WCW Spring Stampede 99'

WCW Spring Stampede 99'

Tacoma, Washington - April 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Ric Flair is the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion, the United States Championship has been vacated due to Scott Hall suffering a foot injury, the Television Championship is held by Booker T, and the Cruiserweight Champion is Rey Mysterio Jr. Speaking of Rey Mysterio, he and Billy Kidman are the World Tag Team Champions (having defeated Benoit and Malenko on an episode of Nitro).

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

I'll admit, I watched the opening contest on silent so I'm not necessarily sure who the heel or face was as both guys did heelish things over the course of the match - Juventud Guerrera with his stalling to smile at the crowd, taking his opponent lightly and such, Blitzkreig trying to escape on the outside early, and then later, Juvi trying to walk away too. Blitzkreig was the more impressive performer here even if they were both a bit sloppy at times. I liked how 'Kreig's offense was legitimately hard-hitting and dangerous and he even threw in a few maneuvers that I'm not sure anyone was doing in WCW at the time. Juvi's offense was nothing to sneeze at it either as he hit a dropkick on the floor that wowed me and then his devastating finish from the top rope. This wasn't as good as the Whipwreck/Kidman opener from the previous month's PPV, but it was still above-average based on the sheer ridiculousness of some of the moves performed. (3.5/5)

A video package hyping the Bam Bam Bigelow/Hardcore Hak feud airs before their match. Hak shows up wearing barbwire around his body while Bigelow shows up with a crate full of weapons. They immediately set to brawling in the aisleway, abandoning the cart of weapons to duke it out in the hokey Wild West-themed stage area. Within the first 90 seconds of this match, Sandman has flipped off a stagecoach through Bigelow on a table and yet both guys pretty much immediately no sell it to make their way to the ring. Did WCW have agents helping guys lay out matches or was the plan at this point to just do crazy shit with no semblance of storytelling and see if that could help them beat the WWE (who was basically crushing them by now)? Hak's girlfriend Chastity has filled the ring with "toys" but Sandman....err, Hak continues to set up tables to use. This is the epitome of garbage wrestling, with some of the weapons not even making sense (a salad bowl?). They botch what I think was supposed to be a suplex spot so Hak goes to the outside and gets a ladder to make up for it. Hak brings the ladder in, but Bigelow grabs it - and Hak *kinda* dropkicks it into him. Hak then does another front-flip splash onto the ladder (which is laying across the Bammer). In relative control of the match, Hak proceeds ot set up the ladder while Chastity sets up the table but it is unclear to what end. Hak then slips (?) off the ladder and ends up going through the table. Again, its unclear what the hell has happened but it doesn't matter. Sandman continues to no sell the multiple times he has been driven into ladders and through tables. He crotches himself on a spare guardrail too before getting drilled in the head with it. Chastity tries to use the fire extinguisher but can't get it work. Bigelow does, though, and sends her to outside. Hak regains control thanks to his kendo stick, but ultimately falls prey to a Greetings from Asbury Park through a table! For how insanely stupid this match is, you've got to give it up for these two essentially doing everything possible just to entertain the fans with ICP-level hardcore violence. I'm not sure if this is better or worse than your average match, but it certainly put a bigger smile on my face than the typical fare. I could totally understand someone giving this 0 stars, but in terms of entertainment, with Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay cackling along, its more than watchable. (3/5)

And here comes...Scotty Riggs? Riggs is doing a new Narcissist-like gimmick and I must admit to thinking that, by this time, he was no longer in the company. His opponent is Mikey Whipwreck, who is now ostensibly a face? This is Whipwreck's third match in WCW and sized up against Riggs, his lack of size is much more glaring. What's weird about Riggs' act is how much he's aping his former tag partner Buff Bagwell. Anyway, Whipwreck takes an absolutely nasty back bump into the guardrail at one point in the match and throws himself into every bit of this contest but the crowd doesn't give a shit and chants "Boring" anyway. Based on the finish, it seems like Riggs is getting a bit of a push, but I don't recall if he really did. Whipwreck's underdog gimmick almost required him to lose more than win, but was Riggs really the best option here? Passable match, but didn't feel PPV worthy. (2/5)

Konnan gets his hands on Disco Inferno next. These two were involved in a very personal feud after Inferno filmed a music video mocking Konnan's theme song. I was surprised by how much Konnan gives Disco here, selling a lot more than he was known for doing at the time. This isn't too bad for a Konnan match, but that's far from glowing praise as Konnan is one of my least favorite workers. Inferno, on the other hand, is underrated in my opinion, but his best in-ring work, to me, always came when he played into his gimmick the most - pausing to do some disco dancing, the hair primping when he should be on the attack, etc. - so this grudge match context isn't one I find him terribly amusing in. Inoffensive and at least it doesn't run too long. (1.5/5)

The Cruiserweight Championship is on the line next with Rey Mysterio Jr. defending against Billy Kidman (they were also the World Tag Team Champions at the time). The crowd is completely dead at the start of the match - almost to the point that I'm wondering if the audio was recording properly as the commentators also seem to be fading in and out. You put this same match, spot for spot, in front of a more caring audience, with more drama thrown in by the announcers, and maybe put Rey's mask back on so that he actually has some mystique and you might have a Match of the Year candidate - that's how good and hard-hitting this match is. While it doesn't dazzle the same way the opener does, the layout makes a ton more sense and both Kidman and Rey really do a great job of spacing out the big spots and getting over the idea that this is a title match and they're willing to do whatever it takes to win. I also like how the match gives nods to their previous few encounters (on these points, the commentators do a nice job) and also the danger of falling prey to the 7 Year Itch, the one move that Kidman is repeatedly denied by Mysterio (which the commentators don't do a nice job mentioning). Really good Cruiserweight Title Match - in fact maybe one of the top 10 I've seen. (4/5)

In a grudge match, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko of the Horsemen (with Arn Anderson at their side) take on the newly-reunited Saturn and Raven. Its kind of odd to see Raven work as a babyface, but he absolutely shines in the role and Saturn, who even Schiavone notes has always been known as an offense-focused grappler, does a good job playing the face-in-peril. I love how both teams perform some really cool and devastating double-team maneuvers, even if they're not all perfectly-timed. Malenko is so much more charged-up for this than he appeared in the series against Hennig and Windham, though his face remains completely free of emotion. At UnCenSored in March, they hinted that the Horsemen were turning heel and I had my doubts about how wise a move that would be but, on this night at least, the crowd really despises them. Benoit and Malenko do a number of dastardly things (with Anderson helping them cheat as well) which really grounds this match in an "old school" feel despite the workrate being much more modern. I think my biggest gripe might be the finish as Raven inexplicably lies down for far too long not to notice that the referee is not making a count. Then, when a chair is placed atop his head, he doesn't even register it - which would make sense if he had been knocked out, but I don't think he had. A more perfectly-executed finish would've probably nudged this one into being an all-time classic, but while it doesn't quite hit that spot, it is definitely worth checking out. (4/5)

WCW Television Champion Booker T challenges Scott Steiner for the vacant United States Championship. Intense opening with Scott Steiner in heated conflict with some audience members. That sort of off-the-cuff heel work really adds an air of danger to the match and makes sure the crowd is hot from beginning to end. It also helps that Steiner, known for his stiffness, is in there with Booker T, a guy who isn't afraid to take it or dish it out himself. This is more of a brawl than anything, but that's not a bad thing - especially after the previous two matches offered more than enough technicality and acrobatics. Steiner's heat segment draws a loud and audible "Steroids" chant, but the crowd's ire only seems to inspire more brutality and frustration, Big Poppa Freak eventually even taking referee Johnny Boone to the mat. Steiner hits a low blow right in front of the official but Boone is seemingly too fearful to disqualify him. Steiner then applies a bearhug, finishing it with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Steiner's overconfidence costs him, though, as Booker takes advantage of a loose suplex to get some offense in. Booker seems to be on a roll, but Steiner pulls the referee into the fray! The ref is down for Booker's visual pin so Booker wakes him up only for them both to get knocked down! A second time Booker has the match practically sewn up after a sidewalk slam, but when he tries to hit the Harlem Hangover, Steiner crotches him on the ropes. Steiner then puts Booker T down with a perfect Frankensteiner from the top and tries to get the pin himself. He drags the ref over but only gets 2! Desperate, Steiner pulls a foreign object out of trunks as Randy Anderson tries to wake Johnny Boone up. Booker attempts a vertical suplex but gets clocked with whatever Steiner has his hand. The crowd is thoroughly disappointed, but only because Steiner and Booker T played their roles perfectly and the audience genuinely cared about the outcome of this match. Really, really good bout. (3.5/5)

In a rematch from Starrcade, Kevin Nash vs. Goldberg is next. Goldberg still has an impressive aura at this point and despite the fact that Nash continues to inexplicably deliver pre-match babyface promos as a heel, at least Big Sexy works the actual match as a villain. The crowd is distracted in minute one, though its unclear by what (maybe a fan was trying to hop the rail?). Liz gets the attention back in the ring by causing a distraction that allows Nash to hit a low blow. Some fans near a mic start chanting "We Want Sting" but it doesn't spread too far. Nash's dominance early makes Goldberg's comeback even more impressive. Nash leapfrogs a spear attempt and the ref is taken out! Luger hits Goldberg with a chairshot, but Nash wastes too much time and ends up low-blowed when he attempts the Jacknife! Luger gets taken out and Nash eats a spear as the crowd goes wild. Goldberg hits the Jackhammer for the win. This was the way to book and treat Goldberg, though I would've loved for him to add in some threat as he walked out to really cement the idea that Goldberg is the rightful World Champion after getting screwed out of the title in December. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Sting vs. Diamond Dallas Page vs. Hollywood Hogan vs. Ric Flair for Flair's World Championship with Randy friggin' Savage as the guest referee. Savage walks out first as the announcers note that it has been several months since he appeared in WCW. His involvement is a clever twist as he has fairly deep history with every one of the combatants (well, not so much Sting, but they did have a cool little mini-angle in 97' for a few weeks). Sting, who is in really good shape compared to his last big in-ring return at Starrcade 97', is given the respect of coming out last. Savage calls for the bell and a fight ensues with Hogan and Flair brawling on the outside and Page and Sting going at it in the ring. Savage, who is wearing nothing at all resembling traditional ref's gear, has to be the first official to ever have a personal valet at ringside. This is worked like a battle royal pretty much with everyone just kind of throwing fists, hitting the occasional signature spot, and taking turns duking it out on the outside of the ring. The fact that it is so loose actually helps it as compared to what we get in the WWE these days where matches like this are far more structured and choreographed. Despite not getting too big of a response during his entrance, when Hogan starts hitting Flair with his trademark punches, "Hulkamania" begins to run wild but Sting breaks up the post-leg drop pin. The match continues, eventually leading to Page locking in a figure four on Hogan around the post. Sting breaks it up, though, and goes after Page while Flair continues his attack on Hogan in the ring. WCW trainer Danny Young runs down the aisleway to check on Hogan as the crowd boos. Eric Bischoff walks out too and Hogan seems to be out of the match, leaving the title up for grabs between Sting, Page, and Flair. Making it Page, and not Flair, who locked in the figure four around the ringpost was a weird booking decision...Anyway, Page takes control for a little bit but Sting won't stay down, hitting the Stinger Splash and then countering a Diamond Cutter attempt with a bulldog. Sting attempts a tombstone pilediver but Page reverses it for two. Flair is back in the ring and he tosses Page over the top and onto the floor. Flair essentially positions himself to get superplexed, which doesn't make much sense...Still, Naitch maintains control and eventually locks in a sleeper on Sting. Page sneaks from behind and puts a sleeper of his own on Flair, a guaranteed crowd-pleasing spot. Savage begins to count all three men out despite promising on Nitro that this match would be fought until there was one definitive winner. Page and Flair try to take Sting out together but the Icon of WCW no-sells their punches and connects with another bulldog and Splash combo. Sting locks in the Scorpion Death Lock on Flair but Page breaks it up. Page attempts a suplex, but Sting counters it into a Scorpion Death Lock. Again Savage begins to count all three men, but Flair gets up to break the count and applies a Figure Four to Sting. With Hogan out, Sting may be the most over babyface in the match, his signature taunts drawing huge responses. Savage drags Flair to the center of the ring, though, and hits his elbow drop from the top rope as the crowd goes insane! It doesn't make a lick of sense, but it popped the crowd and that seems to be the only thing important to WCW by this point, consequences be damned. Page hits the Diamond Cutter and captures his first WCW World Championship but the audience reaction is slightly more muted than it would have been in almost any other scenario that would've given Page the title. Overall, more entertaining than your average match, but nothing I'd go searching for. (3/5)

Spring Stampede 99' is one the more interesting viewing experiences I've had in recent weeks. Context is important. By this point, the WWE was pulling away from WCW in the Ratings War despite WCW still arguably featuring the more star-studded *and* talented roster. Look at the card for WrestleMania XV and be unamazed by the likes of Big Bossman, Test, D'Lo Brown, and Hardcore Holly all being featured. But even if Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn was never going to be a "good match," WWE had clearly defined itself as the "It" wrestling company by promising a grand spectacle of Good vs. Evil (the rebellious Austin vs. the corporate Rock), a heaping helping of sex-charged storylines (Sable and Val Venis), ultra-violence (Shane McMahon vs. X-Pac), and episodic storytelling (Kane vs. Triple H and Big Show vs. Mankind) galore. Their talent, even sub-standard workers like Droz and The Godfather, were packaged so ridiculously that they demanded your attention (even if it was fleeting). WCW, meanwhile, had played their nWo-centric hand too long and when it came time to build a future around a new star (Goldberg), they opted to double-down on the nWo still. By Spring Stampede, though, WCW had seen the err of their ways (sort of) and were obviously trying to re-position themselves...but "As What?" was the question. They raided ECW for talent, but by 99', the talent to be raided was hardly of the same caliber as the guys they'd picked up in 95'-96' (think Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, etc.) and were pretty much only capable of working with each other in garbage matches (though, to be sure, career journeyman Bam Bam Bigelow was the exception). Torrie Wilson, Chastity, and Gorgeous George were brought in to supplement Liz - but WCW couldn't and didn't push boundaries far enough to make them real challengers to Sable as wrestling's hottest female act. WCW's main event scene also seemed to want to ape ECW and WWE's new style of "grey area" anti-heroes, but mistook Austin's anti-authority attitude for genuine "tweener-ness" when the Rattlesnake was, by 98', a firmly-established fan favorite. Having Flair, Hogan, Nash, and Savage all straddling the heel/face line muddied the waters and led to moments like the final minute of Spring Stampede - a "should've-been feel good" moment for Diamond Dallas Page coming off a little bit tainted due to overbooking and unnecessarily, overly-caustic protecting of Hogan. Spring Stampede shows that, even as late as the spring of 99', WCW still had the talent to challenge the WWE - maybe not at the moment but certainly in the future. Considering that Austin would end up being out of the picture at the end of the year, the right direction and plan in the spring of 99' could've positioned WCW to revive the Monday Night Wars that winter. Spring Stampede is a fascinating watch because, with so many good matches happening in front of such a loud and enthusiastic crowd, it defies the popular notion that by the spring of 99' WCW was without a prayer. Though its score of 3.11-out-of-5 may not sound too great, when you consider that this score represents the highest WCW has achieved on my Kwang Scale in 18 months, my final rating makes total sense...

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