotten © vs. Mike Awesome & Gideon Cain

Comments:

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Hayabusa © vs. Brian Lawler vs. Psychosis

Comments:

 

WCW Television Championship Match

Diamond Dallas Page © vs. Chris Benoit

Comments:

 

Street Fight

Randy Savage & The Warrior vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage

Comments:

 

Flag Match

The Patriot vs. Lance Storm

Comments:

 

Tables Match

Jeff Hardy vs. Curt Hennig

Comments:

 

The Rock vs. JPL

Comments:

 

Lex Luger & Roddy Piper vs. Buff Bagwell & The Giant

Comments:

[DHK1989]

WCW Championship: Strap Match

Sting © vs. Shawn Michaels

 

WCW United States Championship Match

Eddie Guerrero © vs. Goldberg

 

WCW Tag Team Championship Match

The Forgotten © vs. Mike Awesome & Gideon Cain

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Hayabusa © vs. Brian Lawler vs. Psychosis

 

WCW Television Championship Match

Diamond Dallas Page © vs. Chris Benoit

 

Street Fight

Randy Savage & The Warrior vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage

 

Flag Match

The Patriot vs. Lance Storm

 

Tables Match

Jeff Hardy vs. Curt Hennig

 

The Rock vs. JPL

 

Lex Luger & Roddy Piper vs. Buff Bagwell & The Giant

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:50%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/DWk15AH.jpg">

Week 3, March 1998

Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)

ATT: 30,000

PPV BUY: 1.98

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/5QBgGxc.jpg">

 

…..it’s Sunday night, and things are about to get a little extreme up in here…..no, we aren’t in Philadelphia, but the rule book IS being ripped up, right here at WCW Uncensored 1998…..

 

…..we open up at the announce table, where Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan welcome us to what is sure to be a wild night…..

 

…..they run down not only the matches, but the stipulations surrounding them…..we have a street fight, a flag match, a tables match, and yes, the WCW Championship will be contested for in a strap match…..and if that wasn’t enough (just in case you didn’t get the memo) there are going to be no short cuts here tonight (I’m looking at you Eddie Guerrero) because even in the matches that have no stipulations, we are letting them go and relaxing those rules…..you want to get disqualified tonight, then you’re going to have to do something REALLY extreme to get the referees attention…..

 

…..and if you want to see extreme, it doesn’t come much more extreme than driving your opponent through a wooden table, but that’s exactly what Jeff Hardy or Curt Hennig will have to do to win this one…..

 

…..and that match is next…..

 

Rating: N/A

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/WH2bm4L.jpg.jpg">

 

Tables Match

 

…..the tables stipulation might be a recent addition to this match, but there’s still plenty of heat behind it, as Jeff Hardy and Curt Hennig have been brawling in the ring, outside of the ring, backstage, and even outside the building…..it’s safe to say there’s no love lost between these two…..

 

…..since this is the first tables match in a mainstream wrestling organisation, the announcers talk through the rules quickly before this starts…..

 

…..really quickly…..

 

…..there’s only one rule…..

 

…..put your opponent through a table…..

 

…..so that’s exactly what they tried to do…..

 

…..considering the fact that these two have been trying to kill each other for the past month, the match actually started out much as any other match would…..in the ring……

 

…..Jeff Hardy has come a long way in his tenure here in WCW…..from (barely) midcardtag team wrestler with his brother in the WWF, to stand out, solid upper card worker here in World Championship Wrestling…..and no, he hasn’t had the title success that his brother has had since the team was separated, but arguably, Matt Hardys brief (and lone) European Championship has ended with him getting a little bit lost in the shuffle up north, while Jeff Hardys stock has risen with every high profile rivalry that he’s been involved in…..and with opponents like Curt Hennig, he’s only going to get better…..

 

…..Hardy might be somewhat of a daredevil, but as I said earlier, this one actually starts out as a wrestling match, which is where Curt Hennig thrives…..Hennig hits Hardy with a series of chain wrestling holds that Jeff can’t keep up with, before finally batting the youngster round the back of the head with a cocky smirk on his face……

 

…..he’s not so cocky a few minutes later though when Hardy sends him sailing to the outside…..and he’s even less cocky when his opponent slingshots himself over the top right on top of him…..Hardy takes advantage of the lack of rules to whip Curt into the barricade, before running and leaping up and off the ring steps, sending his whole body crashing into Hennig (and Hennig crashing further against the barrier in the process)…..

 

…..Hardy slides a table into the ring (along with a steel chair) and rolls Hennig back inside…..he sets the table up against the turnbuckles in the corner and then crashes the chair across the back of his opponent (leading the announcers to talk about Curts history of back problems) before propping Hennig up against the table, setting the chair up in front of him, before running the length of the ring and springing off the chair for Poetry in Motion……

 

…..except Hennig moves…..

 

…..and Hardy smashes through the wood and crumples to the mat in a heap…..

 

…..the announcers question for a moment whether this match is over (its WCW after all, when have they ever been clear about match rules) but they eventually settle on the opinion that you have to drive your opponent through the table with an offensive move to win this match, not simply move to allow your opponent to table themselves…..

 

…..so with that cleared up (and the first big spot out of the way) all the wrestling goes out of the window…..Hennig may be a wrestler first and foremost but he knows how to fight when he needs to…..the two men get down and dirty as the attempt to beat each other down long enough to put the other through a table…..Hardys steel chair assisted Poetry in Motion gets attempted again after he whips Curt into the turnbuckles, and he’s successful the first time…..he’s not so successful the second time though, because as he comes running again Hennig whips up the steel chair and throws it full force at his oncoming foe…..

 

…..the difference in styles of these two men couldn’t be clearer than in this match…..while Hardy looks to utilise high flying offence to drive his opponent through the wood, you’re not going to be seeing Curt Hennig attempting a splash off the top through a table…..no, Curt is more focused with trying to use wrestling moves to do it…..body slams, suplex’s, even a Hennig Plex…..Hardy is able to wiggle free on each occasion though…..

 

…..eventually he catches a kick attempt on the outside, sweeps the other leg and then slingshots his opponent skull first into the steel ring post…..Hennig staggers backwards and Hardy positions a table behind him that he slumps backwards into…..

 

…..Jeff sets Curt into position…..

 

…..climbs onto the apron…..

 

…..and then to the top rope…..

 

…..where he pulls off his shirt…..

 

…..and gets crotched right there on the top turnbuckle…..

 

…..Hardy took way too long getting into position, and a veteran like Curt Hennig isn’t going to miss a wide open opportunity like that…..he’s rolled off the table and up on the apron, where he sweeps Jeffs legs out from under him…..Hennig reaches up and grabs hold of the youngster, and in a spot we have seen Ric Flair and Sting do a million times in their matches over the years, he launches Jeff off the top…..

 

…..the big difference between this spot and the Flair/Sting spot however, is that Curt throws Jeff to the floor…..

 

…..and through that same table that Hardy had set up…..

 

…..that’s an offensive move…..

 

…..and this one is over…..

 

Winner: Curt Hennig

Rating: A

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/WH2bm4L.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ClbEoLB.jpg">

 

…..Hennig stumbles through the ropes and gets his hand raised by the official, before collapsing in exhaustion on the mat…..Heenan says that Curt Hennig won this match by sticking to the basics……

 

”…..this Jeff Hardy kid is good, but he’s stupid Schiavone…..all you have to do is put your opponent through a table, you don’t need to fly off the roof of the building to do that……Curt Hennig knew that, that’s why he has his hand raised while Jeff Hardy is broken in half on the outside…..”

 

…..Dusty actually agrees with Heenan, but both he and Schiavone applaud the effort of Hardy, saying that this young man has a bright future ahead of him here in WCW…..

 

…..Hennig slowly rolls to the outside and looks to make his way to the back, stepping around the broken table (and broken Hardy) but he stops for a minute to look down at his opponent, before reaching down and dragging the youngster back to his feet…..

 

…..he pulls Hardy over to the guardrail and props him up against it, as Schiavone and Rhodes yell on commentary that the kid has suffered enough……

 

…..Hennig actually agrees apparently…..because he backs away from his opponent, before softly slapping him on the chest in what looks to be a rare show of respect, before heading to the back…..

 

…..yes Curt Hennig picked up the victory here tonight, but Jeff Hardy showed a lot of people exactly what he’s about tonight…..and if he can win Hennig’s respect, he’s clearly on the right path……

 

…..let’s head to the back…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/1IsyqFl.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/dICBV2c.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/vfjy3q0.jpg">

 

…..where we have a couple of promos ahead of our next match……Mike Tenay is standing by with the Patriot, while Mean Gene is in a second location with Lance Storm…..

 

…..neither of these men are exactly the worlds greatest talkers so we’ll keep this short and sweet…..Patriot says that he’s had it up to his back teeth with Lance Storm and his Sovereignty buddies running down the good old US of A ”the greatest nation in the world Mike Tenay” and tonight, not only is he going to prove that when he raises Old Glory high in the air in victory, he’s gonna take that maple leaf of Lance storms, and shove it right down his Canadian throat…..

 

…..Storm on the other hand says that he and the Sovereignty (who save for Chris Benoit, flank him for this promo) have little left to prove…..he says that they've already proved that the Sovereign Nations produce superior athletes, superior wrestlers ”and frankly Mean Gene, superior men” and tonight will be no different…..and when Storm wins this match, and the Canadian National Anthem is ringing out in victory, the can close the door on this pointless debate once and for all……

 

…..let’s get to it shall we…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/gLOR7w6.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/izACez5.jpg">

 

Flag Match

 

…..this whole USA vs The Sovereignty war has been waging on for some time now…..and what better way to end a war? Why by capturing a flag obviously!…..plus we all know Vinnie Ru loves a pole match on any description…..

 

…..so here we are…..it’s The Patriot facing off against Lance Storm, and the pride of a nation is on the line…..

 

…..I don’t think anyone was expecting a classic here…..not because the two men couldn’t have a good match, Patriot is a capable worker, and Lance Storm is good enough in the ring to take even a capable worker to a great match…..the biggest problem was always going to be the stipulation…..flag matches suck……it plays into the story though so let’s get to it……

 

…..Patriot takes charge in the early moments of the match, rallying the crowd behind him, but it’s not long before Storm takes control of the match…..we have the usual close calls where each man is only fingertips away from victory, but in the end it looks like Patriot is going to pick up the win, nailing Storm with the Uncle Slam and making the climb towards Old Glory…..

 

…..of course, that’s when the Sovereignty make an appearance……both junior members of the Blue Bloods, as well as The Amazing French Canadians…..

 

…..there’s no dq in this, so there’s not much that the official can do about it…..there’s plenty that the Patriot can do about it though, and he manages to fight off all four men so effectively that eventually His Lordship has to make his way out from the back to take charge…..

 

…..Regal shakes his head with a look of distaste on his face as he steps over the downed Sovereignty members at ringside, before sliding something into the ring and going to work distracting the Patriot…..the distraction works too…..as the Star Spangled Superstar misses Lance Storm sliding a set of brass knuckles on his fist…..

 

…..at least until Lance spins him round and nails him right in the jaw…..

 

…..Patriot is knocked out cold, leaving Storm with little to do but take a leisurely climb up the turnbuckles to recover that Canadian Flag…..

 

…..and this one is over…..

 

Winner: Lance Storm

Rating: B

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/IlgGAK6.jpg">

 

…..insult to injury time, as the Sovereignty join Storm in the ring to put the boots to The Patriot a little bit…..apparently Eaton, Williams, Rougeau and Oulette are slightly more effective when their victim is already unconscious…..before Storm takes a microphone…..

 

…..he says that finally they have proved once and for all that the Sovereign Nations are the superior ones, before saying that all there is left for the Sovereignty to do tonight, is head to the back, pour His Lordship a cup of tea (because he’s still seething that he even had to come out here, calling his men bloody incompetents) and watch their good friend Chris Benoit bring the Television Title home…..

 

”…..now if you’ll all kindly have some respect…..shut your mouths…..and all rise for the playing of the Canadian National anthem…..”

 

…..obviously there is little respect shown…..but then, since a laughing Jacques and Oulette drag the unconscious body of the Patriot to his feet and ‘Weekend at Bernies’ a salute out of him, there isn’t a lot of respect shown by these ‘gentlemen’ either…..

 

…..so let’s leave them to it…..

 

…..let’s play a promo package highlighting the history between the Forgotten and the team of Mike Awesome and Gideon Cain…..and then we’ll go to our tag title match…..

 

…..it’s gonna be ugly…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/xaN8C3M.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/QvkDvk8.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/pmtBgnZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/JeH6Xzy.jpg">

 

…..I wasn’t kidding when I said this was going to be ugly…..it was just four big bulls stiffing the snot out of each other…..so much so that it’s fortunate that we have relaxed the rules a little bit here tonight, otherwise this one would have been thrown out before it even really got started…..

 

…..the bell sounds and these four men pick right back up where they left it off in that bar room brawl that they were part of the other day…..because they just go right back to slugging the hell out of each other…..Kevin Sullivan is at ringside, but Awesome and Cain are alone…..usually they would have Missy Hyatt right there, but they obviously knew that a war was going to take place, because while Missy escorted her men down the aisle for their entrance, the duo ordered their reluctant manager to the back before the bell sounded…..

 

…..this is a big task for Mike Awesome and Gideon Cain…..particularly Cain, who is still a rookie on all fronts…..he’s come on a long, long way from his debut mind you…..he’s been somewhat of a pet project of mine, and his partnership with Awesome, pairing with Hyatt, and series of high profile opponents has seen his popularity and skill set rise quicker than Jerry Lawlers heart rate during a bikini contest…..

 

…..he puts on a good showing here too…..both of these teams have become guilty pleasures of mine and I’ve had plans for them to collide over the tag titles for some time…..and collide they do…..

 

…..it’s a free for all to start the match, with all four men going at it both in and out of the ring, before the official is finally able to gain a measure of control, as Vader and Bigelow take the advantage, isolating the rookie member of the opposition…..Vader goes to town with clubbing blows and splashes in the corner, while Bigelow does more of the ‘wrestling’ (if you can call a beating wrestling) to grind Gideon Cain down…..

 

…..eventually Cain is able to make the hot tag, bringing in Mike Awesome…..who really is something else for a man of his size…..he takes on both men while his opponent recovers, actually knocking Vader and Bigelow down with a double top rope clothesline, as well as (even more impressively) being inches from victory after managing to nail Bammers with a huge Awesome Bomb…..in fact it was only Sullivan dragging the official from the ring before his hand struck three that saved this match…..

 

…..Cain tags back in, and that four way donnybrook resumed, with the official again struggling to keep charge…..and ultimately that was what tipped the match in favour of the Forgotten…..because with the referee momentarily distracted as he tries to get the illegal men from the ring, Sullivan rolls under the bottom rope, just as Cain is attempting to hit the East of Eden on Vader…..

 

…..Sully spins Cain round, and in a throwback to his glory days, let’s off a fireball right in the face of the rookie…..

 

…..Cain drops to the mat clutching his face and Vader is quick to react, coming off the second turnbuckle with that Vader Splash to pick up the one, two and three…..

 

…..the Forgotten retain…..

 

…..but they really had to work for it…..

 

…..and you’ve got to think they haven’t heard the last of Mike Awesome and Gideon Cain…..

 

Winner(s): and Still WCW Tag Team Champions…..The Forgotten

Rating: A

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/dICBV2c.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/w52KdTn.jpg">

 

…..from there we head backstage, where Mean Gene is outside of what he tells us is the dressing room of Shawn Michaels and his cohorts…..

 

…..there’s plenty of laughing coming from behind the door, along with some playful shrieks from what sound to be a number of different women…..Gene says that he’s here to try and get word from the man who will be challenging for the world title later this evening…..

 

”…..but by the sound of it, Shawn Michaels and his little gang of degenerates are far too busy to answer the door…..”

 

…..Gene knocks again…..and a third time…..and finally, just as he’s about to answer, the door swings open and about five scantily clad women come rushing out, giggling as they go…..

 

…..and by scantily clad I mean panties…..

 

…..and that’s it…..

 

…..because their breasts are completely (and I do mean completely, nothing to censor here) with what looks to be whipped cream…..

 

…..Adam Copelands voice can be heard shouting for Big Ray-Ray to totally remind the girls to get the cherries, before Big Ray-Ray pokes his head out of the door…..

 

…..with his chin completely covered in whipped cream…..

 

…..Gene looks at Ray-Ray for a moment, before saying that he’s here to try and get word with Shawn Michaels ahead of his strap match later this evening…..

 

”…..Shawn Michaels, if you can tear yourself away from…whatever it is you’re doing in there (I really don’t want to know) I have a few questions for you…..”

 

…..there’s a beat of silence, until finally Adam Copeland shouts out from behind the door…..

 

”…..Big Ray-Ray, is that Mike Tenay?…..”

 

“…..you totally suck Mike Tenay!…..”

 

“…..SHUT UP MIKE TENAY!…..”

 

“…..Big Ray-Ray, get rid of him…..”

 

“…..you suck Mike Tenay!…..”

 

…..Gene goes to continue his line of questioning, but the look on Ray’s face tells him that might not be a wise idea…..instead he offers some advice, just before Traylor slams the door in his face…..

 

”…..you’ve got a little bit of something on your chin…..”

 

…..let’s go to the ACTUAL Mike Tenay…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..who’s standing by with the longest reigning champion here in WCW today…..the Papi of Perfection…..the man who (by hook or by crook) has managed to keep hold of that United States Championship against some of the biggest names in the company…..Jeff Hardy, Curt Hennig, Rikishi, The Rock, JPL…..you name them, no one has been able to take this championship from him…..yes…..it’s Eddie Guerrero…..

 

…..Tenay lists those same accolades, but follows it up with the fact that Eddie hasn’t actually WON in all those title defences…..he’s just never been pinned to lose…..

 

”…..but with the rules relaxed here tonight Eddie Guerrero, there will be no short cuts, no easy ways out…..to successfully defend that United States Championship tonight, you’re going to have to do something nobody has been able to do in 65 straight matches…..

 

…..pin Bill Goldberg…..”

 

…..Eddie scoffs at that, telling Tenay that actually, it’s Bill Goldberg that has to do something that hasn't been done since July of last year…..

 

”…..Bill Goldberg has to pin ME esè…..and I don’t think he can do it holmes…..”

 

…..Eddie says that tonight, he’s going to prove to everyone that the only streak that matters around here, is Eddie Guerrero’s title defence streak…..eight months of successful title defences, zero months of failed title defences…..eight months of putting the title on the line against everyone that’s anyone, vs beating a few scrubs like Goldberg has…..

 

”…..and that’s if he even makes it to the ring esè…..I mean, I don't know where Chavito is holmes, it it can be pretty dangerous back here…..and we all know that Bill Goldberg is such an idiot, he can get injured before the bell even rings esè…..”

 

…..Mike Tenay says that while he’s sure that Eddie and Chavo wouldn’t try anything underhanded tonight (like they did when they put Goldberg on the shelf a few months back) ”I believe that the face of the WCW Championship Committee Eric Bischoff, has put a few…..security measures…..in place to ensure that this match actually happens…..”

 

…..Tenay motions to a tv monitor (as we switch to a shot of of a dressing room door) which sees the making of a new entrance technique for Goldberg, as a group of security guards escort the challenger to the Gorilla Position…..we have it all here…..the knock, the guards, the pyro, the smoke breathing…..and as we cut back to a shot of Eddie Guerrero…..who does not look happy…..next to a smiling Mike Tenay…..

 

”…..I think they’re playing your music…..good luck…..champ…..”

 

“…..SHUT UP MIKE TENAY!…..”

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..so here it is, the biggest match of Bill Goldberg’s short career…..as he puts his undefeated streak on the line against Eddie Guerrero, for the United States Championship…..

 

…..and boy are the crowd hot for it…..

 

…..Eddie Guerrero wasn’t joking when he said he’d put this title on the line against all comers…..he might not have won every match (thank you ‘the title can only change hands on a pinfall or submission’ rule) but he’s been in there with some huge names…..and as such, his stock has skyrocketed…..in fact, he could headline this event quite comfortably against the Stinger, so over is he right now…..

 

…..likewise, Bill Goldberg isn’t far behind in terms of popularity…..granted he’s not quite at Eddie’s level, but 65 straight victories in a row have him wayyyyyy up there at the top of the card…..

 

…..he knows what it is to hold gold too…..a former champion in his own right after capturing the Television Title several months ago…..unfortunately (Eddie Guerrero and) injury forced him to vacate that championship…..

 

…..bigger and better things tonight?…..

 

…..the match itself is really very good…..it’s certainly the longest and most competitive of Goldberg’s career to date…..

 

…..Eddie shows exactly why he has been the US Champion for so long…..he’s he’s happy to take the easy way out sure, but he is one hell of an accomplished wrestler, there’s no doubt about that…..but he’s also one hell of a smart wrestler…..

 

…..see Bill Goldberg has been trying to get his hands on Eddie for MONTHS now…..months…..and Eddie has been poking that bear from a distance, making him gradually more and more mad…..and while most people would think you must be crazy to deliberately antagonise Bill Goldberg, angry people are rash…..reckless…..and they make mistakes…..

 

…..that’s not to say Eddie doesn’t get his comeuppance…..Goldberg DESTROYS him in the opening portion of the match…..just tosses him around like a rag doll…..but that anger does get the better of him, as he goes for a spear far too early, which Eddie dodges, leaving Goldberg to crash shoulder first into the turnbuckles…..

 

…..and it’s that shoulder that Eddie injured originally…..

 

…..from there the Champion takes control, focusing on that body part (which Bobby Heenan is particularly pleased about) “…..and if I was managing him Schiavone, that’s exactly what I would be telling him to do….that’s smart…..Goldberg might be the man, but he’s still A man…..and that man has a target on that shoulder since the injury, not to mention the fact that it’s hard to spear a guy with a separated shoulder…..”

 

…..and focus on that shoulder is what Eddie does…..even going so far as to wrap it around a steel ring post, before crushing it with a chair (telling the official to go ahead and disqualify him)…..the official doesn’t, obviously…..because as Dusty reminds us ”we’re uncensored baby”, JT the chair certainly does some damage…..

 

…..eventually Goldberg begins to rally back, rocking Eddie so much that finally Chavo comes running out from the back with chair in hand…..

 

…..he climbs into the ring and raises the weapon…..

 

…..only to get speared out of his boots…..

 

…..the announcers comment that Goldberg used the non-injured shoulder to take out Chavo, but the distraction lead to Eddie managing to drop to his knees behind the challenger and nail him in the crotch with a brutal low blow that drops Goldberg to the mat…..

 

…..Eddie climbs to the top rope (looking for that Frog Splash) but spends so long congratulating himself and taunting the fans, for the victory that will surely follow, that when he leaps he leaps right into a mid air Spear……

 

…..the crowd erupts as Goldberg suplex’s the man up, and holds him (one handed) above his head (bad shoulder remember) before Jack Hammering him straight to the mat for the one…..the two…..and after over eight long months……

 

…..the three…..

 

…..we have a new US Champion…..

 

…..and his name is Goldberg…..

 

…..66-0…..

 

Winner: and New WCW United States Champion…..Goldberg

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..we head over to the announce table while Goldberg takes in his victory in the ring, where the trio talk about the unstoppable force that is our undefeated United States Champion…..from there they briefly recap the build to our next match, which sees Lex Luger team with Roddy Piper against Buff Bagwell and The Giant…..in what is being billed as The Hot Rods farewell match…..

 

…..the two teams make their way out, with Piper getting a tremendous ovation for this “retirement” match…..there’s a lot of history between these four men…..Luger and the Giant have clashed many times since the big man turned on his former friend late last year (with the Giant coming out on top more often than not) while Bagwell and Piper have been at war for the best part of 1998…..Bagwell does hold a victory over the Hot Rod (which was probably the biggest victory of his singles career to date) but he had to virtually cripple the Rowdy one in the build up to that match in order to do so…..

 

…..Piper got his revenge at February’s PPV offering, but it was following that victory (after announcing his retirement) that the Titans pairing of Bagwell and the Giant struck and beat Roddy down one more time……and so here we are……

 

…..it’s not going to be a deep dive for this one…..it was never going to be a technical masterpiece after all…..it was decent though…..Luger has been a bit of a sleeping giant in his own right here in WCW…..he’s quietly gone about putting on solid displays for a long while now, nothing spectacular, nothing terrible, just constantly good……as for the other three, Piper has been coasting off his name value for a few years now (although it serves him well here) Bagwell is a steady hand, while the Giant is no slouch considering his size…..

 

…..the faces start out hot, but eventually the Titan pairing are able to cut off Piper, going to work on the well publicised reconstructed hip……

 

…..eventually though Piper is able to make the hot tag to Luger and business picks up…..Lex takes on both men alone until Roddy is back in the mix, with all four men making it impossible for the official to keep up…..

 

…..good job we’re uncensored huh…..

 

…..finally Luger and the Giant find themselves brawling on the outside…..

 

…..Bagwell misses a Blockbuster attempt on Piper…..

 

…..gets back to his feet only to take a double finger to the eyes from Roddy…..

 

…..the Hot Rod slaps on the sleeper…..

 

…..and hush daddy, because Buff Daddy is taking a nap…..

 

…..your winners…..

 

….. Lex Luger and Rowdy Roddy Piper…..

 

Winner(s): Lex Luger and Rowdy Roddy Piper

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..we leave Piper and Luger celebrating in the ring and head backstage, where Mean Gene is standing by with the two men who are about to compete for the WCW Television Title…..Champion Diamond Dallas Page, and challenger, Chris Benoit…..

 

…..Gene says that from Titan wars, to Tag Team Titles, to competing for the Television Title tonight, Dallas Page and Chris Benoit have been intertwined for the best part of a year now…..sometimes partners, sometimes opponents…..but always friends…..

 

”…..gentlemen, is that no longer the case? Chris Benoit, have you let Lance Storm get inside your head?…..”

 

…..Benoit says that the only thing that’s been in his head as of late, is championship gold…..he says that when he and Dallas lost the tag team titles, it was Page that was too obsessed with Lance Storm and the Sovereignty to join Benoit in taking them back…..

 

”…..and since then Gene, all I’ve heard is ‘are you joining the Sovereignty, is Lance Storm going to be at ringside, is Lance Storm going to interfere…..the only person with Lance Storm inside their head…..is Dallas…..”

 

…..Page says that he ain’t buying it jack…..he says that if Benoit had REALLY wanted to regain the tag titles, he would have joined Dallas in taking out the Sovereignty, then the two of them could have got the gold back…..as it was, Benoit kept his distance, and looky look here…..it’s DDP that has the gold…..

 

”…..see Chris, you've been laying down with dogs so long, how do I know you don’t have fleas?…..I’ll fight you tonight…..I’ll fight the Sovereignty Scum too if I have to…..I just want you to be a man long enough to tell me exactly how many guys are gonna feel the bang in about two minutes…..”

 

…..Benoit says that the only man Page needs to worry about, is the one that’s standing right in front of him…..he tells Page that he’s told him time and time again, and he’s going to say it one more time now…..Dallas doesn’t need to worry about Lance Storm tonight…..he doesn’t have to worry about Steven Regal…..not the Blue Bloods or the Amazing French Canadians…..

 

”…..the only thing you need to worry about, is me…..taking that title from around your waist…..you want me to be a man? Well man to man, right here right now…..I’m telling you, you won’t see one of those men at ringside tonight…..I can beat you by myself, I will beat you by myself…..and I am going to be the next Television Champion…..”

 

…..Benoit offers Page his hand, telling him ‘may the best man win’…..Page looks down at the hand for a second, before slowly accepting it…..

 

…..the two men shake hands and Benoit goes to walk away, before Page pulls him back into shot, as the pair go face to face…..there’s a brief stare down, as Dallas tells Benoit that if even one member of the Sovereignty turns up at ringside tonight…..they…..just like Benoit…..

 

”…..will feel….the…..BANG!…..”

 

…..our TV Title match is next…..

 

…..let’s get to it…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..so here it is…..Chris Benoit has been adamant that he would already be the WCW Television Champion had he not been at less than 100% in that tournament final back on Thunder…..Dallas Page is adamant that even at 100%, Chris Benoit would still need the Sovereignty there at ringside to beat him…..I guess we’ll find out who’s right now…..

 

…..true to his (and Lance Storms) word, Chris Benoit does indeed make his way out alone…..as in fact does Dallas…..Kimberly walks out with her man, but she doesn’t stick around, choosing instead to head to the back, making this thing a definite one on one encounter…..

 

…..the two lock up in the middle and Benoit gets an early advantage, snapping on a headlock…..Page backs into the ropes and tries to break free, pushing his opponent off, but Benoit snatches him by the hair and pulls him down to the mat…..back to their feet the two men jockey for position and run the ropes…..Benoit hits an arm drag, Page hits a high knee to the midsection followed by a gut wrench gut buster, focusing on those ribs…..

 

…..the two continue to chain wrestle and jockey around the ring, so much so that tempers clearly begin to flare as they back up into the corner and the official has to separate them…..exchange of slaps in the middle, followed by a Crossface and Diamond Cutter attempt, both of which are quickly escaped from…..

 

…..series of chops by Benoit lights up the chest of Dallas, before Page fires back with a series of blows to the head followed up by a discus lariat before the two men spill through the ropes and out to the floor…..

 

…..the pair brawl on the outside, with Page sending Benoit crashing into the guard rail, and Benoit sending Page crashing into the steps, before locking in the Crossface right there on the floor…..

 

…..obviously he knows he’s not going to win the title on the outside so he lets up the hold and rolls Page back in…..he goes to lock the Crossface on again but Page is able to reach the ropes……Benoit drags the champion back to his feet but Page quickly hits a Diamond Cutter out of nowhere and this one is over…..

 

…..or it would have been had Benoit not landed right by the ropes, with the impact inadvertently causing him to roll to the outside…..

 

……Page can’t capitalise on the situation either, encaustic those consecutive Crossfaces he was caught in mean he needs to catch a breather too…..

 

…..eventually the two men hit the final stretch of the match and a Donnybrook breaks out as they just slug it out in the middle of the ring…..and a number of near falls follow as Champion and Challenger pull out all the stops to pick up the win……eventually Page leaves Benoit reeling after a series of right hands, and goes for that discus lariat once more……Benoit ducks though and the referee takes the full force of the blow…..

 

…..and that’s when Dallas hits a second Diamond Cutter and makes the cover…..

 

…..except the official is down…..

 

…..as a figure climbs over the guard rail and slides into the ring, kicking Page in the back of the head…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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…..as the British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith makes his WCW debut, dragging Dallas to his feet…..hoisting him up…..

 

…..and driving him into the mat with a Running Powerslam…..

 

…..Davey shakes Benoit back to his senses and drags him over to DDP, where the Crippler groggily locks on another Crossface on the unconscious Champion…..

 

…..The Bulldog rouses the official, who crawls over to see Dallas unresponsive in the Crossface, before calling for the bell…..

 

…..we have a new Television Champion…..

 

…..and Lance Storm really was nowhere in sight…..

 

…..but Benoit really didn’t do this single handedly…..

 

…..that fink!…..

 

Winner: and New WCW Television Champion…..Chris Benoit

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..I guess somewhat true to their word, now that the match is over the rest of the Sovereignty make their way out to congratulate Chris Benoit on his victory…..although after what we have just seen, I think it’s safe to say that the group has just gained TWO new members, as everyone welcomes Davey Boy into the group too……

 

…..Dallas reads the writing on the wall, and manages to roll out of the ring before the inevitable beating, backing up the aisle and calling Chris Benoit a gutless scumbag as he goes…..not that the new TV Champion cares, as Lance Storm straps the title belt around his waist…..

 

…..Storm takes a microphone and formally congratulates the Champ, telling him that it is an honour to formally (and finally) welcome one of the greatest wrestlers in the world into the Sovereignty…..and since they already have the best technical wrestlers, he wants to introduce everyone to the muscle behind the moves…..the British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith…..

 

…..Regal takes the microphone next, also welcoming his countryman, before saying that what you see before you, is a group that would make Her Majesty proud…..

 

”…..almost…..

 

…..and I say almost, because while the Sovereignty is finally United…..while the Sovereignty is finally complete…..while the Sovereignty is the perfect combination of brains, brawn, class, and technical wrestling excellence…..there’s still the small matter of, how do you brainless Americans put it? Taking out the trash?…..

 

…..it takes more than the right passport to make you a member of Her Majesty’s Sovereignty…..it takes pride…..integrity…..class……and more importantly, it takes the ability to be the best you can be, and frankly, after what we saw tonight, for you four bloody imbeciles, your best just isn’t enough lads…..you’re an embarrassment to me…..to Mr. Storm…..and more importantly…..to the Queen herself…..and that’s why……you’re being exiled…..Mr. Benoit, Mr. Smith, would you be so kind as to start the proceedings…..”

 

…..and start the proceedings they do…..as the Bulldog runs through Williams and Eaton with a massive double clothesline, while Benoit cracks Oulette in the back of the head with the TV title, before breaking Jacques in half with a massive German suplex…..

 

…..Storm and Regal join in the assault then…..as the two Blue Bloods and the Amazing French Canadians get the absolute snot beat out of them, before being unceremoniously dumped to the outside…..

 

…..Davey Boy picks up the TV Title that was just used to brain Carl Oulette, draping it over the shoulder of Chris Benoit…..before the new and improved Sovereignty stand side by side, arms raised in the middle of the ring…..

 

…..Her Highness must be so proud…..

 

…..let’s go to the back…..where Gene is still trying to get some kind of word from Shawn Michaels…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..and it looks like persistence was the key, because our intrepid reporter has finally made it into the den of debauchery that is Shawn Michaels locker room, where he spends a few seconds shilling the hotline as he tells us that all the latest news on the signing of Davey Boy Smith can be found by hitting option 3…..kids get your parents permission and then call 1-900-909-9900…..

 

…..he then turns his attention to Shawn Michaels, stating that he has been trying to get word from the self proclaimed ‘Mr. Wrestling’ all evening, but clearly (judging by the state of the locker room, he’s been having far too much…..fun…..

 

”…..are you done little man?…..

 

“…..well no, I’m here as a broadcast journalist, and I won’t leave until I have answers…..”

 

“…..no, no, no Scheme Gene, what you are, is a two bit car salesman, trying to make a buck off the name of Shawn Michaels…..well if you want a scoop for your hotline, Mr. Wrestling here has one for ya…..because option 2…..says that you can go and Suck It…..”

 

…..Michaels and crew laugh that one up, with Levesque swirling a big cone of whipped cream on the top of Gene’s shiny bald head, while Ray Traylor holds him in place…..

 

…..Ray-Ray shoves Gene backwards, who storms out of the room (cream head and all) telling Michaels that this is exactly why they have this locker room away from everyone else…..

 

”…..because no body can stand you….you….bunch of degenerates!…..”

 

…..the group continue laughing as Mean Gene storms out of the room…..and the camera man looks to be about to follow suit, before Shawn grabs hold of the lens and pulls him back…..

 

”…..woah, where do you think you’re going camera monkey?…..first of all, you leave when we say you can leave…..second of all, the reason we have this locker room away from everyone else is pretty simple jack…..it’s because you don’t make the stars of the show share a trailer with the extras…..and make no mistake, we are the stars around here…..

 

…..and if Scheme Gene wants a scoop, here’s one for him…..in about two minutes time, these two totally awesome guys right here are going to go down to that ring, and finally put a couple of old Titans out to pasture…..

 

…..then when they’re done using the Macho Mans skull to wipe the Warriors face paint off their boots, they’re going to come back here, they’re going to tag in JPL, and then The Crock is going to find out that running your mouth to us, just lands you in a whole world of hurt…..

 

…..and then that’ll just leave me….Mr. Wrestling versus Mr. Dubbya See Dubbya, Sting…..see Stinger, they might call you the franchise…..and they might call you the icon…..but everyone knows that there’s only ONE icon in professional wrestling, and you’re looking at him jack…..I don’t need to hide behind no paint, I don’t have to hang out in the rafters…..all I got to do, is kick your teeth down your throat with some Sweet Chin Music….drag you to all four corners of that ring….and then you can all call me YOUR WCW Champion…..and you can all…..kiss…..my…..ass…..

 

…..and now camera monkey…..now you can go…..”

 

…..it’s match time…..

 

…..or rather fight time…..

 

…..our street fight is up next…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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Street Fight

 

…..and that street fight is going to pit two of the biggest names in the sport in Randy Savage and The Warrior, against two of the biggest jackasses in the sport in Adam Copeland and Christian Cage…..and there’s plenty of bad blood in this one…..after all, the way Randy Savage sees it, it was their association with the Titans of Wrestling that made Copeland and Cage the household names they are today…..and how did they repay that? By hitching their waggon to Shawn Michaels, that’s how…..

 

…..speaking of the Titans of Wrestling, you could argue that they have languished slightly since Hollywood Hogan lost the World Title (and in turn, upped and vanished) to Sting back at Starrcade…..and they lost their way even more with the departure of the Totally Awesome Trinity…..sure they gained The Giant as a member, but they’re hardly the United force they once were…..

 

…..I’m sure that losing here tonight isn’t an option for them…..

 

…..it doesn’t look like it’s an option either, particularly since they completely unload on the Awesome Two as the bell rings…..

 

…..street fight rules are in effect here…..so tags are out of the window…..all four men are legal and anything goes, which is evident from the get go as both teams brawl all over the ringside area…..the two Titans have the size and strength (and experience) advantage here, and they use all of those advantages to their favour as they go about punishing their younger opponents on the outside…..

 

…..they eventually pair off (Copeland and Savage, Cage and Warrior) and the uncensored action continues…..Savage is like a wild man in this one, whipping Copeland into the safety rails, coming off the top rope with ax handles to the floor, and slamming his opponents head off the steps…..a further ax handle from the top is unsuccessful though, and he crashes and burns and he hits nothing but safety railing, before getting tossed right into the crowd by Copeland…..

 

…..Cage isn’t faring much better with The Warrior, as the much bigger man backdrops a charging Christian right on the ramp way, before dragging him over to the corner and smashing his face off the steel steps…..not content with that though, Warrior follows suit by slamming his opponents skull into the timekeepers table (and in turn, the ring bell) but as he comes over a second time (to bounce that skull again) Cage picks up the ring bell, and it’s the Warrior who gets the metal object between his eyes…..

 

…..Copeland and Savage are brawling through the crowd, and Copeland is coming out of this exchange poorly, as the Macho Man hammers him with blow after blow…..Adam finally gets a breather as they work their way back towards the barricade with a totally awesome kick to the balls, but when he charges at Savage he gets backdropped right over that structure, out of the crowd, and onto the entrance way with a thud…..

 

…..Warrior has gained control on the other side…..he hits a clothesline on the floor before rolling Cage back into the ring and snatching up a steel chair…..he follows Christian into the ring and crashes the steel across his back…..he raises the chair again but Cage cuts it off with a low blow…..Warrior drops the chair and Christian takes advantage by nailing a DDT onto the fallen weapon, getting the first near fall of the match…..

 

…..Savage has taken hold of a chair as he battles Copeland around the production area below the stage area…..The Totally Awesome Two have mad quite a name for themselves with a steel chair as of late, but Savage is getting his revenge here, unloading with shots the back of his opponent, before swinging for the fences with a brutal shot to the head that leaves Copeland collapsed on the top of a table…..Savage climbs on top of the table with him and piledrives the man straight through the wood, before dragging him back down to the ringside area…..

 

…..Savage rolls Copeland into the ring and the four men finally have what constitutes as an in ring encounter…..it doesn’t last particularly long though before the street fight element returns…..Copeland is able to land a bulldog on Savage on top of that earlier discarded steel chair, while the Warrior tears a turnbuckle pad off, before slingshotting Cage skull first into that exposed steel…..Christian staggers backwards, only to get clotheslined right over the top and down to the floor by a charging Warrior…..

 

…..that leaves Copeland alone with the Titan pair momentarily…..and they hammer him with blows…..the Totally Awesome Two are really getting a punishing in this one, and as The Warrior Gorilla Presses Copeland overhead, and Savage climbs to the top rope, this one could well be almost over…..

 

…..except it’s not…..

 

…..because with Copeland still overhead, the Warrior gets blindsided by an arriving Ray Traylor, who smashes a nightstick into the back of Warriors knee, just as Christian sweeps the leg of Savage, crotching him on the top…..Copeland crashes down on top of the Warrior, who gets dragged to the outside and worked over by Traylor…..

 

…..you knew Big Ray-Ray would be getting involved here at some point, and Copeland and Cage really needed him at this point…..he continues to work over the knee of the Warrior on the outside with that nightstick, as Cage climbs up to meet Savage on the top rope, driving him to the mat with a massive Superplex…..

 

…..it’s basically a two on one assault on Savage now…..Traylor keeps Warrior down on the outside as Copeland spears Savage out of his boots, and Cage collects two chairs from ringside…..Savage is in real trouble here, and it only gets worse as the Totally Awesome Two break out their signature move…..

 

…..a double Con-Chair-To to the skull of the Macho Man…..

 

…..Cage makes the cover as Copeland rolls to the floor to join Big Ray-Ray in keeping the Warrior at bay…..and three seconds later, The Totally Awesome Trinity (yes Trinity…..Traylor played a part in this one too) have the biggest victory of their career…..

 

…..it’s not been a good night for the Titans…..

 

Winner(s): Adam Copeland and Christian Cage

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..we run a promo package highlighting our next match (while they clear up the mess that our previous match left behind) and then it’s time for Hayabusa to put the Cruiserweight Title on the line…..in a triple threat match no less…..

 

…..not that he doesn’t have precedence in these sort of things, it was only a few days ago that he successfully defended the championship against Disco Inferno and Alex Wright in exactly this kind of match, although the officials question whether competing in two such matches in the space of three days is pushing his luck slightly…..

 

…..these three way type matches already have an uncensored element to them at the best of times…..count outs and disqualifications really aren’t an option when you need one clear winner, so you would think perhaps that James Vandenberg would utilise his followers to ensure that his man kept hold of the title here, but truth be told he really didn’t need to…..

 

…..the match itself was great…..you had somewhat of a clash of styles in Hayabusa’s daredevil mentality, Brian Lawlers more mat based offence, and Psychosis’ lucha libre offence, but it worked and made for a fast paced and exciting (if not relatively short) encounter…..

 

…..all three men came close to victory on a number of occasions, but in the end (much as he did on Thunder) it was Hayabusa that picked up the victory, finishing off Psychosis with the Phoenix Splash to retain the Championship…..

 

…..much to the delight of James Mitchell…..

 

Winner: and Still WCW Cruiserweight Champion…..Hayabusa

Rating: B

 

 

 

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…..from there we head to the back, where there are tense scenes unfolding in the Titans dressing room…..

 

…..with both Bagwell and The Giant AND Savage and The Warrior losing here this evening, it’s not been a good night to be a Titan, but right now, Savage is more concerned about where Buff or Giant were when Ray Traylor was interfering in their match…..

 

…..Russo try’s to defuse the situation, but Savage isn’t having any of it, tossing a chair across the room and getting in the Giants face, telling him that he was brought into the Titans to make a difference, and all he’s doing at the minute is taking up space in the locker room…..and as for Buff, Savage isn’t sure why he’s even part of the Titans of Wrestling…..because after that display tonight, getting put to sleep by half a cripple Roddy Piper, clearly he’s not at Titan level…..

 

…..Giant isn’t happy about being taken to task, towering over Savage to tell him that he’s really not “measuring” up anymore either…..

 

”…..yeah, we lost tonight…..but we at least lost to Luger and Piper…..you two lost to a pair of punk kids…..and not to mention the only reason that Shawn Michaels is fighting for the title tonight is because YOU couldn’t get the job done…..so back up little man…..”

 

…..Giant shoves Savage hard in the chest, sending him halfway back across the room…..and it looks like a powder keg about to explode in here…..

 

…..finally Russo snaps and screams at them all to calm down…..he says that the night hasn’t gone their way, but the night isn’t over yet…..and yeah, Shawn Michaels has got the shot tonight, but it doesn’t matter who’s won at the end of the night, all that matters is that the Titans get back on the same page, and get that WCW Title back where it belongs…..

 

…..Warrior isn’t listening, he just lets out a snort and storms out of the room…..Savage isn’t listening either as he follows quickly behind, telling Russo that if he can’t even get the Titans title shots, then what use is he…..about as much use as Buff Bagwell and the Giant clearly…..

 

”…..maybe it’s time for the Macho Man to look out for the Macho Man, yeah…..ya dig?…..”

 

…..tensions are rising in the Titans…..

 

…..oh dear…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..we stay in the back and head over to the interview area, where Mean Gene (all cleaned up from his visit at Shawn Michaels locker room) is standing by with the man who’s about to face off against Michaels number two…..the People’s Champion…..The Rock…..

 

…..Gene begins to ask the Rock a question, but Rocky silences him with a hand, listening to the ‘Rocky’ chant that is echoing through the arena, before announcing that ”FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK….TO GREENSBORO”…..

 

…..The Rock tells Gene that he’s here, he’s excited, the people are excited…..

 

”…..Mean Gene, are you excited? Can you feel the anticipation running up your legs? Tingling to the very tip of your microphone? Is it making your moustache tingle Gene? Can you feel the electricity in the air?…..”

 

…..Mean Gene says that he certainly can, and he for one hopes that The Rock lays a big old bag of smack down on JPL’s candy ass…..

 

…..Rocky tells Gene not to steal the Rocks gimmick, before telling him that fortunately, the Great One is feeling generous tonight…..

 

”….because tonight, the Rock’s handing out smack downs like it’s going out of business…..if the Hansen brothers and their fat uncle Ray want to walk down that aisle, The Rock’s got a size 16 boot waiting to totally kick them right in the trinity…..Shawn Michaels? ‘Oh, oh, Shawn’….he’s not going to be a sexy boy when the Great One pulls that leather strap off his wrist, rolls it up real tight, and shoves it straight up his candy ass…..

 

…..and then there’s Jipple the Nipple…..”

 

…..the Rock says that FINALLY, he gets to go out there tonight in front of the People, and give Jipple the uncensored ass kicking that he’s been trying to give him for months now…..no more running, no more hiding behind behind the Trinity, no more hiding behind Shawn Michaels’ ass-less chaps, begging him to suck it…..just Jipple the Nipple going one on one with the Great One…..

 

”…..and TONIGHT…..The Rock is going to make Jipple…..his Roody-Poo Bitch…..

 

…..IF YA SMELLLLLLLLLLLLLA……WHAT THE ROCK…..IS……COOKING……”

 

…..and with that The Rock walks off, as Mean Gene tells him to kick JPL’s ass…..

 

…..way to be impartial Gene…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..and that match is now…..

 

…..these two men have been on a collision course for some time now…..they’ve faced off in multi man matches, the Mayhem match, tag team encounters, but this is the first time they have clashed one on one…..and they’re fixing to explode…..

 

…..speaking about exploding, the crowd explodes when the Great One makes his way out for this one…..sure JPL is the (second) most despised man in the company, but there’s no denying the fact that The Rock is one of the most popular stars going today…..

 

…..the two men lock up and jostle for position as they hit all four corners of the ring without ever releasing their grip…..finally they come to a halt in the corner and the official tries to separate them, with Levesque using that brief distraction to slap the taste right out of The Rock’s mouth with a cocky smirk on his face…..

 

…..the two lock up again and again they wind up against the ropes…..this time Rocky propels his opponent off, and as Levesque runs the ropes The Rock catches him with a huge spinebuster and as JPL gets back to his feet he’s met with a HUGE open handed slap that sends him scurrying to the outside for some sanctuary…..

 

…..he doesn’t get any though, as the Rock follows him right out there…..he runs right through Levesque with a clothesline, tosses him into the steel barricade (where he unloads a series of right hands right there in front of the fans) and then goes to Irish Whip Levesque into the ring steps…..JPL reverses that though, and the Rock crashes knee first into the steel, before getting hobbled with a chop block and tossed back inside…..

 

…..Levesque stays on the floor, dragging the Rock into the corner by his leg and wrapping his knee around the ring post three times, before THEN finally re-entering the ring…..

 

…..Levesque grapevines the leg of the Rock, before attempting what looks to be a figure four, but the Rock is able to kick him off into the turnbuckles as he tries to spin into the hold…..Levesque hits chest first and staggers back into a roll up for a near fall…..that just seems to piss JPL off though, because he’s straight back to his feet and straight back to putting the boots to the knee of The Rock…..

 

…..Rocky finally catches a break, moving his leg on a JPL knee drop (jarring his own knee in the process) and a clothesline by the Rock sends both men toppling over the top and to the floor…..

 

…..this isn’t a street fight or any other type of stipulation match, but the rules HAVE even relaxed for this uncensored event, and so the official doesn’t really bother counting as the two men fight their way up the entrance ramp…..Levesque gets whipped into the Uncensored sign but bounces right off and nails Rocky with a clothesline as both men collapse on the ramp…..

 

…..they finally make their way back into the ring and trade blows as they both attempt to gain the upper hand…..Rocky manages to get the offence in his favour, but gets spiked with a piledriver after dropping his head to try a Samoan Drop…..

 

…..Levesque continues the offence and looks pretty cocky for it…..the commentators mention their surprise at there being no sign of the Totally Awesome Trinity at ringside, but cite JPL’s ego there, stating that he no doubt thinks he’s always had the Rocks number…..he just might too…..especially since he ducks a Rock clothesline and drops the man with a high knee…..

 

…..back to the outside and the two men brawl on the floor for a few minutes (count outs be damned) before returning to the ring, where Rocky is finally able to mount some form of offence…..he rally’s with a series of right hands that leaves Levesque reeling, and a series of moves that gives him near fall after near fall…..Samoan Drop, Float-over DDT, and finally a huge spinebuster that leaves Levesque down and in prime position for a People’s Elbow…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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…..before he can drop the elbow though, the Totally Awesome Trinity come rushing down the aisle…..looks like they’re about to take advantage of the relaxed rules tonight to help their man to victory…..

 

…..or not…..

 

…..because the second Randy Anderson sees them at ringside he is out of the ring and ordering them to the back…..

 

…..Copeland and Cage are aghast at this display from the official, telling him that’s it’s totally uncensored tonight and that he totally sucks…..the official doesn’t care though (with the announcers saying that even the officials can’t stand this group of men) and tells the trio that he’ll “totally disqualify Levesque” if they get within two more feet of the ring…..

 

…..and so unfortunately for JPL, the Trinity make a hasty retreat…..

 

…..not so unfortunately for JPL, in the midst of all that, Ray Traylor did manage to surreptitiously slide a steel chair into the ring…..and while Rocky was distracted by Awesome and Cage, Levesque cracked him across the back, before doubling him over with a shot to the midsection…..before raising that chair over head to strike a third blow……

 

…..which is when the official returns to the ring…..

 

…..before Levesque can bring the chair crashing down again, the referee snatches it out of his hands and tosses it out to the floor…..

 

…..JPL screams at Anderson, but little Randy doesn’t give a damn, telling Levesque to “Suck It” and hitting the crotch chop (much to the delight of the crowd)…..

 

…..and that’s when Rocky pounces…..

 

…..he spins Levesque around and Rock Bottoms him straight to the mat…..

 

…..and the official counts the three…..

 

…..and this one is over…..

 

Winner: The Rock

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..the bell sounds and the official raises The Rocks hand in victory…..

 

…..instantly the Trinity make their way out and help Levesque back to his feet…..before the four men surround Rocky AND Randy Anderson…..

 

….it looks like this plucky little referee is about to pay the price for his actions…..

 

…..or not…..

 

…..do you know a good way of stopping your roster complaining that they weren’t featured on your pay per view? Stick a bunch of them in an angle…..

 

….and that’s exactly what happens here…..

 

…..half the locker room empties (and even Dusty Rhodes comes down from the announce desk) and storm then ring, forming a protective wall around Anderson and The Rock…..

 

…..the crowd (and the announce team) loves it, and as the Trinity and Levesque make a hasty retreat, Randy Anderson is hoisted up onto the shoulders of Rikishi and Ice Train, as the whole arena celebrates The Rocks victory…..

 

…..and we go to a promo package highlighting Stings title victory, Shawn Michaels journey in WCW so far, and the events that lead up to our main event…..

 

…..which is coming up next…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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Strap Match

 

…..so this is it, it’s main event time and the World Title is on the line, as once again (he did at Starrcade) Sting has the full weight of everyone that lives and breathes WCW behind him…..of course, he has a very different opponent…..and a very different match stipulation…..

 

…..when the Titans of Wrestling were running roughshod and holding the WCW Title ransom around the waist of Hollywood Hogan, it was because they wanted to run WCW and everything that came along with that…..they wanted the main events…..they wanted the titles…..they WANTED to be here in World Championship Wrestling…..

 

…..Shawn Michaels on the other hand, does NOT want to be here in World Championship Wrestling…..he doesn’t want the fans chanting his name…..hell, he doesn’t even really want the WCW Title…..he just wants to take it away from every wrestler and fan that DOES want it…..

 

…..so here we are…..the most popular face in WCW against the most despised…..Icon vs. Icon…..Mr. WCW vs. Mr. Wrestling…..it’s Sting vs. Shawn Michaels, and it’s for all the marbles…..

 

…..and it’s a strap match to boot…..

 

…..before the entrances take place we see a shot of the rest of the locker room backstage gathered around monitors…..face and heel alike are watching together here, unified in only one thing…..they all hate Shawn Michaels…..

 

…..and make no mistake (as he makes his way out) Shawn Michaels wouldn’t have it any other way…..

 

…..as for Sting…..in the last year he’s been silent…..brooding…..a dark shadow up in the rafters of the building…..but he’s not hiding tonight…..he walks right down the aisle to an absolutely thunderous ovation…..

 

…..they strap the two men together…..ring the bell…..and this one is underway…..

 

…..the fact that Shawn Michaels is tethered to the World Champion does him no favours in the opening minutes of the bout…..he literally has nowhere to run when the Stinger explodes towards him as the bell rings…..Sting strikes with lefts and rights and back hands and chops, dragging Michaels back towards him every time he tries to retreat to deliver some more offence…..even when Shawn DOES manage to make it to the outside, he doesn’t get far…..because as Shawn rolls out on one side of the ring, Sting rolls out on the side next to it…..and as Michaels tries to hit the bricks, Sting yanks back on the strap, sending Shawn crashing into the ring post……

 

…..the two men brawl about on the outside for a while, with Sting pretty much dominating the action as Shawn sells like a superstar…..he gets beaten, chopped, punched and whipped with that strap before he finally scrambles back into the ring…..

 

…..he’s not there for long though, as Sting (since they are strapped together after all) follows right behind him…..he whips him into one corner and crushes him with a Stinger Splash….a groggy Michaels gets whipped again to the opposite corner, this time going inside out (Flair style) and lands on his feet on the apron, where Sting charges again and sends Shawn flying backwards where he crashes chest first into the crowd railing…..

 

…..Michaels staggers forward after the impact of the railings, and since he can’t go through the ropes (after Michaels and his side of the strap went over the top) Sting slingshots himself over the ropes and splashes down on top of the challenger…..

 

…..more offence from the Champion (much to the delight of the crowd) as Sting continues the punishment on the floor…..in a throwback to his 1993 strap match with Big Van Vader (and the only other instance I can think of) Sting wraps the strap around the feet of Michaels (much as Shawn attempted to do with The Rock this past Thursday) and begins to drag him around the ring on the outside, reaching under the ropes to slap the bottom turnbuckle as he goes…..

 

…..hey, there’s nothing in the rule book that says you have to be inside the ring to touch those pads…..

 

…..he manages to hit three, before Michaels is able to untangle himself from the strap, and a tug of war breaks out…..finally Sting relents, and decides to whip Michaels into the barricade again instead, before attempting to follow up with a Stinger Splash…..Shawn grabs hold of the strap though, moves, and yanks as Sting takes flight, meaning that the Champion hits nothing but steel…..

 

…..finally Shawn has the upper hand (as we show a reaction shot of the boys in the back, groaning at Sting’s mishap) and he picks up a steel chair, cracking it against the back of the Champion, before wrapping the strap around his fist and going to work with heavy (and loaded) right hands, mocking the crowd (and Sting) as he does, beating his chest and letting out a loud Owwwwww…..

 

…..back in the ring and Michaels keeps up the offence, using the strap to his advantage as he whips the champion until welts begin to show across the back of the Stinger…..the aim of the match is to touch all four corners, but Shawn looks more intent on hurting his opponent, wrapping the strap around the neck of the face of WCW and then tossing him over the top rope, hanging him out to dry…..

 

…..there’s nothing the official can do here, anything goes in this match, but obviously Michaels can’t win if he can’t reach the corners…..he waits until Sting is practically out before releasing the choke, then begins making his way around the ring, hitting one, two, three corners, dragging the choked out Champion behind him…..Sting is able to put a stop to it before Michaels hits the fourth corner, managing to hit Shawn with a low blow (much to the delight of the crowd) as both men collapse to the mat in exhaustion…..

 

…..slowly the two men pull themselves back to their feet, and quick as a flash Michaels lays out Sting with the Sweet Chin Music…..

 

…..unfortunately for Michaels the impact knocks Sting to the outside, meaning that the challenger is unable to drag him around the ring to win the match…..

 

…..pissed off by his stroke of bad luck, Michaels heads to the outside and stomps on the champion, before clearing off the timekeepers table, rolling Sting on top and then climbing the turnbuckles…..landing this would probably finish the champion off, but Michaels spends too long throwing crotch chops at the crowd and Sting is able to roll off the table…..Shawn looks down and sees the WCW Champion staring up at him……

 

…..and Sting looks up at the challenger…..

 

…..gives a crotch chop of his own…..

 

…..and then clutches hold of the strap and yanks…..

 

…..sending Michaels flying from the top, all the way down to the floor and through the table…..

 

…..Michaels is a broken mess and Sting rolls him into the ring…..he begins to touch the corners but he’s cut off before he reaches the fourth, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage come rushing out from the back…..

 

…..they don’t get far though…..

 

…..because clearly still ticked off from their loss earlier in the evening, Randy Savage and The Warrior make their way out to cut them off…..

 

…..Sting is briefly distracted by the new arrivals, and when he turns back around he’s caught with some Sweet Chin Music…..

 

…..or rather he CATCHES some Sweet Chin Music…..

 

…..catches the foot of his opponent that is…..

 

…..then sweeps the leg…..

 

…..and hooks on the Scorpion Deathlock…..

 

…..Michaels is tapping like mad, but there’s no submissions here…..Sting is going to have to put his opponent out if he wants to win….so finally he releases the hold and drags his weary opponent to his feet, then whips him into the corner, where he hits a mighty Stinger Splash…..

 

…..Michaels is stunned but Sting isn’t giving up…..

 

…..he backs up and comes charging again, crushing the wind out of his opponent a second time…..

 

…..a third time he backs up, looking to finally shut the mouth of Michaels once and for all…..

 

…..he lets out a loud howl and then runs again…..

 

…..and leaping…..

 

…..face first into a last ditch Sweet Chin Music…..

 

…..Sting goes down hard…..the impact of the kick coupled with the force of Sting leaping into it means the champion is out cold…..

 

…..Michaels isn’t much better…..but he is conscious…..

 

…..and as the crowd rains trash at the ring as Michaels stumbles to one corner…..

 

…..staggers his way to a second…..

 

…..drags his way along the ropes to the third…..

 

…..and finally (after dropping to his knees in exhaustion) crawls his way to the fourth…..

 

…..and with one more slap of the hand on turnbuckle…..

 

…..we have a brand new WCW Champion…..

 

Winner: and New WCW Champion…..Shawn Michaels

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..the bell rings, and the crowd is NOT pleased…..

 

…..Copeland and Cage manage to scramble away from Warrior and Savage as Traylor and JPL drag them down to the ring, where the four of them help a battered and bruised Shawn Michaels to his feet…..

 

…..Copeland and Cage toss Sting to the outside (where surprisingly, Savage and the Warrior help him to his feet) as Levesque snatches the Big Gold Belt from the official, before Big Ray-Ray tosses HIM to the outside too…..

 

…..one by one the locker room empties onto the stage as Levesque straps the WCW Championship around the waist of Shawn Michaels, before Traylor hands the new champion a microphone…..

 

…..he first of all tells the crowd to shut up…..

 

”…..because Mr. Wrestling…..and YOUR brand new World Champion…..has something to say…..

 

…..so this goes out to all you idiots in the crowd…..all you jack-off’s watching at home in your momma’s basements…..you announcers up there, who spend all your time complaining about Shawn Michaels and his degenerates from behind your desk…..the referees who try to hold us down…..and more importantly, all you second rate losers up there on the ramp…..

 

…..I know it’s hard to comprehend…..because this is dubbya see dubbya after all, and you don’t see much of it…..but what you see in this ring right here, right now, is greatness…..forget your Horsemen, your Titans…..your Dangerous Alliances ain’t got nothing on this…..you’ve all been going around calling us this and calling us that…..

 

…..well from this day forward, you can just call me champ…..

 

…..and since you like to call us degenerates so much…..

 

…..you can go ahead and call us D-Generation X…..”

 

…..Shawn tells the wrestlers on the ramp to take a good hard look at the title around his waist…..because this is as close as any of them are going to come to it again…..

 

”…..because Savage can’t beat me…..Warrior can’t even lace up my boots…..Luger, Vader, The Giant…..even Mr. WCW there, the last great hope Sting…..we all just saw that he sure as hell can’t beat me…..in fact, there ain’t a man standing on that ramp that can do what I do in this ring…..

 

…..and if you ain’t down with that…..I got two words for ya…..

 

…..Suc…..”

 

…..hold that thought…..

 

…..because Shawn doesn’t get to finish his sentence…..

 

…..before some familiar music starts playing…..

 

…..and it’s some music we haven’t heard for some time…..

 

…..which causes the crowd to go bananas…..

 

…..and get even louder when the wrestlers on the entrance way part…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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…..as Hulk Hogan comes walking out from the back, coming to a halt and standing hands on hips at the top of the aisle…..

 

…..and this ain’t Hollywood…..this is the American Made, Red and Yellow wearing Hulkster that we haven’t seen in over two years now…..

 

…..Shawn looks pissed…..as does JPL…..it’s hard to say how Big Ray-Ray looks, with those aviators over his eyes…..Copeland and Cage however just looked shocked…..they never did manage to shake those little Hulkamanic feelings they had growing up after all (they’ve been wearing yellow for some time now, and it’s no coincidence)…..

 

…..Michaels unhooks the title from around his waist, laying it on the mat in front of him, as he mockingly hits some of Hogans signature poses, before acting like he just threw out his back and then throwing Crotch Chops Hogans way, telling him to “Suck It old man”…..Hogan on the other hand just smiles, staring around at the crowd with his hands on his yellow clad hips, before tearing off that shirt and throwing it on the ground in front of him…..

 

…..and with that scene, the show comes to a close…..Shawn Michaels and the rest of D-Generation X staring up at the aisle…..the crowd cheering a returning Hulk Hogan…..Randy Savage, Sting and The Warrior looking warily at the new arrival…..

 

…..where do we go from here?…..

 

…..I would say we’ll see you tomorrow night for Nitro and all the fall out from this evening…..

 

…..but our WCW journey has come to an end…..

 

…..goodnight fans…..

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating: A

 

 

[to4sty]

 

 

Preview for WWF Raw is War: Week 3, March 1998

 

Brian Pillman & Mankind vs Steve Austin & Kane

Comments:

 

Rey Mysterio & Dean Malenko vs. Owen Hart & Chris Jericho

Comments:

 

The Wolfpac vs. Rich Steiner & Southern Justice

Comments:

 

From the ECW Arena

Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven

Comments:

 

Harlem Heat vs. High Voltage

Comments:

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/9CadHVo.jpg">

 

Preview for ECW Hardcore TV: Week 4, March 1998

 

ECW Championship: Ladder Match

The Sandman © vs. Terry Funk vs. Justin Credible

Comments:

 

Nova & The Blue Meanie vs. Danny Doring & Roadkill

Comments:

 

[DHK1989]

WWF Raw is War: Week 3, March 1998

 

Brian Pillman & Mankind vs Steve Austin & Kane

 

Rey Mysterio & Dean Malenko vs. Owen Hart & Chris Jericho

 

The Wolfpac vs. Rich Steiner & Southern Justice

 

From the ECW Arena

Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven

 

Harlem Heat vs. High Voltage

 

 

 

ECW Hardcore TV: Week 4, March 1998

 

ECW Championship: Ladder Match

The Sandman © vs. Terry Funk vs. Justin Credible

 

Nova & The Blue Meanie vs. Danny Doring & Roadkill

[MisterRomanini]

Preview for WWF Raw is War: Week 3, March 1998

 

Brian Pillman & Mankind vs Steve Austin & Kane

Comments:

 

Rey Mysterio & Dean Malenko vs. Owen Hart & Chris Jericho

Comments:

 

The Wolfpac vs. Rich Steiner & Southern Justice

Comments:

 

From the ECW Arena

Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven

Comments:

 

Harlem Heat vs. High Voltage

Comments:

 

 

 

 

Preview for ECW Hardcore TV: Week 4, March 1998

 

ECW Championship: Ladder Match

The Sandman © vs. Terry Funk vs. Justin Credible

Comments:

 

Nova & The Blue Meanie vs. Danny Doring & Roadkill

Comments:

[DevinTEW13]

More please! I have been silently watching this and imagine my surprise when I return to see it's still going despite the release of 20.

[TheAwesomeZero101]

What an amazing end to your WCW run, which was truly exciting the whole way though. Not long until Wrestlemania.

Preview for WWF Raw is War: Week 3, March 1998

 

Brian Pillman & Mankind vs Steve Austin & Kane

Comments: Interference from Raven or the Corporation.

 

Rey Mysterio & Dean Malenko vs. Owen Hart & Chris Jericho

Comments: More doubt for Malenko.

 

The Wolfpac vs. Rich Steiner & Southern Justice

Comments: Not MDC.

 

From the ECW Arena

Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven

Comments: Pretty cool concept for matches for Raven.

 

Harlem Heat vs. High Voltage

Comments: Harlem Heat teaming is interesting.

 

Preview for ECW Hardcore TV: Week 4, March 1998

 

ECW Championship: Ladder Match

The Sandman © vs. Terry Funk vs. Justin Credible

Comments: No reason for him not to win the belt, he's the major heel of the company right now.

Nova & The Blue Meanie vs. Danny Doring & Roadkill

Comments: BWO for life.

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/BC8Hy9X.jpg">

 

Week 4, March 1998

Worcester Centrum (Worcester, Massachusetts)

ATT: 13,334

TV: 38.16

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/urbCHOA.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/HDRIAj2.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/wEbbPFc.jpg">

 

…..we don’t even have time for the credits to roll this evening before the chaos ensues…..

 

…..it’s Monday night, we are six days away from Wrestlemania…..and it looks as though Brian Pillman is looking to take apart ONE of his World Title opponents…..be cause we are told that as Stone Cold Steve Austin entered the building this evening, he was set upon by the Corporate Cannon (and WWF Champion) Brian Pillman, along with the maniacal Mankind…..and as Jim Ross screams to get some security to the back, we finally play the opening credits…..

 

…..Raw is War indeed…..

 

…..and it’s no less chaotic the other side of the credits…..because Mankind and Pillman have dragged Austin out into the arena, where they proceed to put a whipping to the Rattlesnake all the way down the aisle…..

 

…..I don’t think there’s much chance of Austin getting a helping hand here either (after giving half the roster a beer shower last week) so he fights back as best he can along the way…..it was always going to be an uphill battle though fighting two men, and as Pillman nails the Rattlesnake between the eyes with the WWF Title belt on the outside, Mankind comes flying off the apron with an elbow drop to the floor…..

 

…..Pillman rolls Austin into the ring, as Mankind (clearly still irate that Kane isn’t showing him the attention he feels he deserves) wails into a nearby camera that he is no afterthought…..

 

…..clearly looking to emphasise that point, Mankind rolls under the bottom rope and instantly locks on the mandible claw to the helpless Austin, as Pillman cackles like the unbridled lunatic that he is, hopping up and down around his Wrestlemania opponents fallen body, taunting him with the WWF Championship…..

 

 

 

 

 

…..:::::!!!!!PYRO’S ERUPT!!!!!:::::…..

 

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/wWH32sR.jpg">

 

…..until the pyros erupt…..and the Big Red Monster, Kane, comes making his way out from the back…..

 

…..Mankind wanted the full attention of Kane, it looks like he’s going to get it tonight, as he comes marching down the aisle heading straight for Mankind….who releases his hold on Austin and stands inviting his Wrestlemania opponent to meet him…..

 

…..Kane climbs over the top rope and goes to work nailing both Pillman and Mankind with right hands, and would have planted The Corporate Cannon with a Chokeslam, had Mankind not grabbed the WWF Champion by the ankles and dragged him out of the ring to safety…..

 

…..Pillman isn’t happy about Kane having the audacity to place his hands on him…..while Austin, he’s not happy about the beat down he just received full stop…..and he grabs a microphone to express this…..

 

”…..because Brian Pillman, if ya wanted to get in the ring with Stone Cold Steve Austin, a week before I whip your ass for that WWF Title, you only had to say so son…..hell, we can do this right now or we can do it later, I really don’t care…..but one way or another, your ass belongs to Stone Cold tonight, and that’s the bottom line…..”

 

…..Pillman isn’t really one for getting his hands dirty since he became “corporate”, and it looks like he’s shrugging off the challenge…..unfortunately Mankind answers for him, telling Austin that they will see him AND Kane in the main event later this evening…..

 

…..The Corporate Cannon isn’t pleased about this, and drags Mankind to the back by his shaggy hair…..but a challenge is a challenge and the match will take place…..

 

…..hopefully Mankind’s desire to be recognised as a threat doesn’t come back to bite Brian Pillman in the ass tonight…..

 

…..I guess we’ll see later…..

 

…..let’s have a match…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/HyK3j5W.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/WZbAxbQ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/xV2Bmd9.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/rYyWLFU.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/VcKrnL8.jpg">

 

…..we have a very tag heavy evening ahead of us tonight, but of all the pairings we will see, Booker T and Stevie Ray are both the most obvious AND the most surprising…..

 

…..obvious because they’re brothers…..and as Harlem Heat, a highly established and successful team…..surprising because as Booker T and Stevie Ray, they are currently set to collide at Wrestlemania for Bookers European Championship…..not to mention the fact that Stevie Ray is now a full member of the Nation of Domination…..

 

….surprising team right?…..

 

…..the announcers tell us that it was Stevie Ray that requested this match, following on from last weeks scuffle with High Voltage…..although you’ve got to be asking exactly how much Booker T can trust his brother having his back here tonight…..he does though for the most part…..

 

…..Stevie has been telling the world that it is HE that was responsible for the success of Harlem Heat…..and it was HE that was responsible for the solo success of his brother…..as a team tonight, Booker T certainly does most of the leg work….AND plays the face in peril (as Stevie berates him for letting a couple of chumps like High Voltage take him down) it he does finally rally without having to make the hot tag…..

 

…..he looks like he’s going to win this single handedly too…..but as he comes off the top with a Missile Dropkick, Stevie slaps his leg before he leaps, making himself the legal man…..

 

…..Booker connects on Rage…..Stevie makes the cover…..and Stevie takes the credit…..

 

…..of course he does…..

 

Winner(s): Harlem Heat

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/HyK3j5W.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/WZbAxbQ.jpg">

 

…..Stevie holds his hands up in victory as the timekeeper hands Booker T his European Title, fore grabbing a microphone and telling Booker that he’s just showed him again how a man gets things done…..

 

”…..because everyone knows you got that belt because’a me…..everyone knows that you didn’t get your ass whooped by these two fruit booty’s last week because’a me…..and everyone knows that you got this win tonight because’a me…..

 

…..but more important than that, everyone knows…..that you’re gonna lose that belt at Wrestlemania because of me…..”

 

…..Stevie says that everyone knows that Booker got soft…..everyone here, everyone at home, everyone back on 110th Street…..

 

”…..and yeah, even you brother…..I know it, you know it…..sucka’s gotta know, Booker T got soft…..now what you gotta say about that?…..”

 

…..Stevie hands Booker the microphone, awaiting his response…..Bookers response is to smack the microphone right between his brothers eyes, staggering the Nation member back…..and then hooking hold of him and driving him to the mat with the Book End…..

 

…..Booker stands over his brother, European title in one hand, microphone in the other, telling Stevie that he never got soft…..

 

”…..I just didn’t want to have to whoop my own brother in front of the whole damn world…..but since he’s turned into nothing but a damn fool, it looks like I’m gonna have to beat the stupid outta you…..

 

…..so sucka, you wanna be a playa?…..you wanna see how soft I really am?…..you want this damn belt?…..at Wrestlemania…..you’re gonna have to take it in a Harlem Street fight…..now can you dig that?…..”

 

…..and with that Booker drops the microphone and heads to the back…..

 

…..challenge levied…..

 

…..I’m sure it will be accepted…..

 

…..I book this sh!t after all…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/arEN6T5.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/urbCHOA.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ALDSbe5.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/NX2vOWD.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/HDRIAj2.jpg">

 

…..we head backstage, where we go to the locker area of the Corporation…..and our WWF Champion clearly still isn’t happy that Mankind accepted a match on his behalf tonight…..especially with Stone Cold Steve Austin…..

 

…..he’s currently berating Mankind, but to be honest I’m not sure Mankind is hearing him, because it looks like he’s zoned out as he sits rocking on the floor, muttering things about Kane to himself…..

 

…..Pillman is getting more and more irate that Mankind ignoring his rant, until McMahon finally snaps at him to shut up…..

 

…..McMahon tells Pillman that for the last two months, the Corporation has had opportunity after opportunity to take Steve Austin out of the equation for Wrestlemania, and yet here they are, six days away, and that damn Rattlesnake is still causing trouble…..

 

”…..so stop blaming this mindless idiot for YOUR inability to take Austin out…..and view this as your FINAL opportunity…..”

 

…..McMahon says that after that little stunt Austin pulled last week (when he sprayed half the roster with beer) there aren’t going to be too many people coming to the aid of that redneck son of a bitch tonight…..

 

”…..so instead of berating the simpleton, maybe you should think about thanking him…..because Steve Austin is going to be out there, in that very ring tonight…..so take Mankind, take Flair, take the Enforcer…..

 

…..and take….him…..out…..

 

…..no excuses!…..

 

…..no excuses indeed…..

 

…..let’s move on…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/1tBOrDQ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/71iD4b8.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/wFvWnhZ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/4p03Oez.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/bdLto8s.jpg">

 

….or rather over…..his time to the locker area of the Hart Foundation, where Dok Hendrix is looking to get word from the Canadian Quartet…..

 

…..he speaks first to the Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho, and his partner tonight Owen Hart…..not only about their tag team contest this evening, but with their respective singles encounters upcoming at Wrestlemania with the two men they’ll face later this evening…..

 

”…..because Chris, you’ll be putting that Intercontinental Championship on the line, against a man who says he’ll hang his boots up for good if he can’t defeat you in Dean Malenko…..while you Owen, you’ll be facing one of the greatest young light heavyweights in the world today…..Rey Mysterio…..”

 

…..Jericho says that there’s little point discussing Stinko Malenko this evening, because Jericho has beat him before…..he’s took his pride…..his dignity…..he’s took his precious light heavyweight division…..the only thing left to take is his career, which he’ll do at Wrestlemania…..and then you’ll never……eeeeeeeever…..see Deano Machino again…..

 

”…..and as for the greatest young light heavyweight in the world today Dok, close your eyes and blink three times…..because the greatest light heavyweight ever to lace up his boots is standing right here…..”

 

…..Jericho indicates towards Owen, saying that they used to call Owen the Rocket, but they should have called him the Blueprint…..because he’s what every light heavyweight wrestler has aspired to be for the last decade…..

 

…..Owen agrees, saying that everyone that came after him was nothing more than a second rate Owen Hart wannabe…..Owen says that he INVENTED high flying and death defying offence (lies) and that every other light heavyweight is just walking in the footprints he left behind…..the difference is, no one has ever been able to fill his boots…..he was lucha before lucha was even a thing…..

 

”…..I know everything you’re going to do, before you even think about doing it…..because I’ve done it already…..the difference is, I didn’t have to hide behind a mask to do it…..”

 

…..(the Blue Blazer says hello Owen)…..

 

…..Jericho says that tonight, it’s going to be the man that started the light heavyweight revolution (Owen) and the man that ended it (Jericho) putting these two punks out…..before they finish them off permanently at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..from there Dok turns to Bret, telling the Hitman that his two opponents at Wrestlemania will be in that ring against each other this evening…..and that can only be a positive for Hart surely…..

 

…..Bret agrees…..saying that if they want to get in there six days before their world title match at Mania then so be it, he really doesn’t care if they kill each other, so long as they both make it to Wrestlemania…..Bret says that while he’s not going to wrestle tonight, he WILL be out there at ringside to see the action up close…..

 

”…..so Austin, Pillman…..it really doesn’t matter who wins tonight…..it doesn’t matter if you beat each other senseless…..all that matters, is that at Wrestlemania, you’re looking at the next World Wrestling Federation Champion right here…..because whether it’s one opponent or two, I am the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be…..and next Monday night, I’ll be out here as the four time WWF Champion to prove it…..”

 

…..let’s go back down to ringside…..

 

…..just…..not our ringside…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/OODEH1M.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/xV2Bmd9.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/KFCApHd.jpg">

 

…..because fresh off his return to the land of extreme last week (when he defeated Mikey Whipwreck) Raven is back in the ECW arena once again, and this time he’s revisiting an old rivalry…..because his opponent is a man that was a thorn in his side for his entire ECW career…..Tommy Dreamer…..

 

…..Tommy Dreamer built a name for himself here in ECW on the back of basically a losing streak…..because for two years, try as he might he could NEVER defeat Raven…..sure he hurt him…..he hurt him a lot…..but no matter how hard he tried, Raven ALWAYS found some way (or used someONE) to get one over on his nemesis…..

 

…..if you’ve ever seen a Tommy Dreamer/Raven match then you know what you’re getting here…..these two men just beat the sh!t out of each other all over the arena…..

 

…..Dreamer again comes close to picking up the win here…..but again he’s thwarted by outside influences…..not the Flock this time, but the Triple Threat…..because Shane Douglas has been set on taking out Dreamer for a while now, and as Hellraiser choke slams Tommy through a table on the outside, Douglas rolls him back into the ring, where Raven Evenflows him for an easy one, two, three…..

 

…..in the never ending saga of Tommy Dreamer and Raven…..

 

…..Raven wins again…..

 

Winner: Raven

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/NyeLRHa.jpg">

 

…..Raven grabs a microphone and takes up his usual position sat in the corner of the ring…..

 

…..he tells the crowd that while he spent years lamenting in the barbed wire and the blood of ECW, he knew that when he left this place that he would be back again…..he says that ECW is the Hotel California of the wrestling world…..you can check out, but you can never truly leave…..because no matter how far you go, you always come back to those places that hurt you…..that shaped you…..

 

…..you always come back home…..

 

…..he says that in preparation for his match with the Undertaker, he’s looked deep into his past…..and deep into the past of the Deadman…..he’s dove, dredged and defiled everything that made the Undertaker the Undertaker…..he knows the Deadman…..he’s seen the childhood home and the childhood trauma that darkened the soul of the Phenom…..

 

”…..Undertaker…..I know you…..I know what makes you tick…..and despite the supernatural overtures, that instil a facade of fearlessness…..I know your deepest, darkest fears…..I know you….I saw your home and I invited you to see mine, but predictably you didn’t accept…..

 

…..come to me Undertaker, or I’ll come to you…..a mantra I have repeated for months…..and since you won’t come to me…..at Wrestlemania, I’ll come to you…..for I can set you free…..

 

…..Quote the Raven…..

 

…..Neverm…..”

 

 

 

 

…..:::::!!!!!GONG!!!!!:::::…..

 

 

 

…..well…..Raven did issue an open invitation…..and as the lights go out, Joey Styles let’s out the loudest OH MY GOD in history……

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/RMwzQdZ.jpg">

 

 

 

 

…..as the Deadman himself walks out into the ECW arena…..

 

…..and finally…..after months of stalking his prey……it looks like the Undertaker has finally got Raven dead in his sights…..nowhere to run…..nowhere to hide…..and more importantly, no one to hide behind……

 

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/IoHcxxk.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/5GAMQF1.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/sjgM5Z9.jpg">

 

 

 

 

…..or not I guess…..because while ECW is the company you can check out of but never leave, apparently (for Stevie Richards) Raven is the abusive father figure you can never leave…..because the Richards, Nova and Meanie come rushing out of the back to assault the Undertaker before he can even reach the ring…..

 

…..Raven just smirks at this…..rolling out of the ring and disappearing from sight as Stevie and Co continue to but the boots to the Deadman…..

 

…..briefly…..

 

…..because let’s face it, Taker wasn’t going to agree to come to ECW to get beat up by these three schmucks…..

 

…..Taker quickly rally’s back and sends Meanie and Richards crashing to the ground, before pressing Nova overhead and tossing him into the crowd…..

 

…..the Deadman goes a bit feral now, picking up a steel chair and absolutely destroying the Blue Meanie with it, before crashing it over the head of Stevie Richards, busting him wide open…..

 

…..Nova (stupidly) climbs out of the crowd and charges the Deadman again…..but a big boot to the face and a Tombstone to the concrete floor soon puts a stop to that…..

 

…..Taker rolls an unconscious Nova into the ring, where he wraps his hand around his throat…..picks him high up in the air…..walks him over to the side of the ring…..

 

…..and then Chokeslams him over the top rope…..and crashing through a table on the outside…..

 

…..I guess the Deadman can get a little extreme too…..

 

…..let’s go back to the arena…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/1tBOrDQ.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/8wIyKBM.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/olR4IDO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/f1SRNNg.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/e630bsM.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7ZNiBQh.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ja5nVyS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ikMhavN.jpg">

 

…..where Dok Hendrix is standing by with the Million Dollar Corporation, Scott Steiner, and his number one freak, Sable…..

 

…..Dok says that while the Million a dollar Corporation are set to face off against the Wolfpac next, after Kevin Nash having to stand back and watch Scott Steiner beat the crap out of Sean Waltman last week, you’ve got to think that Big Sexy is in a bad mood…..couple that with the fact that Scott Hall is here this week too, that could spell trouble for Rich Steiner and Southern Justice…..

 

…..Scotty tells Hendrix to shut up, saying that while he and his brother haven’t always seen eye to eye, a Steiner is still a Steiner, and a Steiner can kick the whole Wolfpac's ass single handed if they need to…..

 

…..Jeff Jarrett says that tonight, the Corproation are going to take care of Scott Steiner’s Kevin Nash problem pro gratis…..because it means that they get to take a piece of Hall and Waltman too…..

 

”…..and take a piece is exactly what I’m going to do at Wrestlemania…..a piece of their hair that is…..because when we win on Sunday, I’m finally going to give Sean Waltman the makeover that he so desperately needs Hendrix…..”

 

…..Jarrett says that the team that loses at Wrestlemania is going to have to sit back and let the winner shave their heads…..and if there is one thing Jeff Jarrett is, it’s a winner…..

 

”…..so go ahead and watch close Dok Hendrix…..tonight we take the Wolfpac down…..on Sunday…..we take their hair…..watch this space…..”

 

…..Scotty says that you can watch that if you want…..but what Kevin Nash is going to have to watch…..is Big Poppa Pump kicking the crap out of his little buddies again…..

 

…..to ringside we go…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/q4lIIrS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/VaNKs34.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/aJx3DWx.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7hvpbFv.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ikMhavN.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ja5nVyS.jpg">

 

…..and that match is indeed next…..but it wasn’t quite the cakewalk that Jeff Jarrett was expecting it to be…..

 

…..I’ll keep it short and sweet, but after having to sit back and watch Scott Steiner destroy Sean Waltman last week, Kevin Nash is p!ssed off…..

 

…..so pissed off in fact, that he beats the living sh!t out of the Corporation…..

 

…..they do get some offence in on Waltman, with Rich Steiner looking more dangerous than the former hog farmers, but when Nash makes the hot tag it all comes to a screeching halt…..

 

…..Nash unloads on all three Corporation members (and sends Jarrett flying off the apron for good measure when he pops up there) before Waltman and Hall get in on the fun…..

 

…..the other two Wolfpac men brawl about ringside with Rich and Canterbury, while Nash goes to work on Dennis Knight, dropping him face first in the corner with Snake Eyes, then dragging him to the middle of the ring where he delivers a massive Jackknife Powerbomb on the huge hog farmer for the one, two, three…..

 

Winner(s): The Wolfpac

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/q4lIIrS.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/VaNKs34.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/aJx3DWx.jpg">

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/TSkVfRF.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/gctJUIV.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7hvpbFv.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ikMhavN.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ja5nVyS.jpg">

 

…..Nash isn’t done…..picking Knight up again and planting him with a second consecutive Jackknife after the bell…..

 

…..Jarrett comes into the ring with his guitar in hand and runs into a big boot, dropping the acoustic equaliser…..Nash picks the guitar up and crashes it over the head of Jarrett before heading outside and grabbing hold of Rich Steiner…..

 

…..Hall and Waltman work over Canterbury as Nash drags Steiner up the aisle, coming to a halt at the top of the ramp…..which is when Scott Steiner comes walking out…..

 

…..the two men can’t touch each other (a fact that Scotty took advantage of last week) but Big Poppa Pump can still scream at Nash, calling him a few choice words that the censors had fun with, telling him to let go of his brother…..

 

…..Nash’s response is to flip Scotty the bird…..

 

…..position Rich Steiner for the powerbomb…..

 

…..and then Jackknife him right off the entrance stage and down to the (gimmicked crashpad) floor below…..

 

…..I guess that’s what you call an eye for an eye…..Waltman paid last week, Rich Steiner paid tonight…..one things for sure, these two men are going to tear each other apart at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..let’s calm things down here a little bit…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/Qw4F8YC.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/RlaW3ae.jpg">

 

…..and nothings going to calm things down like a promo with the Lethal Weapon, Steve Blackman…..

 

…..Blackman is backstage with Michael Cole, who’s questioning his guest about the events of last week, which saw Savio Vega assaulting the Lethal Weapon at his dojo…..

 

…..Blackman says that he doesn’t know what Vega’s problem is, but he clearly has one, because he’s been getting in Blackmans business since the day he arrived…..

 

”…..and that’s fine by me Michael Cole…..I didn’t come to the World Wrestling Federation to be an observer…..I came to the World Wrestling Federation to compete…..so if Savio Vega wants to try me, he can do it in the ring…..”

 

…..that brings Savio into shot…..he tells Cole that his “problem” with Steve Blackman, is this hype about him being a lethal weapon…..about him being something dangerous…..Vega says that you don’t learn to fight in a gym, you learn to fight in the streets, and Savio has been fighting his whole life…..

 

”…..so you want to compete? Savio Vega will compete with you…..not here…..not now…..we’ll do this when everyone can watch and see what a real lethal weapon looks like…..”

 

…..Blackman says he has no problem with that…..name the time, the date and the place…..and Steve Blackman will see him then…..

 

…..spoiler alert…..we are going to see it on the Wrestlemania free for all pre-show…..

 

…..but that just doesn’t sound like as impressive a challenge…..

 

…..so let’s leave it a little bit ambiguous for now…..

 

…..and go back down to ringside…..

 

Rating: C

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/vN0BOgM.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/fJw1L2S.jpg">

 

…..I said we had a tag heavy night planned for tonight…..and we go to another multi-man match…..this time featuring four men who will be facing off in singles action in six days time…..

 

…..Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko will be facing Owen Hart and Chris Jericho respectively at Wrestlemania, but tonight they are facing each other in tag team action…..and the intensity is no less…..

 

…..the announcers discuss Malenko’s inability to defeat Chris Jericho in previous outings, causing him to doubt his own ability, so much so that he’s put his entire career on the line for one more shot at the Intercontinental Championship, stating that he will walk away from wrestling for good if he doesn’t pick up the victory on Sunday night…..

 

…..safe to say that defeat here isn’t going to do much to bolster that confidence…..

 

…..these two teams have a great match, and if this tag match is anything to go by, we are going to in for two guaranteed great outings on Sunday…..Rey Mysterio hasn’t put on a bad match since his arrival in WCW and he keeps that streak alive here, bouncing around the place like a pinball, while Malenko works the technical aspect of the match…..in fact, the light heavyweight contingent was well on track to picking up the victory…..so much so that Test had to make his way out from the back to interject…..

 

…..Malenko has the attention of the official, as he is in the middle of slapping Jericho all over the outside of the ring, when Owen (after making mention of the mask of Mysterio earlier this evening) snatches that sacred mask right off the head of Rey…..with the official still distracted, Test slides into the ring and almost turns Mysterio inside out with a running boot…..

 

…..Rey covers his face (both in pain AMD to hide it I’m sure) as Owen makes the cover…..just in time for the official to count the one, two and three…..

 

…..the Hart Foundation win…..

 

…..I wonder how Malenko’s confidence is doing about now…..

 

Winner(s): The Hart Foundation

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/HDRIAj2.jpg">

 

…..we head to the back from there, where Mr. McMahon is making his feelings crystal clear…..

 

…..he tells all four members of the corporation that victory tonight is inconsequential…..neither a loss nor a victory matters…..which means that all that DOES matter…..is taking care of Stone Cold Steve Austin…..so Vince wants them all…..and he does mean ALL…..to go out there tonight….and eliminate the Steve Austin problem once and for all…..

 

…..Vince says that Pillman, Flair and Anderson are the World Champions of their respective divisions…..it’s time they started acting like it…..

 

”…..Steve Austin, that redneck son of a bitch, has been a stain on the face of the World Wrestling Federation for too long…..he’s cost me sponsors…..he’s cost me money…..I can still smell the stale stench of cheap beer in my hair from last week, and STILL he spits in the face of MY authority…..

 

…..so tonight…..take that Big Red Moron out of the way…..and then I want Steve Austin eliminated for good…..am I clear?…..”

 

…..looks like he’s clear…..because one by one the Corporate members file out of the door…..

 

…..I guess our main event is next…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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…..as the cameras follow the four men from the room, Michael Cole comes rushing into shot, trying to get word with Flair and Anderson on their upcoming four corners tag team title defence at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..Flair and Arn have had their orders though, telling Cole that they don’t have time to talk to him right now, leading Cole to ask a question that does stop them…..

 

”…..because obviously it’s clear that your title defence is second in priority to making sure that Brian Pillman retains the WWF Championship…..are your heads even IN this match?…..

 

…..the brings the Nature Boy to a halt, as he tells Cole that Ric Flair has never been second to anyone a day in his life…..

 

…..Pillman tries to hurry Flair along, but the Nature Boy tells him that he and Arn will catch them out there…..right now they have business to contend to…..

 

…..the Corporate Cannon isn’t happy about that…..but his match is now, so off he and Mankind go, telling the tag champs to hurry up as he leaves…..

 

…..Michael Cole waits for Pillman and Mankind to leave before going to repeat his question, but Flair cuts him off before he can finish…..he says that he would like to repeat himself for posterity…..

 

”…..and that’s the fact that the Nature Boy…..has NEVER been second to ANYONE his entire life…..and as for our heads not being in our match at Wrestlemania, Michael Cole, when that bell rings, you won’t find two more focused men in all of professional wrestling…..”

 

…..Flair asks Cole to remind him who’s in the match again, since their heads aren’t in it after all…..to which Cole responds…..the New Age Outlaws, Al Snow and Chris Candido, and finally Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero…..

 

…..Arn takes that one…..asking Michael Cole exactly how much their heads need to be in the game, when the two longest standing teams have only been teaming up for a year…..

 

”…..there’s one thing you can’t buy around here, and that’s experience…..Ric Flair and Arn Anderson have been a team for the best part of thirteen years, not thirteen months…..and as for championship experience, I held this very title a decade ago when I first walked into the door of the WWF, and I won it again within months of walking into it a second time…..

 

…..I don’t need to focus on a tag team match months in advance, because I AM tag team wrestling…..you see this belt around my waist? That’s all the focus I need…..as for Wrestlemania, there’s not a team in that match that can carry our bags, let alone these belts…..”

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/LsqvFhh.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/7TVDrCJ.jpg">

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/18C12Wi.jpg">

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/MoOqyqm.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/A6LCW03.jpg">

 

…..there’s a blur as two figures come rushing into shot…..the two figures being Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero, who jump on Flair and Anderson…..the two teams brawl for a moment before they are quickly joined by the New Age Outlaws and Al Snow and Chris Candido, as all eight members of the Wrestlemania four corners match begin brawling in the backstage area…..

 

…..I’m fairly sure that Brian Pillman is still waiting for Flair and Anderson to join him at ringside…..

 

…..I think he’s going to be waiting a while…..

 

…..let’s go find out…..

 

…..it’s main event time…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/0Cx980t.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/HDRIAj2.jpg">

 

…..and that main event is going to see Stone Cold Steve Austin team up with The Big Red Monster Kane, to take on the Corporate Cannon Brian Pillman and the “insert nickname here” Mankind…..

 

…..(way to let the side down Mankind)…..

 

…..anyway…..those aren’t the only people at ringside…..yes, Brian Pillman was expecting Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to be out there, but it’s actually The Hitman, Bret Hart who makes his way out, taking up residence on the announce table for a ringside view of the action…..

 

…..now we have accounted for everyone, let’s get down to the match itself…..a match which in all honesty broke down before it even started…..the bell rings and Mankind tears straight for Kane, sending both the Big Red Monster and himself toppling over the top rope with a running clothesline…..

 

…..Austin and Pillman don’t wait long either, although their battle is contested inside the ring at least….

 

…..Kane and Mankind spend an extended period of time brawling on the outside (clearly Mankind’s attempt to get Kane’s attention has worked) before they eventually brawl all the way to the back and disappear from ringside entirely…..

 

…..that leaves Austin and Pillman alone…..now you could speculate that this was the game plan all along…..Mankind takes Kane out of the equation, leaving Pillman, Flair and Anderson to take care of Austin…..problem is, Flair and Anderson aren’t there, so it really is Pillman all alone…..

 

…..eventually the action spills to the outside, where Austin reverses an Irish Whip to send Pillman flying over the announce table, crashing into Bret Hart and knocking the Hitman to the ground…..

 

…..Bret isn’t happy about it either…..he was just here to observe, and he let’s Austin know this in no uncertain terms…..Austin let’s the Hitman know what he thinks of his protests in no uncertain terms as well…..because he flips Bret the double bird, before grabbing Pillman and tossing him back in the ring…..

 

…..Pillman backs off from the Rattlesnake, eventually grabbing hold of the official for cover, so much so that the two men stumble to the mat…..

 

…..which means that with Pillman and the referee both down, a still ticked off Bret Hart grabs the WWF Championship belt and climbs into the ring, absolutely nailing the Rattlesnake in the back of the head…..

 

…..Austin drops to the mat in a heap…..Bret Hart tosses the title and rolls out of the ring…..Pillman releases the official and snatches up his opponent, before dropping him again with the Time Bomb (hangman neckbreker) for the one, the two, and the three…..

 

…..and if that happens on Sunday night, it’s safe to say that Steve Austin won’t be walking out as Champion after all…..

 

Winner(s): Brian Pillman and Mankind

Rating: A

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/IpFwsUh.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ldxNCBq.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/hn7GJqh.jpg">

 

…..of course, he’s still got to walk IN to Wrestlemania to have any chance at all of walking out as champion…..and while Mankind, Flair and Anderson might not have lived up to their end of the bargain here, the Corporate Cannon looks like he’s going to take care of things all by himself…..

 

…..he keeps one eye on Bret Hart (who repeats the fact that he’s just here to observe, if Pillman and Austin want to kill each other then it’s no skin off his nose) before returning his attention to the Rattlesnake…..

 

…..Pillman mounts the fallen Austin, and begins raining down blows on his former friend, before picking him to his feet and planting him with a second Time Bomb that completely lays the Rattlesnake out…..

 

…..sliding to the outside Pillman picks up a steel chair, before returning to the ring and standing poised to strike…..and as Austin finally gets back to his feet, strike he does…..crashing the steel over the skull of Stone Cold, busting him wide open in the process…..

 

…..Pillman stands cackling over the bloodied Austin, splitting his time between raising his arms in victory and screaming at The Rattlesnake that he will NEVER hold the WWF Championship, and that at Wrestlemania he’s going to be left in a pool of his own blood…..just like now…..

 

…..and that’s when Bret Hart slides into the ring behind him…..and much as he did with Austin a few minutes ago, he nails the Corporate Cannon in the back of the head with the Championship belt…..

 

…..Pillman slumps in a heap on the mat beside Austin, as The Hitman stands over both of them…..

 

…..he looks down at the WWF Title in his hand for a moment, before raising it overhead with one hand, raising four fingers with the other hand…..four fingers because (as Bret implied earlier this evening) victory at Wrestlemania would see him walk out as the World Wrestling Federation Champion for a fourth time……

 

…..and with Austin down…..and Pillman right there beside him…..there’s every chance that we’ll see exactly that in six days time…..

 

…..we’ll see you Sunday night…..

 

…..for Wrestlemania…..

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating: A

 

 

[to4sty]

More please! I have been silently watching this and imagine my surprise when I return to see it's still going despite the release of 20.

 

Still going! Although not for long…..we have one final episode of Hardcore TV and then it’s time for the final show. Wrestlemania will finally put this to bed

 

What an amazing end to your WCW run, which was truly exciting the whole way though. Not long until Wrestlemania.

 

Thank you….considering this started as a WWF dynasty, I did enjoy the WCW aspect when I introduced it

[to4sty]

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/KHIBBqF.jpg">

Week 4, March 1998

Highlights from ECW Living Dangerously 1998

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/c3OlByw.jpg">

 

…..it’s that time again…..time for the weekly trip to the land of extreme…..and while we saw a glimpse of the hallowed (bingo) hall this past Monday Night on Raw, it’s time for the full, uncensored experience…..because Hardcore TV is on the air…..

 

…..this marks the final chapter of the Living Dangerously shows, and tonight (while we do have one additional match) it’s all about the main event three way ladder match for the ECW Championship…..and yes (as Joey Styles guarantees it) we will see that match up in its entirety this evening…..

 

…..Joey opens the show by talking about the events that were highlighted to end last weeks episode…..Buford T. Pinkerton politicking a ladder match stipulation, into a match that he’d already politicked Justin Credible a place in to begin with…..

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/2zlMfHd.jpg">

 

…..and we go straight to some pre match comments from the three competitors…..

 

…..Sandman is sat backstage somewhere with the ECW Title draped over his knees…..cigarette in one hand, beer in the other…..

 

…..he says that he’s just heard a few minutes ago that his match is now going to be a ladder match…..which means that in a few minutes, someone is going to be knocking on that door, taking his title from him, and hanging it 15 feet in the air above the ring…..

 

”…..and all I gotta do to get it back, is climb up that ladder and take it down…..Terry Funk, I know that you know that I know that me and you are gonna beat the living sh!t out of each other tonight…..and we’re going to do it because it’s all we know how to do…..I’m going to beat the sh!t out of Terry Funk, and I like him…..Justin Credible, what do you think I’m going to do to you?…..”

 

…..there’s a knock at the door and some ECW personnel walks into the room to collect the gold…..Sandman hands him the title, telling the camera that this right here, this is the only time anyone is taking this title from him tonight…..

 

 

…..from there we go to Terry Funk…..who’s busy taping up his fists…..he says that he’s here tonight for one reason only…..he wants the World Title…..

 

”…..I’d’ve took the damn thing last month too, if it wasn’t for Justin Credible and that fat bastard, buck toothed, yellow bellied, corporate warthog that he has in his pocket stopping it from happening…..

 

…..well Credible, you might think you’re a smart son of a bitch, but you done messed up boy…..because all that means is that I’m going to ram that ladder down your scrawny little throat, and climb your damn corpse to the top…..”

 

…..knock, knock, knock…..there goes the door again…..no title to collect this time, just the competitor, as someone tells Terry that it’s match time…..

 

 

…..and we may as well go three for three…..because now we head over to the young upstart Justin Credible, who is indeed standing by with that ‘yellow bellied, corporate warthog’, Buford T. Pinkerton…..and he’s ready and raring to go…..

 

”…..because FINALLY, someone is going to wipe off the blood and the beer and the stench of disgrace from that ECW Title…..and FINALLY, this company is going to have a champion it can be proud of…..a champion that Buford can be proud of…..and while those dregs of humanity in the crowd don’t know it yet, a champion that THEY can be proud of…..because let’s face it, they don’t have anything else in their sad little lives to be proud of…..”

 

…..Buford T. Pinkerton smiles like a proud father beside his chosen championship contender…..and as there’s a knock on the door to signal Credibles cue, he could only be minutes away from getting that wish…..

 

…..we’ll twenty minutes or so…..because we are going to show another match first…..

 

…..one from a recent live event…..

 

…..so let’s do that…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/jqiItb4.jpg">

 

…..we can’t fill up a months worth of tv just from one pay-per-view event…..and we do have live shows you know (get your tickets now!) where do you think Raven has been wrestling recently…..

 

…..this next match is from one of those events, and it’s tag team action, as Nova and Meanie (with Stevie Richards in their corner) take on Danny Doring & Roadkill (with Miss Congeniality in theirs)…..

 

…..if you were looking for a mat classic here you were never going to get one…..to be honest, if you were looking for a good match you were unlikely to get one…..

 

…..if you wanted a fun match however, you came to the right place…..because this was exactly that…..

 

…..between the crowd questioning Roadkills penchant for fornicating with farmyard animals, and Miss Congeniality kicking Stevie Richards in the nuts and sending him flying with a hurricanrana, the crowd certainly had a blast with this…..in the end though it was the newcomers that picked up the victory, after Roadkill crushed the life out of Nova with a big splash from the top rope…..

 

Winner(s): Danny Doring & Roadkill

Rating: C

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/UYqgq7Y.jpg">

 

…..more pre-taped comments before we go to our main event…..and this time it’s from the Dudley Boys…..ALL the Dudley Boys…..

 

…..including a couple of new ones…..

 

…..Dances with, Chubby and Sign Guy are looking very pleased with themselves to be joined by the three men that came to their aid last week….and since they ARE new arrivals, Dances with introduces them…..

 

…..first we have the little guy…..the guy that Dances with tells us that Big Daddy Dudley disowned from birth due to him being the runt of the litter…..Little Spike Dudley…..Dances with tells us that Spike may be small, but he’s the meanest, scrappiest, most fighting little Dudley of all…..and you’re going to have to kill him to stop him…..

 

…..next up is a product of Big Daddy’s NASCAR days…..Driving with Dudley…..

 

…..and if there’s one thing Daddy loves as much as NASCAR, it’s rodeo…..and it’s from his trips to the rodeo that our third new arrival came to be…..this is Yankee Doodle Dudley…..

 

…..it’s Driving with and Yankee Doodle that do most of the talking here…..Dances with and Chubby don’t offer much to the promo other than to say that they were right to bring in the extended family members…..(full disclosure, Dances with and Chubby offer nothing full stop to ECW…..and both will be getting those release papers soon)…..Driving and Yankee says that they’ve come to ECW to put an end to their brothers bullish!t…..they say that D-Von has poisoned the mind of Buh Buh and Big Dick, and if they have to beat some sense into the pair then they shall…..

 

”…..but D-Von, we’re just going to beat you for fun…..because honestly, we never even met you and we don’t like you…..

 

 

…..from there we flip over to the Dudley trio that beat the crap out of their brothers at the pay-per-view…..it’s D-Von, Buh Buh and Big Dick…..and D-Von is still reeling from the arrival of Dudleys that he didn’t even know were born…..

 

”…..I mean, I get the runt…..but the other two? I know about High Chief, Dances with his Thumb up his Ass Dudley and Fat F#@k Dudley, but no one thought to tell me about these other two? Those two I could have done something with…..”

 

…..Buh Buh says he didn’t say anything, because frankly, he didn’t think they’d have the balls to show up in ECW…..but now they have, they’ll just have to take them back OUT of ECW as quickly as they arrived…..

 

”…..see, me and Big Dick, we’ve been biding our time……keeping those idiot brothers close until it was time to do what their mothers should have done the day Big Daddy Dudley blessed them with his seed…..abort them…..

 

…..the runt wasn’t worth our time….and as for those other two…..we’ll take care of them when the time comes…..but for NOW, the time has come for the Dudley Boys…..the REAL Dudley Boys…..to pillage this company for everything it has…..”

 

…..D-Von says that a rose by any other name is still a rose…..but it takes more than just a name to be a Dudley…..for too long the Dudleys have been seen as a band of misfits….idiots…..laughing stocks…..that stops now…..

 

”…..because it’s time to testify…..it’s time to worship at the alter of Dudleyville…..and it’s time for everyone to understand three simple rules…..thou shalt not steal…..thou shalt not kill…..and thou shalt not f#@k with the Dudley Boys…..oh my brother…..testify!….”

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/c3OlByw.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/JGitnne.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/oUdDGeT.jpg">

 

…..a quick stop off in the “studio”, as Joey Styles gets set to send us down to our Living Dangerously main event ladder match…..

 

…..before he manages that though, Shane Douglas and the newly formed Triple Threat come walking into shot…..with the massive Hellraiser towering over the ECW play by play man…..

 

…..Shane says that he’s heard Joeys commentary recently…..particularly around the Triple Threats treatment of Tommy Dreamer and Beulah…..as well as the suggestion that Styles was hoping to see Douglas lose the Television Title to Jerry Lynn at Living Dangerously…..

 

”…..and I gotta tell ya Joe…..after competing TWICE at Living Dangerously…..victoriously both times I might add…..it’s a little bit insulting to hear you say that…..here you have the true definition of a Franchise Joey Styles…..a fighting champion…..a leader of the next generation (just ask Chris and Hellraiser what I did for their careers)…..I’m an equal opportunity wrestler, I’ll beat anyone up, just ask Beulah…..I’m willing to give young upstarts like Jerry Lynn the chance to sign on the dotted line for the biggest opportunities of their lives…..

 

…..so why don’t you tell me to my face how you want me to lose this title…..”

 

…..Joey does not do that (probably a wise decision since Hellraiser is clearly ready to deal with any disrespect sent Shane Douglas’ way physically) instead choosing to ask Douglas his view on the ECW Title Ladder Match that we are about to see…..

 

…..Douglas says that it doesn’t matter who wins the match…..because whoever holds that title is only holding on to it until The Franchise decides he wants it…..for now, all three men are lucky that Shane Douglas is focused on the Television Title…..

 

…..Joey says that since Shane has decided to interrupt this time, before they DO go to the Living Dangerously main event, why doesn’t Douglas watch these comments…..

 

…..from Rob Van Dam…..

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/kPbwgcK.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/2Mrb4ZF.jpg">

 

…..Rob Van Dam, Bill Alfonso, AND Sabu actually…..

 

…..Fonzie blows that whistle like the annoying pr!ck that he is, before screaming at the camera that Taz has the nerve to threaten him? HIM?!? The man who calls it right down the middle?!?…..

 

”…..Taz! My man Rob Van Dam already beat you once…..and if that wasn’t bad enough for you, my man Sabu is going to return the favour that you did for him…..because while you couldn’t finish the job, he’s going to break your freaking neck and cripple you for life daddy…..”

 

…..Van Dam calms Fonzie down, telling him to chill, before moving the little manager to one side so that the spotlight is entirely on him…..

 

…..he says that that’s all well and good…..Sabu can go off and play with Taz…..

 

”…..but me, I already beat him, so they way I see it, it’s time for Mr. Monday Night to pick up some gold around here…..and since everybody knows that Rob Van Dam is the hottest thing on tv, it just makes sense for him to be the Television Champion…..

 

…..so Shane Douglas, that means you…..and that means your belt…..so when you’re done playing around with the bit part players and extras like Tommy Dreamer and Jerry Lynn, I’ll be waiting…..and I’ll show you that I’m not just the star of the show…..

 

…..I’m the Whole F#@king Show…..

 

…..Rob…..Van…..Dam…..”

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/JGitnne.jpg">

 

…..back to (a visibly smirking) Joey Styles…..and Shane Douglas is not impressed…..he asks who the hell Rob Van Dam has beat to think he’s qualified to be challenging for the Television Title?…..

 

…..Joey pauses for a moment…..before simply saying ”Taz…..

 

…..in fact, Rob Van Dam has won a lot more matches around here than say a Jerry Lynn…..and I thought that ‘The Franchise’ was all about ‘giving young upstarts a chance to sign on the dotted line, for the biggest opportunities of their lives?’…..you did say that a few minutes ago right?…..I mean, we have it on tape, I can get the guys to wind it back so we can check…..”

 

…..Douglas tells Styles to shut up…..he says that he knows what he said…..and yes…..Rob Van Dam can indeed sign his name on the dotted line for a shot at the TV Title…..

 

”…..but he’ll have to get in line…..I got a hundred guys already lined up for an opportunity at the big one…..I’d kick Van Dam’s ass tomorrow but fair is fair Joey Styles…..I’m a man of my word and I can’t just be letting people jump the queue like that…..”

 

…..Shane says that if RVD wants a little taste of the Triple Threat, then he can try his luck with Chris Chetti…..with Hellraiser…..and if (“and it’s a big, goddam if”) he is still walking after that, then maybe…..MAYBE Shane will do him the honour of letting him get his ass Franchised…..

 

…..come on now Shane…..

 

…..as if you didn't have enough problems with Tommy Dreamer…..

 

…..now you’re going to try and duck RVD too?…..

 

……let’s get to the show closer already…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/JLrJDTk.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/9EtUwrO.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/Vi7pLeg.jpg">

 

ECW Championship: Ladder Match

 

…..okay, so here we are…..it’s main event time, as Terry Funk finally gets the shot he wants at the ECW Championship, even if it’s not in quite the manner he envisioned…..

 

…..Justin Credible rode into the land of Extreme only a short while ago, but he’s already made a big impression and shot straight to the top of the card with his actions (coupled with the fact that he’s insanely over by ECW standards thanks to his previous association with the KLiQ over the course of last year) and in his mind, all that remains is to capture the title that will make him the man around here…..

 

…..as for the Sandman…..well, he just wants a fight, a beer, and a cigarette…..so this is a standard evening for him…..

 

…..on paper, it was a stroke of genius by Credible to get this match changed to a Ladder Match at the last minute…..he’s easily the most athletic of the three, the fastest of the three, definitely the least broken down of the three…..the biggest problem he’s going to have, is that his opponents are certifiably insane…..and he’s just handed them a huge metal weapon to beat on him with……

 

…..and beat on him they do…..

 

…..as soon as the bell rings the ladder aspect to this “match” goes right out of the window for Sandman and Funk, because they go straight for Credible, brawling around ringside before finally tossing him into the crowd as they beat the snot out of the 24 year old upstart…..

 

…..eventually Funk and Sandman get bored of abusing Credible and turn their attention to each other, and Credible's game plan becomes clear as he bides his time and waits for his two opponents to be occupied with each other, before attempting to climb that ladder, getting close to snatching the title a number of times, but getting stopped in the nick of time on each occasion…..

 

…..they go through a couple of ladders here too…..Sandman lays one between the between the apron and the guardrail, laying Credible on top before leaping off the turnbuckles with a leg drop that breaks both the ladder AND his opponent in two…..

 

…..Funk goes to an old faithful of his as he places a ladder on his head and spins around like a deranged helicopter, smashing the steel into the faces of both Credible and Sandman…..

 

…..Sandman drops a trash can over the head and then begins beating the holy hell out of it with a Singapore Cane…..Credible again tries to use this opportunity to climb the ladder to retrieve the title, but Sandman realises at the last second and rolls into the ring, upending the ladder and sending Justin flying from high above the ring and crashing down through a table on the floor that puts him out of commission for some time……

 

…..Funk and Sandman continue to beat on each other while Credible is down, culminating in Funk piledriving the Champion through a table on the outside…..

 

…..Terry takes his time sliding a ladder into the ring, and by the time he’s done setting it up his two opponents are beginning to pull themselves back to their feet on the outside…..Funk sees this and repositions the ladder by the ropes, climbs up…..and like the crazy old man that he is, hits a moonsault from the ladder inside the ring, down to the floor, and on top of his two opponents…..

 

…..all three men are bleeding like crazy…..Funk is first back to his feet and heads back inside the ring…..he positions the ladder and climbs, and is finger tips away from the gold when the Sandman climbs up to meet him…..the two men trade blows at the top, before Funk finally gets the upper hand, hitting Sandman with a series of headbutts, before shoving the champion backwards off the ladder…..

 

…..Funk takes a moment to regain his senses (what’s left of them anyway) before again attempting to reach for the title…..Credible is back in the ring and climbing the ladder though…..

 

…..and he has a Singapore Cane wrapped in barbed wire in his hand…..

 

…..he reaches the top and is met straight away by the fists of the veteran, and again Funk goes for the heatbutt that worked with Sandman…..it does shake Credible, but it knocks Funk silly too after only performing the same series of blows a few moments ago…..

 

…..Credible lays the barbed wire cane across the top of the ladder and slams Funk face first into it a few times, knocking him even loopier, before snatching up the weapon, winding back, and nailing Funk full force between the eyes with the barbed wire weapon…..

 

…..Funk wobbles…..then falls backwards with a flat back bump to the mat…..

 

…..Credible reaches up…..

 

…..unhooks the title…..

 

…..and we have a brand new ECW Champion…..

 

…..and that’s not just the coolest, that’s not just the best……

 

…..that my friends…..

 

…..is Justin Credible…..

 

Winner: and New ECW Champion…..Justin Credible

Rating: B

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/O8h2RnD.jpg"><img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/iS7dZKF.jpg">

 

…..Credible is a broken and bloody mess, but Buford T. Pinkerton is out there quick as a flash to help his hand picked representative to his feet…..

 

…..the crowd are far from pleased and (this being an ECW crowd) are very vocal about their displeasure…..Buford and Credible could care less though, as they celebrate the victory…..

 

…..they are somewhat rudely interrupted by the arrival of one Paul E. Dangerously though, who comes walking out with microphone in hand…..

 

…..he tells Buford that since the event is now over, he can tell him exactly how he feels about him without danger of closure and denying this crowd the event that they paid to see…..

 

”…..and how I feel about you ‘sir’…..is that you’re a fat…corporate…bureaucratic piece of sh!t…and the only thing stopping me from coming down there and slapping the crap out of you myself, is that we still need to hold events in your state…..

 

…..but believe me when I say, you can’t protect your chosen little pet project there indefinitely…..

 

…..in FACT…..

 

…..next month…..

 

…..you won’t be able to protect him at all…..

 

…..because we will be holding a little event on pay-per-view, called Wrestlepalooza…..

 

…..and the Pennsylvania Athletic Committee won’t have to worry about it being too violent…..too hardcore…..too extreme…..

 

…..because it will be coming from the Elks Lodge…..

 

…..in New York City, New York…..

 

…..so you sir….

 

…..can respectfully….

 

…..kiss MY New York ass…..”

 

…..Credible and Buford aren’t happy about this development, particularly when Dangerously tells them that if they thought tonight was hardcore, just wait and see how extreme things are going to be next month…..

 

”…..because I have an entire locker room waiting to make you bleed like the little b!tch that you are…..

 

…..good luck ‘champ’…..

 

…..you’re going to need it…..”

 

Rating: B+

 

Final Rating: B

 

 

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:50%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/qQa1c6l.jpg">

 

WWF Championship: Triple Threat Match

Brian Pillman © vs. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin

Comments:

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match

Chris Jericho © vs. Dean Malenko

Comments:

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Four Corners Match

Ric Flair & Arn Anderson © vs. Snow & Skippy vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. Dustin Rhodes & Marc Mero

Comments:

 

WWF European Championship: Harlem Street Fight

Booker T © vs. Stevie Ray

Comments:

 

Hair vs. Hair Match

The Wolfpac (Scott Hall & Sean Waltman vs. The Million Dollar Corporation (Jeff Jarrett & Rich Steiner)

Comments:

 

The Undertaker vs. Raven

Comments:

 

Kevin Nash vs. Scott Steiner

Comments:

 

Kane vs. Mankind

Comments:

 

Rey Mysterio vs. Owen Hart

Comments:

 

Bradshaw, Faarooq, Nelson & Scorpio vs. The Nation of Domination (Ahmed Johnson, Kama, D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry)

Comments:

 

*Free-for-All Match*

Steve Blackman vs. Savio Vega

Comments:

 

[DHK1989]

WWF Championship: Triple Threat Match

Brian Pillman © vs. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match

Chris Jericho © vs. Dean Malenko

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Four Corners Match

Ric Flair & Arn Anderson © vs. Snow & Skippy vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. Dustin Rhodes & Marc Mero

 

WWF European Championship: Harlem Street Fight

Booker T © vs. Stevie Ray

 

Hair vs. Hair Match

The Wolfpac (Scott Hall & Sean Waltman) vs. The Million Dollar Corporation (Jeff Jarrett & Rich Steiner)

 

The Undertaker vs. Raven

 

Kevin Nash vs. Scott Steiner

 

Kane vs. Mankind

 

Rey Mysterio vs. Owen Hart

 

Bradshaw, Faarooq, Nelson & Scorpio vs. The Nation of Domination (Ahmed Johnson, Kama, D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry)

 

*Free-for-All Match*

Steve Blackman vs. Savio Vega

[TheAwesomeZero101]

<p>Sad to see this come to an end, but excited to see how you end it off. Let's get to the predictions </p><p> </p><p>

WWF Championship: Triple Threat Match</p><p>

Brian Pillman © vs. Bret Hart vs. <strong>Steve Austin</strong></p><p>

Comments: It has to be Austin's time, matches with real life and gets him the big win over his two biggest rivals.</p><p> </p><p>

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match</p><p>

<strong>Chris Jericho ©</strong> vs. Dean Malenko</p><p>

Comments: Going with the swerve, as I have a feeling Deano is going back to WCW. </p><p> </p><p>

WWF Tag Team Championship: Four Corners Match</p><p>

Ric Flair & Arn Anderson © vs. <strong>Snow & Skippy </strong>vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. Dustin Rhodes & Marc Mero</p><p>

Comments: Snow and Skippy have been the best tag team in this and deserve a proper title reign to cap it off. </p><p> </p><p>

WWF European Championship: Harlem Street Fight</p><p>

<strong>Booker T ©</strong> vs. Stevie Ray</p><p>

Comments: Booker needs to win to prove that he doesn't need Stevie to look out for him. </p><p> </p><p>

Hair vs. Hair Match</p><p>

<strong>The Wolfpac (Scott Hall & Sean Waltman)</strong> vs. The Million Dollar Corporation (Jeff Jarrett & Rich Steiner)</p><p>

Comments: I just don't like Double J and I think Wolfpac need a win at Mania. </p><p> </p><p>

The Undertaker vs. <strong>Raven</strong></p><p>

Comments: Raven has been one of your strongest written characters and I feel this is the match to take him to the next step of title contention. </p><p> </p><p>

Kevin Nash vs. <strong>Scott Steiner</strong></p><p>

Comments: Big Poppa Pump has to win his final match as the MVP of this diary and he probably would challenge Austin after Mania. </p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Kane </strong>vs. Mankind</p><p>

Comments: I think poor Mankind is going to be kicked out of the Corporation. </p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Rey Mysterio</strong> vs. Owen Hart</p><p>

Comments: Just a feeling that Mysterio's next for Jericho/ </p><p>

</p><p><strong>

Bradshaw, Faarooq, Nelson & Scorpio</strong> vs. The Nation of Domination (Ahmed Johnson, Kama, D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry)</p><p>

Comments: I think NOD have run their course and are splitting after this. </p><p> </p><p>

*Free-for-All Match*</p><p>

<strong>Steve Blackman</strong> vs. Savio Vega</p><p>

Comments: Blackman's cool</p>

[MisterRomanini]

This has been probably my favourite TEW Dynasty on any game that I've followed and it's bittersweet to see it end after almost FIVE YEARS. At the same time, I can't wait to see what's in store.

 

WWF Championship: Triple Threat Match

Brian Pillman © vs. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin

Comments:

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match

Chris Jericho © vs. Dean Malenko

Comments:

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Four Corners Match

Ric Flair & Arn Anderson © vs. Snow & Skippy vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. Dustin Rhodes & Marc Mero

Comments:

 

WWF European Championship: Harlem Street Fight

Booker T © vs. Stevie Ray

Comments:

 

Hair vs. Hair Match

The Wolfpac (Scott Hall & Sean Waltman vs. The Million Dollar Corporation (Jeff Jarrett & Rich Steiner)

Comments:

 

The Undertaker vs. Raven

Comments:

 

Kevin Nash vs. Scott Steiner

Comments:

 

Kane vs. Mankind

Comments:

 

Rey Mysterio vs. Owen Hart

Comments:

 

Bradshaw, Faarooq, Nelson & Scorpio vs. The Nation of Domination (Ahmed Johnson, Kama, D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry)

Comments:

 

*Free-for-All Match*

Steve Blackman vs. Savio Vega

Comments:

[Dawn]

Brian Pillman - the GOAT has to finish one legendary diary on top!

Chris Jericho

New Age Outlaws

Booker T

The Wolfpac

The Undertaker

Scott Steiner

Kane

Rey Mysterio

Nation of Domination

Savio Vega

[to4sty]

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/6dxrpQG.jpg">

 

Week 4, March 1998

Fleet Centre (Boston, Massachusetts)

ATT: 20,000

PPV BUY: 1.22

Announce Team: Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler & Ravishing Rick Rude

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/kXjgb1c.jpg">

 

…..the time is finally on us…..it’s Wrestlemania Sunday folks, and if you were in any doubt at all as to the spectacular that waits for you, Kevin Kelly is on hand to urge you to call your local cable operator, because you only have one hour to snap up the hottest ticket in town…..

 

…..we’re going to see Steve Blackman facing off against Savio Vega in this very hour…..but before that, let’s run down matches that are waiting for you on the other side of this Free For All…..

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/mG6Qmq5.jpg">

 

There are a number of matches this Wrestlemania that have plenty of history behind them….but this match between Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner is the culmination of a story that has gone full circle over the course of the last two years…..

 

…..much like Kevin Nash in 1994, Scott Steiner became only the company’s fifth triple crown champion (behind Pedro Morales, Bret Hart, Diesel and Shawn Michaels) and (yes, while he held the WWF Tag Team Titles back in 1993) he did it in one calendar year, capturing the tag titles again in March of 1996 at Wrestlemania XII, the Intercontinental Championship in December of 1996, and the WWF Championship in March of 1997 at Wrestlemania XIII…..

 

…..and I say this story has gone full circle, because it was Kevin Nash and Scott Hall that ended Steiner’s tag title reign in May of 1996…..following that it was the KLiQ that put Rick Steiner on the shelf (which eventually caused the elder Steiner to turn on his brother, christening himself Rich Steiner as a member of the Million Dollar Corporation) during Scotty’s breakout (but unsuccessful) attempt to become WWF Champion at the 1996 King of the Ring, with Nash and Steiner coming to blows more than once over that period of months…..

 

…..fast forward to March 97 and Steiner was again embroiled in a feud with Shawn Michaels and the KLiQ over the WWF Championship…..except this time he actually had an assist from Kevin Nash, who had long had enough of the Heartbreak Kids shit, as he finally captured the companies top prize…..

 

…..from there Nash, Hall and Waltman formed the Wolfpac, as well as somewhat of an amicable relationship with Big Poppa Pump, so much so that the four men actually teamed up to face the Hart Foundation at the 1997 Survivor Series…..

 

…..and that’s where it all went wrong…..

 

…..because whether it was habit or familiarity, unfortunately the Wolfpac somewhat ignored Steiner during the match itself, tagging in and out amongst each other, to the point that Scotty walked out of the match in frustration, costing the team the match…..

 

…..he did the same the following night too…..leaving Kevin Nash high and dry against the New Age Outlaws, who defeated Big Sexy in what was for all intents and purposes a handicap match…..

 

…..the two attempted to patch up their differences at Decembers In Your House: Dead Man Walking event, when they challenged then champions Harlem Heat for the tag team titles…..this time Steiner didn’t leave Nash high and dry…..but he DID lay him out cold with a lead pipe between the eyes…..and then things got really heated…..Hall and Waltman made their way out immediately following the match to berate Scotty, but a low blow by Sable (followed by a lead pipe assault from Steiner) saw the entire Wolfpac taken out by Big Poppa Pump…..

 

….from there we moved on to the Royal Rumble, which saw then champion Scott Hall lose the Intercontinental Title to Chris Jericho as a result of Scott Steiners interference…..

 

…..Big Poppa Pump then moved on to the Royal Rumble match itself, and after promising to repeat his win from the previous year, he seemed well on his way to doing that…..Scotty was tossing people left and right, spending a good portion of his Rumble time alone in the ring because he was eliminating people the moment they stepped foot into the ring…..

 

…..at least until Kevin Nash arrived…..because Big Sexy sent Big Poppa packing…..

 

…..Nash did well in the match too, making it all the way to the final four…..he might have won the whole thing too, had Scott Steiner (the sore loser that he is) not made his way back out, lead pipe in hand, to nail Kev between the eyes enabling Owen Hart to tip the big man over the top rope…..

 

…..Rich Steiner spent most of January and February attempting to recruit his brother to the Million Dollar Corporation…..and while Scotty declined the offer, he did enter into a reluctant partnership with Ted DiBiase’s men (mainly because Scott Hall and Sean Waltman were having their own issues with the Corporation) a partnership which saw the Steiner Brothers reunite on Raw for the first time in seven months, as they took on the two men who defeated them for the tag team titles back in May of 1996, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall…..

 

…..and much like in May, it was the Wolfpac pair that came out on top…..

 

…..February’s In Your House offering, No Way Out, saw Kevin Nash face Bret Hart, with The Hitman’s guaranteed World Title opportunity on the line…..it was a battle of the Scott’s too, with Steiner facing Hall…..and again, much like at the Royal Rumble, Nash and Steiner each cost the other their respective matches that evening…..

 

…..from there things got pretty intense, with Steiner and Nash wreaking havoc at pretty much every show, to the point that they were finally granted a shot at each other at Wrestlemania…..under the condition that they don’t lay a single finger on each other…..a clause which Scott Steiner took advantage off the second pen had been put to paper, beating the holy hell out of Sean Waltman, while Nash could only sit back and watch…..

 

…..of course that was never going to go unanswered…..and while Big Sexy couldn’t lay a hand on SCOTT Steiner, RICH Steiner was right there for the taking…..and after The Wolfpac defeated The Million Dollar Corporation on Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago, Nash took all of his frustration out on the elder Steiner, Powerbombing him off the stage…..

 

…..which brings us pretty much up to speed…..and after not being able to lay a finger on each other for weeks, you’ve got to think that these two men are absolutely going to explode the second that bell rings…..who’s going to come out on top? I guess we’ll find that out very soon.

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/ReEuVtl.jpg">

 

For the first time since Bret and Owen Hart back in 1994, we have a brother vs brother match at Wrestlemania, as the former Harlem Heat go to war…..unlike the Hart Brothers contest however, there is more than pride on the line here, and it’s unlikely to be quite the technical affair of its predecessor either…..because not only is the European Championship is on the line here, but the match itself is set to be a Harlem Street Fight…..

 

…..so how did this escalate to such an extent? Remarkably it started while Harlem Heat were at the height of their success and standing tall as the WWF Tag Team Champions…..

 

…..it was during this time that Ahmed Johnson (who had just remodelled the Nation of Domination) approached the Champions with an offer to join his ranks…..

 

…..on paper it wasn’t a bad offer…..the Heat had team after team lined up wanting a shot at the gold, but not only that, they were on the receiving end of numerous backstage assaults from the pairing of Ric Flair and Arn Anderson…..Ahmed’s offer was simple, join the Nation, and they would have all the back-up they needed…..

 

…..Stevie initially responded positively to the offer…..Booker T however didn’t feel they needed the assistance, nor did he agree with the methods employed by The Nation, turning the offer down, much to the disappointment of his brother…..

 

…..Stevie was even more disappointed when his knee was almost destroyed courtesy of Arn Anderson and a tire iron…..then disappointed further when he and his brother LOST the tag titles to The Nature Boy and The Enforcer at the 1997 Royal Rumble, resulting in Stevie Ray spending a few weeks on the shelf…..

 

…..in those few weeks, Booker T was granted a shot at Jeff Jarrett and the European Championship…..again the Nation offered to watch his back…..again the Nation offered both Booker and Stevie spots in the group…..again Booker said no…..

 

…..in the run up to the match Stevie Ray returned, and Harlem Heat faced off against Jarrett’s Million Dollar team mates Southern Justice…..Harlem Heat won…..but not without some help from the Nation, something that Booker T wasn’t pleased about…..again Ahmed offered them a spot…..again Booker turned it down, leading to a frustrated Ahmed telling BOTH Harlem Heat members that the clock was ticking, and if they weren’t WITH the Nation, then they must be against the Nation…..

 

…..and you don’t want to be against the Nation…..

 

…..to prove this point, the Nation cost Booker T a match against Raven…..Raven being Raven meant that he and Jake Roberts assaulted Booker in a two on one assault post match…..the Nation stood on at ringside, with Ahmed telling Booker they can stop this right now, all he has to do is join the Nation…..Booker refused again, so Ahmed and company turned and walked to the back, leaving Raven and Roberts to put Booker T down…..and hard…..

 

…..not an ideal warm up for his European Championship match…..

 

…..a match that took place at February’s In Your House: No Way Out event…..

 

…..again the Nation made an appearance mid match, but Stevie Ray comes running out, telling Ahmed to take his men and leave, Booker doesn’t want their help…..Ahmed acquiesces, and the Nation walk…..unbeknownst to Booker however, Stevie decides to lend a helping hand, tripping Double J right into a Book End and handing his brother his first singles gold here in the WWF…..

 

…..post match Booker sees the replay and is furious, telling Stevie he didn’t want to win like that, but Stevie says that he didn’t do it for Booker, he did it for himself…..

 

…..then he laid out his brother, officially aligning with the Nation…..

 

…..Stevie tells Booker that he helped him win that title for one reason only, so that Stevie could take it away from him himself…..

 

…..to prove a point Booker puts the gold on the line against the former champion, this time winning with no help from anyone…..before accepting the challenge of his brother…..however, since Stevie is insistent that Booker has “gone soft” with his goody two shoes ways, Booker has another point to Prove…..telling Stevie he’ll put the title on the line at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..in a Harlem Street Fight…..

 

…..now can you dig that?…..

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:60%;

"src="https://i.imgur.com/3SiyhBp.jpg">

 

Much like our hair vs hair match, this bout between Rey Mysterio and Owen Hart has also stemmed from association…..the real story here began around the ongoing feud between Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho, with a throwaway (and deliberately belligerent) line from Chris Jericho being the spark between Mysterio and Hart…..

 

…..after spending months belittling the (now defunct) light heavyweight division, Chris Jericho didn’t take kindly to Malenko referring to Mysterio as the premier junior heavyweight performer that he had ideals of facing when he first came into the WWF……Jericho took offence to this, stating that not only was HE the premier light heavyweight athlete, but Owen Hart was the INNOVATOR of the Light Heavyweight movement…..

 

…..Jericho (falsely) claimed that everything you see today in Mexico…..in Japan…..Europe…..America…..every lucha star, every high flying Cruiserweight…..everything……it’s all based off the style that Owen Hart invented…..and never one to let the truth get in the way of a good story, Owen Hart embraced this claim and ran with it…..something that Rey is keen to prove wrong…..

 

…..Owen faced Dean Malenko on an episode of Raw (in a match that obviously saw interference from Chris Jericho) but his light heavyweight claims were somewhat rebuffed after Mysterio made his way out to even up the odds, leading to Malenko picking up a HUGE victory as he actually made Hart submit to the Texas Cloverleaf…..causing an irate Owen to declare post match that…..

 

”…..I’ve never been so disrespected in all my life…..don’t you know who I am? I’m Owen Hart…..I’m the reason that ALL you so called Light-Heavyweights have a career…..you know what, I’m GLAD Chris Jericho took the division away from you all…..you don’t deserve it…..you don’t deserve to walk through the door that I opened for you….. well enough is enough…..Dean Malenko you little punk, my personal protégé Chris Jericho will end your miserable little career at Wrestlemania, but Rey Mysterio, you’re all mine you little Mexican Jumping Bean…..”

 

…..Mysterio was happy to accept the challenge, and so the match was set…..and Owen’s delusion about his trailblazing grows, as he defeats Billy Kidman on Raw, then assaults Rey mid promo, walking away with a loud ”Woooooo, Trailblazer!” declaration…..

 

…..and with only one week to go before Wrestlemania, the Hart Foundation pairing of Owen Hart and Chris Jericho teamed up to face Mysterio and Malenko…..and if Owen’s disrespect wasn’t bad enough already, it took itself up a notch here after he whipped the mask off the face of the youngster, leaving Test to interfere and kick his head off…..Owen picked up an easy pinfall following that, and while his claims of being the innovator of the light heavyweight style might be laughable, this victory certainly won’t have done anything to dampen his delusions…..

 

…..that being said…..while Owen’s claims of being the innovator of the light heavyweight division are auspicious at best, Owen Hart IS a former tag team champion, a former intercontinental champion, as well as being a former King of the Ring winner…..

 

…..Owen Harts claims may be laughable…..

 

…..Owen Harts achievements are not…..

 

…..Rey Mysterio could be in for a very long evening…..

 

 

 

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Kevin Nash isn’t the only Wolfpac member that will be stepping into the ring with a Steiner brother at Wrestlemania, with Rich Steiner being a part of this huge hair vs. hair tag team match…..but truthfully, both Rich Steiner AND Scott Hall are more of bit part players in this feud, with the crux of the story revolving around Sean Waltman and Jeff Jarrett…..

 

…..the Million Dollar Corporation may have fallen into this feud by their loose association with Scott Steiner, but it soon became personal between Jarrett and Waltman in particular, after the Kid found himself sporting a neck-brace courtesy of a guitar shot from Double J…..

 

…..not about to take that lying down, Waltman made his presence felt as Jeff Jarrett put the European Title on the line against Booker T at No Way Out…..clearly not happy with Rich Steiner constantly interfering in the contest, Waltman made his way out (neck-brace and all) to even up the numbers, with Jarrett ultimately losing the gold to Booker…..

 

…..the following night, Jarrett informed Waltman that since he was responsible for Booker T taking something of his last night, Double J was going to take something from Waltman….. or that he was sure what, ”because looking at you you look and dress like a hobo without two nickels to rub together…..but I’m going to take SOMETHING from you and that’s a promise…..”

 

…..that same evening, Scott Hall faced off with Rich Steiner, but ultimately it was little more than a set up for the Corporation to get their revenge, as Jarrett again crushed the neck-brace wearing Waltman with that acoustic equaliser (as Steiner and Southern Justice took out Hall) before announcing that he knew what he was going to take from Waltman…..or rather, give…..

 

”…..because I can’t take his title, because he doesn’t have one…..can’t take his dignity, because he doesn’t have any…..can’t take his career, because he’s already on the injured list…..in fact, Sean Waltman…..you have NOTHING…..so if you have nothing worth taking and you already look like a little homeless street rat, maybe I’ll GIVE you something…..maybe I’ll give you a makeover…..”

 

…..a makeover that included trying to cut off a huge chunk of Sean Waltman’s hair…..

 

…..fortunately (before Jarrett can make the cut, Booker T makes his way out to return the favour from the night before, as the Corporation scarpered at that time…..

 

…..clearly Jarrett liked the idea though, as he began to attempt to shear off the hair of his opponents post match, often with Waltman (and Hall) making the save to put a stop to Jarretts make over attempts…..so much so that the frustrations between these two teams boiled over to the point that the challenge was levied for Wrestlemania…..

 

…..Sean Waltman and Scott Hall vs. Jeff Jarrett and Rich Steiner…..

 

…..hair vs. hair…..

 

…..yes one team is going to be walking out of Wrestlemania with a brand new look…..

 

…..and I don’t think they’re going to like it……

 

 

 

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When Dean Malenko first came into the World Wrestling Federation back in the early summer of 1997, he was very clear about the reason he had come…..he wanted to cement his place as the face of the WWF Light Heavyweight Division, and he wanted to do that by claiming the Light Heavyweight Championship from the man he claimed was the light heavyweight to beat…..Rey Mysterio…..

 

…..now for whatever reason, Chris Jericho took great offence to this remark…..

 

…..had Jericho been an active member of the Light Heavyweight division at this point then perhaps his reaction might have been justified…..but Jericho had spent the time leading up to this proclamation stating that he had surpassed the “little guys” and since he had already held the championship some months prior, he was moving on to bigger and better things…..

 

…..so just how petty is Chris Jericho?…..

 

…..so petty, that upon hearing Dean Malenko praise the then champion Rey Mysterio, he instantly proclaimed that HE was the greatest light-heavyweight of all time, and he was going to prove it……by putting his career on the line against the light heavyweight championship itself…..

 

…..yes, basically, if people weren’t going to acknowledge him as the greatest light heavyweight in history, he was going to take the championship away from the entire division……permanently……

 

…..so at Summerslam 1997, it was champion Rey Mysterio defending the title against former champion Scorpio, Dean Malenko…..and Chris Jericho……if Jericho lost, he was done…..career over…..but, if Jericho won, not only did he win the title, but the title (and division as a whole) was retired…..permanently……

 

…..so how petty is Chris Jericho?…..

 

…..he put his entire career on the line, just to win a title he didn’t want, so that no one else could win it again…..

 

…..so yeah…..

 

…..pretty petty…..

 

…..Jericho won the match…..won the title…..retired the division…..and BOY did he brag about it…..taunting Dean Malenko by continuing to wear the now defunct title belt…..

 

…..Malenko floundered slightly following that loss…..he lost again to Chris Jericho on a number of attempts, then with the loss of the light heavyweight division he turned his attention to the European championship…..

 

…..unfortunately he lost in that attempt too…..coming up short when he faced Jeff Jarrett at the Royal Rumble…..the same event that Chris Jericho captured the Intercontinental Championship…..and again, Jericho took GREAT pleasure in taunting the Man of 1000 Holds, giving him the light heavyweight title belt and telling him that since he wanted this so much (and since Jericho had Intercontinental gold now) Malenko can do what he wants with it…..except defend it…..because the division is dead…..

 

…..Jericho faced Matt Hardy on Monday Night Raw, defeating him and then joining in with Test to put the boots to Hardy…..

 

…..Dean Malenko and Rey Mysterio made the save that night, with Mysterio issuing a challenge to face Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship at In Your House: No Way Out…..

 

…..in the weeks leading up to that event Jericho and Test faced the team of Mysterio and Malenko, with the Hart Foundation team coming out on top when he defeated Malenko again…..

 

…..one week later, Malenko faced Test…..and thanks to Jericho he lost again…..

 

…..again a post match assault brought out Rey Mysterio, who saved Malenko from the hands (and boots) of Jericho and Test…..but a frustrated Malenko wasn’t happy, challenging Mysterio to face him one on one to determine the better man…..

 

…..the two faced off on Raw, and Malenko finally got a big win when he defeated Mysterio…..his elation quickly returned to frustration however, when video replay showed that Chris Jericho had a hand in his victory…..something that Jericho taunted him for, telling him that he only beat Mysterio because he had an assist from the Intercontinental Champion…..

 

…..at No Way Out, Rey Mysterio came up short in his efforts to become the Intercontinental Champion, and AGAIN was assaulted by Jericho and Test, which this time brought out Malenko to make the save…..

 

…..Malenko then made the challenge…..he wanted a shot at Jericho, he wanted a shot at the Intercontinental Championship…..and he would put anything on the line to do it…..

 

….Jericho laughed the challenge off, stating that he had defeated Bore-Us Malenko more times than he could count, and Malenko has nothing to put on the line…..

 

…..Malenko disagreed though…..he said he had the same thing to put on the line that Chris Jericho did back at Summerslam…..

 

…..his career…..

 

…..and Jericho accepted…..

 

…..Malenko finally picked up a huge win when he defeated Owen Hart on Raw, but that was followed up with ANOTHER defeat just one week before Wrestlemania, when Chris Jericho and Owen Hart defeated Dean and Mysterio in tag team action…..

 

…..and now, on the grandest stage of them all, Dean Malenko is about to put it all on the line, as he faces off against a man that he simply can’t seem to beat…..

 

…..yes if he wins, Dean Malenko will be going home as the new WWF Intercontinental Champion…..

 

…..but if he loses…..

 

…..and history dictates that he will…..

 

…..then Dean Malenko will simply be going home…..

 

…..for good…..

 

 

 

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In October of 1997, Mankind lost to Brian Pillman in a brutal Hell in the Cell match, thanks in no small part to the man who was at the time, Mr. McMahon’s Big Red Problem Solver, Kane…..

 

…..as a result of that match Mankind had to take an extended period of time to recover from the effects of his spill from the top of the cell…..one month passed, then two, until finally people had all but forgotten about Mankind…..

 

…..then at the 1998 Royal Rumble, Mankind returned from a three month hiatus…..right as Brian Pillman was challenging for the WWF Championship against the Undertaker, Mankind emerged to help his one time rival ascend to his throne as the Ruler of the Revolution…..

 

…..as for why Mankind would help his one time adversary, well, that one is pretty simple…..Mankind is just looking for a home…..Mankind is just looking for acceptance…..and as the memory of his many sacrifices faded from the memory of the fans, Mankind looked for acceptance from the only place he felt was available…..Vincent Kennedy McMahon…..and since Kane had turned his back on the Chairman to align with his brother, Mr. McMahon needed a NEW problem solver…..

 

…..enter Mankind…..

 

…..one month later, Brian Pillman put that newly won Championship on the line against the brother of the Deadman…..and once again Mankind was the difference, assisting Pillman once more, this time to RETAIN the WWF Championship against the Big Red Machine Kane…..

 

…..and Kane wasn’t happy about this…..

 

…..and had Raven not chosen this exact moment to unleash his own brand of hell upon The Undertaker and his extended family, Kane MAY have been unleashing hell of a different kind on Mrs. Foley’s baby boy…..but as it was, Kane’s attention was solely on the Deity of the Damned…..and if there is one thing we have learned…..

 

…..Mankind does NOT like to be forgotten about…..

 

…..so while Kane joined his brother in hunting down Raven, Mankind went out of his way to refocus the attention of Kane back on himself…..and while in all honesty, Kane would probably rather be facing Raven on this evening, he gets the next best thing…..he gets to unleash months of frustration out on a man who can take seemingly never ending levels of punishment…..

 

…..as for Mankind…..we have seen the lengths he will go to to seek the approval he so desperately craves…..how far is he going to have to go to put the Big Red Machine down?……

 

…..surely the question in this one isn’t going to be ‘who wins’…..

 

…..it’s going to be ‘who survives’……

 

 

 

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Challengers for any title here in the World Wrestling Federation are rarely few and far between…..but if you are looking for one of the most hotly contested championships in the company, then look no further than the WWF Tag Team Championships……so hotly contested in fact, that we couldn’t even narrow it down to a single number one contender team……instead we get the first four corners match in WWF history, as the Vince McMahons hand picked Corporate Champions put the gold on the line against Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero, the New Age Outlaws……and everybody’s favourite underdogs, Al Snow and Chris Candido…..or ‘Snow and Skippy’ if you ask Al…..

 

…..and Snow and Skippy have been after those tag titles (and feuding with the New Age Outlaws) for seemingly the best part of a year…..the two unlikely partners were thrown together in the free for all portion of Wrestlemania XIII, simply because creative had nothing for either man, and boy was Chris Candido a reluctant partner…..

 

…..but man did this team get over……

 

…..so over in fact that Chris Candido eventually turned down an offer to disband the team, growing accustomed to Al’s unique brand of eccentricity and eventually embracing it as the teams stock grew…..and it grew so much, that after months of trying they were FINALLY able to defeat the New Age Outlaws for the WWF Tag Team Titles, at October’s Bad Blood event…..

 

…..only to lose them straight back less than 24 hours later, when Sunny betrayed the oddball pairing to align herself with the Outlaws…..

 

…..and Mr. McMahon made it clear that he didn’t want Snow and Candido (well, Snow more than anything) anywhere near a title belt again…..so as challengers were lined up, Snow and Skippy had to head to the back of the line…..and after Harlem Heat were able to dethrone the Outlaws, McMahon used his considerable power to propel Ric Flair and Arn Anderson into the number one contender spot…..despite protests from Snow and Skippy, The Outlaws…..and surprisingly, the combination of Goldust and Marcus…..

 

…..or rather, Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero…..

 

…..because in late December, after McMahon made it clear that he wanted neither of the two more flamboyant characters in the WWF anywhere near the Tag Team Titles either, Rhodes and Mero adopted not only a more serious and darker look, but attitude too…..

 

…..Snow and Candido, The Outlaws, and now the team of Rhodes and Mero all made their case to challenge Harlem Heat at the 1998 Royal Rumble, but it was Flair and Anderson that got the nod, as McMahon looked to hand pick the superstars he deemed worthy of representing his company as Champions…..and frankly, neither of the other three teams handled the rejection particularly well……

 

…..in fact, they were rather troublesome…..

 

…..badgering McMahon for shot after shot, all the while generally brawling with each other and causing mayhem…..even Sunny and Terri got in on the action with more than one cat fight…..

 

…..eventually Mr. McMahon had enough, deciding that if the three teams wanted a shot that badly they could have one…..

 

…..just not with their chosen partners…..

 

…..instead he mixed the three teams up and made them compete against each other, with the dysfunctional pairing of Billy Gunn and Al Snow eventually winning the right to challenge Flair and Anderson at No Way Out…..

 

…..they came pretty close to winning too, despite their history with each other…..and had it not been for the interference of Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero, they may well have won…..

 

…..now obviously (since Snow and Gunn were planning to face each other the following night in a “winner takes both titles” match) this just lead to more brawling between the three teams, to the point that SOMETHING had to be done about it…..and remarkably, it was Al Snow that came up with a solution…..

 

…..because on a segment on Raw (as all three teams were once again moments away from exploding) he pulled up a clip on the Titantron…..a clip of Arn Anderson in a throwaway promo, causally mentioning that it didn’t matter which of the three teams they faced next…..hell, they could take on ALL three teams and still walk out the winners…..and that’s where Al’s lightbulb moment came from…..

 

…..he suggested that since everyone wants a shot, and since the champs claim they could beat all three teams at once, how about a four corners, winner takes all, tag team championship match…..

 

….at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..and for the first time, well, ever…..the six men finally end a segment without a single punch being thrown…..in FACT, they even leave together peacefully…..it sounded like a challenge had been made…..

 

…..cut from that to a backstage segment with McMahons corporation, and when Michael Cold asked the champs if they accepted the challenge, Flair laughed it off, saying that the champs pick their opponents, and that ain’t happening pal…..

 

…..unfortunately, Mr. McMahon was slightly fraught after dealing with a manic Brian Pillman and a Steve Austin that won’t go away, and snaps that actually HE makes the matches around here, NOT Ric Flair…..Vince said it was simple, take out Steve Austin tonight, get rid of the Rattlesnake before Wrestlemania, and Flair can make any match he wants…..but if Austin was still walking by the evenings end, then yes…..Al Snows suggestion will take place…..

 

…..and Steve Austin was NOT taken out that evening…..

 

…..which meant McMahon was pissed…..

 

…..so that match was made……

 

…..with an added stipulation…..

 

…..because since he was sick of dealing with this tag team drama, yes the team that won would be the tag team champions…..

 

…..but the team that lost…..

 

…..they’d be done as a team…..

 

…..finished, kaput, forced to disband…..

 

…..those are quite the stakes…..

 

…..and at least one team here will be having their last…..

 

…..just which one, we’ll find out very, very soon…..

 

 

 

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Had Gorilla Monsoon been on the call for this one, I think it’s safe to say that the phrase “they’ve had to reinforce the ring for this one” would have been uttered at least once…..because hoo boy is there a lot of beef in this one…..

 

…..initially this started out as Bradshaw against the Nation of Domination, but the seeds for the feud itself were planted long before…..because while the Nation might be on one side of this match, there are actually more original Nation members in the opposing team than there are in the Nation team itself…..

 

…..in fact Bradshaw is the only man in the entire match that’s never BEEN a member of the Nation…..

 

…..it was Faarooq who founded this group several years ago now, with the original incarnation consisting of himself, Kama, Nelson (and Bobby Knight….remember him?) and Scorpio…..

 

…..it was Faarooq’s expulsion of Nelson (and recruitment of D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry) that ultimately lead to his downfall…..because his handling in the fallout of that followed, is what got him kicked out of the group he founded…..

 

…..it was back in the lead up to the Survivor Series that Bradshaw first assembled a team to take on the Nation…..unfortunately for Faarooq, one of those team members was Nelson…..and the big man was on a mission to take him out, and frankly, Faarooq kinda ran…..and ran…..and ran again…..

 

…..it was at Decembers In Your House (after Farrooq running at the Survivor Series) that Nelson finally got his former leader alone in the ring…..and when Faarooq lost that match it was a step too far for the rest of the Nation…..who introduced him to their new leader…..

 

…..the Walking Armageddon, and former World Wrestling Federation Champion…..Ahmed Johnson…..

 

…..and Faarooq was violently dismissed from the group…..

 

…..Bradshaw continued his battle against the Nation…..but he was largely unsuccessful…..coming out on the loosing end against Ahmed…..who also defeated Nelson around this time, just to show Faarooq how a real leader takes care of business…..

 

…..Bradshaw wanted another shot against the former World Champion, but Ahmed told him he had nothing to gain by beating him again…..Ahmed told Bradshaw that he was so confident that he couldn’t beat a single member of the Nation (let alone him) that if he CAN, Ahmed would give him whatever match he wanted…..

 

…..it seemed that confidence was well placed after Kama took out Bradshaw in his first attempt…..Scorpio however wasn’t so successful, and after Bradshaw put him down for the three count, the big Texan claimed his prize…..a tag match against Ahmed and Scorpio…..his tag team partner? Well, the returning Faarooq of course…..

 

…..Faarooq got a measure of revenge the next week, defeating Scorpio (that’s consecutive losses for the former two time light heavyweight champion…..make a note of that) and to the surprise of everyone (himself included) he had some unexpected help as the Nation surrounded him post match, when Bradshaw bought big Nelson for backup…..

 

…..a week after that Scorpio lost (loss number three) to Billy Kidman after Faarooq and Bradshaw made an appearance, before we moved on to No Way Out, which saw Scorpio lose AGAIN, taking the fall in that tag team encounter involving Faarooq, Bradshaw and Ahmed Johnson…..

 

…..and Ahmed was NOT happy about that blemish on his record…..and with his recent form being less than stellar, Scorpio was treated to the same beating and expulsion that Faarooq received, before being banished from the Nation…..fortunately help was at hand, as Bradshaw and Faarooq returned to make the save before any permanent damage was done…..

 

…..and from there, the challenge was levied…..and eight man match at Wrestlemania…..Bradshaw, Faarooq, Nelson and Scorpio…..vs. Ahmed Johnson, Kama, D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry…..

 

…..for all intents and purposes we have the Nation of Domination vs. the Nation of Domination…..

 

…..and Bradshaw…..

 

…..hey Gorilla!….

 

…..I hope they’ve reinforced the ring…..

 

 

 

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This match right here might have one of the shortest builds of any match on this card…..but my god if it didn’t escalate quickly…..

 

…..Raven has been somewhat of an enigma since his arrival in the World Wrestling Federation…..seemingly more interested in collecting lost souls rather than title belts…..in fact, not only has the Deity of the Damned not had a single title opportunity since debuting back in 1996, but he’s never even so much as glanced in a champions direction…..

 

…..no, Raven has been more interested in lost souls rather than title gold, and there seems to be no limit to the depths that he will sink for his own sick pleasure…..

 

…..just ask Jake Roberts…..

 

…..Jake Roberts was a man reborn…..a man desperately trying to atone for the sins of his past…..a man who thought he could take the lessons taught to him by his priest and guide in life, to help make Raven a better man…..

 

…..he did not make Raven a better man…..

 

…..instead, Raven systematically broke him down week by week…..repulsed by Jakes venture into the path of good, Raven took the mentor of the Snake…..and crucified him…..assaulted him…..blinded him in one eye…..and then….THEN….after Jake Roberts journeyed through Ravens Divine Comedy…..through Ravens nine circles of hell….when he FINALLY got Raven in the ring, one on one, man to man…..Raven turned Jake’s own Man of God against him…..finally breaking Roberts and returning him to the dark side…..

 

…..so when Raven began cryptically calling SOMEONE out during the month of February, it wasn’t that much of a surprise…..if anything it was MORE of a surprise that he had a fairly standard mini-feud with the British Bulldog in the interim…..

 

…..Bulldog and Raven met at No Way Out in a fairly throw away match, with Raven coming out victorious…..the Deity of the Damned made it clear post match however, that Davey Boy Smith was NOT the mystery person he had been referencing in his promos…..

 

…..although that person was revealed on that very event…..

 

…..it was during the conclusion of the show that the lights went out, only for the Phenom to make his return to the WWF, following his absence in his World Title loss to Brian Pillman…..

 

…..and then the lights went off again…..

 

…..and when they came back on again, Raven was standing directly behind the Deadman, ready to strike…..

 

…..and strike he did…..with a steel chair to the skull…..followed by an Evenflow DDT to that same chair…..

 

…..as for why, Raven made the why very clear the following night…..

 

…..he interrupted the Deadman (from a distance) telling The Undertaker that he was no longer the Phenom that he once was…..he wasn’t the Lord of Darkness…..the monster under the bed…..he was nothing more than a man playing dress up…..

 

…..he told the Undertaker that the cheer of the fans, the adoptive father figure in Paul Bearer…..the reunion with his baby brother…..all of this made the Deadman mortal…..all of this was why the Undertaker was unable to defend his title successfully Brian Pillman…..

 

…..he was NOT the Phenom anymore…..

 

…..but he COULD be…..

 

…..Raven could set him free…..

 

…..all the Undertaker had to do, was come to him…..

 

…..well the Undertaker (and Kane) DID try to come to Raven…..the problem was, Raven was nowhere to be found…..he cut his initial promo from high up in the arena, and despite the Brothers of Destruction hunting for him all evening, he was nowhere to be found…..

 

…..he was nowhere to be seen the following week either…..not until he was ready to be seen anyway…..because as Kane and The Undertaker competed in the ring, Raven and Jake Roberts had taken Paul Bearer hostage in the back…..and as the brothers looked on in the ring, they have to watch their father figure get DDT’d into the concrete floor in the back by Jake Roberts, as Raven again invites the Deadman to come to him……

 

…..and if that wasn’t enough…..Raven pushed every boundary known to man one week later…..

 

…..because in perhaps his most depraved action yet, Raven sent Jake Roberts to the final resting place of the Deadman’s parents…..with a shovel…..gasoline…..and a lighter…..

 

…..and not only did he instruct Jake Roberts to dig up the graves, but he desecrated them in the most heinous of ways, dousing them with petrol…..

 

…..and setting them alight…..

 

…..while still imploring the Undertaker to come to him…..

 

…..now Raven may be deranged…..but he’s also a highly intelligent man…..which is probably why he decided that his company ECW (barbed wire and tables and all) was probably a safer working environment than being anywhere near the brothers of destruction following that display…..so he ventured down to Philadelphia to face Mikey Whipwreck, before calling out the Undertaker once more…..

 

…..he told the Deadman that he went to his home…..he visited the place where the Undertaker was forged…..before inviting the Undertaker to come to HIS home…..to the place that forged HIM…..come to Raven…..come to ECW…..come to him, because he will set the Deadman free…..

 

…..oh…..and just to show how little regard he has for anyone…..that same night he sent Jake Roberts to Raw…..as the sacrificial lamb…..

 

…..and Kane and the Undertaker decimated the Snake…..

 

…..before The Undertaker conducted a crucifixion of his own, as he strapped Jake Roberts to a representation of the Deadman’s symbol…..and hoisted him up as an omen to the fate of Raven…..

 

…..if he EVER gets his hands on him…..

 

…..one week later and Raven was STILL at the ECW arena, this time facing off against (and defeating) Tommy Dreamer…..and after cutting yet another promo calling the Deadman out, The Undertaker did what no one probably thought he ever would…..he walked out into the ECW arena, and made his way straight for Raven…..

 

…..he didn’t reach him though….

 

…..as is often the case, Raven has cronies to do his dirty work, as Stevie Richards, The Blue Meanie and Nova jumped the Deadman…..

 

…..they got their asses kicked…..

 

…..ECW style…..

 

…..and chokeslammed through some tables for good measure…..

 

…..but Raven again had left without trace…..

 

…..at Wrestlemania however there will be nowhere to go…..and for as much as Raven has avoided any and all contact with the Deadman to date, it’s safe to say that he VERY much wants to get his hands on the Undertaker too…..

 

…..mind games are all well and good…..but has Raven taken it one step too far with an Undertaker that is getting more unhinged by the week? Or is this exactly the Phenom that Raven WANTED to step into the ring with?…..

 

…..we’ll find out at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..this one could get very ugly……

 

 

 

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The main event of the evening is a match that sees reluctant Champion Brian Pillman defend his WWF Title against not one man, but two…..as for the first time in Wrestlemania, we have a triple threat match at the top of the card…..

 

…..and much like our Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner match elsewhere on the card, the origins of this one can be traced back to the King of the Ring 1996…..

 

…..you could argue that the King of the Ring was a coming out event for Scott Steiner (who challenged Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title on that night) but it also marked the beginning of the ascension of both Stone Cold Steve Austin (who defeated Bret Hart in the finals of the event) and The Loose Cannon (who turned on The Hitman to hand Austin that victory)…..

 

…..the former Hollywood Blondes then spent the majority of the rest of the year caught up in feuds with the Hart Foundation and the KLiQ, picking up a tag team run along the way…..with the Hitman complaining about getting “screwed” at every given opportunity…..

 

…..to be fair he may have a point…..

 

…..he was cheated out of the WWF Title at Wrestlemania XII…..cheated out of winning the Kimg of the Ring (and winning a number one contender shot……cheated out of regaining it when he DID finally get a shot at Summerslam…..cheated out of claiming the tag team titles (from Austin and Pillman) one month later at In Your House…..got ROYALLY screwed at the Survivor Series, when Vince McMahon showed his true colours to protect world champion Shawn Michaels, ensuring that (as per the match stipulation) neither Austin, Pillman or Bret could challenge for ANY title held by the KLiQ again…..

 

…..of course there was the small matter of the Royal Rumble…..win that and you can overwrite any stipulation right?…..

 

…..well sure, why not…..after all, Austin and Pillman managed to earn entry into the match (granted, they were forced to enter number 1 and number 2, but still) so why not Bret?……

 

…..unfortunately, to gain entry, he and Owen had to defeat the KLiQ (Hall and Nash) and……

 

…..yeah…..you guessed it…..

 

…..they got cheated out of the match…..

 

…..now here is where it gets interesting…..

 

…..because when Austin and Pillman DID qualify, not only did Vince force them to take the first two spots, he also guaranteed a WWF Title opportunity to any man that could eliminate them from the match…..which essentially meant that you could claim your title opportunity without even winning the Rumble…..just toss Austin or Pillman…..

 

…..huge targets right?…..

 

…..and a huge betrayal…..

 

…..because while Kevin Nash tossed Brian Pillman…..and SHOULD have earned himself a guaranteed title opportunity because of it, the officials didn’t see it…..

 

…..and as Nash and Austin went at it, Vince McMahon unveiled his master plan, telling Pillman to get back into the ring and “do it….do it now”……

 

…..”it” being Pillman sneaking back into the ring and dumping both Austin AND Nash out of the match……which meant that after being in the match for over 62 minutes (and making it to the final 6) Steve Austin was betrayed by the same man he saved from elimination on a number of occasions…..

 

…..and so the Loose Cannon became the Corporate Cannon…..

 

…..with the full weight of Mr. McMahon behind him, Pillman became embroiled in a bitter war with Steve Austin that culminated with a match at Wrestlemania 13…..the former partners opened the show with a good match (that was somewhat hampered by poor chemistry) that saw Austin gain his revenge by defeating the now Corporate Cannon…..

 

…..that victory was short lived though, with Pillman attacking (and Pillmanising Austin’s ankle) post match, in an assault that put the Rattlesnake on the shelf for a number of months…..

 

…..in the period immediately following Wrestlemania we saw the debut of Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, who quickly aligned themselves with McMahon (and Pillman) and with Austin out of action, the Corporate Cannon and his former Horsemen teammates turned their attention to both the newly formed Wolfpac, as well as the Hart Foundation……with Brian Pillman actually defeating Bret Hart on an episode of Raw in the run up to May’s In Your House event…..

 

…..an In Your House event in which Brian Pillman claimed the WWF Championship match that he earned by virtue of eliminating Steve Austin way back at the Royal Rumble…..

 

…..and with Austin on the shelf, nothing could go wrong right…..

 

…..except everything went wrong…..because the Rattlesnake returned…..distracting Pillman and costing him his opportunity at capturing the gold from then Champ Big Poppa Pump……

 

…..which took us nicely around to the King of the Ring 1997……one year removed from the 1996 event that saw the beginning of the Scott Steiner, Brian Pillman and Steve Austin ascensions……

 

…..the main event for the 1997 event?…..

 

…..why Scott Steiner vs. Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin of course……

 

…..for the World Wrestling Federation Championship…..

 

…..and one year on from Austin and Pillman screwing Bret Hart out of the King of the Ring crown (and championship opportunity that came with it) the Hitman returned the favour this year…..interfering in the match, causing a no contest and essentially screwing Austin and Pillman out of the gold…..

 

…..that’s some long term revenge right there…..

 

…..Brian Pillman (being the unpredictable individual that he is) decided to step away from this ongoing war for a respite, turning his attention to Dude Love (who had shed his Mankind persona at this point) instead…..Austin isn’t so quick to forget though, and had his problems with the Harts on and off through the month of July, to the point that his In Your House contest with Ahmed Johnson was almost over before it even began, with Bret and Owen bloodying the Rattlesnake before he even made it to the ring…..and if that wasn’t enough, they even interfered in the end of the match, with a steel chair shot courtesy of the Hitman being enough to hand Ahmed Johnson a huge victory…..

 

…..Summerslam quickly rolled around, and as Brian Pillman battled (and defeated) Dude Love, Bret Hart and Steve Austin faced off in an anything goes Street Fight, which saw The Hitman go over as a result of referee stoppage…..the Hart Foundation hit a four on one assault which left the Rattlesnake a bloody mess AGAIN, and when Austin passed out (not tapped out) while locked in the sharpshooter, the official had little other choice but to call the match…..

 

…..in other news from Summerslam, Shawn Michaels was sent packing from the WWF by Kevin Nash, which meant Brian Pillman was quick to fill the boots of the Heartbreak Kid as Mr. McMahon’s number one guy…..and he instantly cemented his place by defeating the man who had been WWF Champion just 24 hours earlier (when he lost the gold to Ahmed Johnson) Big Poppa Pump, Scott Steiner…..

 

…..the Harts slowly transitioned to a feud with the Wolfpac, mainly centred around both Bret and Nash looking for a World Title opportunity…..while Steve Austin…..

 

…..he Stunned Vince McMahon live on Raw…..

 

…..that REALLY got McMahon heated up…..and the following week he declared open season on The Rattlesnake…..promising title glory to anyone that took Austin out…..

 

…..of course all that meant was that Austin took it upon himself to strike first, Stunning his way through half the roster over the course of one night…..

 

…..the result of that (after Austin had Stunned the entire Nation) saw Stone Cold defeat Faarooq at Ground Zero, Brian Pillman defeat Dude Love (again) and Bret Hart cost Kevin Nash the WWF Championship in his match against Ahmed Johnson…..a favour which Nash returned the following night, costing Bret the WWF Title on Raw…..

 

…..Bret Hart entered into an uneasy alliance with McMahon and Pillman as October rolled around…..Vince was keen to get the WWF Championship back into the corporate camp, and had hand picked Brian Pillman as the man to do it…..but with that being said, he was happy for ANYONE not named Steve Austin to hold the gold, so if the Hitman could take out the Rattlesnake then a Championship was his……

 

…..and after beating Austin back at Summerslam, Bret did it again on Raw…..

 

…..which meant that while Stone Cold was relegated to dealing with Mr. McMahon’s “problem solver”, Kane at Badd Blood (and Brian Pillman upped the stakes in his ongoing feud with Mick Foley by defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match) Bret Hart was rewarded with a shot at the WWF Championship…..

 

…..a triple threat match that is…..

 

…..joined by Kevin Nash…..

 

…..there was interference galore from both the Hart Foundation and the Wolfpac, but eventually (then) Champion Ahmed Johnson was able to pick up the victory over Big Sexy…..

 

…..which left the Hitman feeling that (since HE wasn’t defeated) he deserved a rematch…..but there was still the unfinished matter of the Wolfpac to deal with…..

 

…..of course, Steve Austin felt that since he actually won at Badd Blood, then HE deserved a shot too…..

 

…..while Vince, well, he felt that Brian Pillman deserved a shot…..

 

…..so since the Hart Foundation was going to be facing the Wolfpac (and Scott Steiner) at the Survivor Series, Vince made a number one contenders match at that event too…..Team Austin vs. Team Pillman, with the winning team giving a world championship opportunity to their respective team captain……and since Vince is the boss, he chose the teams……

 

…..it was Team Pillman…..Brian Pillman, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Kane…….and Vince McMahon……

 

…..against Team Austin……

 

…..Steve Austin……Bart Gunn, Savio Vega, Bob Holly and Marty Jannetty…..

 

…..it was safe to say that Austin had the odds stacked against him…..

 

…..unsurprisingly Austin’s teammates were eliminated in short order…..which left The Rattlesnake at a five on one disadvantage…..and despite eliminating Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Kane single handedly, the odds were too much to overcome…..and to add insult to injury, it was McMahon that got the final pinfall on the Rattlesnake to hand his team captain (Pillman) a shot at the WWF Title…..

 

…..with that we moved onto Decembers In Your House event (aptly titled Dead Man Walking) which saw Brian Pillman challenge the Undertaker for the World Wrestling Federation Championship, while Bret Hart (finally finished with the Wolfpac) and Steve Austin faced off one more time to determine the next number one contender…..

 

…..Pillman came up short in his effort against the Deadman…..while Bret Hart defeated Austin for the third consecutive time, after McMahon enlisted Flair and Anderson to ensure the Rattlesnake didn’t come out victorious…..

 

…..that set us up nicely to roll into the Royal Rumble…..a Royal Rumble match that Bret Hart decided he didn’t need to enter…..mainly because he agreed to postpone HIS guaranteed title opportunity so that Brian Pillman could challenge the Deadman at the Rumble instead, under the agreement that Bret could claim his title shot on any night he so chose…..

 

…..McMahon agreed to the terms…..and even offered to sweeten the deal by granting Owen Hart the number 30 spot in the Rumble match itself if the Harts assisted Pillman in becoming world champion…..

 

…..which is exactly what they did…..as the Corporate Cannon defeated the Deadman, walking out of January as the new World Wrestling Federation Champion…..

 

…..Steve Austin DID enter the Royal Rumble…..much to the chagrin of the Chairman, who sent his corporation out to assault the Rattlesnake as he made his entrance, looking to eliminate him before he even stepped foot in the match…..

 

…..it didn’t work…..

 

…..Austin had to work for it…..but he did outlast 29 other men to win the 1998 Royal Rumble match…..and FINALLY claim his opportunity to challenge for the WWF Title at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..sort of…..

 

…..because while McMahon said he couldn’t out and out strip the Royal Rumble winner of his opportunity, he could damn sure make him defend it…..against the runner up of the Rumble, Owen Hart…..

 

…..and since Bret Hart claimed he was going to take HIS shot at Wrestlemania too, he could make him defend THAT opportunity against a man who guaranteed to take the shot BEFORE Wrestlemania…..Big Sexy Kevin Nash…..

 

…..unfortunately for Vince McMahon, while his Corporate Champion was able to walk out of No Way Out still holding the gold, both Hart and Austin walked out with their respective title opportunities too…..

 

…..and so, for the first time ever, we have a triple threat main event for the World Wrestling Federation Championship at Wrestlemania…..

 

…..Brian Pillman, Bret Hart, Steve Austin…..

 

…..three men who have been bound together in some form or other for almost two years…..

 

…..two men have been to the top of the mountain…..

 

…..one has not…..

 

…..two men have worn the World Wrestling Federation Championship…..

 

…..one has not…..

 

…..all three men want to walk out of this event with that title around their waist…..

 

…..two will not…..

 

…..all three men have fought with and against each other…..

 

…..but at Wrestlemania, it shall be every man for themselves…..

 

…..will Steve Austin finally achieve his ultimate goal? Will Bret Hart finally regain the title he’s felt screwed out of for two years?…..

 

…..or will Brian Pillman (and Mr. McMahon) continue to stand tall as the Corporate Face of the WWF…..

 

…..only time will tell…..

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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…..okay, enough with the hype…..let’s give the crowd what they’ve been waiting for!…..

 

…..okay, it’s Steve Blackman vs. Savio Vega…..so probably not what they were waiting for…..

 

…..but still!…..it’s a match!…..

 

…..this might be a very undercard feud (with one person people hardly know, and another they hardly care about) but it’s been kind of a hot one if you overlook the obvious overness issues…..

 

…..the match came about simply enough…..Steve Blackman was being interviewed in an effort to introduce him to the WWF audience following a Savio Vega match…..Savio took offence to this and tried to take out the rookie…..

 

…..Savio found out why they called Steve Blackman the lethal weapon…..

 

…..from there the two men brawled their way through a number of weeks (including one week which saw Savio attack Blackman at his own dojo) until the challenge was levied to meet each other in a match…..

 

…..and here we are…..

 

…..not a great match, not a particularly hot match…..but it was decent enough and it served its purpose…..which was to put Blackman over…..

 

…..the two men had a little back and forth affair which was competitive enough that Savio didn’t look like a complete jobber, but at the end of the day, Blackman is on his way up…..Savio is not…..

 

…..so Savio was counting the lights as we closed out the free-for-all…..

 

…..you want a good match you’re going to have to buy the show you cheap bastard…..

 

…..we’ll see you on the other side…..

 

…..for Wrestlemania XIV…..

 

Winner: Steve Blackman

Rating: C

 

 

[to4sty]

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/qQa1c6l.jpg">

Week 4, March 1998

Fleet Centre (Boston, Massachusetts)

ATT: 20,000

PPV BUY: 1.22

Announce Team: Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler & Ravishing Rick Rude

 

 

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…..it’s time for the marquee event of the WWF calendar year…..THE event…..the ultimate grand stage…..where careers are defined and legends are born…..it’s time, for Wrestlemania XIV…..

 

…..a lengthy hype video highlights the matches that we have ahead of us this evening, before the pyros erupt in the Fleet Centre, as we go down to our customary (pay-per-view) three men team of Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler & Ravishing Rick Rude, who welcome us all to what is sure to be a jam packed show, with JR looking forward to our main event of the evening…..

 

”…..because while the cards are stacked against him, come hell or high water, Stone Cold Steve Austin is here, and King, he wants that World Wrestling Federation title…..”

 

“…..how are the cards stacked against him Jim Ross?…..there are three men vying for the prize tonight…..if anything the cards are stacked against the champion, because he doesn’t even have to be pinned to lose his title…..that doesn’t seem fair if you ask me…..you’ve never defended a championship Ross, me and Ravishing Rick on the other hand have, and we know all about the champions advantage…..”

 

“…..that’s right Lawler, every advantage that comes with being the man holding the gold has been stripped away from Brian Pillman this evening, but for what it’s worth, my money is still on the Loose Cannon…..there’s always an air of unpredictability in these multi man matches, and there’s no one more unpredictable than Brian Pillman…..”

 

…..Jim Ross disagrees, stating that while Pillman and Hart are competing against each other his evening, they have worked together on a number of occasions (including helping Brian Pillman to win that WWF Title from the Undertaker to begin with) while Stone Cold has always been an island…..a man alone, with little regard for anyone or anything other than claiming that World Wrestling Federation Championship…..and while JR still thinks that the odds are against him tonight, he believes that you’re going to have to kill the Rattlesnake to stop him from walking out with the gold this evening…..

 

…..the trio continue to bicker about our main event, but as the sirens begin to blare throughout the arena, it looks like the discussion is going to have to wait…..because Big Poppa Pump is making his way out…..it’s time to get the action underway……

 

Rating: N/A

 

 

 

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…..and our opening match is set to be an emotionally charged one without a doubt…..because Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner are about ready to flat out kill each other…..

 

…..interestingly enough, while Brian Pillman and Steve Austin opened the show at last year’s Wrestlemania (and are set to close it this year) Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner were both present in the closing of last years show, and here they are opening the fourteenth annual edition…..by design or sheer coincidence? I’ll let you be the judge of that…..

 

…..the problems between these two men really came to a head at Survivor Series this past November, after Steiner walked out on Nash during their four on four Survivor Series match with the Hart Foundation…..in fairness to Scotty, he had been largely left out of the match (as the Wolfpac members tagged in and out between each other for the majority of the match) and after both Hall and Waltman were eliminated, Steiner took offence to Nash only then attempting to tag him into the action (when he had no other choice) and decided to leave him high and dry instead……

 

…..from there, things escalated to such a point that Vince McMahon himself decreed that neither of these two men could lay a finger on each other until the bell rang to signal the start of this match…..a fact that Steiner used to his advantage as Big Sexy makes his entrance, deliberately rolling to the floor and blocking the Wolfpac man from entering the ring, before out and out spitting in Nash’s face and flipping him the bird…..tactics that Rick Rude actually approves of…..

 

”…..because Kevin Nash is a man about ready to explode Jim Ross…..and all Scott Steiner is doing here is getting more and more inside his head…..Steiner took out Sean Waltman a few weeks ago and forced Kevin Nash to stand by and watch…..now he’s spitting right in his face…..Kevin Nash is an angry, angry man…..and angry men make mistakes…..”

 

…..Jim Ross points out that Scott Steiner also had to stand back and watch as Kevin Nash powerbombed his own brother Rich Steiner off the entrance way this past Monday night, but again, Rude says that wasn’t the same…..Kevin Nash actually likes his Wolfpac “brothers”, while Scott Steiner only gives a damn about two things, his freaks and his peaks…..

 

…..the bell finally rings, and this one gets underway…..

 

…..and Kevin Nash absolutely explodes on Big Poppa Pump…..

 

…..Rick Rude wasn’t kidding when he said that Nash was an angry man…..former WWF Champion or not, Scott Steiner simply cannot contend with his opponent in the opening minutes of this contest, as Nash beats the living sh!t out of him…..he nails him with blow after blow that drives him into the corner, where Nash continues to unload with strikes and knee blows, so much so that the official tries to pull him off Scott Steiner, only to get shoved halfway across the ring for his trouble…..something that JR remarks was very silly…..

 

”…..Kevin Nash is going to have to control his emotions here, because the official would be well within his rights to disqualify Big Sexy for laying his hands on him…..”

 

“…..and who would win the match then JR? Scott Steiner, that’s who…..I told you that Big Poppa Pump was in Nash’s head, it’s only a matter of time before he slips up….”

 

…..that may be the case, but it looks as though Scott Steiner is in for a hell of an ass kicking before it gets to that point…..

 

…..Nash goes back to beating on his opponent in the corner, until Steiner is finally able to break free, bailing to the outside for a reprieve that never comes, because Big Sexy is hot on his tail…..he nails Steiner in the back of the head with a running clothesline, before picking him up and dropping him (snake eyes style) on the guard rail, before driving his skull into the ring post and rolling him back into the ring…..

 

…..Nash climbs into the apron and steps one long leg over the top rope…..he gets caught by Sable on the outside though (who grabs onto the other foot of Nash) long enough that Steiner is able to nail Nash in the head with a hard right hand, before kicking the top rope hard enough for it to nail Big Sexy right in the balls……much to Rick Rude’s delight…..

 

”…..and that’s exactly what I was talking about Jim Ross…..Scott Steiner bode his time until an opportunity presented itself for him to take control…..that’s just good strategy…..”

 

“…..opportunity my Oklahoma ass…..he can thank Sable for that and nothing else…..”

 

…..I’m sure Scotty will be sure to thank her later…..for now he takes advantage of the prone Nash to drag him all the way into the ring, where he proceeds to return the favour from earlier as he pummels the crap out of Big Sexy…..

 

…..he whips Nash hard into the turnbuckles and follows up with a running clothesline to the corner…..series of right hands and then another Irish whip to the other corner with such force that Nash comes staggering back to the middle of the ring, where Steiner meets him with an impressive belly to belly (and bicep kiss) for a close two count…..

 

…..Scotty drapes Nash’s neck over the second rope and plants all his weight down on the back of his opponent, choking the life out of him as he screams obscenities at the top of his voice…..the referee finally forces a break, leading to Steiner screaming at HIM (as well as causing an opening for Sable to grab hold of Nash’s head, choking him even more, before slapping the taste right out of his mouth) and then dragging Big Sexy to the middle of the ring, dropping an elbow and then knocking out ten quick push-ups for good measure…..a strategy that Jim Ross questions…..

 

”…..Scott Steiner might want to concentrate less on working out his biceps, and more on his opponent…..Kevin Nash might be down right now, but if there’s one thing we know, putting Big Sexy down and KEEPING Big Sexy down, are two entirely different things…..”

 

…..he’s not wrong either…..because for all the posing, Steiner can’t keep Nash down…..Scotty sends Big Sexy into the corner with another Irish whip and goes charging in, looking for another corner clothesline…..this time however he’s met by the big boot of his opponent that plants him on his ass…..

 

…..and now Nash takes back control…..and he really fires back, cutting off everything Steiner can throw at him, before finally hoisting Scotty up onto his shoulder, dropping him onto the top turnbuckle with Snake Eyes, and then running straight through him with another Big Boot…..

 

…..then he drops the straps on his singlet…..

 

…..grabs hold of Steiner…..

 

…..and plants him right in the middle of the ring with the Jackknife Powerbomb, before making the cover…..

 

…..except the official doesn’t make the count…..

 

…..because he’s distracted by the presence of Sable up there on the apron…..

 

…..a frustrated Nash slaps his hand on the mat in anger, before getting to his feet and walking over to the number one freak…..reaching over to the apron…..and lifting her up and right into the ring…..

 

…..before putting her over his knee and giving her the spanking of her life…..

 

…..let’s not forget that misogyny was (regretfully) alive and well in 1998…..so it’s no surprise that the crowd eats this up…..as well as The King…..who remarks that he doubts that’s the first spanking Sable has received…..

 

”…..and I think she likes it JR…..”

 

…..whether she likes it or not remains to be seen…..but she served her purpose here…..because as the official assists her from the ring, he fails to see Big Poppa Pump nail Big Sexy in the back of the head with that patented lead pipe…..

 

…..Nash drops to the mat like a sack of crap, and Scotty tosses the pipe, before locking in the Steiner Recliner, just as the official returns his attention to the in ring action…..

 

…..the ref checks on Nash (who is out like a light) and raises (and drops) the arm three times, before calling for the bell and awarding the match to Scott Steiner…..

 

…..and when Kevin Nash wakes up…..you’ve got to think he’s not going to be happy about this outcome…..but at the end of the day, all that matters is that it’s Scott Steiner who gets a check in the win column tonight…..

 

Winner: Scott Steiner

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..Scotty and Sable make their way to the back, where the King remarks that he’s sure they have a BIG celebration ahead of them tonight…..

 

…..Rude is rather flippant at the result, stating that he predicted this all along, reiterating that Scott Steiner got in the head of Kevin Nash tonight, and Kevin Nash let emotion get the better of him…..again Jim Ross calls BS on that, stating that the only thing that got he better of Kevin Nash tonight were the numbers…..Kevin Nash tried to fight one on one, while Scott Steiner resorted to help from Sable to pick up a victory…..

 

…..Lawler being Lawler, can’t help but state that he wouldn’t mind a little bit of one on one action with Sable himself (”if you know what I mean JR”) before letting out that obnoxious cackle of his…..

 

 

 

 

”…..YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY LITTLE MAN? DO I LOOK LIKE A JOKE TO YOU?…..”

 

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…..oh dear…..Kevin Nash has recovered…..and after getting nailed with that lead pipe he’s like the proverbial bear with a sore head…..

 

…..he bats Lawlers crown from the announce table, asking him how funny he’d think he’d find it to be powerbombed straight through this desk here…..

 

…..I don’t think the King would find that funny at all, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut as Jim Ross goes on damage control…..he tells Nash that they saw that he had that match won before Sable involved herself…..the whole world saw it…..he tells Nash that he had Steiner pinned for at least a five count…..no one is laughing at him…..

 

…..Nash continues to give Lawler the stink eye, but evidently he’s too groggy to carry on the discussion, as he places a hand to the back of his head and begins to walk off…..but not before warning the King to watch his mouth, before Big Sexy puts a fist through it…..

 

…..the announcers stay silent for a moment as Nash heads to the back, with Rick Rude waiting for Nash to get out of earshot before announcing that he found it funny if no one else did…..and JR quietly sends us to a video package ahead of our next match…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/OIKO6dj.jpg">

 

WWF European Championship: Harlem Street-fight Match

 

…..a match which sees our first championship being defended, as Booker T puts the European Title on the line, against his own brother (and current Nation of Domination member) Stevie Ray…..

 

…..and not just any match…..a Harlem Street-fight none the less…..

 

…..the stipulation in this one comes off the back of Stevie Ray claiming that Booker T had gone “soft”…..this after going through the usual trope that all turning tag team partners claim, stating that the success of Harlem Heat was all down to Stevie Ray…..except Stevie took it even further…..saying that not only had he been carrying Booker to success in Harlem Heat, but he was also solely responsible for Booker capturing that European Championship…..a European Championship that Stevie was now going to take…..

 

…..Booker responded to these claims by challenging Stevie to this Harlem Street-fight…..and well, here we are…..although Rick Rude questions how smart it was of Booker to make this challenge…..

 

”…..pride Jim Ross…..stupid pride…..not only has Booker T completely thrown away the champions advantage by eliminating both count-outs and disqualifications, but he’s also opened himself up for a whole world of hurt…..not just by big brother (who’s been beating little Booker up since before he was out of diapers) but from the entire Nation of Domination should Stevie Ray so choose…..everything is legal here Ross…..”

 

…..the Ravishing one may have a point, but Booker certainly doesn’t look to have the disadvantage as the bell sounds for this one, because he’s completely in control to open the bout…..he doesn’t even have to resort to the “street-fight” elements of the stipulation either, he simply outwrestles his brother…..

 

…..eventually Stevie takes it to the “streets” (or….ringside, if we want to be entirely accurate) and things break down a little more as they brawl unfettered on the floor…..the Challenger does have more success on the outside, using everything at his disposal to assault his brother, but even there Booker shows that he’s anything but soft, backdropping Stevie over the crowd rail as the two men brawl their way through the fans…..

 

…..they eventually work their way back to the ringside area, where they whip each other into steps and swing at each other with chairs until they finally brawl their way around to the announce tables…..

 

…..Ross, Lawler and Rude scramble as Stevie Ray rolls Booker onto their desk and climbs right up there with him…..he drags Booker to his feet and gets him in the double under-hook position…..

 

”…..Stevie Ray busca terminar a su hermano aquí con un Slapjack en la mesa!….”

 

…..our English speaking contingent may have scattered, but we can still hear Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera over at the Spanish Announce table, and as Hugo says, it does look as though Stevie is about to Slapjack his own brother right through that table…..

 

…..Booker isn’t going down without a fight though…..struggling to free his arms before managing to backdrop Stevie up and over…..

 

…..and straight through the Spanish announce desk…..

 

…..Stevie is a broken mess under a pile of splintered wood, as Booker wearily drags him back to his feet and rolls him into the ring…..surely all he has to do here is cover his brother and this one is all over…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/xGyfYpZ.jpg">

 

…..so it’s perhaps no surprise to see the Nation of Domination rushing out from the back to put a stop to that…..they quickly storm the ring and start putting the boots to the Champion…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"src="https://i.imgur.com/rE9PbL3.jpg">

 

…..fortunately help isn’t far behind…..as the Nations opponents later (in the form of Faarooq, Bradshaw, Scorpio and Nelson) come running down to the ring to break up the assault…..

 

…..all eight men go at it (in a preview of what we will be seeing later this evening) and finally brawl all the way to the back, leaving the two brothers alone in the ring…..

 

…..again Stevie goes for the Slapjack, but again Booker is able to shake his arms free, taking Stevie’s legs out from under him and slingshotting him into the turnbuckles and then catching him with the Book End as he staggers back to the centre of the ring, driving him into the mat for the one, two, three, and a very hard fought victory…..

 

Winner: and Still WWF European Champion…..Booker T

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..we leave Booker celebrating his victory and head backstage, where a nervous Kevin Kelly is trying to get word from Kevin Nash for WWF.com…..

 

…..it’s not really the best time to be trying…..

 

…..currently they are in an undisclosed part of the building, where Big Sexy is letting out his frustrations on, well pretty much anything that’s not bolted down, as he hurls chairs and monitors about the place…..

 

…..Kelly wisely realises that this perhaps isn’t the time, and tries to back out of the room, only to get stopped in his tracks by a loud…..

 

”…..WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?…..”

 

…..now arguably, the correct answer here would be “nothing Mr. Nash, sorry Mr. Nash”, but apparently Kevin Kelly ain’t so bright…..as he proceeds to ask Big Sexy for his thoughts on his match tonight…..

 

”…..MY THOUGHTS? I’LL TELL YOU MY THOUGHTS…..THREE YEARS AGO, WRESTLEMANIA XI, I WAS IN THE MAIN EVENT DEFENDING MY WWF TITLE…..TWO YEARS AGO, WRESTLEMANIA XII, I’M HELPING MY ‘BUDDY’ WIN THAT SAME TITLE…..LAST YEAR, WRESTLEMANIA XIII, I’M OUT THERE HELPING SCOTT FREAKING STEINER WIN THE STRAP…..AND THIS YEAR, I’M OPENING THE SHOW WITH THAT JACK-OFF, GETTING SMACKED UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH A GOD DAMN LEAD PIPE…..

 

…..YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEVIN NASH AT WRESTLEMANIA XI AND KEVIN NASH AT ALL THE WRESTLEMANIA’S THAT PROCEEDED IT?…..

 

…..ME! I’M THE DIFFERENCE…..

 

…..AND THAT ALL CHANGES TONIGHT…..”

 

…..Nash says that in the last three years, clearly he lost his edge…..spent too much time in KLiQ’s and Pack’s, and generally looking out for other people instead of number one…..

 

…..Big Sexy says that this is show business…..it ain’t show friends, and he didn’t see no one out there when a lead pipe was getting bent over the back of his head…..

 

”…..I’M DONE PLAYING GAMES…..I’M DONE WINNING TITLES FOR OTHER PEOPLE…..I WANT THAT GOD DAMN STRAP BACK AROUND MY WAIST…..

 

…..AND I DON’T GIVE A CRAP WHAT I HAVE TO DO…..

 

…..OR WHO I HAVE TO HURT…..

 

…..TO GET IT…..”

 

…..with that Nash suddenly grabs Kelly by the hair, shoves his head down between his legs…..

 

…..and Jackknifes the crap out of him through a table to the side of him…..

 

…..Kevin Kelly is done…..

 

…..and apparently, when it comes to being Mr. Nice Guy…..

 

…..so is Kevin Nash…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..we leave the medical personnel to treat Kevin Kelly and head back down to ringside, where Rick Rude quips that Jerry Lawler got off easy earlier this evening where Kevin Nash is concerned, before Owen Hart makes his entrance ready for our next match……

 

…..it’s going to be the self proclaimed “original light heavyweight” Owen Hart (the man who claims to have invented not only the high flying action that we see today in professional wrestling, but was the blueprint for both the lucha libre action of Mexico and the Junior Heavyweight style of Japan) facing off against the littlest underdog with the biggest heart, Rey Mysterio…..

 

…..Jerry Lawler has always been a cheerleader for Owen Hart, and tonight is no different…..he reels off all of Owen’s (fictional) accomplishments, citing him to not only be the King of Harts, but the King of the Light-Heavyweights too…..a statement that JR rebuts, making rare mention of the long defunct WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship that dated back to the late 1960’s, as well as citing former champions such as Tiger Mask and the Dynamite Kid as true pioneers of the division…..

 

”…..Owen Hart is a tremendously talented athlete King, one of the very best to lace his boots up between these ropes, no questions asked…..but as for being the blueprint for an entire division, that’s stretching it even for him…..”

 

…..Owen might be touting himself as a high flying machine in this one, but he certainly doesn’t start out that way…..it’s not often that Hart is the bigger man in the match, but he’s certainly bigger here…..slower too…..which is why Mysterio bounces around like a pinball, hitting his opponent from every direction, so much so that Hart bails from the ring a number of times in an effort to escape his more agile opponent…..

 

…..Hart wasn’t happy about being shown up here, breaking out a fast paced sequence which ended with both men running the ropes, but it was Rey that ended up on top again, catching Owen with a crucifix pin than damn near won him the match…..Hart is quickly back to his feet and almost takes Mysterio’s head off with a spinning heel kick, then whipping Rey hard into the corner and dropping him with a backbreaker for a two count of his own…..

 

…..Owen looks to lock on the Sharpshooter early but Mysterio is able to reposition himself before the hold can be applied, catching Owen with a small package for a near fall, then wriggles out of a bodyslam attempt, almost winning again with a roll up, before a frustrated Hart is finally able to catch a breather with a perfectly timed belly to belly suplex on the subsequent rope running sequence…..

 

…..Owen continues to try and one up the youngster, but gets outshone at every opportunity…..Hart hits a crossbody from the top, Mysterio goes one better with a moonsault to his standing opponent…..pescado dive to the outside by Owen, while Rey leaps off the apron and hits his opponent with an awesome hurricanrana on the floor…..top rope dropkick from Owen, a springboard leg drop from the apron into the ring for Rey…..everything Hart hits, Mysterio seems to have a more impressive reply……

 

…..the crowd is really getting into it and is firmly behind Rey…..who unfortunately jars his knee after a particularly reckless dive to the outside, and like a shark to blood Owen quickly capitalises on it…..

 

…..now Hart slows it down as he goes to work on the knee…..stomping and stretching the limb like he was back in the dungeon…..he drags Mysterio to the corner and slams the leg into the ring post, before propping the foot on the bottom rope and brings all of his weight down on the extremity, much as we have seen his brother do on many occasions…..before finally locking in the Sharpshooter…..much to the delight of Jerry Lawler…..

 

”…..and just like that this one is over JR…..all the flipping and flopping in the world isn’t going to do Rey Mysterio any good while he’s down on the mat, and with that bum leg of his, it’s only a matter of time before he quits…..”

 

…..Rick Rude agrees, saying that this is good strategy from Hart, not only grounding the high flyer, but also putting himself into a match winning situation…..Jim Ross however says not to count the heart of Mysterio…..words which prove to be true as Rey somehow manages to scratch and claw to the ropes, forcing a break…..

 

…..Owen goes to apply the hold a second time, but Mysterio is able to kick him off into the corner…..Rey charges at Owen in the corner, but he’s slowed considerably by that knee, meaning that Hart has time to get the foot up, catching his opponent right in the jaw…..

 

…..Hart mounts the second turnbuckle and climbs onto the shoulders of his dazed opponent, looking for a victory roll to seal the victory……but in a complete throwback to Owen’s Wrestlemania X encounter with his brother Bret, Rey is able to drop to his knees hook the legs and hold the shoulders to the mat for the pinfall victory out of nowhere…..

 

Winner: Rey Mysterio

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..the commentators congratulate both men on an amazing match (with Lawler insisting that Owen was robbed) but Mysterio wasn’t able to celebrate for long…..because as the official raises his arm in victory, Owen kicks that leg out from underneath his leg in frustration, before again stomping the crap out of the already weakened knee…..

 

…..Hart is not happy about being shown up here (he wasn’t happy about doing the job at all if I’m honest…..hence the flash finish) and drags Mysterio to the middle of the ring, where he again turns Rey over into the Sharpshooter…..and this time there’s no rope break to save him…..

 

…..the official tries to break it up (and signals for the bell furiously) but Owen isn’t letting go…..eventually some backstage personnel run down to the ring and do manage to drag Hart off his opponent…..but not until the damage is done…..

 

…..Rey Mysterio is your winner…..

 

…..but he looks anything but that right now…..

 

…..let’s go to the back…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..backstage we go now, and Dok Hendrix is standing by with the Wolfpac…..well, two thirds of the Wolfpac (because Kevin Nash is nowhere to be seen) ahead of their upcoming hair vs. hair match with the Million Dollar Corporation…..

 

…..Dok says that he’s not entirely comfortable standing here with Hall and Waltman given their partners current mood (and desire to powerbomb interviewers through tables) but Hall tells him not to worry…..

 

”…..Big Kev, he’s just blowing off some steam mang, the only one that needs to worry around here is Scott Steiner…..because after what he did out there tonight? Chico, I don’t even KNOW what Big Sexy is gonna do to him…..”

 

…..be that as it may, Dok is clearly eager to get this wrapped up, quickly moving on to the Wolfpack’s upcoming match with Jeff Jarrett and Rich Steiner…..and it’s more than pride on the line…..hair is too…..

 

…..Hall laughs at that (“ain't no one cutting my hair Chico”) before Waltman runs down the Million Dollar Corporation…..and Jeff Jarrett in particular…..

 

”…..because Jarrett, you’ve been going around for weeks now trying to cut my hair, saying this, saying that…..well pal, I already lost you the European Title…..tonight, you can kiss that raggedy blonde mane of yours goodbye too…..”

 

 

 

 

 

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…..from there we cut to Michael Cole, who’s over with Ted DiBiase and his Million Dollar Corporation…..who are in a particularly jovial mood…..something that Cole questions, since Jarrett and Steiner could be minutes away from losing their hair…..

 

…..Jarrett laughs at that, saying they aren’t minutes away from losing anything…..he says that once he and Rich are done wiping the floor with Hall and Waltman in the match, they’ll be wiping the mat with their greasy hair AFTER the mat…..because the Corporation is going to shave them bald…..

 

…..Rich agrees, saying that just like with Kevin Nash earlier, the Wolfpac is about to get taken out by a Steiner…..again…..while DiBiase says he just wants this over with…..

 

”…..for too long now we have been sidetracked by the Wolfpac, and that all ends tonight Michael Cole…..tonight, we finally put the wolves to sleep…..we have the skill, we have the talent…..and yes, we have the numbers too…..Hall, Waltman, make the most of your fifteen minutes of fame sharing the spotlight with the Corporation, because the curtain comes down tonight boys…..and when Rich and Jeff are done shaving your head, it’s on to bigger and better things for us…..because while I have more money than every moron in that crowd tonight combined, what we are really interested in……

 

…..is gold…..”

 

…..DiBiase cackles his trademark laugh, before leading his Corporation from the interview area…..as Michael Cole sends us down to ringside…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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Hair vs. Hair Match

 

…..okay, it’s time to put up or shut up…..quite literally, because there’s hair on the line in this one…..and while that might not be a huge concern to Rich Steiner (who’s hair is shorn pretty short to begin with) it is definitely a big deal to the other three participants…..

 

…..the match gets underway and it’s all Hall and Waltman from the get go (with The Kid being particularly eager to get his hands on Jarrett) and they soon send the Corporation bailing from the ring, and Lawler isn’t happy about the initial flurry by the Wolfpac…..

 

”…..look at that majestic head of hair on Double J…..it’s almost regal…..not like those greasy rat tails on Hall and Waltmans heads JR…..he was doing the world a favour by by trying to give Waltman a make over…..”

 

“…..Jeff Jarrett brought all this on himself King, and if he’s half as good as he claims he is then he shouldn’t have to worry about losing his hair, the match, or anything else for that matter…..”

 

“…..what about Steiner though Jim Ross? You know he’s not 100% after getting powerbombed off the stage by Kevin Nash on Monday, if Waltman or Hall can beat him, then poor Jeff gets his head shaved!…..”

 

“…..’poor Jeff’ my Oklahoma ass…..”

 

…..the King has a point…..Steiner can’t be anywhere near peak condition after the assault at the hands of Big Sexy this past Monday night…..but then Sean Waltman can’t be feeling anywhere near 100% either after suffering a brutal beating at the hands of Scott Steiner in the week prior to that…..Rick Rude says that all four of these men have taken punishment as a result of the war between Big Sexy and Big Poppa Pump, but tonight it’s two on two, and there won’t be any excuses for whichever team walks out of here with a shaved head…..

 

…..the Wolfpac duo continue to dominate the opening portion of the match, until DiBiase on the outside finally tips the scale their way as he trips Waltman on a rope running sequence, leading to Rich almost taking the former European Champion’s head off with a Steinerline…..

 

…..the Corporation cut the ring in half from there, focusing their attention on the smallest man in the match (as well as the man that took a hell of a beating from Scott Steiner not so long ago) with quick tags, with Steiner and Jarrett working particularly well as a team, something that Rude attributes to the experience of Rich…..

 

”…..because if you’re going to be in a high stakes tag team match, I can’t think of many better partners to have than Rich Steiner…..a tag team specialist that knows all about high stake matches with it all on the line…..”

 

…..it’s a good point from the Ravishing One…..and Steiner certainly has the most experience when it comes to tag team matches of anyone in the bout, teaming with his brother for close to a decade prior to this…..he clearly loves being in the ring with the smaller Waltman too, as he tosses him around like a rag doll in there…..

 

…..eventually Waltman is able to make the tag to Hall, and the Bad Guy hits the ring and absolutely unloads on both of his opponents…..before clotheslining Steiner over the top rope and then launching Jarrett across the ring with the fall away slam…..

 

…..he signals that it’s over as he positions Jarrett for the Razors Edge, but Double J is able to back Hall towards the turnbuckles, where Steiner comes off with a top rope bulldog that would have finished the match off had Waltman not been there to make the save…..

 

…..big brawl ensues as the official begins to lose control of the match, as all four men begin trading blows…..Hall and Steiner tumble through the ropes and to the outside, and as the official has his attention on that, DiBiase slides Jarrett his guitar, before hopping up onto the apron to grab hold of Waltman, holding him prone in position…..

 

…..Jarrett winds up and swings, but Waltman manages to free himself at the last second and it’s Deebs that eats the guitar…..Jarrett looks down at his manager in shock, before quickly turning around to face Waltman, only to be met with a Sitout Facebuster for the one, two, three…..

 

Winner(s): The Wolfpac

Rating: B+

 

 

 

<img style="max-width:15%;

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…..the match is over…..and unfortunately for Jeff Jarrett, so are his days of having hair…..because Waltman quickly drops to the outside to retrieve the clippers…..

 

…..it’s shaving time…..

 

…..or not…..

 

…..because Southern Justice come rushing out from the back, and the four Corporation members surround Hall and Waltman, with Jarrett telling the pair ”I don’t give a damn who won that match…..you two jackasses are getting your heads shaved one way or another”…..

 

…..it looks like the plan here is going to be to beat the Wolfpac into unconsciousness…..and then capitalise on it from there…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…::::!!!!!WOLVES HOWL!!!!!:::::…..

 

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…..but maybe not if this man has anything to say about it…..because Big Sexy is making his way back out again…..

 

…..and he’s still in a bad, bad mood…..

 

…..Southern Justice try to meet him in the aisle, but frankly he beats the sh!t out of them and leaves them laying…..

 

…..Steiner try’s his luck next…..

 

…..he’s not lucky…..

 

…..Nash kicks the crap out of him, before lifting him up onto his shoulder and knocking him out cold as he charges him head first into the ring post…..

 

…..and then there was Jarrett…..

 

…..poor Jarrett…..

 

…..Nash climbs over the top rope and instantly drops Double J with a massive Big Boot…..before picking him up again and driving him hard into the mat with a massive Jackknife…..

 

…..Big Kev stands looking down at Jarrett for a minute, before turning and swiftly leaving again, telling Waltman to “get this sh!t over with” as he climbs over the top rope again and disappears to the back…..

 

…..so ‘get this sh!t over with’ is exactly what they do…..

 

…..Hall grabs a steel chair and plonks the half unconscious Jarrett down on it, as Waltman goes to work shearing away those luscious, long blonde locks (much to the dismay of the King) as the crowd cheers on in approval…..

 

…..and when he’s finally done…..

 

 

 

 

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…..we have a very different looking Jeff Jarrett indeed…..

 

…..and as Waltman and Hall celebrate their victory, Jim across tells us that we need to go to the back…..where a situation is developing…..

 

…..let’s go to the back then…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..and that situation is Kevin Nash being held back by a wall of security guards, as a smirking Scott Steiner laughs in his face as he makes his way out of the arena…..

 

…..Big Sexy clearly wants to pick up where they left off earlier, but Steiner (who picked up the win) isn’t interested, telling Nash that he’s going back to his hotel to celebrate with Sable…..

 

”…..BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE IN THE WOLFPAC, BUT THERES ONLY ONE BIG BAD WOLF IN THE WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION, AND THATS BIG BAD POPPA PUMP…..THE DIFFERENCE IS, I DON’T HUFF AND PUFF (BECAUSE I’M A GENETIC FREAK) AND IT’S SABLE THAT DOES ALL THE BLOWING…..IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN…..”

 

…..yes Scott…..we always know what you mean…..

 

”…..SO WHY DON’T YOU GO BACK TO THE LOCKER ROOM AND HANG OUT WITH YOUR TWO LITTLE B!TCHES WHERE YOU BELONG…..BECAUSE WHILE YOU THREE SIT IN THE LOCKER ROOM, TOUCHING YOURSELVES AND HOWLING AT THE STREETS, SABLES GOING TO BE ON HER BACK, HOWLING IN THE SHEETS…..”

 

…..Steiner tells Nash that he USED to be a bad ass…..but now, he’s just a soft little puppy who needs to hide behind his ‘pack’…..where as Scott Steiner, he runs solo…..so why doesn’t Nash go and grab Hall and Waltman, then hit him up after that…..because three on one might actually be a fair fight…..

 

…..Nash is furious, and starts tossing security guards left and right (as more arrive to take their place) but Steiner is out of here, flipping Nash the bird as he and Sable exit the building and head into the night…..

 

…..let’s go over to Dok Hendrix while security tries to calm Kevin Nash down…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..who’s standing by with the man who’s putting his entire career on the line for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship next, Dean Malenko…..

 

…..the Man of 1000 Holds isn’t alone here either…..because fresh off his victory over Owen Hart (and with an ice pack on his knee) is Rey Mysterio…..

 

…..Dok says that Malenko was obviously feeling confident in his ability to defeat Chris Jericho, because he’s putting it all on the line here this evening…..but if Rey Mysterio has proved anything tonight, it’s that any one of the Hart Foundation can be defeated…..

 

…..Malenko says that this challenge didn’t come out of confidence, it came out of necessity…..

 

”…..because at the end of the day Dok, every wrestler to lace up his boots is here to win championships, and be the very best competitor they can be…..I initially came to the WWF with one intention, and that was to compete with men like Rey Mysterio…..I came to the WWF to prove that I was the very best light heavyweight wrestler in the world today…..but that was only ever half of the plan…..”

 

…..Malenko says that Chris Jericho took that away from him when he retired the Light Heavyweight Championship…..but all he did was push the plan into the next phase early…..because when Malenko had proved he was the best Light Heavyweight wrestler, the next step was to prove he was THE best wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation…..period…..

 

”…..so this, this is nothing to do with confidence Dok…..this is about either being the best…..or going home…..because second best isn’t good enough for me…..and if I can’t beat Chris Jericho tonight…..then I don’t deserve to be here…..”

 

…..Rey wishes Malenko luck, telling him that the knows how good Dean Malenko is, before indicating to his knee and saying that he also knows how the Hart clan operates…..and where Chris Jericho goes, Test is usually not far behind…..

 

…..Malenko is quiet for a moment…..before saying that he knows…..

 

…..and he’s ready…..

 

…..let’s see shall we…..

 

Rating: B

 

 

 

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…..so this is it for Malenko….it’s all or nothing for him here…..he either leaves as Champion, or he just leaves full stop…..

 

…..Mysterio was right too…..because predictably (and as if Chris Jericho alone isn’t difficult enough to beat) Test does indeed accompany the Intercontinental Champion to ringside…..something that Jim Ross isn’t pleased about…..

 

”…..and you know as well as I do Rick, that Chris Jericho isn’t going to be above cheating to gain the advantage here…..”

 

“…..first of all Ross, it’s not cheating if you don’t get caught….and second of all, Chris Jericho has been one step ahead of Dean Malenko, pretty much since the day Malenko walked into the WWF, what’s one more match…..I know who my money is on…..”

 

…..Rude has a point, and Jericho taunts the hell out of his opponent before the bell rings…..but they don’t call Malenko the ice man for nothing, as he stands there stone faced waiting for the official to start the match…..

 

…..and what a match it was…..

 

…..Malenko waits for the bell, and then he goes out there to try and prove exactly what he said he wanted to prove…..that he’s the best wrestler going today…..

 

…..the two men lock up and Malenko wins the exchange, spinning into a go-behind waist lock into a takedown…..lock up again and Malenko hooks on a side headlock which he transitions into another takedown…..and a third lock up attempt wielding the same result, with Jericho attempting a cheap shot with a kick to the gut before the tie up, only for Malenko to catch the foot and ground leg corkscrew…..

 

”…..and they don’t say he’s the man of 1000 holds for nothing King, this young man is wrestling rings around Chris Jericho…..”

 

“…..give it time JR, Malenko might know 1000 holds, but Chris Jericho only needs ONE, and that’s the Lion Tamer…..and when (not if) when he locks that on Malenko, it’ll be goodbye career, hello unemployment line…..”

 

…..Malenko keeps up the offence with another go-behind, but Jericho is able to back Malenko into the corner to force a break…..not a clean break though, as he back elbows his opponent in the jaw…..it barely phases Dean though, who grabs hold of the Champion and reverses positions to put Jericho in the corner, hammering him with blows and a series of forearm shots, then hitting a big brain buster for a close two count…..

 

…..Jericho kicks out but Malenko doesn’t let up, instantly trying to tie his opponents legs up in the Cloverleaf…..unfortunately Jericho is too close to the ropes, and he’s saved by Test grabbing him by the hands, dragging him to the safety of the outside….well relative safety…..because as Test pulls his man to his feet, Malenko hits a running baseball slide that puts them both down…..

 

…..Malenko drives Jericho back first into the apron, before turning his attention to Test, pointing at the man and telling him to stay back and out of the way…..unfortunately that was all the opening Jericho needed, who quickly took the challengers leg out from under him with a chop block…..Jericho quickly rolls in and out of the ring to break the count, before putting the boots to the same knee he just took out, before turning Malenko in a half crab right out there on the floor…..

 

…..Jericho releases the hold at around 8 and rolls back into the ring, where the official (instead of continuing the count) berates the Intercontinental Champion for his conduct…..which SHOULD have given Malenko a brief respite on the outside, but in reality, just means that Test can continue to put the boots to the man on the outside…..Jericho expertly distracts the referee, while Test drags Malenko to his feet, drapes one of the mans legs over the steel crowd rail…..before backing up and hitting that knee with a big boot that drives it hard into the steel…..

 

…..damage done, Jericho releases the official, pointing to the downed Malenko and telling him to count him out…..Jim Ross says it’s typical of Jericho to be looking for such a cheap win, but just when all looks lost, Malenko launches himself under the bottom rope as the referee reaches nine….

 

…..Jericho tries to lock on the Lion Tamer, but he can’t turn Malenko over and instead transitions quickly into a figure four leg lock (getting some added leverage from the helping hands of Test) before the official spots the interference on the outside and breaks the hold up…..Jericho sends the challenger hard into the corner, but Malenko is able to get a boot up on the follow up, again going for the waist lock from behind…..Jericho tries a spinning clothesline to escape but Malenko ducks and hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a close two count…..

 

…..both men are back to their feet and Jericho attempts a Suplex of his own…..Malenko reverses this though and powers the champion up into a Suplex position of his own, but instead of dropping him back, he takes a step forward and drops him crotch first onto the top turnbuckle, then follows him up and hits a massive superplex that leaves both men flat on the mat…..and even Rick Rude is impressed with that…..

 

”…..and you’ve got to hand it to Malenko…..he knows he has it all on the line here tonight, and he’s pulling out all the stops in an effort beat his opponent….and if he can just make the cover, ‘beat is opponent’ is what he just might do…..”

 

…..he does finally crawl over to make the cover…..unfortunately by the time he gets there, Jericho has had chance to recover too, and it’s only good for a two count…..

 

…..the two men wearily make their way to their feet as they begin the closing stretch of the match…..Jericho seems the fresher of the two, but nothing he does is keeping Malenko down…..at least until Malenko mistimes a dropkick attempt, and Jericho catches the legs and FINALLY locks on the Lion Tamer…..

 

…..Malenko starts to fade (with Jerry Lawler saying that he’s about to be the unemployed man of 1000 holds any second now) but as the crowd rallies behind him, Dean is able to desperately claw his way to the ropes to break the hold…..

 

…..a frustrated Jericho drags Malenko back to the centre of the ring and tries to apply the Lion Tamer once more…..this time however Malenko is able to kick him off…..sending him backwards into the corner, where Jericho crushes the official and takes him out of the match for a second…..

 

…..with the referee down, Jericho calls on Test…..who comes into the ring with the intercontinental championship in hand…..

 

…..Jericho pulls his opponent to his feet and hooks his arms behind his back…..

 

…..Test charges…..

 

…..Malenko ducks…..

 

…..and Chris Jericho eats a face full of his own championship belt…..

 

…..Test looks down in horror at his mistake, before tossing the title to one side and charging at Malenko, looking to connect with that running big boot…..

 

…..Malenko manages to side step however, and Test manages to crotch himself on the top rope, before Malenko rushes him and sends him the rest of the way over and down to the floor, before turning his attention back to Jericho, just as the official begins to stir…..

 

…..Malenko grabs the legs of the still downed champion…..crosses them…..and flips him over in the Texas Cloverleaf…..

 

…..and Jericho has nothing to do…..and nowhere to go…..

 

…..so he does the only thing that’s left…..

 

…..he submits…..

 

…..and we have a brand new intercontinental champion…..

 

…..the man of 1000 holds…..

 

…..Dean Malenko…..

 

Winner: …and New WWF Intercontinental Champion…..Dean Malenko….

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..Malenko picks up the victory (and the Intercontinental Championship) and raises the title over his head briefly, but he’s clearly not one for elaborate celebrations, as he quickly heads to the back…..

 

…..Chris Jericho is NOT so quick to leave…..in fact he’s throwing a monumental hissy fit on the outside, before climbing into the ring once Malenko has exited, to kick at the ring ropes like the big old baby that he is…..

 

…..Test follows close behind, attempting to console the (now) former Intercontinental Champion, but Jericho is in peak meltdown mode and isn’t having any of it, shoving the big man away and screaming at him that this is all his fault…..

 

…..he shoves Test, telling him that ”this is your fault, you big stupid idiot…..you were supposed to hit Malenko…..MALENKO!….do I look like Malenko you big dummy?” before shoving his bodyguard in the chest again…..

 

…..Test attempts to placate the sore loser, but Jericho is past the point of reason…..so much so that he slaps the man right in the face…..

 

…..Test doesn’t look pleased about that in the slightest….and he looks less pleased when Jericho shoves him backward again…..so much so that he actually rebounds off the ropes…..

 

…..and takes Jericho’s head off with a massive Big Boot…..

 

…..the crowd pops at that (as does JR) but Test looks instantly remorseful…..

 

…..he holds his head in regret and tries to rouse Jericho, but he is out cold…..

 

…..instead Test rolls him to the edge of the ring, climbs over the ropes, hoists Jericho up over his shoulder, and carries the man up the aisle and to the back with his head down in shame…..

 

…..I think Chris Jericho may have quite the headache when he finally wakes up…..

 

…..we should probably head to the back…..

 

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..where Scott Hall and Sean Waltman of the Wolfpac are walking though the back, in a particularly jovial mood after shaving Jeff Jarrett head earlier this evening…..

 

…..the two men are laughing and joking as they walk through the building, but they’re also obviously looking for Kevin Nash, stopping random backstage personnel as they go and asking if they’ve seen him…..

 

…..eventually one (very nervous) staff member tells them that they’ve just seen him over near the production trucks, saying that they were giving him a wide berth because he really didn’t look in a good mood…..

 

…..Hall laughs at that, with Waltman commenting that that does sound like Kev…..

 

…..the two men follow on until they come to the production area, where Big Sexy is indeed sat at a table, watching something on a monitor…..

 

….Hall and Waltman head over, curious as to what the big guy is watching (as they remark that they’ve been looking all over for him) but Nash doesn’t answer…..we can see by the shot on the screen that he looks to be watching some sort of promo package dating back to late 1995…..the closing moments of Bret Hart defeating him at Survivor Series for the WWF Title, through shots of Nash dominating the entire roster (from the start of this very diary) to shots of a laughing and smiling Nash with the Wolfpac…..Hall with the Intercontinental Championship…..Waltman holding the European Championship….etc, etc…..

 

…..Hall asks the big mang what he’s doing, telling him that this isn’t the time for a history lesson, the Wolfpac is done for the night, it’s time to hit the town…..Nash is silent for a moment, before finally agreeing…..the Wolfpac is done…..

 

…..he says that for the past two years, he’s helped guys win (and keep) titles around here…..

 

”…..Shawn, you….the Kid…..hell, even Steiner…..in the last two years, this little clique of ours has won every title the World Wrestling Federation has to offer, and while I’ve been helping the rest of you carry the gold, what have I had huh? A lousy tag title…..Steiner’s right…..I let myself get soft….I forgot who I was…..”

 

…..Hall tells Nash that he must have had something knocked loose when Steiner cracked that pipe upside his head earlier…..he tells Nash that the Wolfpac runs this place, and as soon as Big Sexy gets his shot, he’ll be the champ again…..but Nash shakes his head…..saying the Wolfpac stopped running this place a long time ago…..they lost their edge…..they lost that killer instinct…..they started waiting around for shots instead of just taking what they want…..

 

”…..well I’m done waiting…..I’m done with the laughs and the jokes…..I’m done with always being there to clean up after other people…..where were you when Steiner cracked me in the back of the head earlier? Because in spite of you two being nowhere to be seen, I was still out there making sure you didn’t get your asses handed to you by Jarrett and his goons…..”

 

…..the shot on the monitor in front of Nash flicks back to Survivor Series 95…..Bret Hart rolling Nash up…..Nash’s audible “Motherf#@ker”…..Big Sexy Jackknifing the crap out of the Hitman after the match…..

 

…..Nash watches it play out…..saying that he’d forgotten who he was…..

 

”…..but I think I just remembered…..”

 

…..and with that he picks up the monitor…..

 

…..and then cracks Scott Hall right in the skull with it…..

 

…..Waltman is shocked, screaming at Nash and asking him what the hell his problem is, but Nash simply knees him in the gut, grabs him by the hair, and then Jackknifes his straight though the (now monitor-less) table…..

 

…..Nash looks down at the two men, before stripping off his Wolfpac shirt and tossing it down onto the body of Scott Hall, before stepping over the carnage and walking over to the cameraman, where he just yells two words into the lens, before walking off…..

 

”…..I’m back!…..”

 

…..let’s go down to ringside shall we…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..where Mankind is making his way out for his upcoming match with the Big Red Monster, Kane…..

 

…..the announcers are largely distracted by what just took place in the back…..Jim Ross is predictably disappointed in the actions of Big Sexy, while the King is full of praise (perhaps because Nash’s threat from earlier this evening is still ringing in his ears) saying that Nash never needed Hall and Waltman anyway…..while Rude simply issues a warning…..

 

”…..to whoever walks out tonight as the WWF Champion tonight…..be that Brian Pillman, Bret Hart, or Steve Austin…..if Kevin Nash is willing to do that to his best friends…..just what do you think he’s going to do to you…..”

 

…..Mankind obviously over hears this discussion…..because he slams his hands suddenly on the announce desk, reiterating what he’s been telling Kane for weeks…..he is NOT an afterthought…..and they might want to pay attention to this match, instead of what Kevin Nash is or isn’t doing…..

 

…..fortunately for the announce team, the pyros erupt, signalling the arrival of the Big Red Machine…..and Mankind isn’t waiting for him to reach the ring, instead he rushes up the aisle to meet him right there on the ramp…..an action which Jim Ross says shows just how insecure Mankind is…..so desperately trying to prove his significance that he’s not even going to wait for the bell…..

 

…..this match wasn’t billed as a No-DQ match, but it may as well have been, because the official let a LOT of stuff slide…..probably because the two men beat the crap of each other on the outside before the match even began…..

 

…..obviously Mankind took the brunt of the punishment (Kane is a monster after all) but while the Big Red Machine used the outside environment to his advantage (introducing Mankind to the ring steps, guard rails and ring posts) Mankind was able to hurt the monster, nailing him with steel chairs and even a shot to the masked face with the ring bell at one point…..

 

…..the two finally make it to the ring (for the bell to sound) and we finally have some semblance of a match…..the action is more legal, but certainly no less brutal as Kane uses his size and strength to hammer the hapless Mankind…..that’s not to say Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy doesn’t get his offence in…..and is impressively able to keep the monster down for a close two count after nailing him with a hard piledriver…..but even that leaves the announcers questioning how Foley can win this thing…..

 

”…..because by god, this big red monster is exactly that…..a monster…..and I don’t know what Mankind can do to keep him down…..”

 

“…..and Jim Ross, you could argue that Mankind’s biggest offensive manoeuvre (the Mandible Claw) has already been taken out of the equation by the mask of Kane…..you can’t ram your fingers into a mouth you can’t get to…..”

 

…..Rick Rude may have a point…..but Mankind is more than a one trick pony…..and he’s not afraid to take five shots to deliver one…..in fact arguably, he’d prefer that…..a fact emphasised when he charges at Kane and clothesline’s him over the top, tumbling right over and to the floor along side him…..unfortunately while Mankind crashes on the floor, Kane lands on his feet, picking Mankind back up and driving him into the ring apron, before rolling him back into the ring…..

 

…..Kane climbs onto the apron and goes to step over the top rope, but Mankind rushes him and sends him flying off the apron into the guardrail….and with the monster down, Mankind climbs through the ropes and comes off the apron himself with that brutal looking elbow drop…..something that makes JR audibly wince…..

 

”…..and by god that’s a human being colliding with concrete, and concrete is always going to win King…..”

 

“…..this Mankind is an idiot JR…..he probably did more damage to himself there than he did to Kane, I don’t know what Mr. McMahon sees in him…..”

 

“…..he sees a lost soul that he can manipulate for his own amusement King…..and Mankind is so desperate for approval….for acceptance…..that he doesn’t care what he does to his own body, or who he has to align himself with to get it…..”

 

…..with so many matches on the card tonight, a lot of the less high profile matches didn’t get the time that others did…..this one wasn’t overly long either (around the 12 minute mark) but that was due to the sheer brutality and hard hitting action rather than anything else…..

 

…..the two men get back into the ring and the action continues, with Mankind trying to rip the mask from the face of his opponent in an attempt to lock on the mandible claw…..

 

…..unsuccessful with that, Mankind ups the ante and slides the top half of the steel steps into the ring and charges at Kane with them (despite the warnings from the official) but Kane is able to move and catch his opponent with a drop toe hold that causes Mankind to slam his own face into the steel…..

 

…..Kane with a chokeslam following that, but Mankind is remarkably able to kick out at two…..

 

…..the official tries to remove the ring steps, but he doesn’t have the strength to get them out of the ring, deciding instead to just leave them where they are…..

 

…..which I guess by default makes them legal…..because Kane delivers a second chokeslam right on top of the steel…..again, only for a two count, which causes JR to comment that the official needs to think about making a judgement call to end this one, since Kane is clearly going to have to kill Mankind to put him down…..

 

…..kill Mankind you say?…..

 

…..looks like Kane has the same idea…..

 

…..because when the (multiple) chokeslam’s don’t work, Kane hoists Mankind up into position…..

 

…..climbs the ring steps…..

 

…..and Tombstones him right onto the steel…..

 

…..Kane finally covers the broken Mankind…..

 

…..and this one is mercifully over…..

 

Winner: Kane

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..truth be told, Mankind probably was a bit of an afterthought to Kane this evening, what with The Undertaker still to face off with Raven (the man that Kane is REALLY invested in) but I doubt even Kane was expecting this level of punishment having to be inflicted…..

 

…..that being said, he makes his leave here, having done what he set out to do…..

 

…..Mankind isn’t really moving though…..and after taking that Tombstone to the steps, a slew of medical personnel come rushing down to the ring to check on the status of Foley…..

 

…..clearly appreciative of his efforts, the crowd give Mankind a great reception as he is fitted with a neck brace and loaded onto a stretcher…..a reception that only gets louder as he raises one arm to indicate that he is okay (and hearing the support) as he is wheeled to the back, with Jim Ross hoping that this reception is sinking in…..

 

”…..because if Mick Foley is really looking for acceptance…..if Mick Foley is really looking for a home…..he doesn’t have to subject himself to the whims of a Brian Pillman or a Vince McMahon…..all he has to do is listen to these great fans…..because if you do that, you’ll realise that you’re already home…..”

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..we head to the back now, where Dok Hendrix and Michael Cole have the unenvious task of attempting to conduct interviews with two of the four teams involved in our next match simultaneously…..

 

…..Dok is standing by with Champions Ric Flair and Arn Anderson on one side of him, and the team of Dustin Rhodes and Marc Mero (with Terri) on the other side of him, while over at a separate location, Cole has Al Snow and Chris Candido to his right, while the New Age Outlaws (with Sunny) are to his left…..and if this past Monday is anything to go by, these two interviews could decline into chaos at a single wrong word…..

 

…..fortunately we do get through this without incident…..the two interviewers remind all four teams that the stakes are extremely high this evening, because while the winning team will indeed become the WWF Tag Team Champions, the team that takes the fall this evening, will be forced to disband…..

 

…..that’s actually even MORE of a selling point to the New Age Outlaws and the pairing of Al Snow and Chris Candido, who have been feuding amongst each other for the best part of a year now (exchanging the tag team titles back and forth in the process) with the Road Dogg saying that it’s a good night to be an Outlaw…..because not only are they set to become the ”three time WWF, tag team champions of the worlddddd”, but they’re finally going to get rid of Pinky and The Lamebrain once and for all, because it’s going to be either Al Snow or Chris Candido that they beat to do it…..

 

…..Snow and Skippy agree with the sentiment, with Candido saying that tonight he gets to accomplish THREE things…..reclaim the tag titles…..disband the Outlaws…..and take yet another meal ticket out of the hands of Sunny…..Candido says that at one point, he’d have happily laid down and taken the fall himself if it meant it got him out of this oddball team with Al Snow…..but he says that for all his quirks, Al Snow has been there for him every step of the way (no matter how much Candido fought it) and tonight, Candido is going to repay that friendship…..when they finally capture (and more importantly, keep) those titles one more time…..

 

…..over in our other location, the Flair/Rhodes rivalry continues into a new millennium, except this time it’s DUSTIN Rhodes who’s set to try and take the gold from around the waist of the Nature Boy, a fact that Ric Flair finds highly amusing, telling Dustin that he and Arn made millions by leaving his fat daddy laying, ”and tonight, the more things change, the more they stay the same…..because just like your old man found out before you…..to BE the man, you gotta BEAT the man…..but to STAY the man…..you gotta beat the man consistently…..and that’s something that you Rhodes’ could never do…..that’s why I’m The Nature Boy, while you…..you’re just the son of a son of a plumber pal”…..

 

…..Dustin bounces of Flairs ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’ remark….telling Ric that it might still be 1988 in his head, but out here in the real world it’s 1998, ”and Flair…..you haven’t been ‘The Man’ for a long time”…..Dustin says that there ain’t no doubt about it, Ric Flair USED to be the man…..at one point, the world revolved around him and him alone…..but now…..now Flair is just another cog in the wheel…..a support act…..now, Brian Pillman is the man…..and when this match is over, Flair won’t have to worry about doing anything other than the one thing he’s good for now…..carrying the Loose Cannons bags…..

 

…..I know we said we got through this interview segment without incident…..but that was only because Arn Anderson held Flair back and talked him down, because that comment certainly set the Nature Boy off…..but Arn convinced him to wait till they got to the ring, where they could do things the old way…..whip Dustin like they did his daddy, and break his little team up for good…..

 

…..let’s see if they manage to do that shall we…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..okay so here it is…..a four corners match for the WWF Tag Team Championship of the world…..and unlike in our main event later (where all three men will be legal at all times) only two men can be in the ring at any one time here…..meaning once you’re in, you want to stay in, because that’s the only way your team can win…..

 

…..of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t play it smart…..because if you’re the Outlaws, you let the other three teams wear each other down, while you watch on from the apron, breaking up pinfall attempts sporadically when you need to…..although JR does question their tactics…..

 

”…..because the aim of this match is to pin or make a member of the opposing teams submit…..and you can’t do that if you’re not the legal man King…..”

 

“…..maybe not JR, but you also can’t LOSE if you’re not the legal man…..and don’t forget, the Outlaws have Sunny on the outside, and she will have come up with the perfect strategy…..because she wants those gold belts, and what Sunny wants…..”

 

“…..she gets, yes…..well she won’t be getting anything if her team doesn’t become an active participant in this contest…..l

 

…..JR does have a point…..but that’s not to say the Outlaws strategy isn’t sound…..they do stand on and watch as the other three teams go about wearing each other down, and in the first ten minutes of the match, the only time they get into the ring is to break up a pinfall attempt or three…..that is until Al Snow (perhaps having flashbacks to tagging with Billy Gunn at our last pay per view offering) slaps the Bad Ass on the chest to tag him into the match…..

 

…..Gunn tries to tag straight back out again, but clearly the other teams are sick of watching the Outlaws watching from the sidelines, and as Mero tags out to Chris Candido, everyone else drops from the apron to the floor, meaning Billy has GOT to fight…..and Chris Candido REALLY wants to fight him, as he goes to town against his long time foe…..

 

…..with everyone finally getting in on the action, the tags are thick and fast, with the blind tag being particularly useful at getting one of your team members to be the legal man…..in fact it’s one of those blind tags that signals the end of the match…..

 

…..because as the match breaks down slightly (with everyone but Al Snow and Dustin Rhodes brawling on the floor) Rhodes takes hold of Head and looks to want to nail Al Snow right between the eyes with her…..

 

…..before he can swing however, The Nature Boy reaches into the ring and slaps Rhodes on the back, making himself the legal man…..

 

…..he climbs into the ring and gives Rhodes a big “Woooooooo”, before telling him to get out of his ring, because he can’t hang with Ric Flair, just like his fat daddy before him couldn’t…..

 

…..so Rhodes nails Flair right between the eyes…..

 

…..there are no dq’s as such in these multi-person matches…..so as Flair spins 180 (knocked senseless) he spins right into Al Snow’s arms…..

 

…..who picks him up and then drives him down with the Snow Plow…..

 

…..and makes the cover…..

 

…..for the one, two and three…..

 

…..oh dear…..

 

…..Mr. McMahon won’t be happy about this…..

 

Winner(s): …and New WWF Tag Team Champions…..Al Snow & Chris Candido

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..I bet you thought this multi-team match was made specifically so Flair or Anderson didn’t have to eat the pin didn’t you…..yeah, no…..believe me when I say, Al Snow and Chris Candido (the Outlaws too for that matter) are ridiculously over considering they rarely make it into the main event slots of our shows…..so over in fact that Naitch had no problem putting Al Snow over here…..

 

…..it’s also why (as Candido rushes into the ring to embrace his partner) the crowd goes wild as the new champions are handed their title belts…..and get even louder as an emotional Snow and Skippy raise them over their heads…..

 

…..JR is delighted as well……

 

”…..because after a year of oh so nears…..after having the titles in their grasp, only to have them snatched away the very next night…..after non-title mix ups, set back after set back, and Vince McMahon himself trying to desperately keep this unconventional duo away from those titles…..Chris Candido and Al Snow are FINALLY, your World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions of the world…..and it couldn’t happen to a better team…..”

 

…..the King is less pleased, asking JR if he understands what this means…..

 

”…..it means that not only are Chris Candido and that moron Al Snow the champions…..it means that Ric Flair and Arn Anderson can no longer compete together! These idiots just broke up Mr. McMahon’s Corporate Team, and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes Ross…..”

 

…..the crowd could care less of that though…..in fact they love it…..particularly when Candido straps that title belt around the waist of his partner, before handing him Head…..and as Snow raises her high in the air, the shot fades to black with a shot of the new champions celebrating in front of a sea of white mannequin heads in the crowd…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..we air a brief promo package ahead of our next match, featuring the history between the Nation of Domination and, well, for the most part the Nation of Domination…..as Ahmed Johnson leads his restructured Nation into an eight man tag team battle, against an opposition primarily made up of former members of the stable…..including the man who founded the group to begin with…..Faarooq…..

 

…..it’s Faarooq who starts the match too…..and since the former leader is in the ring, it’s only fitting that the current leader (Ahmed Johnson) starts out on the other side…..two men who actually have a lot in common…..both have lead the NoD…..but more importantly, both groundbreaking former Champions…..with Faarooq being the first black WCW Champion, while Ahmed Johnson holds the same distinction here in the WWF…..

 

…..I said before that some matches this evening got less time than others…..this being a prime example…..fortunately it didn’t really need much time…..

 

…..the sides here were for the most part, pretty evenly matched…..you had Faarooq and Ahmed (who are certainly no strangers to each other)…..two big bulls in Bradshaw and Kama…..the two more agile men on each side in Scorpio and D-Lo Brown…..and then there’s the big boys (one of whom is considerably bigger than most anyone in the WWF) Nelson and Mark Henry…..

 

…..short as the match was, all of this made it remarkably more entertaining than it perhaps had any right to be…..Ahmed Johnson may have been slightly relegated from World Champion status here (after picking up an injury late into his run, dropping the belt to The Undertaker) but the plan was always to protect him in multi-man matches while he worked through said injury, before moving him back up the card when the time was right…..

 

…..that’s not to say the Nation aren’t above cheating…..and there is ONE more member of the Nation back there after all…..

 

…..Stevie Ray might have been unsuccessful in capturing the European Championship earlier this evening, but he’s more successful here…..

 

…..as the match breaks down he runs out from the back with a slapjack in his hand…..he slides into the ring while the officials attention is elsewhere, nailing Scorpio in the back of the head, and giving Ahmed the opportunity to finish him off with the Pearl River Plunge…..

 

Winner(s): The Nation of Domination

Rating: B+

 

 

 

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…..backstage we go, where Michael Cole is in the locker room of the Hart Foundation…..and as Bret sits taping his wrists, he comments that the night thus far, has not been kind to the Canadian Contingent…..

 

”…..and with only one match left on the cards for you gentlemen tonight, surely the stakes have never been higher…..”

 

…..Bret looks up to answer, but he’s rather rudely interrupted by Chris Jericho (complete with ice pack on his head) who says that the match with the highest stakes tonight, also had the biggest miscarriage of justice…..

 

…..he stares side eyed at Test as he continues ranting, stating that the most important title in the world was stolen from around his (sexy) waist earlier this evening…..

 

”…..and if that wasn’t bad enough Mitchell….after Stinko Malenko lied, cheated and stole MY Intercontinental Championship away from me…..I nearly got my head kicked off by this stupid, ungrateful Testicle right here after the match finished…..”

 

…..Test (rather reluctantly) accepts the insults and jibes, apologising again for his actions…..but Jericho is not to be deterred, continuing to dress down the rookie until he looks remarkably close to wanting to kick Jericho’s head off his shoulders again…..at least until Bret finally tells him to be quiet…..

 

”…..Chris, you lost tonight because Dean Malenko was better than you just long enough to make you submit…..Owen lost tonight because Rey Mysterio was better than him for three seconds…..that’s it…..no excuses…..

 

…..see Michael Cole, the world has heard me talk about being screwed over repeatedly for the last two years…..Wrestlemania XII, I WAS screwed out of MY WWF Title…..and then I was repeatedly screwed out of every opportunity to regain it…..

 

…..but tonight…..there will be no excuses…..

 

…..tonight I get my opportunity…..an opportunity I EARNED…..by being better than whoever was across the ring from me…..

 

…..tonight, I WILL take back the World Wrestling Federation Championship…..by being the best there is…..the best there was…..and the best there ever will be……

 

…..and if Brian Pillman or Steve Austin walk out with that title around their waist…..”

 

…..(Bret pauses for a moment to look at Jericho)…..

 

”…..then it will be because they were better…..

 

…..no excuses…..”

 

…..Michael Cole looks to open his mouth again, but the Hitman tells him to leave…..

 

…..he has a match to prepare for after all…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..from there we head over to…..well, it could be anywhere really…..some nondescript backstage area, where Dok Hendrix looks to be trying to get word with the Deity of the Damned himself, ahead of his upcoming match with the Phenom next…..

 

…..I say trying…..because for once, Raven doesn’t appear to have anything to say…..in fact he sits in complete silence, not even acknowledging the presence of the interviewer…..

 

…..Dok finally gives up, instead turning his attention to the third man in the room…..Jake “the snake” Roberts…..asking Jake why now ”after saying so much to goad the Undertaker into this match” has the Master of the Macabre suddenly gone mute?…..

 

”…..mute?…..Dok Hendrix, Raven is saying more in his silence than you could ever comprehend…..

 

…..the Lord of Darkness…..the Phenom…..The Deadman…..the Undertaker by any other name is still the Undertaker…..but there’s one thing he’s never been known as…..

 

…..and thats ‘mortal’…..

 

…..the time for talking is done, because there is nothing left to say…..Raven has separated the man from the mythos…..the humanity from the human…..and what he’s left behind is little more than a monster reborn…..

 

…..The Undertaker used to be that cold chill down the spine of the World Wrestling Federation…..but somewhere along the way, the line between monster and man blurred to the point that the same children that cowered in the breast of their mothers at the ‘Phenom’, now hold up foam tombstones and chant ‘Rest in Peace’ for their hero…..

 

…..Undertaker you lost your way…..and when you lost your way, you lost the shadow that you cast over the WWF…..you lost the intimidation factor…..

 

…..and you lost the World Wrestling Federation Championship…..

 

…..Raven told you he was going to set you free Deadman…..all he’s unshackled your chains…..he’s unlocked the door…..

 

…..all you have to do…..

 

…..is walk through…..”

 

…..Dok says that be that as it may…..and Raven can exude all the nonchalance in the world…..but when those lights go out and that bell tolls, even the most hardened of individual can’t help but be intimidated…..

 

…..Jake smiles at that…..telling Hendrix that while the cheap parlour tricks might work on everyone else…..but you can’t strike fear into the soul of a man who has no soul to begin with…..

 

”…..Undertaker, you can bring the smoke…..you can bring the mirrors…..you can bring all the parlour tricks in the world…..

 

…..but when all is said and done…..

 

…..he will set you free…..

 

…..trust me…..”

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..and so it comes down to this…..

 

…..the Undertaker has battled some of the strangest characters ever to walk into the WWF…..from Voodoo practitioners to Vikings, Ugandan Giants to fur coated, body suit wearing ones…..Kings, Snakes…..hell, at one point he even fought himself…..

 

…..but for all that, he’s never had an opponent sink to the depths of depravity that his opponent tonight has…..

 

…..while most men slink away in fear of the Deadman, Raven has actively enraged the Undertaker…..

 

…..but then, Raven isn’t most men…..

 

…..most men wouldn’t desecrate a church…..most men wouldn’t half blind and crucify a priest…..most men wouldn’t almost cripple the father figure to a Phenom…..

 

…..and most men wouldn’t dig up the dead parents of the Undertaker, only to douse their caskets in fire…..

 

…..Raven isn’t most men…..

 

…..he’s the Deity of the Damned…..

 

”…..and by god, as this man makes his way out Jerry Lawler, you’ve got to believe that Raven is the very definition of a dead man walking…..”

 

“…..you say ‘man’ JR, he says deity…..but whether it’s confidence, bravery, or down right stupidity, Raven certainly seems to think it’s going to be him that walks out of here this evening…..”

 

…..Raven certainly seems a figure of nonchalance as he walks down the aisle and rolls into the ring…..sliding himself over to the corner where he takes up his usual position…..it’s about now that the nerves of most would be beginning to fray…..

 

…..those few moments before he comes out…..

 

…..those few moments before the silence…..

 

…..those few moments before the anticipation…..

 

…..those few moments before the……

 

….::::!!!!GONG!!!!::::….

 

…..as the lights go out and the smoke begins to rise…..

 

…..the ominous music begins to play…..

 

…..the sound of Druid song rings out…..

 

…..as a sea of cloaked figures make their way out from the back……

 

…..JR tells us that there’s nothing quite like witnessing the entrance of the Undertaker to put a chill down your spine, but Rick Rude is unimpressed, stating that Raven is not going to be intimidated by cheap parlour tricks and smoke and mirrors…..in fact, Jake Roberts specifically told the Deadman to forget his usual dog and pony show not two minutes ago…..

 

…..and it looks like he might get his wish…..

 

…..because before the druids can even begin their slow walk down the aisle, a furious looking Undertaker comes storming out from the back, tossing robed figures this way and that as he forgoes his usual spectacular entrance to rush down the aisle towards his opponent…..

 

…..only to come face to face with a chair wielding Jake Roberts…..

 

…..the Deadman hesitates briefly…..but only for a split second…..

 

…..he heads straight for The Snake…..who raises the chair…..

 

…..only to be told to ”MOVE!….LET HIM PASS” by Raven…..who now stands, arms outstretched in the middle of the ring…..

 

…..Jake doesn’t have chance to move however…..instead The Undertaker boots him straight in the face, before stepping over him and climbing into the ring…..

 

…..and charging straight at Raven…..

 

…..as the official rings the bell to get this one underway…..

 

 

…..The Undertaker unloads from the second he’s in arms length of his opponent, lighting up Raven with blow after blow that drives the man back into the corner…..more blows, but Raven ducks out and tries to land a right hand of his own, only for the Deadman to catch the fist, grab Raven by the throat, and lift him off his feet, slamming him back into the turnbuckles to continue the punches…..

 

…..Raven is rocked as the Deadman hits him with strike after strike…..Jake hops onto the apron (only to get knocked straight back down again) before the Undertaker backs up and crushes Raven with two running corner clothesline’s, before dropping the man face first with Snake Eyes and then kicking his head off with a big boot…..

 

…..signal for the chokeslam by Taker as he goozles his opponent, but Raven is able to wriggle free, landing behind the Deadman where he drops his with a chop block to the back of the knee…..

 

…..Raven hits a series of kicks to the back of the leg, dropping the Deadman to one knee, before returning the favour from earlier, as he takes the chance to drill his opponent with a flurry of punches that finally drop him to the mat…..

 

…..the two men continue to brawl around the ring, before the Undertaker whips Raven into the corner, and again crushes the life out of him with a running clothesline…..

 

…..Taker wrings the arm, before climbing to the top to walk the ropes, leaping off and hitting the move that will be dubbed ‘Old-School’ about a decade from now…..

 

…..Raven is down and The Undertaker runs a thumb a cross his throat, signalling that it’s over, before hoisting his opponent up into position for the Tombstone…..again Raven wriggles with all his might though, finally kicking with such force that Taker stumbles backwards as both men topple over the top rope and down to the floor…..

 

…..if there’s one place that Raven thrives, it’s on the floor…..as he takes advantage of his opponents awkward fall to whip the Deadman into the corner of the crowd rail…..Taker staggers forward and Raven uses the momentum to whip him spine first into the apron…..staggers forward again to be whipped back into the crowd rail…..staggers forward again to be met this time by a drop toe hold that drives the skull of the Phenom into the steel ring steps…..

 

…..Raven rolls the opponent back into the ring and then climbs onto the apron, arms outstretched with his back to the Undertaker, telling the crowd that now, he’s going to set the Deadman free…..

 

…..only to turn around to eat another big boot that sends him crashing back down to the floor…..

 

…..Jake is over to check on his man, helping Raven back to his feet…..

 

…..which is when the Undertaker breaks out into a run inside the ring…..leaps high over the ropes…..and crashes down on both Roberts AND Raven on the outside…..

 

…..the crowd are loving this action (this match is actually the highest rated on the card) and it’s easy to see why…..a slow ten count from the official gives both men chance to recover…..the Deadman rolls his opponent into the ring and Raven grabs onto the official just long enough to distract him from the fact that Jake Roberts attempts to ambush the Phenom…..

 

…..much as he did six years ago back at Wrestlemania VIII though, The Undertaker gets The Snake into position…..and Tombstones him right out there on the floor…..

 

…..it did the job then, and it does the job now…..Roberts is out for the count, and as Taker rolls back into the ring, the medical personnel escort Jake to the back, leaving Raven all alone…..

 

…..the Undertaker is unrelenting with his offence…..I don’t think anyone has ever lit a fire under the Deadman like Raven has…..so focused on his opponent is he however, that he recklessly charges at the Deity of the Damned, that Raven is able to pull the official in front of him to take the brunt of the impact…..

 

…..the official goes down hard and the Undertaker briefly checks on him, which is all the opening Raven needs to snatch him by the head and drive him into the mat with the Evenflow DDT…..

 

…..Raven makes the cover, but with the official down there’s no one to make the count…..

 

…..Raven slaps the mat in frustration, before rolling off the Deadman and dragging the official back to his feet…..

 

…..only to Evenflow him back into the mat and then kick him to the outside…..

 

…..Raven motions up the ramp for a second referee to make his way out (which is exactly what happens) but with his back to his opponent, he doesn’t see the Undertaker sit up behind him, slowly standing to his feet…..

 

…..the official slides into the ring…..

 

…..just as Raven turns around…..

 

…..straight into a waiting Tombstone piledriver…..

 

…..and three seconds later…..

 

…..The Undertaker defeats the Deity of the Damned…..

 

…..in what was one hell of a match…..

 

Winner: The Undertaker

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..the match is over but the carnage doesn’t look like it’s going to stop, as the pyro erupts, signalling the arrival of the Big Red Machine…..Kane…..

 

…..Kane marches down the aisle and climbs into the ring beside his brother, before the two drag Raven to his feet, both wrapping a hand around his neck to drive him straight back down to the mat with a massive double chokeslam…..

 

…..damage done, the two brothers simultaneously drop to a knee as one…..both hitting the Undertakers pose, motioning to the entrance way as they do…..where a final Druid comes walking out from the back…..

 

…..pushing a casket as he goes…..

 

…..the mystery Druid pauses for a moment, only to suddenly whip that hood back to reveal himself…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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…..to be none other than the returning Paul Bearer….who lets out a big [/i]”Oh Yesssssss”[/i] as he indicates to the casket in front of him and lifts the lid…..

 

…..to reveal a can of gasoline inside…..

 

…..the two brothers of destruction toss Raven to the outside, where Kane fireman carries him all the way up the ramp and dumps him into the casket…..

 

…..Paul Bearer slams the lid, before handing the can to the Deadman…..

 

…..who absolutely douses the wooden structure with flammable gasoline…..

 

…..Ravishing Rick says that someone needs to stop this before Raven is seriously hurt…..or worse…..Jim Ross on the other hand seems to think this is a little dose of karma for the Deity of the Damned…..

 

”…..because while I can’t condone what Kane and The Undertaker look set to do, you’ve got to remember the old adage…..you play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt…..and it looks like Raven is about to find out just how true that is…..”

 

 

 

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…..before the Brothers of Destruction can do the unthinkable however, Vince McMahon comes rushing out from the back with a sea of security guards…..

 

…..it looks like that on top of already seeing Mankind defeated, as well as his tag team champions lose the gold and disband, the last hing he wants to witness is a man being burned alive at his marquee event…..

 

…..he tells Bearer to get his men to stand down…..but Bearer isn’t exactly in a forgiving mood either after the beating he took at the hands of Raven and Roberts…..

 

…..he tells McMahon that one way or another, Raven’s going to burn…..and anyone that gets in their way…..woe betide them…..

 

…..with that the brothers go about beating the crap out of the rentacops that McMahon brought out with him…..beating the snot out of them before chokeslamming them one by one on the entrance ramp…..

 

…..they turn their attention to McMahon…..but he’s not stupid enough to stick around…..calling the pair “sick sons of bitches” as he quickly returns to the back, telling the duo that they’re going to rue the day they crossed the boss…..

 

…..the pair head back to the casket…..unfortunately for them, Raven has made his escape during the melee, and all they are met with is an empty open casket…..

 

…..Taker slams the lid shut again in frustration, while Kane raises (and then snaps down) his arms, causing the casket to erupt in flames…..as the Undertakers music plays once more…..

 

…..the Deadman got his victory…..but given the lengths he was about to go to…..did Raven get HIS victory too?…..

 

…..has he indeed set the Phenom free?…..

 

…..I guess time will tell…..

 

Rating: A*

 

 

 

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…..okay, we need some time to clear up the mess around here (flaming caskets don’t just clean themselves up you know) so it’s time to play one final recap video ahead of our main event…..

 

…..we need a recap too…..because while it feels like the last few months have been building to this match, in fact, it’s been the last few years…..because the origins of this can be traced all the way back to 1996…..the King of the Ring 1996 to be precise…..the night that Stone Cold was born (defeating Bret Hart in the finals of the KotR tournament) and the night the Loose Cannon became unhinged, turning on then friend Hart to align himself with Austin in the first place…..

 

…..of course that wasn’t Pillman’s only betrayal…..because after months of feuding with the Hart Foundation, the Loose Cannon turned his back on Steve Austin, costing him victory in the 1997 Royal Rumble match…..

 

…..Wrestlemania XIII saw the one time Hollywood Blondes face off one on one to open the show, with Austin coming out victorious…..only for The Loose Cannon to Pillmanize his ankle after the match, putting the Rattlesnake on the shelf…..

 

…..the departure of Shawn Michaels (and disbanding of the KLiQ) saw the Loose Cannon become the Corporate Cannon, as Brian Pillman was eventually crowned World Wrestling Federation (thanks in some part to The Hitman and the Hart Foundation) only for Bret to be rewarded with a World Title opportunity at a date of his choosing…..

 

…..he chose Wrestlemania…..

 

…..then Steve Austin won the 1998 Royal Rumble…..

 

…..and HE now goes on to Wrestlemania…..

 

…..which means, for the first time ever (and much to the chagrin of the WWF Chairman, Vince McMahon) we have a triple threat match in the main event of Wrestlemania…..

 

…..and here we are…..

 

…..it’s main event time…..

 

…..let’s go down to ringside…..

 

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..so this is it…..the final match of the evening (and the final match of the dynasty) and it is indeed for all the marbles…..

 

…..it’s Brain Pillman putting the World Wrestling Federation Championship on the line against both Bret Hart and Steve Austin…..and it has NOT been a good night for Vince McMahons Corporate Contingent so far this evening…..Mankind lost to Kane…..Flair and Anderson not only lost the WWF Tag Team Titles, but were forced to disband in the process…..not exactly a good omen for Mr. McMahon’s Crown Jewel…..

 

…..with that being said, The Hart Foundation aren’t exactly riding a wave of momentum this evening either…..yes The Hitman left both Brian Pillman and Steve Austin laying on Monday night…..and yes he was left holding the World title high…..but so far tonight, Owen Hart has lost to Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho has lost the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Malenko, and tensions between Test and Jericho have left unrest within the group…..again, not the best omen for Bret Hart either…..

 

…..arguably the only one in this match who’s plans haven’t gone awry this evening is Stone Cold Steve Austin…..but when you factor in that the last time he shared a ring with Brian Pillman (less than seven days ago) the Corporate Cannon pinned him one, two, three in the middle of the ring, he’s hardly riding high either…..

 

…..I guess this really could go either way…..

 

…..the music hits and it’s actually the champion that makes his way out first…..JR is somewhat surprised, stating that usually we would see the champion coming out last, but Rick Rude contradicts him…..

 

”…..see you’ve never been between those ropes Jim Ross, and you've certainly never been a champion….I have, and it’s champions prerogative as to when he wants to come out…..I spoke to Brian Pillman earlier today, and he said that because he can’t trust either the Hitman or the Rattlesnake to be the corporate gentleman that he is (and allow him to enter the ring without jumping him) then he’s going to make sure he’s the first man in that ring…..”

 

…..JR cites paranoia from the WWF Champion, but as the screeching guitar signals the arrival of Bret Hart, Jerry Lawler agrees with Rick Rudes statement…..

 

…..and then the glass shatters…..

 

…..and the roof blows off this place…..

 

…..as the Texas Rattlesnake marches down the aisle, walks straight past Hart and Pillman, and hits all four corners, saluting that one fingered salute to the screaming fans as he does so, before the official brings all three men to the middle of the ring, raises the WWF Championship for all to see, and then rings the bell…..

 

…..this one is underway…..

 

…..and Steve Austin flys straight for Brian Pillman…..

 

…..who quickly bails to the outside, giving Stone Cold a pair of double birds himself, just before The Hitman nails Austin from behind…..

 

…..Stone Cold has no love lost for Hart, so he’s just as happy opening a can of whoop-ass on the Hitman as he is the Loose Cannon, which is fortunate, because Pillman is happy to let his two opponents beat the crap out of each other inside the ring, cackling maniacally as he sets up a steel chair on the floor and takes a seat…..

 

”…..and I don’t know how smart this is from the Champion Jerry Lawler…..Brian Pillman doesn’t have to be involved in the outcome of this match to lose that WWF Title, but he sure as hell can’t win it on the floor….”

 

“…..no, this is genius from the Corporate Cannon JR…..you can see why Mr. McMahon chose him to represent the face of the World Wrestling Federation…..all he’s doing here is biding his time and letting these two idiots beat the hell out of each other, then when the time is right, he’ll slide in there (fresh as a daisy) and put an end to this nonsense once and for all…..genius!…..”

 

…..it certainly seems like genius initially…..because Hart and Austin really do beat the hell out of each other…..there really is no love lost between them…..so much so in fact that it doesn’t take long for the action to spill to the outside, where Pillman has little choice to get involved…..

 

…..mainly because Austin sends Hart flying into him with an Irish Whip that sends the Champion crashing from his chair in a heap with the Hitman on top of him…..

 

…..with this being a triple threat match, count-outs and disqualifications are basically wavered by proxy, so there is no rush to get back into the ring for these three as they go to work on each other on the floor…..

 

…..Pillman sends Hart hard into the ring post (which puts him down momentarily) before turning to try and hit a Suplex on Austin right there on the floor…..Stone Cold blocks the attempt though, lifting Pillman up himself, but instead of dropping back for the Suplex he instead drops him to the side where he crotches him on top of that steel guardrail, before clotheslining him right into the crowd…..

 

…..Austin turns around to look for Hart, but the Hitman has already recovered and is waiting with a clothesline of his own that sends The Rattlesnake over the guardrail too…..not one to be left behind, Hart follows both men over the steel barricade, as this fight spills into the crowd…..

 

…..the three men head through the fans, brawling as they go…..there’s no finesse here, just fists and feet as they kick and punch each other through the crowd…..Hart clears an area and then tosses Austin into a bunch of (now empty) chairs…..Pillman snatches a coke from a fan and throws the liquid into Bret’s face, before slamming his head into a partition wall between sections…..Austin grabs Pillman by the scruff of the neck and launches him down some stairs, where he rolls back to the bottom of the arena…..you know, the standard……

 

…..the three men eventually stumble back to ringside and over the barricade…..

 

…..Austin sets Pillman up in position to Piledrive him right there on the floor, but the WWF Champion is able to counter it into a backdrop, only to get taken out instantly with a running clothesline from the Hitman…..

 

…..Hart drags The Rattlesnake back to his feet and goes for an Irish Whip, but Austin has just enough left in the tank to reverse it and he sends Bret HARD into the ring steps, as all three men stay down for a moment to catch their breath, as Jim Ross tells us that this is an out and out war here tonight…..

 

”…..and I don’t know who’s going to walk out the winner here….but by god, whoever it is will have EARNED the right to call themselves the WWF Champion…..”

 

…..the three men claw their way back into the ring, where we have something resembling a more traditional match rather than the out and out brawl we’ve witnessed up until now…..

 

…..with three men in the ring it’s difficult for any one individual to take control of the offence for an extended period of time…..Hart is able to lock the Sharpshooter onto Pillman, but Austin is there to break it up…..Pillman levels Hart with the Time Bomb hangman’s neck breaker, but again Austin is there to break up the three count…..

 

…..the only one not to have any luck with their signature move at this time is the man breaking up all the other attempts….Austin does go for the Stunner attempt on Bret, but the Hitman is able to push out of it, sending Stone Cold right into Pillman, who in turn backdrops the Rattlesnake right over the top rope and down to the floor…..

 

…..it’s a one on one affair in the ring now, as The Hitman tries to ground the more agile Champion, working over the knee in preparation (you would assume) to reapply the Sharpshooter…..

 

…..Pillman has been sat at the learning tree of the dirtiest player in the game for several months now, and if there’s one thing Ric Flair knows, it’s how to gain the upper hand in a championship match…..The WWF Champion takes a leaf out of the Nature Boys playbook, and after the Hitman jumps for a leapfrog during a rope running sequence, Pillman quickly applies the breaks, turns, and takes his opponents leg out from behind with a chop block…..

 

…..with Hart down Pillman quickly rolls to the outside…..he grabs Austin and quickly drives him into the crowd rail, before picking up a steel chair and heading into the ring…..

 

…..Pillman swings the steel at the leg of the Hitman a number of times, before opening up the chair, sliding Hart’s foot into it, and then climbing to the top…..

 

”…..and by god, Brian Pillman isn’t just looking to win the match here, he’s looking to permanently injure his opponent…..are these really the actions of a champion Rick Rude?…..”

 

“…..these are the actions of a winner JR, nothing more, nothing less…..and if Pillman breaks that ankle, and walks out of here still the World Wrestling Federation Champion, then ‘winner’ is all it will say in the record books…..there ain’t no asterisk telling people how he won it…..”

 

…..Rude has a point…..and if the Corporate Cannon is able to Pillmanize the Hitman, then ‘winner’ is exactly what he will walk out as…..

 

…..unfortunately for him, Steve Austin has other ideas…..

 

…..because the Rattlesnake slide into the ring with a steel chair of his own, which he uses to absolutely annihilate Pillman with a crashing blow to the skull that see’s him crash hard to the mat…..

 

……Austin tosses the chair to one side and proceeds to stomp a mud hole into the WWF Champion, who eventually rolls to the outside for safety…..

 

…..Stone Cold turns his attention back to The Hitman, bending down to pull the steel chair off his ankle…..but he gets caught in a small package for his efforts that is about as close to a three count as possible…..

 

…..the two men exchange blows in the centre, before Hart goes to whip Austin into the ropes…..reversal by the Rattlesnake sees The Hitman running, but as his opponent drops his head for a backdrop attempt, Bret catches him with a spinning neck breaker that drives him into the mat…..

 

…..Bret takes hold of the legs of Austin and drives his foot into the midsection of the prone Rattlesnake, before dragging him over to the corner…..Bret rolls to the floor and drags Stone Cold crotch first into the post, then slams the knee into the steel and applies that patented Bret Hart figure four around the ring post…..

 

…..Austin cries out in pain as Hart yanks as much pressure onto the hold as he can…..at least until Brian Pillman walks into shot with Austin’s discarded chair…..

 

…..which he smashes against the skull of a pretty defenceless Hitman…..

 

…..Bret crumples to the floor and Pillman crashes the chair against the knee of Austin for good measure, before rolling back into the ring to go to work on the Rattlesnake…..

 

…..the Hitman pulls himself up onto the apron, and his face is just a bloody mess from that chair shot…..say what you will about Bret Hart, but if there’s one thing he knows, it’s how to get a gusher going…..and he’s wearing the proverbial crimson mask here as he rolls under the bottom rope…..

 

…..with Austin limping and Bret rapidly losing blood, it makes pretty easy pickings here for the Corporate Cannon…..

 

 

 

 

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…..so much so that the chairman makes his way down to the ring for a closer look, where he begins cheering on his hand picked champion…..

 

…..JR remarks that this has not been a good night for Mr. McMahon’s corporate team, but the King says that it will only take three seconds to remedy that…..

 

”…..three seconds JR…..all Brian Pillman needs is three seconds, and Mr. McMahon will be happier than an Oklahoman in a BBQ sauce pit…..he doesn’t care about that idiot Mankind losing…..he doesn’t even care who has those tag team titles Ross…..all he cares about, is Stone Cold Steve Austin being far, far away from that WWF Titile…..”

 

…..Austin looks pretty damn far away from it here, as Pillman continues to divide his time between working over the knee of the Rattlesnake, and pummelling at the open wound of the Hitman…..

 

……unfortunately as his confidence grows…..the cockiness also grows……and as Pillman baits the crowd it gives Austin just enough time to get back to his feet (well, foot) and when the champ turns around, he gets dropped with a massive Stunner…..

 

…..Austin crawls over and makes the cover…..but before the referee can hit the mat the third time, McMahon grabs the ankle of the Rattlesnake and pulls him to the outside……

 

…..which was a mistake…..

 

…..because Austin is livid……

 

…..and he proceeds to beat the crap out of McMahon right there on the floor…..

 

…..back in the ring and Hart has recovered enough to stumble over to Pillman (who’s still down from the Stunner) and he picks up the legs, turning the WWF Champion over and locking in the Sharpshooter again…..

 

…..Austin is still preoccupied on the floor…..Pillman is screaming in pain…..and as Bret locks the hold in even tighter, the blood flows freely down his face from the exertion…..

 

…..and Pillman screams…..

 

…..and screams…..

 

…..and screams some more…..

 

…..as his arm goes up…..

 

…..he’s going to tap…..

 

…..and a bald headed blur flys into shot…..as Stone Cold finally breaks up the submission at the very last second…..

 

…..Hart and Austin go to war as Pillman rolls to the ropes, where he proceeds to pull himself back to his feet…..The Hitman and the Rattlesnake trade blows, before a rope running sequence sees Austin level Hart with a Thesz Press, raining fists down on that already bloody face…..

 

…..Pillman pulls himself to his feet using the rope for leverage…..

 

…..Austin is over and goes for a second Stunner…..

 

…..but Pillman catches the foot (on the kick setup) and shoves Austin to one side…..

 

…..as Bret charges across the ring, to put everything into a clothesline that sends Pillman inside out, over the top rope and down to the floor…..

 

…..and Bret turns around again…..

 

…..walking straight into a Stone Cold Stunner…..

 

…..Austin makes the cover…..

 

…..and yes King, three seconds was all it took…..

 

…..because we have a brand new WWF Champion…..

 

…..and his name is Stone Cold Steve Austin…..

 

Winner: …and New WWF Champion…..Stone Cold Steve Austin

Rating: A

 

 

 

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…..the bell sounds (and the crowd erupts) as a weary Austin pulls himself to his feet in victory…..

 

…..the official barely has chance to raise the new Champion’s arm however, before a bloody (and snarling) Brian Pillman is back in the ring with a steel chair in hand…..which he uses to almost take the Rattlesnakes head off as he turns around…..

 

…..Pillman is incensed, as he crashes the chair across the back of the fallen victor…..and Vince McMahon doesn’t look any happier, as he too climbs into the ring with a chair…..

 

…..McMahon drags Bret Hart to his feet, handing the steel weapon to the groggy Hitman…..he points at Austin and tells Hart to join Pillman in taking out the Rattlesnake…..

 

”…..I don’t want that son of a bitch anywhere NEAR the World Wrestling Federation Championship…..make this right…..and when you’re done, and Steve Austin is lying in a hospital bed…..it’ll be you and Brian…..for the WWF Championship…..the match you should have had, before Steve Austin screwed you!…..take him out!…..”

 

…..looks like Vince doesn’t have any intention of seeing the Rattlesnake leave this arena with the World Wrestling Federation title tonight…..

 

…..and as Hart and Pillman look at each other…..

 

…..and each raise their chairs…..

 

…..there’s a good chance he won’t…..

 

…..as Bret Hart swings…..

 

…..nailing Brian Pillman right between the eyes…..

 

…..the Corporate Cannon is down and out, and McMahon looks on wide eyed as the Hitman takes a leaf out of Stone Cold’s playbook…..

 

…..and flips him the bird before rolling out of the ring…..

 

…..McMahon obviously decides that if you want a job doing right, you’re going to have to do it yourself…..picking up Harts discarded chair and turning to face Austin…..

 

…..and turning right into a Stone Cold Stunner…..because the WWF Champion is back on his feet…..

 

…..Bret Hart rolls back into the ring with the title belt in hand…..looking down at the championship he’s been so desperately trying to regain since losing it two years ago…..before finally walking over to Austin and placing it right in his hands…..

 

…..Hart said earlier this evening that there would be no excuses from him if he failed to leave this arena tonight as the WWF Champion, and it looks like he is true to his word, exiting the ring as the glass shatters once more, and FINALLY, our new champion is able to raise that title belt in victory…..

 

…..and as the celebrations begin (and the beer begins to flow as Austin toasts the crowd) all that’s left to do is for Jim Ross bids us all farewell…..

 

”…..because despite the best efforts of Brian Pillman…..despite the best efforts of Bret Hart…..and yes, despite even the best efforts of Vince McMahon himself…..we have a brand new World Wrestling Federation Champion, and his name is Stone Cold Steve Austin…..

 

…..thank you for joining us on this monumental evening…..and we’ll see you tomorrow night…..for what is no doubt going to be an explosive Raw is War…..

 

…..goodnight folks…..”

 

Rating: A*

 

Final Rating: A