WWE No Mercy 2017

WWE No Mercy 2017

Los Angeles, CA - September 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Brock Lesnar is the reigning WWE Universal Champion, The Miz is the Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are the RAW Tag Team Champions, and the RAW Womens' Title is held by Alexa Bliss. Neville, meanwhile, holds 205 Live's Cruiserweight Championship.

COMMENTARY: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Booker T 

No Mercy 2017 kicked off with The Miz defending his Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan. Though I'm not sure it deserved the "This is Awesome" chant that came in during the last third or so, this was a good match and The Miz, as has been the case for much of his 2017, did a commendable job staying heel (and working that way) even as a sizable portion of the audience openly jeered Kurt Angle's kayfabe son. It looks to me like they're building up Jordan just to turn him - the formula that inadvertently created The Rock 20 years ago - and whether or not it works, one thing that won't be an issue is his technique. He has some beautiful suplexes in his repertoire, including a flawless rolling Northern Lights pair that's new to me (and Booker T too, as he noted on commentary). I'm not sure where the Miztourage is going, but I don't think it needs a destination to work as no one is really clamoring for Axel or Bo to get another look right now. At the very least, they've got front row seats for arguably the best pure heel in the company. The right man won this, but considering how good it was, I wouldn't be surprised to see them paired up for the next few months - a second round would absolutely work for me. (3/5)

Next up - Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt in a rematch from SummerSlam. The story coming into this match was that, in August, Balor defeated Wyatt as "The Demon" but Wyatt has goaded him into a rematch with the stipulation that he can't summon the Demon to fight. Ugh, okay. The premise made my skin itch, but the first minute of the actual match made it crawl. Is it a rule now that every WWE PPV has to have at least one match that is nearly or totally called off because of a pre-match attack? Is it me or did they use just ring the damn bell when it happened before? Balor ended up fighting on and we got our match, which wasn't too bad - but also really wasn't any better or different than I remember the SummerSlam match being. The crispness and execution of the in-ring work can only carry a very poorly booked feud so far and in this case, it wasn't far enough to make this worth recommending. Who has Wyatt pissed off backstage as of late to warrant such awful booking? And, in the case of Balor, he's not coming out of his any hotter than he was going in, so, despite two clean victories, he still seems like a guy dropping down the card and not on the rise. (2/5)

The RAW Tag Team Championships were on the line next with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins defending the straps against Sheamus and Cesaro. Unlike their SummerSlam match, which was all about whether or not Rollins and Ambrose could gel as a team long enough to win the titles, this was about two proven pairs clashing for the gold. The first few minutes weren't too special and didn't have the madcap fun of the SummerSlam match, but once Cesaro got two teeth knocked out hardway, things got much, much more interesting. Its kind of a shame that WWE matches have become so "same-y" that it takes a pretty brutal unexpected accident to make a match seem really special, but that's where we're at in 2017 when nearly every guy on the roster shares at least 4-5 of the same signatures moves. Also like the SummerSlam match, it was obvious to me that its Sheamus and Cesaro who are doing the lion's share of the work in setting the pace, getting good heat, and keeping the fans invested because I can't recall a single cool spot or crowd-popping moment that Ambrose and Rollins delivered. I can see the argument that, as the babyfaces, their job is to sell and all that, but aside from their combo finish (which is admittedly cool), I don't know how invested I'll be in their future unless another quality team steps up that has the chemistry as good as Sheamus and Cesaro worked to have. I wouldn't call this a Match of the Year candidate or anything, but I thought it was definitely above average and memorable thanks to the ridiculous toughness of Cesaro. (3/5)

Alexa Bliss defended her RAW Women's Championship next against Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, and Emma. My how Bayley and Banks have fallen these past two months, both women getting much smaller reactions than they used to. I feel for Bayley the most as I found her run as Womens' Champion to be pretty good and the fan backlash to be more based on RAW audiences wanting to be contrary for the sake of being contrary rather than Bayley not doing a good job in her role. Somewhat stilted start to the match as if everyone was buffering a bit, but things got better when the action whittled down to just 2-3 performers instead of the initial mix of all 5. The biggest spot of the match was an amazing (and amazingly dangerous) powerbomb spot that saw Nia Jax's neck and skull take a sickening drop onto the arena floor. Personally, I found it a bit sickening and would have had the same reaction if it was a male taking the needlessly risky bump (so, no, its not about me wanting just the women to work safer). Later, Jax would come back from the move - which, to me, had the counterproductive effect of making it seem like a less potentially career-ending spot. Having her get taken out of the match entirely with that move would've been not only believable, but also given her an easy out for why she didn't win the title - it took all 4 of the other competitors a combined effort to eliminate her. Who else could you say that about? Bayley ended up taking the pin, which I've seen some fans harp about a bit too much online. I agree that Bayley (and Banks as well) are shining less bright than they were a year ago, but its also worth noting that the entire division - on both RAW and SmackDown - have suffered a bit as of late due to questionable booking decisions all over (Charlotte's inexplicable face turn, the long unfunny joke that was Emmalina, the continued unnecessary trend of mini title reigns). (2.5/5)

One of the biggest matches of the year followed - John Cena vs. Roman Reigns. Say what you might about the super-meta build-up that saw Cena and Reigns talk about everything except who was the better wrestler, the battle of the brands had the crowd hot and the internet abuzz. Cena was the more interesting persona to watch here as he put on one of his most crowd-baiting performances in years, practically begging them to chant "Cena Sucks" at times (even after his initial pop absolutely dwarfed Reigns'). His facial expressions were extra corny, his "If you don't like me, I'll just walk away" hamming at the start of the match unsufferable - this was Cena at his most annoyingly Cena while Reigns played the brooding, laser-focused young lion. This clash of attitudes would ultimately lead to the finish as Cena became cuter and cuter with his combos of non-finishers (the Attitude Adjustment ceased being a credible end to a match years ago) while Reigns withstood the punishment and found an opening to hit his Superman Punch-Spear pairing (which I loathe, but will admit have been protected comparatively). Between the beginning and end there was some nice action, but I found that aside from Cena hitting his Super AA from the top rope, I wasn't biting on any of the nearfalls (and the fans in attendance didn't seem to be either). While certainly an above-average match, this wasn't the classic that many hoped it would be. In fact, if one were to overlook the inherent "big match feel" of this one, I'm not sure its pieces and parts were any better than what we saw in the opening match. The bonus half-point I'm rewarding to it, though, is for the post-match scene. After trying to put his mark of approval on Reigns as "The Guy" (which was kind of a silly notion considering that Cena's overness with the same demo booing Reigns has only recently come to existence), Cena then did a silent farewell, basking in a considerably light "Thank You Cena" chant and doing some of his signature hand signals one last time. The fact that the camera crew couldn't seem to find a single teary-eyed face has me thinking that the audience didn't read this as a true farewell - which makes sense because why would anyone have assumed this would be his retirement match when that aspect of the rivalry had only been hinted at? I think he'll be back for Mania (if not for the Rumble), though its hard to think of what he'd actually be doing at either event aside from trying to top Ric Flair's World Championship record. Speaking of that, did anyone notice how many times Cole called Cena "the greatest ever"? Felt like he went out of his way to get that endorsement out there and the post-match explained why. (3.5/5)

The next match was designed as a space filler but ended being one of the more interesting contests of the night - Enzo vs. Neville for Neville's WWE Cruiserweight Championship. As expected, Neville dominated for the most part and the crowd responded with a noticeable "Boring" chant around what should've been the final few minutes but ended up just being the 3-4ths mark. I want to like Neville as much as some of his fans and his work in this match was definitely very good for what the intention was - but that still wasn't enough to carry this beyond being a "good TV match" (and I might argue that having a title change like this would've made for better TV than just being relegated to the bathroom break spot). Enzo is not a great worker, but I probably cared about this match more than any other Cruiserweight Championship match since Neville feuded with Gallagher, which just goes to show how cold the 205 Live brand is when Enzo probably isn't even in the top 10 of the best in-ring talents on that roster. I should note, though, I loved Enzo's psychology in stealing the title to break the ref's count on the outside of the ring (and wish the commentators had noted how clever that was when Neville seemed perfectly happy taking the countout victory). Upset victory that I thought was well-executed and puts some needed drama into the Cruiserweight scene (even if it had to come at the expense of someone who has done a very respectable job with the hand he's been dealt in Neville). (2/5)

Main event time - Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman. I expected more thrills and spills in this one, to the point that I have the sneaking suspicion that someone laying out the match was told to explicitly keep the action in the ring, not throw in any major spots (like, say, one featuring a table as a nod to their SummerSlam showdown?), and keep things straight-forward just to test Strowman's ability to stay over and be a "good soldier." While I could understand that logic - that giving Strowman too much, too early could turn him into the next Lesnar (and all that might negatively come with that) - there's something to be said for striking when the iron is hot and the iron may never be hotter for Strowman than right now. That being said, this was not a Strowman burial. He got plenty of offense in; Well more than Samoa Joe got a few months back. But going down so decisively after a single F5 certainly didn't help Strowman's credibility and it will take some work to rebuild him to make him a reasonable challenge for Lesnar in the future (which doesn't seem like its in the cards, but again, why not?). Lesnar, meanwhile, looked old here, maybe the least impressive he has since coming back in 2012. At under 10 minutes, this was a let-down compared to nearly every possible scenario I had heard outlined in the weeks building up to it. (2/5)


No Mercy 2017 started out well enough with a "good enough" opener in Miz/Jordan that progressed Jordan's character (and Miz's impressive IC Title reign). Wyatt/Balor wasn't great, but like Enzo/Neville, it wasn't offensively bad and both matches had their moments. Things went off the rails during Cena/Reigns, an "epic" that didn't feel like an "epic" during its actual runtime but made up for it slightly in the post-match (which played out like a mirror image of the Undertaker's send-off at WrestleMania). To be a legacy-capper, this match needed to be more than just "pretty good," but I wouldn't rank it in the Top 10 of either's guy's career (and Reigns really hasn't been around that long). The main event was another disappointment as Lesnar's obvious decline could not be halted by Strowman, who had quietly become one of RAW's most consistently entertaining in-ring performers in 2017. With an unexpectedly low Kwang Score of 2.57-out-of-5, No Mercy 2017 fell far short of its expected, on-paper greatness. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

WCW UnCenSorEd 99'

WCW UnCenSorEd 99'

Louisville, Kentucky - March 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is the reigning WCW World Champion, Scott Hall is the United States Champion (but does not defend the title on the show), Scott Steiner holds the TV Title, and Billy Kidman is the Cruiserweight Champion. The Tag Team Championships are held by Curt Hennig and Barry Windham.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

After a mis-placed (?) video promo highlighting the Kevin Nash/Rey Mysterio feud, the Cruiserweight Championship is defended in the opening contest - Mikey Whipwreck of ECW fame making his debut to challenge Billy Kidman. I'm not sure what people made of this match back in 99', but in 2017, its a really fun watch - not the least of which because of how anachronistic (is that the right word?) it is to see Whipwreck essentially brought in just to cement Kidman's reign and show that the former Flock acolyte can hang with ECW's most acclaimed lightweight performer. Whipwreck doesn't hold anything back either, making this much better than just a glorified squash and actually gets both guys over (though I'm not necessarily sure that was WCW's intention). What stands out about Whipreck more than anything is how he brings an element to WCW that the division had not really had before - a "hardcore" cruiserweight who was as reckless with his own safety as he was with his opponent's. Unlike the luchadores, whose high-flying tended to look "pretty," Whipwreck uses the guardrail, the steps, and the floor in nasty attempts to maim his popular opponent. At one point, some fans towards the front halt the match's progression with a chant (I'm not sure it's "boring" - I think its some insider/ECW thing) that gets under his skin and stays there, nearly costing him the match at one point. As a debut, this is one of the best I've seen - the character's intent and purpose is clear, his offense is fresh and devastating, and the division needed a new top heel to counter Kidman - but losing cleanly in your first major outing is a tough stumbling block to get over. Now that Kidman has vanquished this new foil, where does the story go? Booking decisions aside, this was a great match and opener and something I have no problem calling a "should watch." (4/5)

Next up, a promo over one of tonight's special matches, a battle for the right to be the leader of the nWo's B-team (aka nWo Black & White) - Stevie Ray vs. Vincent - in a Harlem Street Fight. I'm just gonna say it: this match is borderline racist beyond the usual "If we have no plans for two black wrestlers, let's pair them or feud them against each other" because the story going into it is that Hogan and Nash were basically goading them into the fight for their own enjoyment - kinda like what slaveowners did a hundred fifty years earlier? Any which way, Stevie Ray firmly establishes himself as the more powerful, more legit athlete here, but Vincent doesn't just roll over, taking a licking but fighting back in short bursts. They make their way into the crowd, a good cover for what would've probably been a pretty lame in-ring bout. They make their way back ringside and Vincent takes control, but his offense consists of nothing but forearms, so, its not long before Stevie Ray is back in control. The crowd is pretty much dead by minute 5, but the match continues, leading to what has to be maybe the worst headbutt/low-blow spot ever executed. I mean, it is an abysmal moment that draws a chorus of boos from the crowd. Horace shows up and tries to help Vincent for some reason (?), but Stevie Ray ends up hitting his lame pedigree knock-off finisher for the win. Not the worst match I've ever seen, but not PPV worthy in any era. Extra half-point for the pre-match promo, which is so stupid its kind of cool. (1.5/5)

Backstage, Chris Jericho cuts a promo about Saturn, the guy he's been feuding with the past few months. Jericho hypes their Dog Collar Match tonight. 

Kevin Nash makes his way down the aisle for the next match - a David vs. Goliath bout against Rey Mysterio Jr., who defeated Nash on Nitro a few weeks prior (Rey also scored a win over Bigelow and Norton too to build him up for this match). Despite disgracing the World Championship in January and taking Rey's mask at SuperBrawl the month prior, Nash is still over big time as a babyface. Mysterio comes out in his camo gear, playing to the crowd, and its not a terrible look for him - but its also not the Rey Mysterio who would go on to make millions for the WWE (and could've done the same for WCW in time). As expected, Nash tosses Rey around early, but Mysterio is able to take the big man off his feet using his springboard attacks. What might be most surprising, though, is that Rey gets booed by a portion of the audience for his efforts (again, it just shows how popular Nash was and how poorly conceived his heel turn was - especially when WCW allowed him to continue his "Wolfpack in the house" schtick instead of having him actually run down the fans the way a heel should). Nash regains control on the outside and puts a beating to Mysterio until Rey is able to strike with a low blow and a dropkick. Mysterio hits the Bronco Buster and attempts a moonsault but Nash catches him. Nash releases him and distracts thr ref to give Luger the opportunity to trip Mysterio up (which, as expected, draws jeers), but when Nash calls for his jacknife, the crowd is back in the nWo's corner. If this same match had happened with an actual heel, I think it would've been perfectly fine - maybe even really good - but this was just poorly designed in its very inception. (2/5)

A video package hypes up tonight's WCW Hardcore Championship threeway between Raven, Hardcore Hak (The Sandman), and Bam Bam Bigelow and then, for some reason, we get a handicap karate match pitting Ernest "The Cat" Miller and Sonny Onoo against Jerry Flynn. I understand that angles being built up on TV should get exposure on PPV, but shouldn't angles on TV be used to expose guys that are actually good at what they do? Flynn may have respectable legit credentials (as did Miller), but as a pro-wrestler, he's noticeably green, very obviously bracing himself for each strike from The Cat and making no attempts to play to the crowd at all. When Flynn gets a hold of Onoo, the audience reaction is nil, just as Miller's gloating is met with nothing. To Flynn's credit, he takes a few stiff bumps, showing that he obviously wanted this to work, but the fundamentals aren't there and Miller himself isn't a polished enough performer to lead a match that goes, for no apparent reason, longer than 5 minutes. There's not much to rave about in this match, but it doesn't get truly terrible until the last 3 seconds - honestly, this finish is one of the most abrupt and deflating and puzzling finishes I've ever witnessed. Maybe they ran over time? Maybe someone backstage just told them to wrap it up as quickly as possible? Whatever the case, if anyone ever offers to watch this match with you, your answer should be a hard pass. (1/5)

Hardcore Hak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Raven is next. "Hak" is more well-known as ECW's The Sandman, another WCW signing that can be explained away as Bischoff believing that anyone with even half a name was a good signing. Raven is accompanied by Chastity, his sister, another ECW signing that went nowhere (because, honestly, how far can you go with a former adult film star on PG-13 programming?). This match has no semblance of a story - its just sloppy garbage wrestling with weapons flying every which way. Now, I don't mind this sort of action, especially when the guys put as much gusto into their weapon shots as they do here (an "ECW" chant sprouts up briefly), but a little subtlety, a small thread of drama, that's the kind of stuff that separates the best of these slopfests than what this is. Hak busts out a frankensteiner from the top rope, a move I admit to forgetting he had in his arsenal, and then pulls out a table as another slight "ECW" chant starts. BIgelow ends up controlling the plywood, though, and setting up Sandman on it. Sandman crawls off, though, so Raven scoops him up and assists Bigelow with a powerbomb that cracks the table but doesn't break it. Bigelow finishes the job with a splash, but Hak kicks out at two and ends up re-charged, grabbing the Singapore Cane and taking out both his opponents. Chastity, on the outside, grabs some tape while Bigelow slides in another two tables (and a fire extinguisher too). Raven and Sandman team up to send Bigelow into a table, but like so many of the objects in this match, it almost seems like WCW opted for the "real thing" rather than finding equipment that would pop the crowd more by actually breaking apart on impact. Raven handcuffs Sandman and nails him with a series of unprotected chair shots, the kind of spot that is just so brutal to watch in 2017. Bigelow hits a Greetings from Asbury Park on Raven and looks to have the match won but decides to set up another table instead of go for the pin. Bigelow gets on to the top rope to attempt...something? But ends up falling through a table thanks to Chastity's fire extinguisher. Chastity then turns on her brother to help Hak score the victory in, I guess, a swerve? This is better than your average "hardcore" match - especially compared to the more silly ones that the WWE was putting on around this same time - but its not fun enough to make it worth watching. (3/5)

The Tag Titles are on the line next in a lumberjack-with-straps match. The lumberjacks are Norman Smiley, Hugh Morrus, Meng, and a few other Saturday Night regulars (including Kendall Windham, which, as Tenay notes, seems kind of suspicious considering that Barry Windham and Curt Hennig are the ones defending the titles). Benoit and Malenko come out first looking serious (as usual) and when the heels arrive they have a staredown and some jawing before things start up. Hennig and Benoit were the clear all-stars in their last match and are about to tangle when The Enforcer shows up, belt in hand, and takes Chris Adams' lumberjack spot. Windham and Hennig make a run for it, but get whipped back into the ring almost immediately. Windham and Perfect sell big to start things off, really putting over their opponents and the agony of being sent to the outside. I also like the psychology of what they do when they take control, tossing Benoit to the outside to get beaten down (as the babyface Horsemen would otherwise have no reason to "take a powder" or try to escape). The tides turn back and forth and the crowd stays engaged because both sides know exactly what they're supposed to be doing in the ring and delivering - the heels keeping things slow and methodical, the faces hitting big hope spots and crowd-popping signature offense only to get chopped back down and locked into the opposition's corner. The lumberjacks become a bit of an after thought as the match goes on, but just when you're about to forget about their presence, Windham and Hennig use them to their advantage again. Arn Anderson eventually gets involved when Hennig tries to cheat his way to victory (though, using a belt buckle in a Lumberjack Strap Match barely registers at cheating) and we get a feel-good finish to a match that was definitely an improvement on their bout at SuperBrawl but still nothing work seeking out specifically. (3/5)

Chris Jericho vs. Saturn in a Dog Collar Match is next. A handful of very dangerous, very nasty spots and Saturn being decked out in Marilyn Manson-inspired garb help this match stand out. I'm not sure if both guys were fully on board with the gimmick at this point, but you have to give credit where its due because they certainly give their 100% in this match. Jericho's psychology at times is a bit questionable - I never really understood the concept of wrapping yourself in chains and then doing a splash as it would probably hurt the person delivering the move more than the recipient (even if it connected, which it rarely does). Again, I'd say this is an improvement over their SuperBrawl match just based on the context and the stipulation adding something fun to the mix, but I wouldn't call it a career highlight for either guy. (3/5)

The WCW Television Championship is on the line next when Scott Steiner (with Buff Bagwell in tow) defends against Booker T. Steiner tries to use intimidation to control the bout early, but Booker T isn't scared off easily, forcing Poppa Pump to take a powder on the outside. Booker keeps the pressure on  and eventually lands a big crossbody off the top, but interference from Buff Bagwell prevents him from capitalizing. Steiner and Booker head into the stands and Steiner uses a nearby chair to inflict some damage to the babyface. Heels of today could do far worse than watch Steiner's work in this match - everything he does is to draw heat, put sympathy on Booker, and make it clear that, if things were 100% on the level, Booker T would be the clear victor. After a crowd-pleasing press slam, for example, Steiner makes sure to gloat (despite the fact that he's only in control because of underhanded tactics), apply a lazy cover, and then bully the ref for good measure. A good heel should feel justified in their corner-cutting and cheating, but the crowd should feel the opposite and Steiner makes sure that the good/bad divide is clear. Cool spot where Booker T almost scissor kicks the ref, but ends up narrowly bringing his foot over the ref's head. Lazy finish in my book as any time a chair ends up in the ring being used to hit somebody (even inadvertently), there should be a DQ called. The crowd gets what they want, though. Good-not-great match. (3/5)

Main event time - Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan in a doorless, barbwire First Blood Cage Match with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW Presidency, and Flair's career on the line. Before the match begins, Flair tells referee Charles Robinson not to call the match until he says so - which doesn't necessarily make sense considering the stipulation is pretty clear cut: the first guy to bleed is the loser. Like at SuperBrawl, there's a sizable portion of the audience that is behind the Hulkster from the start but, because they are busting out entire sequences from their bouts in 94'-95', the reactions only get bigger. By the time Hogan is laying in big punches in the corner, the crowd is counting along and Flair is playing the chickenshit heel trying to escape the cage. Tossed into the cage, Flair is clearly lacerated, but Robinson won't call the match. Instead, the punishment continues with Hogan using the razorwire and his belt to beat down the Nature Boy (all the while, the crowd chants "Hogan"). Flair is a bloody mess and Hogan hits his patented leg drop. He then gets the visible pin for Victory #2. Flair reaches into his trunks and pulls out a pair of brass knucks, though I'm not sure why he went through the trouble of hiding them when, traditionally, all's fair in a cage match. David Flair and Torrie show up, but even their arrival doesn't silence the crowd support for the Hulkster. Flair gets a little bit of a pop for gyrating in Torrie's direction and tries to resume his offense but Hogan hulks up in his old school way, the commentators no longer even trying to hide the fact that he's now become the babyface. Hogan gets Visual Victory #3, but Robinson won't call the match. Flair gets a suplex in, but Hogan hulks up a second time because...well, what else could he do? Robinson takes a bump, but as Hogan tries to revive him, Flair hits the Hulkster with a low blow. Arn Anderson shows up to take out David Flair and then hands Nature Boy with the tire iron (which he uses to knock the Hulkster out). Flair applies the Figure Four and scores the victory and, somewhat surprisingly, the crowd actually pops for it despite Hogan being the fan favorite for the majority of the match. A fairly odd match just because of the overbooking and the way that, on one hand, this had the makings of a double-turn, but on the other hand, the appearance of David Flair (and him getting his comeuppance) pointed at the Horsemen still being the "good guys." In a different context, this would've been okay, but for all the bells, whistles, and bullshit, this match is just too stupid to be considered good. (1/5)


Earning a Kwang Score of 2.39-out-of-5, UnCenSorEd 99' edges out the previous month's SuperBrawl thanks mostly to its opening contest and a handful of good matches from the company's best in-ring talents (Benoit, Hennig, and Mysterio to name names). The Kentucky crowd helps things too, helping make matches like Steiner/Booker and the hardcore triangle match a touch more exciting than they would be with the sound turned off. The main event is yet another example of WCW taking simple concepts and swerving them into atrociousness. Why did this need to be a First Blood match again? Why is there a ref bump? Are we supposed to boo or cheer Arn Anderson and Flair screwing Hogan? Do the commentators even know what story they're trying to tell? Elsewhere, Jerry Flynn and Stevie Ray wrestle while just about anybody else on the roster at the time could've probably used those minutes better. While there are a few moments worth seeing on this show, they pretty much all happen in the first 16 minutes.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

The Mae Young Classic: Episode #2

WWE Mae Young Classic

Episode #2

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Lita

Episode 2 begins with some international flair, China's Xia Li taking on indie vet Mercedez Martinez. Martinez has been active on the scene for over a decade while Xia Li comes to the WWE from a fitness/martial arts background. As expected, Martinez plays the mean-spirited bully vet and dominates Li from the start but mistakenly drops her guard, allowing Li to come at her with some well-placed strikes. Martinez is able to withstand Li's initial offensive flurry, though, proving her toughness before locking in the dragon sleeper to put her opponent to bed. A good showcase for Martinez, but as I wrote in a review of an Episode 1 match, I wouldn't have minded this being even more one-sided to get over Martinez as a strong favorite to win the tournament. (1.5/5)

Paul Ellering's daughter, Rachel Evers, takes on the Dominican Republic-by-way-of-NYC's Marti Belle next. The crowd is somewhat split on these two as Belle comes in with some indie acclaim while Evers is a second-gen superstar who comes in with plenty of pep in her step. Despite Belle's experience and good character work, her offense was pretty paltry. There's potential there because her stalking is good and there's always room for a trash-talking heel, but there was not enough "steak" to match the sizzle (to steal a line from JR). Evers also showed a promising amount of room for growth, though I doubt she'll get past the next round as her inexperience is obvious. This match might've even been considered decent in 2002 when Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler were competing, but compared to where the bar is today, it would be a disappointment even at an NXT house show. (0.5/5)

Moving on to hopefully better things - Australia's 20-year-old talent Rhea Ripley vs. Miranda Salinas. Ripley has the crowd behind her and, as JR notes, the WWE's talent scouts on notice based on her youth and impressive size. Salinas is no slouch, though, the Booker T-trained performer maximizing her minutes with big expressions and enthusiastic bumping. Ripley, meanwhile, has the tools to build a house, but lacks the know-how to make it anything but a starter home. Like Evers in the previous bout, I don't expect Ripley to go too far in the tournament as her relative inexperience was pretty glaring here. An improvement on the previous bout thanks to Salinas' efforts and Ripley's unique power-based offense. (1/5)

Mia Yim headlines the second episode, taking on the rough-and-ready Sarah Logan from the backwoods of Kentucky. Lita notes on commentary that this is not the first time these two have tangled. The crowd is fairly split, unsurprising considering Logan has a little bit of NXT experience under her belt already while Mia Yim built a bit of a name for herself on the indies and in TNA. Yim hits a crowd-pleasing dropkick to the chest of Logan and follows it up with an absolutely nasty front facelock submission (the name of it escapes me at the moment). Logan fights out and we get a harsh exchange of stiff strikes on the ground and then on their feet, Young eventually getting a nearfall after a running knee to the face. Yim regains control, though, and hits a pair of beautiful back suplexes. Logan won't stay down, though, cutting Yim's offense off with a high suplex off the ropes and then a fisherman from the corner. Yim's finisher is cool, but needed a little more "oomph" to really get it over with the crowd after what was definitely the episode's best worked contest. To me, this is the type of match you could've had in your second round as Logan has the skills to warrant a second round match. (2.5/5)

WCW SuperBrawl IX

SuperBrawl IX

Oakland, CA - February 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into SuperBrawl IX, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is the WCW World Champion, the United States Championship is held by Roddy Piper, and the Television Champion is Scott Steiner. The Cruiserweight Championship is held by Billy Kidman while the WCW World Tag Team Championships are vacated - but will be rewarded to one lucky team tonight.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

SuperBrawl IX begins with a bizarre POV video of a half-naked woman in a hotel room thanking her boyfriend for buying her tickets for the show. It makes very little sense but its weird enough to warrant a bonus point. (+1)

Our opening contest is Disco Inferno, the newest member of the nWo Wolfpack, taking on Booker T. The storyline coming in is a thin one - Inferno is a member of the Wolfpack and Booker was trying to pull his brother Stevie Ray out of the nWo. The crowd starts up a loud "Disco Sucks" chant early and Booker T is plenty enough over by this point to have been moved up the card a bit. Save for a moment here or there, Booker T is in full control of this match (though, Disco does hit a nifty clothesline late in the match that turns Booker T inside out). After a Spinnerooni, Booker T hits his signature side kick and then heads to the top to hit the Harlem Hangover. Decent enough match, but probably not PPV worthy. (2/5)

Next up, the continuation of the Jericho/Saturn feud. I found this match to be a considerable improvement from their encounter at Souled Out, which had lots of good wrestling, but didn't necessarily tell a great story. This match, though, kept my attention by delivering both and the crowd gave much stronger reactions because of it. Also, giving credit where its due, Schiavone and Tenay do a nice job offering insight as to why Saturn would still want to wear a dress when there would be really no penalty for not wearing the dress (and disobeying the stipulation). Its a small detail, but it helps explains Saturn's mindset going into the match. Great moments and finish here with Saturn stripping Ralphus, having Jericho beat, and then, instead of taking the W, hitting the Death Valley Driver on Scott Dickinson, who had screwed him a month earlier. (3/5)

After a short interview with Mysterio and Konnan, we get a video package hyping the DDP/Steiner feud. 

Billy Kidman defends the WCW Cruiserweight Championship next against former tag partner Chavo Guerrero. Like Booker T and Saturn, Kidman is over enough with the live crowd that there are decent-sized reactions to every major spot and some of the minor ones (at least for the first few minutes). By this point, Chavo was no longer playing the dopey lunatic, though I wish he had still peppered his "serious heel" character with at least a little bit of the psycho flavor as he comes off a bit bland without it. Guerrero hits his awesome somersault dive and later Kidman blocks a crossbody from the top with a dropkick for two particularly nice moments. Solid enough finish but this match, but like the opener, more of a TV bout than a PPV match. (2.5/5)

A Goldberg/Bigelow video airs. When this feud started in late 98', it was red hot, but by this point, they had waited so long to get to it that I'm not sure its anything more than lukewarm. 

The vacant WCW World Tag Team Championships are on the line in the next match (or two) - Curt Hennig and Barry Windham taking on Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko in the finals of a tournament that had been running for a little while. The storyline coming into this is that it was a double elimination tournament so Benoit and Malenko will need to defeat Hennig and Windham twice to capture the titles (while the heels will only have to win one match to do so). In other words, WCW overbooked this. Malenko and Windham start things off, the size difference noticeable, but only grapple for a few minutes before Hennig and Benoit take over. The crowd pops for a stiff chest chop exchange and an impressive sequence of old school wrestling between two of the best ever. Windham isn't at his cosmetic peak, but he's still fairly spry in-ring. If anything, it may be Malenko who is the most out of place, oversized, under-enthused, and outmatched in terms of personality by his opponents and even his partner, whose clotheslines, back elbows, and diving headbutt all get sizable reactions. While Benoit puts extra oomph into everything he does, some of Malenko's offense looks uncharacteristically half-hearted and the audience non-reacts accordingly. As the match wears on and the heels take over, the match hits some predictable ups-and-downs, the boring moments drawing "Boring" heckles, but the bright spots waking the crowd back up (for example, a vintage Windham Superplex-into-a-Cover). Benoit does a good job as the face-in-peril building up to the tag to Malenko, who finally shows some energy. The first fall is nicely executed, but the second (while not a finish I'd oppose to in theory) is pretty horrendously performed, with Mickey Jay improbably "not seeing" Windham pulling on a belt wrapped around Malenko's throat. This one probably would've been better with a few minutes shaved off. (2/5)

A video package highlights the scandalous United States Championship scene and how Will Sasso helped "Rowdy" Roddy Piper capture the gold from Bret Hart. To think that this show could've had Bret vs. Benoit (as Flair initially stated on an episode of Nitro) or even a Hart/Hall match, but instead, its Piper vs. Hall, a pairing that just doesn't quite have the promise of the other options.

The nWo Wolfpack's Hall, Nash, Luger, and Liz make their way down the aisle for the next match - Rey Mysterio and Konnan challenging The Outsiders in a match with some fairly high stipulations: Liz's hair vs. Mysterio's mask. The result of this is (rightfully) remembered as one of WCW's biggest blunders, but the match itself is actually quite good. Mysterio is given center stage and both Hall and Nash feed him maybe as best they can considering the size and strength advantage and the fact that, up until this point, Mysterio had really never swam in the heavyweight waters. Konnan is not my favorite worker to watch, but he's much more bearable in a tag role. Hall is misremembered from this time as being a shell of his former self, but the past few matches I've seen from him were all no less than average as his charisma carries him a long way. Good enough dirty finish, but this match will always be known for Rey's unmasking. Again, though, the decision to unmask Rey is a misinterpreted/misremembered event by many. Its obvious from the match that there was a genuine feeling that taking away Rey's mask could potentially help elevate his marketability by "Americanizing" him (it helped that, beneath the hood, Rey was a handsome young dude) and that this was the furthest thing from a "burial." It was a bad idea, no doubt, but it was a misguided effort more than a political hit to keep Mysterio at the bottom of the card. (2.5/5)

Scott Steiner defends the Television Championship against Diamond Dallas Page next. Two years later these guys would have an infamous backstage fight, but they could've fooled me with the animosity they bring to this contest. Marcus Bagwell comes out early and almost gets Steiner disqualified, but DDP waves off the referee's would-be call. Some good action in this - including a crowd-popping belly-to-belly and a Frankensteiner from the top out of Steiner and Page launching his huge frame over the top rope with a big crossbody splash to the arena floor. There's also, unfortunately, a fair amount of unnecessary shenanigans involving the aforementioned Bagwell, but also Charles Robinson, that the seriousness of the match is kind of undercut by the cheap use of a chair and an uncovered turnbuckle. This match without the embellishments would've been a real tooth-and-nail slugfest as it is and the purity of the contest would've made the finish more dramatic. The overbooking helps protect Page to some degree, but it also takes away some of the emotion they were obviously going for. A good match that could've been better with a clearer story and less antics. (3/5)

Scott Hall wrestles for the second time tonight - challenging Roddy Piper for the United States Championship next. Hall is accompanied by Disco Inferno because WCW had obviously learned nothing in the 3 years they had seen the nWo become the hottest thing in wrestling and then watched it become stale. As I wrote earlier, Hall's charisma could still carry his matches into at least watchable territory in 99', but he has his work cut out for him against the 45 year old "Hot Rod." This match is just atrocious from beginning to end, neither guy doing much of anything beyond eye pokes and low blows. Two years earlier, Piper making a surprise appearance at Halloween Havoc and verbally destroying Hogan was a transcendent moment of wrestling awesomeness, but by this point, with that rivalry beaten to death ages earlier, Piper had no business working as your average full-timer and this match shows why. At times, Hall almost seems like he's making a mockery of the match on purpose, especially during an ultra-goofy abdominal stretch sequence. For some reason, Piper gets his heat back in the post-match by holding his own against the Outsiders. Terrible match. (0.5/5)

The good news is, WCW actually has something fresh follow this - Goldberg vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in a showdown that was red hot months earlier BUT had fizzled quite a bit since November. People love to talk about the Goldberg/DDP match from Halloween Havoc and I've even seen some love for Goldberg's matches against Hall and Nash (ignoring their insanely stupid and counterproductive finishes), but this match rarely gets mentioned and I'm not sure why - it's actually, at its best moments, a really fun battle. That's not to say there aren't dull moments - there are a couple resthold stretches that don't necessarily fit with the idea that these two bruisers had come to engage in a straight-up brawl that could easily spill out of the ring and continue anywhere they wanted (as the build-up had certainly pointed to) - but there are also some really impressive spots and, maybe most impressively, Bigelow does seem to pose a larger threat to Goldberg than anyone he's faced before. (3/5)

Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan defending the WCW World Championship against the WCW President Ric Flair. This is a pretty weird match as, despite Hogan being the heel and Flair the face, they almost go through the same type of match they had in 94'/95' and the fans end up taking the same sides they should've taken back then - rooting for Hogan even as he uses his belt to put a whupping on the Nature Boy. As could and should be expected from two bona fide legends, there are glimmers of past glories here and, unlike Hall vs. Piper, a battle of two guys that didn't seem too motivated and were both in states of decay compared to their best years, simply by the amount of blood spilled in the match you can see these two are desperately fighting to have a worthwhile main event. Still, there's really no excuse for this being a title match in 1999 (though, the buyrate from this show proves there was some interest in the feud itself). These two facing each other and putting each other's shit over makes perfect sense because they are of the same era and have such an extended history, the recipe will almost always work and it is believable that their limited and half-speed maneuvers would have effect on eachother (but would be and should be laughed off by Goldberg). I'm not sure this match would've been better with a clean finish, but it certainly wouldn't have been made worse by a "feel good" ending or at least something that resembled one. Instead, a month after getting beaten down mercilessly by the nWo, we get another classic WCW "swerve" - the reveal of the latest nWo members: David Flair and his girlfriend Torrie Wilson. Plus, the return of the stun gun, which would probably be neck-and-neck with Triple H's sledgehammer as the most overused and least satisfying weapons to factor in to a major wrestling storyline ever. Not unwatchable, but a full step below average. (1.5/5)

SuperBrawl IX lives up to its reputation as one of the more confounding failures in WCW's disastrous 1999. While not quite at the same level of "How Did They Fuck This Up?" as the previous two Starrcades, those shows at least came after a series of decent-to-great TV moments (especially in 97'). This is the type of show that should've inspired better shows to follow, but instead, its practically a roadmap to the looming icebergs WCW would be steered into for the next 12 months. Nonsensical heel/face turns? David Flair has you covered. Young talent being held down or embarrassed? Malenko, Benoit, and Mysterio come out on the losing end of their matches here. Booker T still wrestling in the opener and the Wolfpack getting the upperhand on the faces for pretty much the rest of the night. Goldberg going from being "the top guy" to just "a top guy" while WWE proved, through Steve Austin, that you really can rebuild an entire brand around one guy if that guy is over enough (and Goldberg was arguably over enough). With a Kwang score of 2.33-out-of-5, SuperBrawl IX has its moments, but almost every one is cancelled out by a questionable booking decision that most logical thinkers would've foreseen as producing poor results in the long-term. If you're super curious to see a "Beginning of the End" WCW show that isn't a Starrcade, this might be exactly what you're looking for.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

The Mae Young Classic - Episode #1

The Mae Young Classic - Episode #1

Winter Park, FL - August 2017

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Lita

The Mae Young Classic begins with Kay Lee Ray taking on Princesa Sugehit. Before the match, a quick video package introduces to both women (with plenty of video of Kay Lee Ray from the Shimmer promotion). The crowd does not seem too familiar with either young lady but it doesn't take them long to warm up, popping for the high spots and the stiff strikes exchanged. Sugehit takes home the first match with a submission after Kay Lee missed a big high-flying attempt from the top rope. Personally, I wouldn't have had this match as the tournament's opener just because these two didn't have great natural chemistry. (2/5)

Before their match, Vanessa Borne and Serena Deeb get video packages to give us some background on their character. Deeb was a part of the Straight Edge Society back in the late 00s (I think?) while Borne has been in NXT for the past year. This match also featured the work of the WWE's first female referee since the 1980s. This one was more of a straight-up fight with neither young lady taking to the air too much or dazzling the crowd with innovation. Deeb eventually lands a spear to take down Borne. The former Cardinals cheerleader has more work to do before she'll be ready for primetime, but there's certainly potential there when you have a natural athlete with undeniable charm and beauty. I don't expect Deeb to go too far in this tournament, but its a wise move to have a veteran like her working deep into the show as you'll know you have at least one good hand in the ring regardless of who her opponent is. (1.5/5)

Match #3 brings us a former MMA competitor, Shayna Baszler, who has a great, unique look and a legitimate combat sports background, taking on Zeda. Rhonda Rousey is in attendance for this match to cheer on her buddy Shayna, who has some good looking strikes but definitely room for improvement in her other areas. After just a few minutes (probably an intentional decision to protect both females from exposing their lack of polish), Baszler hits a suplex-into-a-sleeper combo that was a sight to behold. As long as you're going to push Baszler's legitimacy, I almost think this should've been even more one-sided. (1.5/5)

Alright - "main event" time if one wants to call it that - the German bruiser Jazzy Gabert taking on Seattle's positive-minded and former Chikara Champion Abbey Laith. The crowd was into this from the get-go with Abbey getting the lion's share of support against the clear heel. Abbey's fluidity in the ring was something that shouldn't (and won't) be overlooked by the WWE's scouts even if this match was designed to be a showcase for Gabert. When Gabert locked in the rear-naked choke, it looked like it took every molecule of air out of Laith and following it up with shoulders and strikes in the corner made it doubly effective. Moments later, Laith tried to escape Gabert's grasp, but the German knocked a tooth or two loose with a crowd-pleasing forearm to the mush. Laith was able to get some offense in as the match entered its second act, almost taking the W with a senton splash from the top. Gabert fought back, though, toppling the babyface with a clothesline and then attempting to put an end to things with what looked like it was going to be some sort of powerbomb. Gabert had been trying to apply the move throughout the contest, telegraphing it a bit and allowing Laith to counter it with a surprise Mae Young-inspired pinfall. The best match of the night, but not necessarily worth seeking out. (2.5/5)


Overall, a decent show with typically strong production from the WWE/NXT crew. Here's hoping the second episode features a bit better in-ring action, but I at least enjoyed the variety offered in episode 1.