WWE Night of Champions 2015

Night of Champions 2015

Houston, Texas

September 20, 2015

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Seth Rollins holds the WWE World Championship and United States Championship, Ryback is the Intercontinental Champion, Nikki Bella is the Divas Champion, and The New Day are the WWE Tag Team Champions.

COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL

In our opening contest, Kevin Owens challenges Ryback for the Intercontinental Championship. Early on Ryback impressed with a guerilla press slam to the outside, but Owens took control by targeting his opponent's left arm. The ever-inventive Owens hit a clever russian leg sweep with Ryback's arm behind his back at one point, a subtle variation on a classic that not only looked cool, but served a logical purpose. Good stuff. Ryback isn't the most fluid wrestler ever, but he's a serviceable monster and one that, throughout the match, had the foresight to make Owens look good. While I'm not sure this is the best Ryback match I've ever seen, it was an engaging one that didn't overstay its welcome and ended the right way - with me actually wanting to see a rematch. (3/5)

Uh...did the WWE just announce Taker/Lesnar III in a Cell via a video package? Way to underplay your hand, Vince.

After some words from Rusev, the Bulgarian Brute squares off against Dolph Ziggler, continuing their long-running feud over Lana and Summer Rae. I was not very high on their SummerSlam match, but as a fan of both guys, I was eager to see them top it here. As others have noted, maybe most succinctly on the Live Audio Wrestling podcast, the storyline they've built doesn't make perfect sense - Ziggler is the baby face, but its hard to get behind the guy who is now with the other guy's girlfriend (no matter how much the commentators play up the fact that Rusev dumped Lana), especially after Rusev became a bit of a sympathetic character following his pride-wrecking losses to John Cena. More recently, Ziggler gave expensive gifts to Rusev's rebound chick, Summer Rae, an extra twist of the dagger embedded in lonely ol' Rusev's heart. Anyway, the bell sounds and the physicality comes quick, with Rusev taking the upperhand and tossing Ziggler around with ease. A "We Want Lana" chant distracts the heel enough to give Ziggler an opportunity to get some offense in, but a sidewalk slam later and the Showoff is back on the mat. Things went back and forth from here, but never got great. Better-paced and more fluid than their SummerSlam match with one or two nice twists to the formula, the biggest blemish in this match was the finish straight out of WCW circa 95'. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Nikki Bella gets some last minute push-ups in while Charlotte hangs out with her old man and her fellow PCBers, Paige and Becky Lynch. 

The Tag Team Championships are on the line next - The Dudley Boys returning to take on The New Day, who come out first because they need to cut a promo, singing the State Farm theme and even giving a shout out to President Barack Obama before leading the audience (or attempting to lead the audience) in a "Save The Tables" champ. The Dudleys then arrived and if, I'm not mistaken, Kofi was on the main roster the last time the Dudleys were around - pretty impressive longevity. Big E calling Bubba Ray "old man" was the first awesome moment, but nearly everything the teams did worked at keeping the crowd engaged. Xavier's soundtracking of the New Day's offense is great schtick, though I hope they cool it a little bit - like everything else novel and interesting the WWE comes up with, they often squander it just as quickly through overkill. Overall, not as good as the better tag bouts from last year, but it ended the right way - with at least a hint of foreshadowing for the return of Bubba and Devon's beloved half-brother Spike. As expected, we got a table spot, expertly sold by Xavier Woods, but even with that bonus, this one didn't stand out as anything better than average. (2.5/5)

After some requisite championship hype, it was time for one of the most talked about matches on the card - Nikki Bella defending the Divas Title against second-generation, NXT alum Charlotte. I've been a vocal supporter of Nikki Bella's efforts over the past year, going as far as to call her numerous Network Special matches as good or better than anything AJ Lee or Paige produced in the same position. While not as smooth or ambitious a worker as either, Nikki, at her best, has proven herself to make up for her shortcomings with some respectable strength spots and surprising versatility. If the WWE's agents had actually taught her and let her work her entire 301+ day run as a pure heel (instead of giving her a confusing role as an arrogant-but-inspirational tweener), I think her run would have been one of the best any diva has ever had. Anyway...a poorly performed "knee tweak"by Charlotte early on started this match on the wrong foot to me, though at least this match had a story to tell beyond the typical "Your Turn/My Turn" action that currently plagues most of the men's matches. From there, Nikki absolutely dominated and looked good doing it - connecting with a vicious slam to the arena floor and some basic-but-strategically smart strikes and slams targeting Charlotte's knee. Nikki's suplexes into the ropes and use of said ropes were equally clever (as was a well-applied half crab). As the match wore on, Charlotte was systematically dismantled, beaten down with such a wide variety of maneuevers that the finish made absolutely no sense to me. Readers, I prefaced this review with compliments of Nikki and I know this could make me seem like a "homer" for the gal, but this match threw all logic out of the window with its conclusion - the equivalent of if John Cena miraculously ended up with his arm raised at SummerSlam 2014. Points rewarded for Nikki's impressive array of submissions, Charlotte's very good selling, and an appearance by the Nature Boy...too bad the finish deflated what had been one of the better divas matches that we'd seen on the main roster in a long time and one that, had Charlotte actually had the opportunity to develop her comeback beyond just applying her finishing move (which she shouldn't have been able to apply at all considering the damage to her own knee), might have even been a Match of the Night contender. (2/5)

The Wyatts were out next to take on the team of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and...some fan? Nope, that fan was taken out by security...it was Chris Jericho, who got a very nice reaction from the Houston crowd. Storyline-wise it makes a bit of sense when you consider that Jericho has history with Bray Wyatt (nicely mentioned by Michael Cole), but when you consider that the whole purpose of Ambrose and Reigns finding a partner was to combat the 300+ pound Braun Strowman, it didn't make total sense (I was predicting Mark Henry, by the way). Like the Shield/Wyatt matches of the past, the crowd was fairly amped for this, but unlike those classics, this one didn't feature as many sharp, high-spot filled sequences. Still, it was smartly worked and organized - everyone had moments of greatness, from Strowman single-handedly dominating the babyfaces for a brief stretch to Harper connecting with a vicious superkick to Roman Reigns to Ambrose and Reigns fighting from underneath with passion. As for the finish and post-match, I absolutely loved it. Over the past few years, Jericho's returns have been less and less interesting, him obviously returning just to "play the hits" and nothing else. Granted, Jericho may have had a good match here or there in the past few years, but he hasn't really swung for the fences in terms of character development for at least 5 years. Tonight, Jericho's quasi-heel turn was a cool, interesting twist that points to some new interesting matches for him - Jericho/Reigns and Jericho/Ambrose both sound intriguing. (3/5)

Backstage, Triple H and Stephanie give a pep talk to Seth Rollins before Sheamus arrives with briefcase in hand. As much as I really dislike Sheamus being the guy with the briefcase, I will admit, having Rollins defend his titles back-to-back, with Sheamus waiting in the wings, is good, suspenseful booking.

John Cena challenged Seth Rollins for his United States Championship next. Like at SummerSlam, Rollins was decked out in his Prince Valiant gear. Rollins and Cena got a ton of praise for that match, though I was not nearly as high on it - to be honest, I think I'm still in the camp that puts the Rollins/Cena/Lesnar at the top of my ballot for the best match of 2015. After exchanging rights and lefts, Rollins took Cena to the mat with a textbook headlock before connecting with a vicious double stomp in the corner. Credit to Cena too - I usually abhor this move as it relies on the receiver to illogically do a sit-up when they coud just as easily hang in a Tree of Woe position, but in this case, Cena made the extra effort to look like he was actively trying to pull Rollins from the top, not just positioning himself to take the maneuver. In full control, Rollins then let his cockiness take over allowing for the Master of the 5 Knuckle Shuffle to get some offense in, including the Code Red and an excellent hurricanrana counter to a Seth Rollins powerbomb attempt. Not to be outdone, Seth Rollins attempted a frog splash (drawing a big "Eddie" chant from the Houston crowd) at one point and then connected with a superplex-into-a-vertical suplex. From here, the hits kept coming and they came quickly - an STF, a powerbomb into the corner from Rollins, Cena hitting his top rope legdrop, and an Attitude Adjustment. Unfortunately, as crisp and clean as this match was, after months of seeing guys take John Cena to the absolute limit in 20+ minute epics, this one fell a bit short - at the end of the day, Rollins simply withstood more last month. Of course, one might point out that Rollins had more to lose at SummerSlam and that it makes perfect sense that Rollins would want to store some energy for his title defense against Sting...but if that was the intention, why not have it end with Rollins tapping out? A few more minutes of action and a more suspenseful finishing sequence would've put this one up a notch for me. As much as I love Cena and Rollins dishing out crazy moves and rapid-fire big spots, part of me is ready to see both guys take their foot off the gas a bit, do a bit more slowed-down brawling, and tell a story that doesn't rely on popping the crowd every 8 seconds. (3/5)

Fortunately, Rollins did get a chance to do that in his next match, defending the World Championship against Sting. Attempting to escape the match by any means necessary at the onset, Rollins took momentary control at a few points but was consistently bested by the fresher veteran. The tables turned, however, when Sting took a devastating bump through one, a spot that I don't think anyone predicted coming into this match. At this point, Rollins made his way down the aisle, pleased with himself and willing to retain the strap through what would've been a double countout draw...but like the legacy-seeking heel that he is, Rollins decided to pour salt in the wound, hitting the Stinger with a slam on the outside and then dragging him back into the ring for even more of a beating (including the first of two powerbombs into the corner). Sting eventually mounted a comeback, knocking the Architect clear off the top rope and into the barricade and then hitting a pair of Stinger Splashes to surprisingly muted cheers (his crossbody off the top got a better response, though, including audible "Holy Shit" and "You've Still Got It" chants). While not filled with nearly as many "movez!1!" as the prior match, this match told a more riveting story and benefitted from pregnant pauses between the high spots, especially in its final moments, which, watching at the time, I took as the Stinger expertly selling damage. Some fans find fault in the match stopping and having its flow killed, but as part of the story, I didn't mind it the break at all - Sting is an old lion, Rollins is the brash jerk, and the ending made perfect sense, with Sting using his last bit of energy to lock in his last hope finisher, but not having enough power left to keep Rollins from escaping. Fans who criticize Sting's role in WWE are remembering a Sting that has never existed in the WWE - yes, in WCW, Sting was "Their Underaker," an almost supernatural force that defied age - but in the WWE, Sting has only been presented as a relic. This match was The Architect vs. The Artifact and it told that story well. Easily my match of the night. (3.5/5)

Bonus point for Sheamus *not* cashing in the briefcase! (+1)

Minus point for Kane seemingly slotted in as Seth Rollins' next opponent. (-1)



With an average match score of 2.79-out-of-5, Night of Champions 2015 was a show without many low points, but without any high points. Bookended by its two best matches, Charlotte/Nikki was on its way to being memorable, but unnecessarily ended by throwing basic wrestling logic out the window and rushing to its conclusion. Cena/Rollins crammed dozens of high spots into what felt like half the running time of their SummerSlam match, giving the match half the feeling of greatness. Sting/Rollins delivered, though, and one can't argue that the right hands weren't raised in the Tag Title and six-man tag matches. Considering that this show didn't feature any particularly great matches, I'd really only recommend it to modern fans clamoring to see Owens, Sting, and Rollins.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

WWE Backlash 2002

RATING LEVELS: 

Curt Hennig – A “GOAT” show, as Perfect as possible

Watch It – A consistently good show worth watching in its entirety

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – 3 or more above-average ratings 

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, inessential, but 1-2 good matches

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

WWE Backlash

May 2002

St. Louis, Missourri

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: In the first show of the Brand Extension Era, Triple H comes in as the WWE's Undisputed World Champion, Rob Van Dam holds the Intercontinental Title, the European Championship is held by Spike Dudley, the Hardcore Championship is held by his brother Bubba Ray, Billy Kidman is the Cruiserweight Champion, Jazz holds the Womens' Championship, and the team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo are the Tag Team Champions.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Opening tonight's show is Tajiri challenging the Cruiserweight Champion, Billy Kidman. Despite some good spots in the initial minutes, the crowd seems mostly interested in Torrie Wilson (Tajiri's "geisha girl") before the in-ring starts grabbing their attention. Kidman looks noticeably different than he did in WCW, not only because of the change in ring attire and haircut. Despite playing the heel, Tajiri gets cheers for his signature offense, though Kidman's counters also get good responses from the lively St. Louis crowd who even break out into a "Kidman" chant at one point. In front of a deader audience, this one wouldn't be much higher than average, but with such an engaged crowd, the nearfalls and finishers get the kind of reactions that pull in the viewer. With a solid finish that makes one want to see a rematch, this was the right opener with the right conclusion in front of the right crowd. (3.5/5)

Backstage, Bradshaw is hanging out when Ron Simmons shows up, reuniting the APA after being split as part of the Brand Extension (RAW/SmackDown split).

Scott Hall of the nWo makes his way out of the ring, with fellow nWo member X-Pac at his side. His opponent this evening is the aforementioned Bradshaw who is seeking revenge for the nWo trashing the APA's office. Ron Simmons arrives before the bell rings for some extra protection and a respectable "APA" chant starts. In my review of February's No Way Out show, I took the WWE to task for booking the New World Order incorrectly and this match shows that, months later, they'd pretty much given up entirely on the concept, relegating the biggest heel stable of the 90s into inconsequential lower midcard territory. The in-ring action is nothing special, but modern viewers will at least see something in this match that you wouldn't see much before or after - namely, Scott Hall in one of his last WWE PPV matches (if not the very last one?) and Bradshaw working as a singles babyface and actually getting some sympathy instead of doing the more typical tweener badass act that was the APA. Not long enough to be offensive, but not good enough to be memorable. (1.5/5)

Vince McMahon barges into Ric Flair's office and tells him that he likes how Flair has opted to get involved in tonight's number one contender's match between Steve Austin and the Undertaker. Arn Anderson sighting!

Trish Stratus is up next, set to take on Womens' Champion, Jazz, but instead, Molly Holly shows up, telling off the popular blond and attacking her before the bell. Jazz then arrives and, with Stratus hurt, takes control early on and only reliquinshes it for brief spells. Stratus' selling isn't good, especially considering how simple the story of this match should be, but her spirit and offense keep the audience interested. Jazz's performance, like Trish's, is equal parts hits and miss, though her STF is definitely better looking than John Cena's. Not the worst match I've ever seen. (2/5)

We get a video clip of Paul Heyman terrorizing Team Extreme, luring Matt Hardy into a Brock Lesnar beatdown by stealing Lita's underwear. This segues into Paul Heyman hyping up his client, the Next Big Thing, backstage. 

Jefff Hardy vs. Brock Lesnar is next - this match being Lesnar's in-ring debut. Hardy comes out swinging, but this is a Lesnar spotlight match, the Next Big Thing showing off agility, speed, power, resilience, and brutality in a way that I'm not sure any other debuting monster has ever done. What might be most impressive is that this isn't necessarily a complete squash - Lesnar does take a bump or two - and Lesnar isn't protected by only working 90 seconds like, say, Goldberg was. While Lesnar dominates, he sells Hardy's signature offense, establishing himself as more than a one-note powerhouse in a way that makes his first match much, much different than the debuts of the Undertaker or The Great Khali. Enjoyable more for its historical significance than its story, but I can think of way worse ways to spend 5 minutes. (3/5)

Edge vs. Kurt Angle is hyped up via a video package chronicling their rivalry. The crowd's singing of "You Suck" along with Angle's music is pretty darn loud, the St. Louis audience fully behind The Not-Yet-Rated R Superstar. Edge has control early on, but Angle eventually takes over thanks to several picture-perfect suplexes. While not necessarily the most riveting match minute-to-minute, there are some stellar moments, including Edge connecting with an absolutely awesome crossbody from the top rope to the outside and several "shoulda-been-three" nearfalls. The last false finish might go one step too far in that direction, but all in all, this is a better-than-average match that fans of either performer will find reason to like. (3/5)

Former Undisputed WWE World Champion, Chris Jericho, makes his way down the aisle, but as soon as he opens his mouth, the fans erupt in "Whats." Jericho complains about not having a match on tonight's show, berates the crowd, and even takes a shot at Maven. Not an all-time great promo, but considering Jericho main evented the previous month's WrestleMania 18, he needed a spotlight of some kind here and this worked. (2.5/5)

The Intercontinental Championship is on the line in the next match, with Rob Van Dam defending against Eddie Guerrero. A little backstory here - Eddie Guerrero had been out of action for a stretch but made his return by attacking Van Dam on an episode of RAW. As one might expect, in his first major match back, Guerrero works overtime, throwing so many high spots into this match that it almost bewilders the crowd more than it builds suspense. Van Dam was over, but as he's essentially cut off anytime he gets any momentum going, the crowd doesn't get to rally behind him much. Its hard to complain too much about a match this action-packed, but the finish really tarnishes the hard work both guys brought to this. The referee is made to look like a complete buffoon and considering how clever and inventive Guerrero would be in future matches with similar endings, this one comes off as particularly rushed and insultingly blatant. (3/5)

After a quick plug for The Scorpion King and a video package hyping our next bout, we get The Undertaker vs. Steve Austin in a Number One Contender's Match with Ric Flair as the guest referee. Early on the two vets fill up some time with schtick, specifically middle fingers and push-ups, which only gets the crowd hotter for this battle of two all-time greats. After targeting the Deadman's arm, Austin ends up on defense before the two spill outside, falling into the familiar formula they seemed to utilize in every other one of their matches (or at least the ones I've watched recently). Hall and X-Pac (donning Kane's mask) make their way out to a chorus of boos and "X-Pac Sucks" chants and I'll readily admit I'm not necessarily sure what purpose they're serving considering they were pretty much vanquished at WrestleMania and they do not play any role whatsoever in the contest (even in a match with two, yes TWO ref bumps). Undertaker connects with a guillotine leg drop on the edge of the mat and then follows it up by attacking Austin's knee with stomps and elbows, slowing things down a bit and cooling the crowd. Austin fights back but ends up locked into a rear chinlock, minutes later taken back down to the mat with a back suplex. Stone Cold's brief flurries of offense lead to some supportive "What" chants, but every cut-off silences his backers more until there is almost dead silence in the audience - exactly what these two guys have been working towards to allow Austin's eventual comeback to really rev them up. All the while, Flair is essentially an "extra," calling it down the middle with surprisingly undramatic counts until he ends up inadvertently knocked out (a questionable spot when you consider that Flair is a multi-time World Champion who had, a month previously, taken a serious beating and kept on fighting). Fortunately, Flair's not out for long (just enough to miss a post-Stunner cover by the Rattlesnake), and the match continues on with both men landing some big offense. Again, though, Flair gets bumped and misses out what should be a clear victory for one of the combatants, the crowd on their feet for what is obviously the final act of this play. The finish is a complete "F-U" to anyone who invested their time in this bout, though, a bush league cop-out that hints to a future Flair/Austin feud, but does it in such a way that is more off-putting than salivatory. The post-match saves some of Austin's heat and keeps the live crowd happy, but home viewers won't be as forgiving. (2.5/5)

The Tag Titles are on the line next with Billy and Chuck (with Rico) defending against Maven and his Tough Enough trainer Al Snow. Obviously slotted as a "piss break" match, this one tells the simple story of Maven getting beaten down by the seasoned pros before tagging in Al Snow to make the save. Of course, indifferent fans and unsympathetic baby faces keep this one from achieving the heights that the Rock n' Roll Express attained with similar match structures. Snow and Gunn are the MVPs, but its not as if Maven is criminally unprepared, hitting a crossbody from the top that shows he had the athleticism needed to survive in the WWE if just for a short while. A decent finish keeps both sides looking strong, but this match is just nothing worth seeing. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Triple H defending the WWE Undisputed Championship against Hulk Hogan. While lacking the "Big Match Feel" of Hogan's clash with The Rock at WrestleMania 18, the crowd is still absolutely amped for the Hulkster, back in the red and yellow and working as a full-fledged good guy. Triple H, meanwhile, plays the defacto heel, though he doesn't overdo it - the only shortcut he takes is using the ropes a leverage, something that in the Ruthless Aggression Era was barely rule breaking. Provided much clearer jobs to do, Hulk and Triple H put together a fairly straightforward match that may not deliver the fast-paced, hard-hitting action as Guerrero/RVD or Angle/Edge, but does eclipse what Undertaker and Austin did. I'm not one to shoot Triple H many compliments, but he is fairly excellent here - taking several big bumps onto the arena floor for Hogan and maintaining a deliberate pace that doesn't make the aging Hulkster look bad. Unfortunately, like so many main event matches of this time, run-ins and ref bumps rear their ugly head, "protecting" the workers but keeping things less than definitive. A better ending wasn't going to make this an all-time great match, but it would've helped edge it closer to more than being a footnote in Hogan's career as easily the most forgettable World Championship victory he had in a WWE ring. (3/5)

With an average match/segment of 2.55-out-of-5, Backlash 2002 isn't a total bore, but considering it features three title changes, the crowning of a new Number One Contender, the debut of Brock friggin' Lesnar, and served as the first PPV of the Brand Extension Era, this one should be an all-time classic. On paper, the line-up is arguably WrestleMania quality; Hogan/HHH, Lesnar/Jeff Hardy, Angle/Edge, Austin/Undertaker, and Guerrero/RVD all sound like headlining matches at any other time in the last decade. But as good as this show would seem based on its stacked card, overbooked finishes lurk behind every corner, tainting most every match on the show, including the two biggest bouts on the card. This results in the opening match being the most fulfilling contest of the whole spectacle, a small tragedy considering the amount of big name talents that fill up the remaining 170 minutes. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

WCW Fall Brawl 96'

RATING LEVELS: 

Curt Hennig – A “GOAT” show, as Perfect as possible

Watch It – A consistently good show worth watching in its entirety

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – 3 or more above-average ratings 

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, inessential, but 1-2 good matches

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

Fall Brawl 96' - September 1996

Winstom-Salem, North Carolina

A pretty excellent video package welcomes us to WCW Fall Brawl 96'. The clip does a nice job of bringing viewers up to date with the WCW/nWo feud - basically, Ted DiBiase showed up as the nWo's financial backer, The Giant turned on WCW, and Lex Luger was stabbed in the back by none other than WCW poster boy Sting.

Diamond Dallas Page arrives for his match against Chavo Guerrero Jr., who Schiavone notes is a relative newcomer to the sport. Chavo dominates the early going and DDP's selling really helps give Chavo's offense credibility despite the noticeable size difference between the two. When Page takes control, the match gets very good - arguably the best bout Page had had up to this point. His character work is marvelous and he utilizes a number of innovative maneuvers, to the point that despite throwing in tons of classic cocky heel schtick, the crowd gets behind him a bit. While there are some noticeable hiccups (including a somewhat awkward finish) there are also some thrilling moments and clever cut-offs. Considering I'd never heard anyone talk about this match, it exceeded my expectations. (4/5)

Backstage, Harlem Heat, Sister Sherri, and Colonel Parker are seated around WCW's CompuServe station.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund presents a recap of the history of the nWo vs. WCW war. I like how comprehensive this package is and wish the WWE would utilize similar treatment more often - not just with, say, Lesnar vs. Taker, but with similar long-running programs like current Authority angle, the dissolution of the Shield, or a midcard rivalry like the seemingly never-ending rivalry between Sheamus and Randy Orton. In terms of adding context to the main event, this is an incredible video. (+1)

Onward to Scott Norton vs. Ice Train in a submission match. I was surprisingly entertained by their bout at Hog Wild and while the initial minutes of this are actually quite good, with some impressive offense out of Ice Train, when things slow down, they slooooow doooown. Storyline-wise, the stipulation makes sense based on Norton attacking Train's injured shoulder (?) throughout their feud, but in terms of what they can accomplish in the ring, both guys are at their best when they're allowed to just throw stiff clotheslines and toss each other around. The crowd boos the finish (and I would too) but I'm not sure that wasn't the plan. If WCW was attempting a double turn, I'd say they almost nailed it.  (2.5/5)

The Mexican Title is on the line in the next match and the commentary team is joined by Mike Tenay - Juventud Guerrera challenging the reigning champion, Konnan, who is making his first PPV appearance with the "Gangsta" look. This is the show where Guerrera trips on his way to the ring. It's excellent. Konnan had also joined the Dungeon of Doom since The Clash of the Champions. In the first minute, Juventud impresses, moving with remarkable speed and taking two ridiculous bumps. Unlike Mysterio, though, the selling is less dramatic and while his offense is equally breathtaking, it's not nearly as fluid. Konnan connects with a power bomb on the outside that is awesome as a storytelling point, but imperfect in execution. Speaking of Konnan, he seems significantly more comfortable as a heel, taunting the crowd and slowing the match down. At one point, the announcers pitch the WCW Hotline - Mike Tenay noting that he has details about the "internet rumors" surrounding Hall and Nash. Pretty cool for September 96'. From here, Konnan obliterates him with some power bombs and german suplexes, which leads to an awkward segment where Guerrera just walks out of the ring, no selling any of the damage. The next several minutes are a mix of insane high spots, unbelievable kick outs, and long stretches of nothing. Instead of selling injury, they just look tired, essentially sleepwalking there way to the next big spot. Konnan came out of this looking like an absolute monster, while Guerrera proved he could withstand a tremendous beating. Really interesting match and worth watching. (4/5)

The WCW pay-per-view of Chris Jericho! His opponent is none other than Chris Benoit, who gets welcomed with cheers due to his Horseman status. Lots of high-impact offense, both guys getting to show off their most impressive spots. This one feels significantly more personal and dramatic than the Benoit/Malenko match at Hog Wild, but the intensity doesn't necessarily translate to increased fan interest. Long stretches are fairly quiet and there's one questionable logic choice - Jericho not going for a cover after a devastating tombstone piledriver - but for the most part, the match tells a straightforward story of two guys wrestling to exhaustion to beat each other. Pretty good commentary work and a clean finish make this one an above-average showing and strong debut for Jericho. (3.5/5)

Super Calo vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Rey Mysterio is next. While not as instantly attention-grabbing as Konnan/Juvi, Mysterio and Calo do a nice job of building up the suspense over the course of a fairly lengthy contest. While not as interesting a watch as the aforementioned match, this one is still nothing short of great, Mysterio doing a tremendous job of selling for Calo while still coming across as the superior, more resilient fighter. There are a number of never-seen-before spots (Calo's somersault senton to Rey on the floor is sickening) as well as some excellently-executed hits (hurricanranas from everywhere, Rey Rey's springboard flipping West Coast Pop to the outside), though the crowd just never seems to really come alive. Granted, there are some botches, but if the audience had been awake for the bigger spots, they'd be even easier to overlook. Excellent Cruiserweight Title match that I haven't seen much hype about. Maybe a hair too long, though. (3.5/5)

Proof that crowd reactions can save a terrible match, Harlem Heat vs. The Nasty Boys for Heat's WCW World Tag Team Championships is our next match. The crowd is 1000% behind the Nasties, getting loud every time it looks like they might get their hands on Sister Sherri or Colonel Parker. The in-ring action is pretty rudimentary, though Booker T does a handful of his signature maneuvers. A dead crowd would have sunk this match to unseen depths of boringness, but the fact that the announcers and the audience are so thoroughly engaged (at unexpected times you can actually see people on their feet for this one), there's actually a smidgen of drama and suspense in the proceedings. The screwy finish is well-executed and, for whatever reason, actually gets cheered a little despite most of the crowd booing the heels out of the building minutes before. Not worth watching, but not a total failure. (1.5/5)

After a brief promo backstage, we get "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. The Giant in a grudge match. After a brief flurry of offense from Savage, the Giant takes control, dominating in the ring. There's an interesting moment when the commentators note that the fans are distracted by something in the crowd, noting that the nWo has everyone on edge. This is the kind of thing the WWE commentators of today would never do unless absolutely forced to admit that what's happening in the ring isn't the most exciting thing happening at any particular moment. The Giant locks in a boston crab at one point, the first and potentially only time I think I've ever seen him pull out that particular submission. The biggest pop of the match comes when Savage miraculously picks up the big man for a powerslam, but give credit to the bookers who don't make their prized 7-footer eat a surefire pin after Savage connects with an elbow drop. Nothing much to this match, but its not a trainwreck either. (1.5/5)

Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Lex Luger are backstage and they announce that they are not seeking a 4th partner for tonight's War Games match. Sting arrives and tells his best friend Lex Luger that he didn't attack him on Nitro, implying that it was an impostor who performed the act six days prior. Luger doesn't buy it, but Sting tells him, even if he has to go in alone, he's headed to the ring.

Michael Buffer announces the rules of the match, familiar to anyone reading this blog I'm sure.

Main event time - Team WCW vs. The New World Order, with Scott Hall and Arn Anderson kicking things off for the opening 5 minute period. The action of this match is nothing to write home about, though the crowd is hot for it, especially for Flair's offense. Despite this match lacking the brutality that War Games was known it, the storytelling is well-executed, particularly once the Fake Sting arrives and the baby faces are outnumbered. It is at this point that the tension of the match really builds and then peaks once the real Sting shows up. Sting cleaning house is an absolutely awesome bit of foreshadowing to the Sting/Hogan feud that will become, without question, one of the best WCW storylines in the history of the company. From there, Sting deserts his teammates and the nWo ends up winning the match in short order - but the show doesn't stop there as a "We Want Sting" breaks out and Lex Luger gets destroyed in the aisleway. Randy Savage tries to make the save, but ends up falling prey to the numbers game. But, again, the post-match drama doesn't end there because Miss Elizabeth shows up as well, covering up her ex-husband (and getting spray painted for her trouble). Hogan grabs the mic and cuts a great promo, ripping apart the former husband-and-wife and drawing jeers from the crowd as trash gets tossed into the ring. It is a dramatic and legitimately disgusting scene played perfectly by Liz. As a match, this one leaves much to be desired, but the post-match (including Hogan and The Giant closing out the show from the commentary booth) is the best thing the nWo has done on PPV since the Bash At The Beach. (3/5)



With an average match rating of 3.07-out-of-5 (thanks to a well-made video package nabbing a bonus point early in the show), September 96's Fall Brawl may not be as historically significant as July's Bash at the Beach, but it is a significantly more enjoyable show top to bottom (and the highest rated one since June's Great American Bash). The opener is excellent, Guerrera/Konnan is a must-see mess of a match, Jericho/Benoit is above average, and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship match is also quite strong. There are some low points after that, but the drama and "big match feel" of the main event rounds out the card well.

FINAL RATING - Watch It…With Remote in Hand