WWE SummerSlam 97'

WWE SummerSlam 97'

East Rutherford, New Jersey - August 1997

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The Undertaker holds the WWE World Championship coming into the show, Owen Hart is the Intercontinental Champion, The British Bulldog is the reigning European Champion, and Dude Love and Steve Austin are the WWE Tag Team Championships. 

COMMENTATORS: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry "The King" Lawler



A cage match clash between Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley opens up the show. What makes this match better than average are the little things - Mankind hurling himself into the cage with vigor, Helmsley's facial expressions, and, maybe the match's MVP, Chyna's persistent involvment outside of the cage. The crowd pops huge for the dramatic transitions and while there are moments that defy logic (Triple H attempting to climb out of the cage when going through the door should always be the heel's main avenue for escape), as a whole, it's a fun, violent finale for one of the WWE's better midcard feuds of the year. (3.5/5)

Todd Pettengill welcomes New Jersey Mayor Christie Todd Whitman (accompanied by the Headbangers and Gorilla Monsoon), who draws some audible boos from the crowd. Pettengill thanks her for lowering taxes in New Jersey, but the crowd is not nearly as enthused, jeering her as she holds up a World Championship belt.

Goldust makes his way down the aisle for his match with Brian Pillman, the stakes for this match being very high as Goldust has put his wife, Marlena, up for grabs while the Loose Cannon has promised that if he were to lose, he would wear a dress on RAW. At this point in his career, Pillman is noticeably less athletic than in his glory days and Goldust, while always fundamentally sound, wasn't in the best shape of his career here either. Minute-for-minute, it's a passable contest but not one that belongs on either man's DVD set. (2/5)

The Legion of Doom vs. The Godwinns was next. A better match than most would expect considering the Road Warriors' age and the one-dimensionality of Phineas and Henry Godwinn. It helps that Hawk and Animal were still over with the New Jersey crowd and that the match actually had a quality storyline behind it: Henry Godwinn had suffered a legitimate neck injury from a Doomsday Device months earlier and was seeking revenge. (2/5)

Next up - the Million Dollar Giveaway, an exhausting and nearly unwatchable segment where two in-person contestants and two more at home get the chance to win $1 million by picking a key that will unlock a casket full of cash. I desperately wanted to reward this a +1 for its WrestleCrap value, but its not even good bad, its just bad.

Speaking of quality storylines - The British Bulldog defended his European Championship against Ken Shamrock in a match based on the Bulldog attacking Shamrock and stuffing his face with dog food. Like the Pillman/Goldust match, the stakes are high - if Shamrock wins, he not only gets the European Title, but Davey Boy promised to eat a can of Alpo. Shamrock's bumping and selling is excellent and the busted lip he suffers adds to the drama, while Bulldog shows just how proficient he was as a heel when it comes to helping the face draw sympathy and using time and "rest holds" to get heat without boring the audience. The finish is a mixed bag - while the call is absurdly by-the-books and would never happen a year later, the post-match is, and I may be wrong here, the birth of Shamrock's "snapping," the best part of his gimmick. (2.5/5)

A four-on-four match between Los Boricaus, the Puerto Rican squadron led by Savio Vega, and The Disciples of Apocalypse, Crush's biker gang, follows. Skull and 8-Ball (aka the Grimm Twins, aka the Harris Twins, aka the Blu Brothers) have to be two of the worst workers in the history of American wrestling (and I would say that even if I didn't know about their affection for white supremacist tattoos). Ostensibly, Crush's team are the babyfaces, but the crowd, when not just sitting on their hands, seem to actually root for Vega's clique, maybe because they're actually trying to deliver something resembling a good match. I should also add that Brian "Chainz" Lee puts in some decent effort too - maybe thinking that he could somehow work his way out of this entire storyline if he tries hard enough. A predictable melee ending wraps it up once the Nation of Domination arrive, the camera lingering on Ahmed Johnson (the Nation's newest member) for most of the last third of the contest. One point for a lay-out that makes this match tolerable. (1/5)

The next bout is legendary for all the wrong reasons - Owen Hart defending his Intercontinental Championship against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. A "must see" match for Austin fans due to the impact this one had on his career, but also for Owen Hart fans for the same reason. Their chemistry is absolutely off-the-charts and it is breathtaking to watch Austin, for the first time on pay-per-view, working as a clear-cut babyface against a guy that was willing to work as a typical, cowardly heel. Remember, prior to this, at least on pay-per-view, Austin had mostly fought "tweeners" (Taker, Michaels, or Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13), was involved in multi-mans in unique settings (January's Royal Rumble, February's Final Four main event, and the Canadian Stampede main event in front of a hostile Calgary crowd), or was taking on guys that were too big or too established to portray themselves as fearful of Austin (for example, the Survivor Series 96' and Revenge of the Taker matches against Bret Hart and the SummerSlam 96' Free-for-All opener against Yokozuna). In this match, though, Owen Hart does Owen Hart - crafty and cunning, but eager to cut corners or quit when the going gets rough. Unlike Bret, whose entire character was based on personal pride and winning "the right way," Owen doesn't care how he wins, making him a unique foil for Austin, an equally amoral performer. The minutiae of the match is as good as the overarching story, Owen doing a stupendous job of making small details (attacking Stone Cold's hand early and wrenching the middle finger he'd used to mock the Calgary crowd at Canadian Stampede, taunting Austin and the crowd throughout, peppering the match with well-performed acrobatics and technicality) matter. Austin, no slouch in the wrestling department either, executes a variety of moves that he, either due to injury or due to the "watering down" of the sport in the Attitude Era, wouldn't typically bust out once he became the focus of the company - a wristlock segment to start things off, a stun gun later on, a powerbomb to reverse a hurricanrana attempt. All the while, the crowd is red hot. Rematching the match for the first time in many years (maybe even since its first aired), I found myself wishing the finish never came - not because the 15 minutes of action they'd provided was so darn good (though, it was), but because of how tragic the last minute is. One accident, on a move that Owen had performed countless times before and that, if it had been performed correctly, would've been the absolute perfect transition to the finish (Owen had been working on Austin's neck via chinlocks and a German Suplex and Jim Ross was selling it strong via commentary), not only leads to a dreadful pinfall, but probably curtailed what could have been one of the best rivalries of either man's careers. Before the accident, you had all the ingredients for an all-time classic, a show-stealing contest that could've led to a myriad of rematches (and potentially even positioned Owen as a credible rival for Austin, at least on the house show circuit, post-WrestleMania 14), but the second Austin's head touches the mat, it becomes an incredibly uncomfortable scene to behold. Austin would never be the same again, but either would Owen. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Bret Hart challenging The Undertaker for the WWE World Championship with Shawn Michaels as guest referee. At nearly 30 minutes, this match was not crafted for modern audiences expecting a roll-out of "finisher spamming" or weapon-based carnage or even the crowd-brawling and comedic stooging that would become fixtures of Attitude Era main events. There's no blood and no one goes through a table. Instead, you get Bret Hart strategically attacking Taker's legs, Shawn Michaels inserting himself at every turn, and the Undertaker working a more "human" style of selling than any time I recall from before this. 20 years ago, Dave Meltzer awarded this match just 3-stars, but I'd be curious what he'd think of it now, when a match like this might actually be refreshing in its methodical pacing, at no point dipping into tedious rest holds, but also not rushing through a signal sequence. Unlike the recent Rollins/Reigns match from Money in the Bank 2016, where the selling led to noticeable lulls in the crowd's engagement (you could hear a pin drop between certain spots), the crowd is in the palm of the workers' hands throughout and the drama builds well. Unfortunately, things do get a bit repetitive at times, a sign that the Hitman and Taker may have just had a bit too long of a runtime to fill. The finish, however, might be the best screwy ending to a wrestling match ever conceived. If this was the work of Pat Patterson, he deserved to be paid triple his usual for it. The crowd fills the ring with trash in justified anger, one of the few times I recall this occurring on a WWE pay-per-view (it had become de rigeur for WCW main events), further highlighting just how special the final sequence is. While not an all-time classic and certainly not a match one would want to re-watch multiple times a year, if you haven't seen it in awhile, dig it up and enjoy the slow burn crafted by three of the very best performers in WWE history. (4/5)


SummerSlam 97' scores a not-so-great 2.64-out-of-5 on the Kwang-o-Meter, a score dangerously close to such duds as WCW's 1993 offerings Slamboree and Beach Blast. Fortunately, Austin/Owen, Mankind/HHH, and the main event are all strong and, compared to what WCW offered at their August PPV that year (Road Wild 97') downright near-masterpieces. In terms of historical importance, SummerSlam 97' offers an unparalleled snapshot into the summer that the WWE finally started fighting back against WCW, who had been crushing them in the ratings (and in show quality) for at least a year by this point. Ironically, Austin's injury would prevent the WWE from closing the gap sooner, but the three-way feud between the Hitman, the Deadman, and the Heartbreak Kid led to some of the best TV the WWE had ever produced (and, ultimately, one of the greatest cage matches in history, the first Hell in the Cell). On the flipside, the WWE's race war storyline was a low-point not only in terms of characters but in match quality as well, not a single one of the 12 men involved being especially strong in their role (aside from maybe Simmons, who'd lost so much credibility that he was a non-factor anyway). You could do far worse than re-watching this show, but I'd keep the remote handy.

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

WWE Money in the Bank 2016

WWE Money in the Bank 2016

Las Vegas, Nevada - June 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Roman Reigns is the WWE World Champion, The Miz holds the Intercontinental Championship, the Womens' Champion is Charlotte, the WWE Tag Team Champions are still The New Day, and the United States Title is the property of Rusev.

COMMENTARY: Michael Cole, JBL, and Byron Saxton

Money in the Bank 2016 kicked off with a 4-way Tag Titles match, The New Day defending against three relatively fresh teams: Enzo and Cass, The Vaudevillains, and Anderson and Gallows. The crowd was thoroughly behind Enzo and Cass here, who cut a strong promo before the match began. An abundance of action, but not all of it executed well - particularly the finish, which suffered from some sort of mistiming involving Gallows and Cass. The live crowd chanted "This is Awesome," but I didn't find it any better than just intermittently good. (2.5/5)

Kevin Owens was backstage for an interview but was interrupted by Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio. A fun segment that benefitted Owens more than either of the other participants, so who is going to complain about that? Del Rio has to be one of the biggest "He's Still Around?" guys of the past decade. 

Baron Corbin took on Dolph Ziggler next. The crowd shat on this match with a "Boring" chant, but Corbin masterfully milked it and drew legit heat from it. He also landed a great-looking Deep 6 on the outside and, later, reversed a Ziggler cross body into an End of Days. A solid clean finish where the right man won the right way. A considerably better match than many are calling it, but arguably 2-3 minutes too long. (2.5/5)

Current WWE Womens' Champion Charlotte and her protege Dana Brooke made their way down the aisle next to take on the team of Becky Lynch and Natalya. The women were welcomed with a loud "We Want Sasha" chant and proceeded to have a decent-at-best match with several strong moments (including a Hart Attack by the babyfaces early on and a vicious collision that led to a finish that was absolutely ruined by instant replay) but just as many stretches where it seemed like the participants were preparing and performing maneuvers more than organically executing them. The best part of the contest, though, may have been the post-match beatdown delivered by Natalya, kicking this up a notch by a half-point. (2.5/5)

After some words from Dean Ambrose it was time for one of the night's unexpected highlights - Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews. The crowd was mostly disinterested and Sheamus' deliberate, headlock-heavy pace certainly didn't jar them into life, but it was also the right approach to take and served Crews well by making his comebacks and offense shine through simple juxtaposition. There were also several outright awesome spots, including Crews tossing Sheamus to the arena floor with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex from inside the ring and following it up with a moonsault off the apron (not to be outdone, Sheamus connected on a White Noise from the top rope that arguably should've ended the match). Sadly, a cheap finish deflated my excitement for this match and, unless there is something more personal at stake than sheer pride, I'm not necessarily sold on these two having a series of matches (even if they have fairly good chemistry). (3/5)

Main event ti - whoops, force of habit when it comes to the two names who duked it out next: John Cena and AJ Styles. Before the bell rang, we got a spectacular video package chronicling the rivalry and rewarding those of us who haven't bothered watching RAW in months by giving us every moment that's mattered in one condensed music video. The crowd was absolutely bonkers for this, with Cena getting his usual 50/50 cheering and AJ's support come from the deeper-voiced and rowdier portion of the arena. Unlike Cena's quality bouts with Kevin Owens last year or, more famously, his matches with CM Punk in 2011, this one was less back-and-forth (Cena vs. Anti-Cena) and more New Guard vs. Old Guard, AJ Styles using his remarkable athleticism, speed, and cunning to keep Cena on defense for the majority of the match. Unlike Styles/Reigns, this one didn't pack in as many fun, "Holy Shit" gimmicks (read: table spots and weapon use), but it was far from dull and, maybe most promisingly, left plenty on the table for future matches (unlike the aforementioned Owens/Cena matches). The various counters that Styles pulled out were astonishing and led to some thrilling moments, including a killer Calf Crusher out of an Attitude Adjustment and, later, AJ reversing a Cena leg drop from the top rope into a power bomb. Unfortunately, while this match didn't feature nearly as many of the classic Cena tropes as some feared, it still offered at least one too many - most notably some abhorrent finisher no-selling (AJ kicking out of an AA [after his countless brilliant escapes had finally restored some credibility to it as an "endgame" move] and Cena kicking out of a Styles Clash (which has now become as likely to win a match as a hiptoss). This is, of course,  before a ref bump and run-in that discredited the very premise of this match and main focus of the pre-match video. Sure, the ending protects both men and establishes Style as willing to do anything to win...but its also one that can't be "unseen" or forgotten easily, a disappointing ending to an otherwise very strong match. Anyone calling this a Match of the Year contender is heaping praise where it doesn't belong. (3.5/5)

The Money in the Bank Briefcase was on the line next in a ladder match between Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, and Cesaro. What ensued was one of the better car crash matches in recent history, a thoroughly entertaining smorgasbord of ultra-violence (but, almost shockingly, no blood). Between the bells, we saw a variety of vicious spots including Owens landing a frogsplash on Ambrose on top of a ladder, Cesaro swinging Jericho into a ladder in the corner, Alberto Del Rio double-stomping Cesaro on a ladder, Sami Zayn getting powerbombed through a ladder, Alberto Del Rio taking a huge spill from atop a ladder, and Owens getting Michonoku Driver'ed into the top corner of a ladder in one of the most nasty spots since, well, the last time Owens and Zayn found themselves in a multi-man ladder match. A very strong match with a great visual towards the end of all six combatants brawling atop the ladder. Good stuff. (4/5)

After a recap the Golden Truth/Breeze and Fandango match from the pre-show, we got a United States Championship match - Rusev defending against Titus O'Neill. Rusev was glorious in this one, avoiding contact in the early minutes (leading to one of the best match opening sequences I think I've ever seen), but then taunting and getting extra physical once he established control. I was a huge fan of Titus O'Neill years ago, but I think a caveat is worth noting: Titus was an unbelievable hot tag because of his explosive power and dynamic charisma, but in singles, his shortcomings are more noticeable and this match showed it. The crowd was dead for most of it, which is a bit of a shame when, minute for minute, this was a better than average contest reminiscent of Rusev's best from his rookie year. (3/5)

Main event time - Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Championship. The crowd was firmly behind Rollins, which almost worked against the story of the match as Reigns dominated for lengthy stretches, tossing Rollins into the announce table and, once they found their way back in the ring, connecting with a Tequila Sunrise power bomb (I think thats what its called?). Rollins popped the crowd with a huge somersault splash to Reigns on the outside and the match proceeded to keep the crowd alive with both men hitting some of their most devastating signature moves including Reigns' Superman punch, Rollins' knee from the top rope, the Falcon's Arrow,  Reigns' one-arm powerbomb, and an Architect running powerbomb into the corner. However, every time the match lagged into a stretch of selling (one of Reigns' strengths, if you ask me), it was almost eerily quiet, noticeable to the point of being distracting and completely unlike the atmosphere I recall from Reigns' match with AJ Styles at Payback. The final minutes of the match were tremendous, with Rollins showing his craftiness, Reigns costing himself the match with a costly, inadvertent ref bump, and then Rollins proving that he may have his former teammates number by deftly countering the big man's most potent offensive maneuver. With a clean finish that effectively established Rollins as, at the very least, Reigns' equal, the match delivered. The post-match, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. Storyline-wise, it made perfect poetic sense for Ambrose to capture the title by defeating Rollins the way Rollins had defeated Reigns at WrestleMania XXVI, but in terms of delivering a "moment"? I'll take the Boyhood Dream or Austin's WrestleMania XIV, moments that came as the culmination of lengthy chases, over the "hotshotting" of a title any day of the week. Still, a quality piece of WWE production worthy of a watch. (4/5)

While watching Money in the Bank 2016, I read through a number of "as it happens" threads on various wrestling sites that called this the "Best MITB Ever." While I haven't gone back and watched Money in the Bank 2011 in awhile, I doubt any single moment of this show will go down in history the way Cena/Punk has. Ah, the power of a 5-star match.

Anyway, Money in the Bank 2016 earned a very respectable 3.13-out-of-5 on the ol' Kwang Meter, thanks in large part to a handful of better-than-expected matches (Rusev/Titus and Sheamus/Crews), an ultra-violent Money In The Bank ladder match, and a solid main event that started off well enough but got stronger and more suspenseful with each passing minute. Cena/Styles was not the Match of the Year-caliber match many wanted, but this almost seemed to be by design rather than by either guy not having their workboots on.

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


A QUICK NOTE - As well-produced as the final minutes of the show were, I'd still argue that Dean Ambrose' first World Championship victory was bungled by the ridiculously insular vision of the bookers. While Monday's RAW rating proved that Ambrose's win did seem to inspire a bump in the rating, it was a moment that could've and undoubtedly would've been far bigger had it not also occurred on the night of the year's (if not the DECADE's) BIGGEST, MOST INSPIRING SPORTS STORY. Go Cavs. 

WCW Road Wild 97'

WCW Road Wild 97'

Surges, South Dakota - August 1997

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Lex Luger is the WCW World Champion, the Outsiders holds the WCW World Tag Team Championships, Alex Wright is the Cruiserweight Champion, Ultimo Dragon holds the Television Title, and Jeff Jarrett is the United States Champion. 

COMMENTATORS: Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, and Tony Schiavone

6 days before this event, WCW played hot potato with their World Championship on a historic episode of WCW Monday Nitro where number one contender Lex Luger stole a clean submission victory over Hollywood Hulk Hogan to end his title reign just one week short of a year. It was a shocking swerve at the time, more because clean finishes in Nitro main events were incredibly rare than because of the actual title change.

Harlem Heat take on Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton in the night's opening contest. Compared to the lucha action or MK2-inspired feud between Glacier and Mortis that had been used in the undercard  in previous shows, this is a disappointing start to the show as, while the participants work hard, there's very little to draw in viewers aside from the occasional impressive feat of power by Norton or a glimpse of why Booker T would eventually thrive in singles competition. Decent finish and it doesn't overstay its welcome, but simply being "inoffensive" is not enough when you want a match to jumpstart a show. (1.5/5)

Mike Tenay joins the commentary team for a Mexican Grudge Death Match (because those exist?) between longtime rivals Rey Mysterio Jr. and Konnan. The story of this match is that Konnan wants to target Mysterio's previously-injured knee, leading to a wide assortment of submissions and strikes targeting the leg. For some reason, Konnan goes after Rey's mask midway through the match, pulling it nearly entirely off, but it's a completely pointless and counterproductive deviance from what was an otherwise solid story built on Mysterio not coming into the match in full health. Plus, as the Sturgis fans aren't lucha aficianados, the significance of Konnan's actions are lost on everyone save Tenay. Not one of Rey's better matches only because he's had countless better ones, but more than tolerable because of his babyface work and Konnan getting to do what he does best - viciously slaughter a babyface smaller than himself. (3/5)

The Horsemen's Chris Benoit and Steve "Mongo" McMichael challenge United States Champion Jeff Jarrett and Dean Malenko in a Tag Team Elimination Match next. This one is considerably more fun than one might think - Malenko does all of the work for his team as the cowardly Jarrett does whatever it takes not to have to get in the ring with Mongo (as Mongo's real-life wife Debra had kayfabe left him for Double J a month prior [they real-life divorced in October of the following year]). Benoit and Malenko tangled in a somewhat controversial match at Hog Wild 96', taking each other to the limit in a lengthy battle of submissions, mat wrestling, and stiffness that drew "boring" chants from the biker crowd. This time around, Benoit and Malenko don't go out to dazzle with technicality but to provide a workrate counterbalance to the raw intensity (but far less proficient work) of Mongo and the grating heel shtick that Jarrett brings in. The mix of elements is surprisingly great because everyone knows their role and executes it beyond average. My pick for Match of the Night. (3/5)

The WCW Cruiserweight Championship is on the line as Alex Wright defends against Chris Jericho. Alex Wright is a confounding talent in some ways - great look, technically proficient, young and athletic - but his list of even decent matches is staggeringly low compared to his potential. Pitting him against Chris Jericho should've created some good contests, but this match is just too long, too repetitive, and too heatless to enjoy. They throw a ton of moves at the crowd, but they don't give any reason to really hate Wright beyond the fact that he dances. Jericho's "C'mon Babies!" don't draw sympathy either. (1.5/5)

Ric Flair vs. Syxx is our next match. The build-up for this match had been months long and, to varying degrees based on what you believe, based on real life animosity between the two. Unfortunately, the result does not live up to what, on paper, looks like it could've been a very good match. Flair and Syxx throw in plenty of character work, but there's a frustrating lack of psychology and suspense, even as the commentators sell that this is a battle between who can lock in their finishing submission first between two guys who aren't afraid to cut corners to get there. What we get though is Syxx hitting his usual moves and Flair flopping around and taking side bumps, all culminating in a ho-hum finish that points to a continuation of a rivalry that is now far less captivating than it was before the match began. (1/5)

Next up, Diamond Dallas Page vs. Curt Hennig. What's interesting here is that Hennig is regarded by most as the considerably better worker, but it's Page who is the undeniable draw, the crowd much more reactive to his actions than anything Hennig does, even when the former Mr. Perfect puts extra oomph into his bumping. The story coming into this match is that Hennig is WCW's most wanted "free agent," not aligned with the Horsemen, nWo, or any other group, an attitude that rubs DDP the wrong way. The first few minutes are full of energy and quite strong, but as things go on this match is hurt by the fact that there really is too little personal animosity between the competitors (the needed ingredient for any great Page match). Some questionable booking decisions in its closing minutes make for a match that just isn't as good as I wish it would've been. (2/5)

Mean Gene plugs some news concerning Raven and Stevie Richards before we get a commercial for Fall Brawl. 

The Giant vs. Randy Savage starts off with Savage buying his time and initially refusing to enter the ring until The Giant's back is turned. After eating some offense and getting tossed around, Mach wisely target the big man's knee and eventually gets the Giant staggering with clotheslines. A chokeslam soon after wraps up this entertaining but incredibly brief and utterly inessential "contest." Point for Macho being Macho and Liz looking gorgeous. (1/5)

The WCW World Tag Team Championships are on the line in the next bout - The Outsiders defending against The Steiner Brothers. The Steiners get a huge entrance featuring loads of fireworks and the match that follows deserves it. None of these workers are all-time greats (though, Scott Steiner had tremendous potential in his prime), but they know their characters well, they wrestle the match as if the stakes really matter, and the crowd is engaged, even when Hall slows things down with an abdominal stretch. The teamwork of Hall and Nash throughout is evidence that they were more than just two singles guys paired up; their character work, dirty tactics, and ability to draw heat and raise suspense by cutting the ring in half are the hallmarks of any great heel team. Unfortunately, a screwy finish devastates the crowd and keeps this one from being recommended as anything more than a good-not great match. (3/5)

Main event time - Lex Luger defending his WCW World Championship against the former champ, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. Anyone who believes Hogan had only five moves in his arsenal should dare sit through this, a match that is, for better or worse, a "Hogan Clinic" (meaning he shows off all ten moves he knows). Dominating for approximately 99% of the bout, Hollywood shows off a variety of not-so-excellently-executed maneuvers in this ridiculously one-sided contest, including a scoop slam, a choke, a vertical suplex, a bearhug, an eye rake, the Big Boot, a backbreaker, the Atomic Legdrop, and probably some other stuff I forgot about. Aside from the cavalcade of offense Hogan displays, he taunts Luger mercilessly throughout the match, calling him "Lex Loser" and begging him to fight back. It is the best of Hogan's heel shtick and it is the saving grace of an otherwise pretty bad match. Fans are treated to a retread of the Bash at the Beach finish (read: Another Fake Sting) and proceed to throw trash into the ring. (1.5/5)

After the show, the nWo celebrates and we get a special appearance by Dennis Rodman. One has to wonder why WCW wouldn't show off having Rodman backstage when the nuclear heat he would've gotten from the bikers in Sturgis would've been epic. No bonus point awarded due to their stupidity. 

With a pretty pitiful Kwang rating of 1.94-out-of-5, Road Wild 97' is the first WCW pay-per-view to score below a 2.0 since Slamboree 96' (which at least had the excuse of featuring SIXTEEN matches as part of the always-dreadful Lethal Lottery/BattleBowl concept). Flair/Syxx underwhelms, Luger/Hogan is more comical than competitive, and only the tag matches (which, while entertaining, basically tell the crowd to fuck themselves) are really strong: the makings of an overall terrible show.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

NXT Takeover: The End...of the Beginning

NXT Takeover: The End...of the Beginning

Orlando, FL - June 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Samoa Joe is the reigning NXT Champion, the team of American Alpha - Jason Jordan and Chad Gable - are the NXT Tag Team Champions, and Asuka is the NXT Womens' Champion.

COMMENTATORS: Corey Graves and Tom Phillips

Our opening contest was the debut of Andrade "Cien" Almas, the former La Sombra of CMLL and New Japan fame. Typically the NXT crowd welcomes big name former talent, but they were mostly in support of Almas' opponent, Tye "Perfect 10" Dillinger. A decent opener that featured some quality maneuvers out of Almas (and an awesome superkick from Dillinger at one point) but not a "star-making" debut like the ones we saw when Finn Balor and Nakamura and Samoa Joe made their first appearances in NXT. (2.5/5)

The Tag Team Championships were on the line in our next bout - American Alpha defending against The Revival. A very strong match that included some of the best mirror/"stereo" sequences I might've ever seen, the hot crowd enjoying the hell out of everything the two teams did. American Alpha is on the brink of being one of the top five tag teams today, while I have no issue putting The Revival on that shortlist already - their incredible, old school heel teamwork is just too good to ignore. For example, after withstanding a slurry of offense from the goodies, The Revival slowed things down killing off the crowd or boring them and then, as the match went on, executed textbook perfect cut-offs to keep the audience begging for a Jason Jordan hot tag. Masterful stuff. Getting even more specific, I really liked one sequence that saw the babyfaces hitting pitch-perfect dropkicks in tandem and, on the heel side of things, a two-man stun gun that would've made 91'-era Steve Austin proud. With an excellent finish that should guarantee a rubber match, this was one of the best tag team bouts that NXT has produced this year. (3.5/5)

...And we get the debut of a team of monsters! I loved this post-match beatdown for two reasons - first, we get the return of Paul Ellering, a classic manager in an environment where a classic manager is going to be fitting. Second, by attacking the most over babyfaces on the tag roster, you now have the opportunity to get two big tag feuds happening - one involving the champions and one involving these behemoths vs. the Alphas. Throw in the second annual Dusty tourney somewhere down the line and I like the way this summer/fall will go for tag wrestling in NXT. (+1)

Nakamura vs. Austin Aries in a snug, tightly worked contest was next. While this one didn't bring the goosebumps the way Nakamura's debut did on WrestleMania weekend, it was still a strong showing for the charismatic and enigmatic Nakamura. Aries controlled most of the bout, but has yet to truly get his character over in NXT the way it was in TNA and it was telling how less hot this match was than when Nakamura was paired up with the much-adored Sami Zayn. Move for move, though, it had some awesome moments, including Aries connecting with a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron and Nakamura dishing out some super stiff kicks. I've seen some argue that this was better than Nak's debut, but I just didn't see it. (3/5)

The NXT Womens' Championship was on the line when Asuka took on Nia Jax. Too short to truly be considered a "great match," I still found this to be one of the better bouts of the night and maybe the most satisfactory 8 minutes of the whole show. Jax looked like an absolute monster and the kind of figure that, given time, could turn out to be the major player that the company wishes they could've had in Awesome Kong and, to a lesser degree, Tamina Snuka. Asuka was excellent as the undersized babyface who had to use her cunning and knowledge of submissions to take down the giant. Had this one gone 4-5 minutes longer, I might even call it the best match of the night. (3/5)

Main event time - Samoa Joe defending the NXT Championship against Finn Balor in a steel cage. I really enjoyed their last Takeover bout, but was worried that this one would be less thrilling without the extra drama that Joe's bleeding brought to it. That apprehension proved unmerited as Balor and Joe put on one of the better cage matches in recent WWE history, Joe tossing Balor multiple times into the steel and unleashing a torrent of aggressive offensive maneuvers. Baylor, in response, fought back with great spirit throughout but not getting too "cutesy" with his sometimes repetitive offense (how many slingblades does one really need to see?). Most other reviews I read did not praise this one nearly as much as I have, though, part of that is in the inherent backlash to Finn Balor by a growing number of fans who, with the resurgence of Joe, the arrival of Nakamura and Asuka, and the growing appreciation for American Alpha, the Revival, and even jobber-to-the-stars acts like Gargano/Ciampa, Tye Dillinger, and Rich Swann, are no longer as captivated by the former NXT Champion. Hey, didn't the same kinda thing happen with Neville? Regardless, even without blood, I found the match to be violent enough, well worked, and dramatic, with both guys working hard to capture the victory while still trying to position themselves as the better, tougher man by not sprinting for the door every second they got. (3.5/5)


With a strong score of 2.7-out-of-5 on the Kwang Meter, NXT Takeover: The End... is the lowest scoring Takeover special I've reviewed, but let's remember, the Dallas, London, and Brooklyn shows were Event of the Year-caliber specials and the Unstoppable and Rival specials featured some 4-star efforts in Lynch/Banks, Zayn/Owens, and Rival's 4-way NXT Womens' Championship bout. This show didn't feature any of those peak performances, but it also didn't suffer from any tedious Bull Dempsey or Baron Corbin matches (though, Corbin did improve over time), making it a more even show, but arguably flat when compared to the variety of action we've got in other specials.

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

WWE In Your House #16: Canadian Stampede

In Your House #16: Canadian Stampede

July 1997 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada 

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The Undertaker is the reigning WWE World Champion, Owen Hart holds the Intercontinental Championship, the British Bulldog is the European Champion, and Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels are the recognized WWE World Tag Team Champions, though, after the previous month's King of the Ring show, Michaels not compete again until August and the titles were essentially vacated.

COMMENTARY: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

Canadian Stampede begins with a video package highlighting the international conflict between the Hart Foundation and the WWE's top babyfaces - Steve Austin, the Legion of Doom, Ken Shamrock, and Goldust. As one might expect, the Canadian crowd is fully in support of the extended Hart Family.

Mankind takes on rival Hunter Hearst Helmsley in the opening contest. I heaped serious praise on their match at June's King of the Ring and this one lives up to it. At KOTR, Foley was coming off of a surprisingly strong match with Jerry Lawler earlier in the evening, setting a backstory for the tournament finals that made every major spot and bump that Foley suffered more dramatic. Both guys come in fresh for this, but they immediately bring the intensity. Fun, wild brawling that pleases the crowd and gets over how personal this feud has become by extending beyond the closing bell. (2.5/5)

Next, a rare, pre-InVasion, true "cruiserweight" match, The Great Sasuke vs. Taka Michinoku. The crowd is not sure what to make of this match as Sasuke and Michinoku are completely unknown by most. Unlike in WCW, where the cruiserweights had, by the summer of 97', firmly planted themselves into the PPV shuffle, seeing this sort of match on WWE TV (let alone PPV) was almost unheard of. Taka and Sasuke deliver a match far better than how the crowd treats it, only waking up for the huge spots. Michinoku shines with his awesome dropkicks and charismatic facial expressions. Like Meltzer, I'm going to  award this one some serious stars, partially for its uniqueness - how often has the WWE presented two almost anonymous international performers wrestling a foreign style in their ring? (4/5)

Pretty cool, poorly-produced video package highlighting various Canadian Stampede festivities featuring WWE stars. It is striking how "Not 97'" this is. Honestly, this package could've played during an episode of Superstars in 1991 and I don't think it would've been out of place. (+1)

The World Championship is on the line next - The Undertaker defending against Vader. While this match screams "placeholder feud," one has to give some credit to Taker for working hard to make Vader come off as at least an almost-threat. This match shows that there could've been money in him playing a dominant heel at some point as his in-ring work is still solid - but, by this point, he'd been buried so many times that he's not really credible as a challenger for the Undertaker despite beating him at the Royal Rumble the previous January. One can point to the loss to Ken Shamrock a few months prior, but everyone knows Vader's career never recovered from SummerSlam 96'. (2.5/5)

Main event time already - The Hart Foundation vs. Austin, Goldust, Shamrock, and the Legion of Doom. Much has been written about this match over the years with some calling it one of the best matches of the 90s. If you look at only the in-ring action, this would be a ludicrous compliment...but this match is all about the elements outside of the ring. The crowd is hotter here than 99% of crowds ever assembled, cheering passionately for the Harts despite the Foundation members not working as babyfaces at all (which would've been completely out of character considering how they worked) and booing the rule-abiding "foreigners." Before the match even begins we get some awesome moments as each member of the Foundation gets their own entrance and Bret puts his signature sunglasses onto his ma at ringside. When the match starts, Austin and Bret get right to work and the crowd explodes and stays engaged for the whole contest - even after Austin and Owen go to the back. While the all-stars are Bret, Owen, and Austin, Pillman, Goldust, and Shamrock step up for their respective teams too, the Loose Cannon being particularly fun to watch as an annoying pest who hits his opponents with cheap shot after cheap shot and still gets cheered. As a set-up to the Owen/Austin feud, the match is remarkable, segwaying Austin into a new, hot feud when the move could've been viewed as a "step down." The post-match is tremendous, doubly rewarding for how it gives the hometown crowd exactly what they ant while still giving the American viewer at home an ultra-cool visual of seeing the Rattlesnake hauled off in handcuffs. (4/5)

With a strong Kwang score of 3.5-out-of-5, Canadian Stampede is a concise show with solid action from beginning to end. The opener and the title match aren't classics, but they're certainly no worse than good, the crowd appreciative and the storylines presented as being of consequence. Taka/Sasuke is a rare WWF-era light-heavyweight match worth seeking out, an "odd duck" in the company's catalog that can probably be appreciated now more than it was at the time. The main event may be on the low end of my Best of the 90s list, but it'd still make the list for the stellar character work out of Austin and Owen, Pillman's remarkable heeling, and the unbelievable atmosphere surrounding the match.

FINAL RATING - Watch It All