WCW Great American Bash 96'

Great American Bash 96' - June 1996

Baltimore, Maryland

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The Giant holds the WCW World Championship, Konnan is the United States Champion, the Tag Team Championships are held by Sting and Lex Luger (who is also the Television Champion), and the Cruiserweight Champion is Dean Malenko.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone and Dusty Rhodes

The Great American Bash opens up with some words from the participants in tonight's biggest matches - namely Lex Luger and The Giant, who will be competing for the Giant's World Championship, and the teams of Arn Anderson and Ric Flair (with Bobby Heenan) and Kevin Greene and Mongo McMichaels (coached by Randy Savage). The word "Outsider" is used when we cut to Tony, but at this point in June 96', even after Scott Hall's debut in late May and the debut of Kevin Nash just a week before the event, that storyline had not engulfed the entire promotion just yet.

The Steiner Brothers take on Fire and Ice in the opening contest. I came into this match not expecting much, but this one is surprisingly watchable - only maybe not for the best reasons. Like some of the Steiners' matches from the early 90s, part of the "fun" of the match is watching Rick and Scott get frustrated and start acting completely unprofessional and dangerous. Norton holds his own against their stiff work and Ice Train's minutes are (thoughtfully) kept short, but Train's inexperience ends up leading Rick to physically manhandling him at one point. At the tail end of the match, Scott attempts a Frankensteiner that Norton just doesn't seem ready for at all (not that Scott even hits the height needed to properly apply it). If you like your wrestling warts and all, the brutality of this one will win you over.  (2.5/5)

After some brief words from Kevin Sullivan, we come to the PPV debut of El Gato, who is set to take on the United States Champion, Konnan. "El Gato" is longtime journeyman, Pat Tanaka, which may explain why he is permitted to get in a fair amount of offense. There are several audible "boring" chants, but I'd chalk that up to the fans' unfamiliarity with "El Gato" and Konnan's ill-fitting babyface role. The in-ring action is actually quite good and they do pop the crowd with a vicious powerbomb to the arena floor, followed by an equally strong Alabama Slam from the corner. All in all, a much better match than the fan responses would tell you. (2.5/5)

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Marcus Bagwell is next, with DDP defending his "Lord of the Ring" ring, which he won at the previous show's BattleBowl tournament (the victor of that tournament was also supposed to get a World Title shot at this show, but didn't). I'm a fan of DDP's animated selling and stooging, but unlike his matches with The Renegade, Bagwell is capable of getting sympathy and performing some decent offense to balance out the action. DDP's selling of the atomic drop is a bit "OTT" for me and the match goes just a hair (maybe a minute or two?) too long. Considering how many reversals and how much high-impact offense there is, I would've loved a more creative finish too. (2/5)

Mike Tenay joins the broadcast team for our next match - WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko taking on Rey Mysterio Jr. for the first time ever (according to Tenay). Early on, Malenko and Mysterio test eachother out with a variety of handsprings and kip-ups, the first big spots of the match coming out of Mysterio's dynamic offense. The story of the match really starts, though, when Malenko connects with some vicious arm-focused attacks, the maneuvers sold perfectly by Mysterio, who shouts out in pain. Minutes later, Malenko and Mysterio put together a breath-taking powerbomb-into-a-clothesline sequence, while still keeping the damaged arm as the centerpiece of the action. There are brief moments of imperfection in the match and one might find that, to some degree, Malenko's greatest flaw as a worker was also one of his greatest strength - he applies so many different maneuvers that it almost fatigues the audience. Like the Konnan/Gato match, there is an audible "Boring" call from the stands at one point, the crowd growing restless at all the "inconsequential" technical wizardry. When Mysterio gets back on offense, the crowd comes alive - his springboard somersault is a revelation to the Baltimore crowd. The nearfalls that follow garner equally big responses, the crowd emphatically behind Rey (who came into the match as a complete unknown). The finish is well-executed and helps define Malenko's heel status while reinforcing the remarkable spirit of Mysterio. Great match. (4/5)

Big Bubba makes his way down the aisle to take on his new rival John "The Shark" Tenta, formerly of the Dungeon of Doom. The build-up of this match was Tenta's face turn and decision to drop the Shark gimmick, which led to Bubba attacking him after a match against The Giant and shaving half of his head. The announcers are quick to point out that this match will be very different from the previous match and it certainly is - but not just because it features markedly less athleticism, but because this one starts with shenanigans right from the first few minutes instead of closing with them. Bubba uses all sorts of heel tactics to maintain control, a wise storytelling device that keeps the crowd engaged. When Bubba connects with a belly-to-back suplex, it is an impressive feat, but one that he ultimately fails to capitalize on. After the match, the crowd becomes unglued at the chance to see Jimmy Hart lose some hair, but it is Big Bubba who suffers that indignity (though not enough of one to end the feud). This one could've been a lot worse, but is kept relatively short and is effective at what it aimed to do. (2/5)

The legendary Falls Count Anywhere match between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan is next and, 20 years later, it is still something to behold. The best way to describe this match is as an absolute slugfest, in fact, I'm not sure either man performs a single wrestling move until the final few minutes - and even those moves involve guard rails and tables. A lack of blood keeps the match from contention for the most violent match in WCW history, but the intensity still comes through. The match also lives up to its name with Benoit and Sullivan finding their way into the bathroom, slamming each other's heads with steel doors, Sullivan tossing Benoit down a flight of stairs, and the Taskmaster getting beaten down in the front row. The post-match run-in and Four Horsemen interview segment adds at least an extra half-point to this match. (4/5)

Lord Steven Regal arrives next for his "special challenge" match against one half of the tag team champions, Sting. Interestingly, Tony Schiavone calls Sting "the most popular star in our company," seemingly putting him above Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. To be honest, I'm not sure I wouldn't put him there either. The match starts off with the Stinger dishing out the punishment, holding off Regal's attack until the Blue Blood has to "take a powder" as Dusty calls it. Once Regal takes control, the match really gets interesting, bringing out elements of Sting's game that hadn't been explored much in recent years - the two men's styles blending surprisingly well at times. Regal's character work has always been a strength, but in this match he throws in considerably more preening - something that would make a typical wrestler look silly, but works for him because of how vicious his strikes and submissions look. Sting's comebacks get big responses, so the cut-offs really work at deflating fan enthusiasm and pulling in the audience even more. While I would've enjoyed a more elaborate finish and maybe one a little less decisive (at no point does Regal even attempt any of the dirty tricks he had used to hold onto his TV Championship years prior), this one definitely stands as one of Sting's best matches in the 90s. (3.5/5)

Ric Flair and Arn Anderson take on Kevin Greene and Mongo McMichaels next. There is a massive "Mongo Sucks" banner in the audience, though, to be sure, the rest of the audience is pretty anti-Horsemen, popping huge for every big spot, especially when Macho Man and Flair start to tussle outside the ring. Nobody is going to confuse Greene or Mongo with Bret Hart, but I'd argue they look more natural in the ring than most other rookies. They have the benefit of working with two of the best bumpers in the business. For example, when Mongo tosses the Nature Boy with a back body drop and a guerilla press from the corner, it looks considerably less sloppy than anything we saw Renegade try to pull off. One could argue that the match runs a bit long, that Greene and Mongo are not quite capable of putting on a match of this length, but I think that is cutting their work short. The fact is, this match has enough bells-and-whistles to keep it interesting for at least 85% of the contest - the valets, Heenan, Savage, and, later, Chris Benoit all making their presence known at opportune times. There are some dull stretches, no doubt, but Mongo's heel turn is expertly done and overshadow any dullness. (4/5)

Eric Bischoff stands at the top of the stage and welcomes the "guys" who have been issuing challenges on Nitro over the past month. Out walk Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (who remain anonymous). After letting them know they will be getting their match at Bash At The Beach 96', Bischoff asks them if they work for the WWF (to which they reply "No"). "The guys" then demand to know who they will be facing, which Bischoff refuses to answer until the next night on Nitro. At this point, Hall cheap shots him and Nash powerbombs him off the stage in a spot that is sold perfectly by both Bischoff and the announce team. Dusty and Schiavone call for medical assistance and Bischoff is helped onto a stretcher. It is important to remember just how unique this segment was - at the time, announcers just weren't involved in angles this extreme on WCW or WWE TV. My only gripe might be that we don't get more of a tease of the powerbomb. (4.5/5)

It is main event time - TV and World Tag Team Champion Lex Luger vs. The Giant for the WCW World Championship. Luger walks down the aisle and surveys the damage, seemingly shocked at what he sees, but still focused on his match. Jimmy Hart also "sells" the incident by looking back at the broken table twice as he accompanies The Giant down the aisle (who, wisely, does not seem to care - the perfect attitude for his character). After Michael Buffer starts the match with his usual long-winded introduction, Lex Luger takes control, rocking the Giant out of the ring at one point and trying his best to take him down with a variety of strikes and even a sleeper hold. Jimmy Hart tries to get involved too, but is equalized by the Stinger, who runs him out of the arena. Back in the ring, the Giant impressively gets him into a piledriver position, places the Total Package in the corner, and hits him with some well-sold kicks to the stomach. In fact, Luger's selling in this is really remarkable - bouncing around the ring and shouting in agony every time Giant does so much as touch him. For some, this would be "too much" (and I admit I've critiqued current WWE diva Paige for being too loud in the ring), but when you're wrestling a 7-foot, 300+ pound monster, the simplest moves SHOULD be treated as devastating. To his credit, The Giant's arsenal is not just simple stomps and chokes anymore - a year or so after his debut, the Giant showcases some decent wear-down holds, plays to the audience with confidence, and helps Luger get fan support by selling his comebacks as just a hair short of effective. When Luger locks in the Torture Rack, the crowd is on their feet, and the actual finish is a perfect way to further build-up The Giant as a dominant heel champion. (3/5)

With a strong 3.2-out-of-5 match/segment average, The Great American Bash 96' is easily the best WCW pay-per-view I've reviewed in quite some time. The worst matches on the show (Big Bubba/Tenta, the opening tag, and Bagwell/DDP) are still fairly good outings, each having at least a couple selling points - Bubba/Tenta doesn't overstay its welcome, the Steiners/Fire and Ice match is a watchable trainwreck, and Bagwell/DDP has builds on the winning/lucky streak that Page's character was centered around. Elsewhere on the card, you get outstanding performances out of Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio Jr., Chris Benoit, and Kevin Sullivan, not to mention a historic segment featuring the Outsiders and a well-executed main event that showcases The Giant's strengths as a performer. From top to bottom, this is a well-booked, well-paced, and engaging show - something I haven't said about a WCW show in a long, long time.

FINAL RATING - Watch It All