WCW Slamboree 97'

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

WCW Slamboree 97' - May 1997

Charlotte, North Carolina

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is the WCW World Champion, Ultimo Dragon holds the Television Championship, the United States Champion is Dean Malenko, and Syxx holds the WCW Cruiserweight Title. The WCW World Tag Team Champions are The Outsiders, Hall and Nash. 

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan

Slamboree 97' kicks off with a video package hyping tonight's double header of NFL-related 'rassling action. Building a show around one match featuring famous football players would be special, but WCW went big here. Wisely, they have local sports star Kevin Greene of the Carolina Panthers in the main event, with Steve "Mongo" McMichaels squaring off against Super Bowl XXXI star (and future NFL Hall of Famer) Reggie White of the Packers in another football fan-baiting "grudge match."

Ultimo Dragon defends his WCW Television Championship in the opening match against Steven Regal (no longer "Lord" according to Schiavone). Mike Tenay joins in on commentary. Regal and Dragon open the match with scientific wrestling and, while Regal doesn't look to be in the best shape of his career, his technique remains a notch above remarkable. Throughout the match, Regal executes an astonishing array of stretches and submissions, keeping Dragon grounded for the most part. Unable to execute his usual repertoire of high-flying tricks and high-impact suplexes, Dragon is forced to fight Regal's game, locking in a respectable number of submissions of his own and delivering more than a couple super stiff kicks. Slowly, the audience begins to support Regal, though he doesn't do much to court their approval (save for signaling his Regal Stretch at the end of the bout). The attention to detail on Regal's part and Dragon actually having to slow down his usually overly flashy style to tell a story where he has to show some fatigue and fight a bit from underneath makes this an overlooked classic in my book. I feel like I've said that about quite a few of Regal's TV Title matches in WCW, from the early 90s to this. (4/5)

Lee Marshall replaces Mike Tenay for this one, a grudge match pitting Madusa vs. Luna Vachon. Luna takes control early, hitting Madusa with a slingshot under the bottom rope, but failing to maintain her dominance which allows Madusa to get some offense in and rev up the crowd. Vachon locks in a bizarre-looking tummy squeeze, then a textbook suplex, which Madusa bridges out of. Madusa gets in some chops in the corner, eventually connecting with a huge clothesline that looks like it could be a career-ender for Vachon. While the women bust out more maneuevers and the finish is particularly sharp, there's too many disjointed moments, times when it is obvious that Madusa is slowing herself down to accommodate for Vachon. Not the worst womens' wrestling match I've ever seen, but far from the peaks being reached by some of today's female talent. (2/5)

On the ramp, "Mean" Gene is joined by Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, the nWo's MVP in my eyes. Savage grabs the mic and makes his way towards the ring. As Savage begins to gloat about the punishment he's inflicted on DDP, Page shows up out of the crowd with a bent crutch in his hands. Macho hightails it out of the ring as DDP grabs the mic and calls him out. Vincent, Bischoff, and Buff show up to support their man, but Page ain't afraid - instead, he mocks the Macho Man by calling him a Hulk Hogan ass-kisser. The crowd breaks into a "DDP" chant and a fired-up Savage opts to make his way down the aisle after all to go toe-to-toe with the master of the Diamond Cutter. Page wails on him with the crutch and ends up taking out everyone he can, including Bischoff, before Scott Norton gets the upperhand and exposes Page's damaged ribs. The New World Order gets in some stomps, but The Giant shows up to a huge applause to clean house. Very good segment that has woken up the audience in a big way. The WWE would be wise to book moments like this on their own Network Specials. (+1)

Mike Tenay is brought back for our next bout, Yuji Yasouroka vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. In a match that, like the opener, offers a unique battle between two international talents. Yasouroka has a clear height advantage, trying his best to keep Rey on the mat at the start but not necessarily doing a great job of it as Mysterio ends up in control, locking in some innovative submissions before falling prey to Yasouroka's strength advantage and bodyslams. Yasouroka tries his best to pull the crowd into it, but as this is only his second bout in the company, the audience doesn't react to anything he does in the early going, snapped back into the action by a classic Mysterio spot - the somersault plancha over the referee's back. From here, Rey locks in a camel clutch, showing a bit more viciousness than usual. Mysterio makes the mistake of attempting a springboard moments later, Yuji countering with a heel kick to the gut. Mike Tenay mentions that Yasouroka's longtime tag partner is Lance Storm, which leads the Brian to make the comment that Lance Storm sounds like a weatherman in Omaha. The back-and-forth continues for the next few minutes with Mysterio selling a ton and WCW's camera crew missing some of the bigger spots, including a Yasouroka splash to the outside and a split-legged moonsault from Rey. There's a good victory roll sequence followed by a rare powerbomb out of Mysterio, but Rey uncharacteristically wastes time by going for a big splash from the corner, giving Yasouroka the chance to hit a double-arm DDT for a nearfall. There's a glaringly mistimed moment, but it works in the context of the match as both guys seem absolutely spent, essentially attempting every single maneuever they can to put their opponent away. A very good counter to a Yasouroka splash leads to an excellent, believable finish. Solid match that would've benefitted from a hotter crowd. (3/5)

As a kid, I really disliked the Mortis/Wrath/Glacier storyline, but reliving it, I have to say, I kinda dig the kitsch and how the angle offers something different on the card. Tonight's installment is a rematch from the previous month's show - the still undefeated Glacier vs. Mortis. Before the bell rings, they come to blows, with Mortis hitting Glacier with some kicks and stomps in the corner. After attacking Glacier's knee, Mortis calls out for Wrath, who marches down the aisle while Glacier, selling a damaged knee, tries his best to take out  Mortis. Wrath comes into the ring and instantly gets Glacier the DQ win by attacking him with James Vandenberg's staff. The crowd chants "Bullshit" for a minute, obviously disappointed at not getting an actual match. In a pretty cool spot, Mortis drives Glacier's head into the steps with his thighs and then tosses him back in the ring for more punishment. Out of nowhere, a "fan" comes into the ring and karate kicks the heels out of the ring. Schiavone ponders "Is that Ernest Miller?" WCW Security arrives to escort Miller out and, there you have it, we have the debut of The Cat, hyped as the World Champion of Tournament Karate. As this is more of an angle than a match, it is hard to rate it, but I thought it was fine for what it was. (2.5/5)

The familiar sound of country music heralds the arrival of Jeff Jarrett, tonight's challenger for Dean Malenko, the reigning WCW United States Champion. There's a "Jarrett Sucks" chant early on as Dean goes to work on Double J's leg, hitting him with a variety of submissions and strikes. Unfortunately, the minute Jarrett gets on offense, he doesn't sell any of the damage Malenko inflicted. A lengthy abdominal stretch hold leads to what appears to be a botched reversal in the ropes and Jarrett rolls to the outside for a breather. A second "Jarrett Sucks" chant breaks out, but Malenko does nothing to keep the crowd fired up, sternly sticking to his Iceman gimmick even when the crowd wants to rally behind him. Jarrett comes back in and applies a wristlock, but Malenko is able to escape and land a back suplex. Jarrett comes back with a swinging neckbreaker and calls for his Figure Four, but Malenko fights back and goes for the Cloverleaf. Jarrett rolls into a small package for a 2 count and the crowd comes alive. Adding even more drama, they head to the outside where Jarrett showcases some brutality, dropping Malenko neck first onto the guardrail. Back in the ring, the counters pile up, both guys locking in sleeper holds at one point with Jarrett eventually locking in his figure four dangerously close to the ropes. After bonking their heads, Malenko and Jarrett both appear knocked out, which leads to a run-in from Mongo McMichaels, who tosses Jarrett from the arena floor back into the squared circle before taking off with Debra. A decisive, clean finish wraps up a match that I don't see getting nearly enough credit. Like Dragon/Regal, Jarrett's over-the-top character offers a nice contrast to Malenko, a technically proficient but somewhat bland personality that couldn't always get the crowd to connect to the stories he was telling. (3.5/5)

Death Match time - Chris Benoit vs. Meng in a continuation of Benoit's seemingly never-ending feud with the Dungeon of Doom. What's cool about this match is that, while Meng certainly wasn't a credible talent in the kayfabe sense, his reputation as a legitimate tough guy makes this far more interesting than just what would otherwise be a "WCW Saturday Night"-level match. Benoit connects with a nasty German suplex early, but Meng isn't down for long. Benoit tries his best to maintain control by hitting some chops, but Meng doesn't show any pain, hitting the Crippler with some stiff blows and stomps. Jaqueline shows up, but only distracts Woman. Back in the ring, Meng locks in a half crab, a surprising maneuver from Meng (let alone in a Death Match). Meng eventually releases the hold, allowing Benoit a moment to recuperate, but then plants him back down with a big piledriver as the crowd begins to rally behind the Horsemen. Benoit is able to fight back and strap in the crossface, but Meng has too much energy, clawing his way to the ropes where Benoit releases the hold. Meng rolls out to the floor and the fight continues, Meng dishing out some clubbering blows, including a flurry of rights and lefts that look stiffer than a 2-dollar steak. Benoit shows incredible fighting spirit and demands more punishment not once but twice, taunting by Meng by refusing to stay down. Benoit capitalizes on a minor mistake to hit his opponent with a two more big German suplexes before miraculously locking in the Crossface for a second time. Again, Meng forces Benoit to release the hold by sliding to the outside of the ring, but the Crippler goes for broke and launches himself through the ropes with a lightning fast suicide dive! Meng tries to hit him with a fireman's carry from the top, but Benoit counters by hitting him with yet another German suplex, this one from the bottom rope! A flying headbutt is countered by Meng's Tongan Death Grip, but Benoit refuses to tap out, signaling Woman not to throw the towel in. Had this not been promoted as a Death Match, a completely unnecessary stipulation when you consider what these two actually did in the ring without the use of a single weapon or relying on a lengthy brawl outside the ring, I think this one would go down as one of the better bouts in 97' and maybe even have been considered a "hidden gem" in WCW history. Is this the best Haku/Meng singles match in history? I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it is. (3.5/5)

The Steiners take on Hugh Morrus and Konnan next. As one might expect, Scott Steiner dishes out some nasty suplexes early on and Rick Steiner gets the crowd engaged, but maybe the most enjoyable aspect of the match is watching the 300-pound Morrus bounce and bump around like someone half his size. Konnan tries to get fancy, but ends up eating a stiff clothesline from the Gremlin and then a dangerously snug German suplex as well. The Steiners lose control when Jimmy Hart pulls Poppa Pump's leg when he's running the ropes and Morrus takes the opportunity to land an impressive press slam onto the top rope. The heels dominate for awhile before Scott Steiner reverses the flow of the match with one of the laziest counters to top rope axehandle I think I have ever seen. I mean, it is just a laughably bad spot. The Steiners get back on offense and a Frankensteiner later and this one is over. Nothing more than filler that is salvaged by some suplexes and the hard work of Morrus. In a post-match sequence that draws practically no response (because who would care about it?), Konnan attacks his partner and leaves Jimmy Hart behind. (1.5/5)

The familiar sound of the Horsemen theme song signals the arrival of Steve "Mongo" McMichael with Debra McMichael for his match against NFL star Reggie White. What's interesting about this match is that Mongo, having only been in WCW for roughly a year, is being relied onto carry the untrained Reggie White and is actually somewhat capable to do so, starting the match off with some schtick he'd obviously cribbed from watching Flair and countless others work over the previous 12 months. He leads White through a typical, but not poorly done, headlock sequence, but overplays his hand by attempting what seems to be some sort of "Flair flop-esque" fall after a Reggie White shoulder block. As one might've predicted, they each take a 3-point stance, but Mongo clips White's leg, sending him to the mat in a respectable bump. They repeat the spot again, but this time, White gets a surprising amount of height on a leapfrog and Mongo eats the turnbuckle. McMichael tries to escape the match, but one of White's teammates forces him back into the ring (where he gets hit with one of the worst dropkicks I've seen since the days of Erik Watts). Mongo locks in an arm bar, but White is able to club his way out with his second (and equally clumsy-looking) big clothesline of the match. Back in the ring, McMichael is able to get the upperhand for a brief spell by clipping White's knee and then delivering a sidewalk slam, but ultimately falls prey to a nerve pinch out of White that he can only escape through a low blow unseen by the ref. Mongo continues working on White's knee with some stomps and a half-crab and, at this point, one has to wonder if giving them so much ring time was the best strategy. Uncharacteristically, Mongo attempts a figure four and gets kicked off, then tries to follow it up with a high-risk maneuever from the top rope and gets launched into the middle of the ring. White connects with a series of clotheslines and inverted atomic drop, eventually clubbing Mongo out of the ring and bringing the fight to the outside. Once these two find their way back between the ropes, White lands a textbook suplex and.a splash, but is too distracted by Debra to catch interference out of everyone's least favorite Horsemen, Jeff Jarrett. Considering that White was untrained, Mongo had only been competing for a year, and the match was given far too much time, this one isn't a total dud and is probably more entertaining than the previous contest due to its novelty if not its action. (2/5)

Main event time - Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Syxx vs. Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Kevin Greene. After the heels make their entrance, the Carolina crowd goes absolutely bonkers for Panthers star Kevin Greene, beloved icon Piper, and hometown hero, making his first in-ring appearance in Charlotte in 8 years (according to the commentators, at least), "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. While this one isn't worked perfectly (there's one noticeable botch when Syxx and Flair have to redo a spot off the ropes), there are more good sequences than bad. Kevin Greene's shortcomings are hidden really well (as are Piper's) with Flair getting such tremendous reactions that every time he is involved, you can't take your eyes off the screen. For the heel side of things, Syxx and Hall carry the match with their quality work, obviously raising their games to provide the crowd with a worthwhile main event. Nash is featured far less and probably sells a tad too much for Greene, but this one was more about pleasing the hometown crowd than it was about building the credibility of the nWo or of any individual performer. A surprisingly solid bout that hits all the right notes and does it better than the match that came before it. (3/5)

With a reasonably good 2.89-out-of-5 on the ol' watchability rating scale, Slamboree 97' is a solid, but not quite great, show. On the plus side, you have some very good matches featuring Chris Benoit, Regal, Rey Mysterio, and Ric Flair. On the negative side, not a single match comes off as particularly meaningful and there are several that scream "filler" (the Steiners tag and the Womens' Championship bout). Even the main event, which I'd say is an above-average match thanks to the "feel" that the crowd gives it, seems like it was designed more to please the live audience than anyone sitting at home waiting to see the next chapter in the nWo storyline (the fact that Sting and Hogan are nowhere to be found anywhere in the show is further evidence that this was a "B-level" pay-per-view). I'd recommend a rewatch for fans of the era and of the particular stars featured on the show, but if you're looking for the best possible WCW pay-per-view to watch from 97'-98', this wouldn't make the shortlist.

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand