WCW SuperBrawl VIII
San Francisco, California - February 1998
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Championship is vacant, while the Steiner Brothers hold the WCW World Tag Team Championships. Diamond Dallas Page is the United States Champion, Rick Martel is the World Television Champion, and Chris Jericho holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay
SuperBrawl VIII kicks off with Booker T taking on Rick Martel in a rematch from the previous month's Souled Out show. These two had unique chemistry - Martel could still go but was certainly the veteran while Booker T was the fresher figure on the scene, still a little green but definitely a much better performer here than he was 3-4 years earlier when Harlem Heat first came into WCW. Some of Bookah's offense looks sloppy, but the physicality helps because the viewer can really feel the impact of the hits he and Martel trade off. After dominating for the majority of the contest, Booker makes some rookie mistakes, launching himself into the guardrail at one point. The finish is terrific, though, and transitions to the next contest, this one for the WCW Television Championship... (2.5/5)
Before he can even catch his breath, Saturn locks Booker T in his Rings of Saturn submission, trying to make quick work of his challenger. The former ECW tag specialist is amazing here, showcasing the kind of variety that may not be all that impressive today (when guys like Seth Rollins are "the norm"), but made him really stand out back in 1998 - I mean, how many 250 pound guys were able to come at you with nasty suplexes, springboard moonsaults, shooter-quality submissions, and smash-mouth brawling back then? Booker T sells the fatigue of having to fight two rough bouts in a row, but what really helps him here is the emotion he brings to the match, an underrated quality in a position like this where one needs to convince the audience that pure adrenaline and desire can get you through 30 minutes of tooth-and-nail fighting. Again, I'm going to compliment the finish here - Saturn doesn't look weaker having lost and Booker T seems like he has something almost the equivalent of the Diamond Cutter that can put opponents down for 3 from any position he needs to. (3/5)
La Parka takes on Disco Inferno next and, from the very moment he's on the screen, the Chairman of WCW is awesome - dancing, throwing his chair, doing suicide spin moves over the top rope - he is just too good for this Earth. I've always had a soft spot for Inferno, a guy that has one of the worst gimmicks ever but played it so well that he deserved PPV time - something you really can't say about many music-themed dud characters that WWE offered in the mid-90s (for example, "The Real Double J" or Flash Funk). La Parka's offense is out of this world throughout, the kind of work that motivates me to search the Network for his Nitro matches just to see if he was this fun to watch all the time. While not a legendary match (and maybe just 2-3 minutes too long for two guys that, while entertaining, didn't necessarily have the best chemistry), I'd take these 12 minutes of action over the much more convoluted, high-spotty stuff that fills up too much of the WWE's midcard these days. (3/5)
The hype for the next bout is almost grating - Goldberg getting praised above and beyond what's necessary for his squash against Brad Armstrong. Goldberg's feats of strengths are impressive (as is the variety of throws he executes), plus there is no denying that the crowd reacts very positively to him (though, not quite as much as Heenan and Schiavone claim in their unending promotion). Nothing great, but this was not a match designed to be great. Like an Ultimate Warrior or Sid bout from the 80s/early 90s, this is a "segment" more than a match and its enjoyable and effective. (2.5/5)
Chris Jericho delivers one of his best bouts yet in the next match - the Lionheart defending his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Juventud Guerrera. Compared to the excellence of Mysterio/Guerrero from Halloween Havoc or Rey's matches against Malenko and Ultimo Dragon in 96', this one doesn't quite measure up - though it comes ridiculously close, its biggest weakness maybe being that it simply doesn't feature as likable an underdog as Mysterio. Jericho is fantastic, though, busting out all sorts of comedy schtick while still delivering vicious offense and playing the dominant villain who wants to win, but doesn't necessarily want to work as hard as he can to earn it. Guerrera's work is a bit less flashy than when he first burst onto the scene in WCW and the drama around the Hair vs. Title stipulation isn't focused on nearly to the level that Eddie and Rey had done it, but this one is still well worth digging up. (4/5)
Mongo McMichaels vs. The British Bulldog is next - Davey Boy wrestling his first PPV match for WCW since 1994. If Bulldog seemed out of place then, when his look wasn't so far removed from his 92' heyday, in 1998, the Union Jack-themed appearance clashes with its surroundings entirely. Mongo, meanwhile, seems like a guy fairly undeserving of the protected booking he's been receiving (not only here, but also in his not-so-one-sided feud with the emerging Goldberg) based on his work here. In the right setting (tag matches featuring Ric Flair, NFL or Debra-based rivalries), Mongo was acceptable, but this match falls in none of those categories and Bulldog, in 1998, is simply not working hard enough with his own diminishing skills to lift this one into even "so-so" territory. They at least attempt to tell a story, but the hammy acting is hard to ignore (or enjoy). Extra half-point for not going too long either. (1.5/5)
Following this one we get our United States Championship match, Chris Benoit challenging Diamond Dallas Page for the strap. Using his size advantage to get the upper hand, Page is very good here, blending domineering power moves with heelish backpedaling reminiscent of his work before he came "The People's Champion," effectively getting over the idea that Benoit is such a threat to him that he can only win by going to his vicious side. Benoit is equally focused, chopping down his larger opponent and trying to use his technical prowess to keep Page on the mat. Benoit eventually locks in a sleeper and while, in a lesser match, this would kill the crowd, Page is so animated that its anything but a rest hold. When, minutes later, Benoit attempts another sleeper, it leads to an excellent sequence culminating in a perfectly-executed superplex spot, both men believably down and out. Page calls for the Diamond Cutter but, for whatever reason, doesn't attempt the move, instead opting to try a lazy pinfall and then hitting a big clothesline from the top. Benoit is able to get his Crippler Crossface locked in, but DDP reaches the ropes quickly, the battle raging on and both guys showing exhaustion and frustration in equal measures. Benoit connects with a trio of german suplexes that shocks the sold out Cow Palace crowd and gets a count of 2.9 out of it. DDP combats it minutes later with a surprising DDT counter, leading to the final sequence. While not the type of match I'd go searching for, it's a very good bout, hard-hitting, action-packed, never dull, and wrestled with intensity from bell to bell. Good, nearly great, stuff. (3.5/5)
Before our next match, we get a video package hyping the rivalry between The Giant and Kevin Nash, including footage of the devastating powerbomb that nearly crippled the future Big Show.
Randy Savage takes on Lex Luger in a No Disqualification match next. One can look all the way back to 95' (I think) to find the roots of this rivalry, these two, even when on the same side of the good/bad divide, could never get on the same page. Savage arrives first with Miss Elizabeth and the crowd is fully in support of him, at one point chanting "Luger Sucks" at the Total Package. Smartly worked around Luger's rib injury, Savage shows that while he may have been declining in terms of his physical gifts, he was still about as entertaining a worker as one can be. The finish is a bit confusing, the nWo initially running in to help Macho but Savage not accepting their help (despite being perfectly fine with Liz's interference earlier in the match). It also leads to an implausible Torture Rack out of Luger who, even when he was fresh in the initial stages of the contest, couldn't apply the hold due to his condition. Good action and a decent way to further the Savage/nWo split storyline, but inessential viewing. (2.5/5)
The Steiner Brothers put their WCW World Tag Team Championships on the line against The Outsiders next. The crowd is vehemently behind the Outsiders from the very second the match begins, audibly chanting "Steiners Suck!" and "N-W-O!" Rick Steiner starts things off and has the match under control until - dun-dun-DUNNN - Scott Steiner turns on his own blood and joins the New World Order. Scott Hall botches his first attempt at an Outsider's Edge soon after, but connects with the redo to regain the titles for the bad guys. More of an angle than a match, this turn would mark the beginning of Steiner's singles run. Considering how stale this feud had gotten, how little sense it really made (didn't the Outsiders try to legitimately murder the Steiners 6 months or so earlier?), and how much Hall and Nash needed to be split up themselves and put into singles competition, this is far from a riveting segment, but it accomplished what it needed to, even if it wasn't the most dramatic or interesting route to get there. (2/5)
Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. Sting for the vacant WCW World Championship. As Hogan walks down the aisle, my initial thought is, "Where's Bret Hart?" January's Souled Out show had originated as an nWo-themed event, but SuperBrawl VIII is much more of an "nWo show" than Souled Out was. For some reason, Hogan comes out swinging from the get-go, dominating Sting with his belt and looking more aggressive and powerful than he has in at least a dozen or so months. Hogan moves around well, though, his offense beyond punches and chokes looks a bit awkward. Sting getting beaten down so bad in the opening minutes certainly doesn't help his credibility, but his cartoonish comeback pops the crowd and the Stinger ends up getting some quality revenge by wailing on Hogan with his own belt. Wisely, they take the match out of the ring, where minimal brawling (eye rakes, chokes, etc.) get much more mileage than they would in the squared circle. Sting attempts a Stinger Splash but eats the guardrail, giving Hogan a chance to steal a victory. Back in the ring, Sting is able to hit his Splash after all and even locks in the Scorpion Death Lock, though, Hogan is close enough to the ropes to survive. We get a ref bump and a Leg Drop (which pops the crowd huge), but Sting kicks out when replacement ref Nick Patrick makes the count. The match continues and Sting just won't stay down, Hogan losing focus and getting increasingly frustrated with each near fall but dominating all the while. Sting starts no-selling and the crowd eats it up, eventually hitting the Scorpion Death Drop but ending up knocking Nick Patrick to the mat. Hogan's flunkies show up and try to take out Sting, but Savage helps out and hits the already-beaten Hogan with an international object (a can of spray paint) as Nick Patrick wakes up and makes the count. In a cool moment, Sting sprays Hogan with the initials "WCW," the company finally giving us the moment that it should've delivered two months prior at Starrcade. If this match was designed to make Sting look like a credible champion, it didn't accomplish that, but at least they finally got the ending right. A slightly better than average match due to Hogan's efforts, even if, booking wise, it made no sense to have him dominate so much and to, again, not give Sting a clean victory. (3/5)
SuperBrawl VIII starts out relatively strong, with a good TV Title mini-tourney followed by fun work out of La Parka, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Diamond Dallas Page. However, despite being undoubtedly over, once the nWo start actually competing, the match quality goes down and the feeling of "Seen It Already" grows. The Tag Team Title match is more of an angle than anything and, while Hogan should be commended for how much work he does in the main event, Sting's performance is lacking and the story of the match is so one-sided that it almost feels like the powers that be had already moved past any notion of actually making Sting the focal point of the company. While his work here shows that he may not have not deserved that position, after a year of build, he deserved more protection than he got here. With an average "Kwang Score" of 2.75-out-of-5 and only one match worth checking out, I'm giving it a...
FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver
The hype for the next bout is almost grating - Goldberg getting praised above and beyond what's necessary for his squash against Brad Armstrong. Goldberg's feats of strengths are impressive (as is the variety of throws he executes), plus there is no denying that the crowd reacts very positively to him (though, not quite as much as Heenan and Schiavone claim in their unending promotion). Nothing great, but this was not a match designed to be great. Like an Ultimate Warrior or Sid bout from the 80s/early 90s, this is a "segment" more than a match and its enjoyable and effective. (2.5/5)
Chris Jericho delivers one of his best bouts yet in the next match - the Lionheart defending his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Juventud Guerrera. Compared to the excellence of Mysterio/Guerrero from Halloween Havoc or Rey's matches against Malenko and Ultimo Dragon in 96', this one doesn't quite measure up - though it comes ridiculously close, its biggest weakness maybe being that it simply doesn't feature as likable an underdog as Mysterio. Jericho is fantastic, though, busting out all sorts of comedy schtick while still delivering vicious offense and playing the dominant villain who wants to win, but doesn't necessarily want to work as hard as he can to earn it. Guerrera's work is a bit less flashy than when he first burst onto the scene in WCW and the drama around the Hair vs. Title stipulation isn't focused on nearly to the level that Eddie and Rey had done it, but this one is still well worth digging up. (4/5)
Mongo McMichaels vs. The British Bulldog is next - Davey Boy wrestling his first PPV match for WCW since 1994. If Bulldog seemed out of place then, when his look wasn't so far removed from his 92' heyday, in 1998, the Union Jack-themed appearance clashes with its surroundings entirely. Mongo, meanwhile, seems like a guy fairly undeserving of the protected booking he's been receiving (not only here, but also in his not-so-one-sided feud with the emerging Goldberg) based on his work here. In the right setting (tag matches featuring Ric Flair, NFL or Debra-based rivalries), Mongo was acceptable, but this match falls in none of those categories and Bulldog, in 1998, is simply not working hard enough with his own diminishing skills to lift this one into even "so-so" territory. They at least attempt to tell a story, but the hammy acting is hard to ignore (or enjoy). Extra half-point for not going too long either. (1.5/5)
Following this one we get our United States Championship match, Chris Benoit challenging Diamond Dallas Page for the strap. Using his size advantage to get the upper hand, Page is very good here, blending domineering power moves with heelish backpedaling reminiscent of his work before he came "The People's Champion," effectively getting over the idea that Benoit is such a threat to him that he can only win by going to his vicious side. Benoit is equally focused, chopping down his larger opponent and trying to use his technical prowess to keep Page on the mat. Benoit eventually locks in a sleeper and while, in a lesser match, this would kill the crowd, Page is so animated that its anything but a rest hold. When, minutes later, Benoit attempts another sleeper, it leads to an excellent sequence culminating in a perfectly-executed superplex spot, both men believably down and out. Page calls for the Diamond Cutter but, for whatever reason, doesn't attempt the move, instead opting to try a lazy pinfall and then hitting a big clothesline from the top. Benoit is able to get his Crippler Crossface locked in, but DDP reaches the ropes quickly, the battle raging on and both guys showing exhaustion and frustration in equal measures. Benoit connects with a trio of german suplexes that shocks the sold out Cow Palace crowd and gets a count of 2.9 out of it. DDP combats it minutes later with a surprising DDT counter, leading to the final sequence. While not the type of match I'd go searching for, it's a very good bout, hard-hitting, action-packed, never dull, and wrestled with intensity from bell to bell. Good, nearly great, stuff. (3.5/5)
Before our next match, we get a video package hyping the rivalry between The Giant and Kevin Nash, including footage of the devastating powerbomb that nearly crippled the future Big Show.
Randy Savage takes on Lex Luger in a No Disqualification match next. One can look all the way back to 95' (I think) to find the roots of this rivalry, these two, even when on the same side of the good/bad divide, could never get on the same page. Savage arrives first with Miss Elizabeth and the crowd is fully in support of him, at one point chanting "Luger Sucks" at the Total Package. Smartly worked around Luger's rib injury, Savage shows that while he may have been declining in terms of his physical gifts, he was still about as entertaining a worker as one can be. The finish is a bit confusing, the nWo initially running in to help Macho but Savage not accepting their help (despite being perfectly fine with Liz's interference earlier in the match). It also leads to an implausible Torture Rack out of Luger who, even when he was fresh in the initial stages of the contest, couldn't apply the hold due to his condition. Good action and a decent way to further the Savage/nWo split storyline, but inessential viewing. (2.5/5)
The Steiner Brothers put their WCW World Tag Team Championships on the line against The Outsiders next. The crowd is vehemently behind the Outsiders from the very second the match begins, audibly chanting "Steiners Suck!" and "N-W-O!" Rick Steiner starts things off and has the match under control until - dun-dun-DUNNN - Scott Steiner turns on his own blood and joins the New World Order. Scott Hall botches his first attempt at an Outsider's Edge soon after, but connects with the redo to regain the titles for the bad guys. More of an angle than a match, this turn would mark the beginning of Steiner's singles run. Considering how stale this feud had gotten, how little sense it really made (didn't the Outsiders try to legitimately murder the Steiners 6 months or so earlier?), and how much Hall and Nash needed to be split up themselves and put into singles competition, this is far from a riveting segment, but it accomplished what it needed to, even if it wasn't the most dramatic or interesting route to get there. (2/5)
Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. Sting for the vacant WCW World Championship. As Hogan walks down the aisle, my initial thought is, "Where's Bret Hart?" January's Souled Out show had originated as an nWo-themed event, but SuperBrawl VIII is much more of an "nWo show" than Souled Out was. For some reason, Hogan comes out swinging from the get-go, dominating Sting with his belt and looking more aggressive and powerful than he has in at least a dozen or so months. Hogan moves around well, though, his offense beyond punches and chokes looks a bit awkward. Sting getting beaten down so bad in the opening minutes certainly doesn't help his credibility, but his cartoonish comeback pops the crowd and the Stinger ends up getting some quality revenge by wailing on Hogan with his own belt. Wisely, they take the match out of the ring, where minimal brawling (eye rakes, chokes, etc.) get much more mileage than they would in the squared circle. Sting attempts a Stinger Splash but eats the guardrail, giving Hogan a chance to steal a victory. Back in the ring, Sting is able to hit his Splash after all and even locks in the Scorpion Death Lock, though, Hogan is close enough to the ropes to survive. We get a ref bump and a Leg Drop (which pops the crowd huge), but Sting kicks out when replacement ref Nick Patrick makes the count. The match continues and Sting just won't stay down, Hogan losing focus and getting increasingly frustrated with each near fall but dominating all the while. Sting starts no-selling and the crowd eats it up, eventually hitting the Scorpion Death Drop but ending up knocking Nick Patrick to the mat. Hogan's flunkies show up and try to take out Sting, but Savage helps out and hits the already-beaten Hogan with an international object (a can of spray paint) as Nick Patrick wakes up and makes the count. In a cool moment, Sting sprays Hogan with the initials "WCW," the company finally giving us the moment that it should've delivered two months prior at Starrcade. If this match was designed to make Sting look like a credible champion, it didn't accomplish that, but at least they finally got the ending right. A slightly better than average match due to Hogan's efforts, even if, booking wise, it made no sense to have him dominate so much and to, again, not give Sting a clean victory. (3/5)
SuperBrawl VIII starts out relatively strong, with a good TV Title mini-tourney followed by fun work out of La Parka, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Diamond Dallas Page. However, despite being undoubtedly over, once the nWo start actually competing, the match quality goes down and the feeling of "Seen It Already" grows. The Tag Team Title match is more of an angle than anything and, while Hogan should be commended for how much work he does in the main event, Sting's performance is lacking and the story of the match is so one-sided that it almost feels like the powers that be had already moved past any notion of actually making Sting the focal point of the company. While his work here shows that he may not have not deserved that position, after a year of build, he deserved more protection than he got here. With an average "Kwang Score" of 2.75-out-of-5 and only one match worth checking out, I'm giving it a...
FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver
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