WCW Souled Out 98'

WCW Souled Out 98'

Dayton, Ohio - January 1998

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Championship is vacant following the controversial conclusion to the Sting/Hogan match at Starrcade 97', Diamond Dallas Page holds the United States Title (but does not appear on the show), Rey Mysterio Jr. is in the midst of his third Cruiserweight Championship reign, the Outsiders are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, and Booker T holds the TV Title.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, and Mike Tenay


Live from Dayton's historic Hara Arena, Souled Out kicks off with an astounding 8-man tag pitting Super Calo, Chavo Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, and Lizmark Jr. against La Parka, Psicosis, Silver King, and El Dandy. As one might expect, this is a somewhat "typical" lucha libra spotfest...but in 2016, when you don't get to see anything like this on TV all year (let alone once a month or once a week like WCW offered), it really stands out. La Parka is an absolute god in this match - if you watch this and don't want to see him get pushed to the moon, you're an idiot (or Eric Bischoff, I guess). Even Bobby Heenan marks out for him. Parka steals the match, but I was also highly impressed by Silver King's work. Surprisingly, Juvi and Psicosis come off as a bit sloppy in their minutes and Chavo doesn't really fit with the high-flyers. Still, thanks to the Chairman of WCW, this is a must-watch. (4/5)

Raven and his Flock make their way down the aisle for his match with Chris Benoit. This one reminded me of the kind of match Raven was having in ECW before coming to WCW - brawling inside and outside of the ring, hardcore spots built around a single weapon (a chair), and an ending that pointed to a future storyline while still being satisfying enough to make one feel like they saw a complete match. I wouldn't call this the best Raven match ever, but its a strong one, a match that hits all the right notes without trying to play any extraneous fills. It is all about the intensity here, not necessarily flawless execution or technicality. Its also a match full of "little things" done with purpose, the mark of a better-than-average bout How WCW didn't find a way to capitalize on the popularity of these two men by the end of the year is astonishing because Raven is over as rover and Benoit looks like he's equally prepared for a run in the upper midcard. (3.5/5)

Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho for Mysterio's Cruiserweight Championship is next. This one started out fantastic and then suffered from too many illogical moments when Rey's selling went out the window and Jericho seemed more interested in showing his versatility/creativity rather than actually targeting Mysterio's damaged knee and working it to get heat. Those criticisms aside, it may still be Jericho's best pay-per-view match yet, the former Lionheart looking remarkably more comfortable working as a brash heel. Considering the peaks these two would hit in their WWE series over a decade later, this isn't a bad match (and the finish is very good), but its also not a great one, largely due to Jericho and Mysterio mucking up their own story by trying to pop the crowd with maneuvers they didn't need to shoehorn into the mix. (3/5)

The WCW Television Championship is on the line next with Booker T taking on Rick Martel. Booker T was not yet at his peak, but he does enough to keep up with Martel, the wiry veteran eager to reclaim his spot among the champions. While I won't rate this match higher than it deserves, it's a noteworthy one simply for the nifty story it tells and how good Martel is, doing a stupendous job of toeing the line between heel and face, wanting desperately to best the young upstart but refusing to cut corners (as his old Model persona might've) and (ultimately) failing because of it. A solid 10 minute match.  (2.5/5)

The culmination of the long-gestating Larry Zybysko and Scott Hall feud is next. I was very impressed by Zybysko's work in 94' (I think?) when he came back to the ring to wrestle Regal, but after the terrible Zybysko/Bischoff match at Starrcade 97', I did not have much hope for this. While the "wrestling" portion is markedly better than the physical competition on display in Zybysko's previous bout and, unlike the surprisingly lengthy Zybysko/Bischoff fiasco, this bout actually progresses without overstaying its welcome, the highly questionable, nay outright stupid booking decisions continue. This time around, it's not Zybysko's legacy that takes the hit, its Dusty Rhodes' as "The American Dream" inexplicably turns on WCW to join the New World Order. Now, we all know that Rhodes is legitimately one of the coolest dudes in the history of wrestling, but in 98', wrestling wasn't nearly as nostalgia-centric and most casual fans had little respect for the sport's forefathers (hence the "Larry Sucks" chants that are audible throughout this match), making the nWo's inclusion of a fat, old man an incredibly uncool move. Its like how everyone knows the coolest actor in Pretty in Pink was Harry Dean Stanton - but I'm guessing when McCarthy, Spader, and Lowe went birddogging through Hollywood as the Brat Pack, they didn't bring grandpa out with them. Criticisms aside, the angle at the end of the match does draw a huge reaction - but I'd liken it to the end of M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, a loud gasp that comes naturally by being surprised but one that you're almost embarrassed to admit to having made when you start thinking through how stupid the plot twist is. The only good thing to come out of this is the commentary work of Heenan and Schiavone, who do a respectable job of making Dusty's turn a huge personal insult to them and all fans. (1.5/5)

If Zybysko/Hall failed because of its overbooking, the next match is a dud simply because it just isn't very interesting to watch. The Steiners and Big Bubba take on the nWo's Konnan, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Norton in a match only noteworthy because of the foreshadowing it provides towards Scott Steiner's eventual break-up with his brother. Of course, like everything else with WCW's booking around this time, the build towards the split is imperfectly executed and needlessly more confusing than it should be. Instead of Scott Steiner simply showing his growing frustration with brother Rick in a series of tag matches against Bagwell and Norton, we get Bubba shoe-horned in and a "Battle of the Bods" mini-feud between the future Big Poppa Pump and the former Handsome Stranger to muddy the waters. You lose nothing by fast-forwarding through this match when, really, this should've been a key turning point towards the SuperBrawl break-up. (0.5/5)

The long-awaited Battle of the Giants finally arrives - Kevin Nash vs. The Giant. Hulk Hogan is on-hand, adding more than you'd think to this match with his interference and crowd-baiting. Its a bit of a shame that this one is most famous for its grimace-inducing botched finish as there are several moments when its obvious that Nash and Giant were on the same page and were working hard to deliver a match that exceeded expectations. At one point Nash even attempts a tope! (I say "attempts" because his execution is as bad as one would imagine - but, hey, "A" for Effort!) The Giant is still very over at this point, arguably more popular here than in any of his later WWE babyface runs, made vulnerable and relatable by being the target of constant attacks by a force that relies on the numbers game and had spent the better part of the year screwing him or evading him at every turn. Say what you will about either guy's in-ring abilities, the crowd was into this and, before the poorly executed (and poorly though-out) ending, they were doing everything they could to earn and keep that enthusiasm. (3/5)

In his in-ring debut for WCW, Bret Hart take on Ric Flair next. Promoted as a dream match but not delivering on the hype, this is a match with a bunch of great ideas but an unfortunately stilted pace. At this point, Flair is at least 4-5 years removed from the end of the his peak and it shows in every labored sequence. Hart, meanwhile, comes into this match off a run in WWE where, like Flair to some degree, his bread-and-butter was his character more than his ring work. His matches with Austin in 97' were stellar - but Austin was at the crest of his own storytelling ability, the crowd rabidly supported him, and Hart had essentially shifted his entire in-ring game to drawing heat, brawling more, and bringing out his mean streak. The perennial underdog who bested Flair in 92' didn't exist anymore, but, in WCW, Hart was not a full-fledged heel either (as he had been in WWE). It makes for a match that should be wrought with emotion (and the build certainly was) come off as less remarkable, the live crowd not nearly as engrossed in the action as they likely would've been had Hart been more sympathetic or Flair had been booked as a stronger figure in the months before this feud. Now, other writers have taken a different view of the match - including Dave Meltzer (who gave it 3.75 stars in the Observer - but I wasn't taken aback by anything aside from the closing 3-4 minutes (the match goes a lengthy 18). Above-average based on its historical importance and the crisp execution of the major spots, but a disappointment considering how good this could've been. (3/5)

Main event time - Lex Luger vs. Randy Savage. If Hart/Flair seemed to run a bit long, this one seems like it didn't run at all. Well under 10 minutes and ending in a screwjob, Luger/Savage may sound like a dud, but Savage and Liz are magnificent and Luger is so over that the crowd goes bananas throughout this "sprint" of a contest. I've read some reviews complain about how slow this is, but I found it fairly fast-paced compared to Hart/Flair and the 6-man tag. While this match didn't deserve to headline this show, it at least ends the broadcast with a feel-good moment. (2.5/5)


Souled Out 98' starts off with a series of good-to-great matches, namely the lucha libre 8-man, Raven/Benoit, and, to a lesser extent, Mysterio/Jericho...but then it stumbles and tumbles into mediocrity. Flair/Hart doesn't live up to the hype. Luger/Savage is a Nitro main event at best. Dusty Rhodes' illogical heel turn is frustrating split seconds after any entertainment you may get from it. With an overall Kwang score of 2.61-out-of-5, I'm putting this one under...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver