WCW Mayhem 99'

WCW Mayhem 99'

Toronto, Ontaria, Canada - November 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship is vacant, the United States and TV Title are held by Scott Hall, and the WCW Tag Team Champions are Kidman and Konnan of the Filthy Animals stable. Disco Inferno holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. 

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

The first ever Mayhem pay-per-view starts off with a recap of the 32-man tournament JJ Dillon ordered for the vacated WCW World Championship. At Halloween Havoc, Goldberg had won the title in an unsanctioned match against Sting, but because Sting didn't realize he was putting the title up for grabs, Goldberg's win was reversed. However, as Sting had attacked Charles Robinson, Dillon seized the title from him. 

Tony and Bobby run down the evening's card and, on paper, it actually sounds like it could be a pretty fun show thanks to a large amount of variety.

Jeff Jarrett makes his way down the aisle for the first tournament bout of the night. Jarrett's gimmick was that he was The Powers That Be's "Chosen One" so he was expected to go far in the tournament. His opponent is Chris Benoit, though, who has home country advantage and is sporting a Maple Leaf on his tights. Benoit is very over with the crowd and he wastes very little time busting out the big guns, including a superplex, a reverse neckbreaker, and some out-of-the-ring brawling. Jarrett crotches him into the post, though, and the tide turns. Jarrett has his working boots on too, keeping up with the Crippler move-for-move and keeping his foot on the gas for the most part. Jarrett locks in a sleeper and takes Benoit to the mat, but he can't tire him out enough to end the match. Benoit rallies soon after, landing a great backbreaker and then a trio of German Suplexes for a big near fall. The Powers That Be's twin henchmen (The Harris Brothers) show up. I looked them up on Wikipedia and learned they were named Pat and Gerald (a Russo-penned nod to Patterson and Brisco) because why shouldn't they be? Jarrett looks like he might get a countout victory and, as the commentators note, makes an unwise decision to bring Benoit back in the ring, nearly costing himself the match on two quick near falls. The psychology and layout of the closing stretch isn't strong, but you can't fault the execution of anything. Dustin Rhodes comes out to even the sides and Benoit manages to get the W, but Creative Control beats him down after the match. Security comes out to save Benoit, which, again, doesn't really make much sense because, according to the storyline, Jarrett and Creative Control's actions were what the Powers That Be (who would control security) wanted. Whatever. Not a bad match, but not great. (2.5/5)

Disco Inferno is backstage with his Cruiserweight Championship. Jarrett and Creative Control beat down Inferno before being pulled away by Vampiro (or is that Jerry Only?) and Konnan.

Evan Karagias makes his way down the aisle with Madusa for his Cruiserweight Title shot against the aforementioned Disco Inferno. Having been attacked backstage, Inferno is barely able to make his way out to the ring, essentially dragged to the aisle by Tony Marinara (Tony Mamaluke), who claims that Inferno owes his family money. Marinara joins Tony and Bobby on commentary and while this helps explain his role in this match and storyline, it doesn't necessarily add a ton of entertainment value. Inferno and Karagias have a relatively straightforward match in the ring, Inferno maintaining control for lengthy stretches, throwing in his trademark dance moves, but staying focused and wrestling with a more serious approach than he was typically known for. There was a time when the cruiserweight division was known for fast-paced, high-flying, revolutionary wrestling, but this match offers none of those things. An audible "Boring" chant starts up (or is that "Goldberg"?) but is cut off by a near fall and then the involvement of Madusa on the outside, something this bout probably could've used more of to keep it interesting. Marinara leaves commentary and tries to pick up Madusa, leading to Karagias stepping between them. Inferno tries to get the upperhand by hitting Karagias with a chair, but Evan steps aside and Inferno blasts Marinara with it instead. Karagias wins the Cruiserweight Championship (and $25,000 according to Schiavone) in short order and then makes out with Madusa. Gross. Pretty bad stuff. (1/5)

Bret Hart is shown entering the arena. The crowd approves.

Jeff Jarrett gets chewed out by the Powers That Be (an unseen Vince Russo) as Creative Control looks on.

Back to the ring we go for the first WCW Hardcore Championship match - Brian Knobbs vs. "Screamin'" Norman Smiley. 90% of this match is trash can shots, the other 10% being a bunch of one guy leading the other guy to a different setting so he can toss him into empty boxes or hit him with a trash can. When Hardcore Hak and Raven were involved in these sorts of matches, you didn't see much psychology but you could at least hope for someone to leave their feet at some point or take some stiff concussion-causers to the head. The Benoit/Sullivan matches that kind of birthed the genre in WCW were fairly novel 3-4 years earlier and benefitted from Dusty Rhodes' enthused commentary (and some serious intensity and urgency in the wrestlers' performances). This is a "hardcore" match by definition, but really just forgettable, one-note, un-entertaining filler in spirit. Neither Knobbs or Smiley look like they've been given any direction and don't come up with a single original or clever spot in the whole match - which probably runs 8-10 minutes but feels closer to 15 because of how nauseatingly repetitive the "offense" is. Half-star for the signs in the audience. (0.5/5)

The Revolution cut an unfunny promo backstage about the Filthy Animals and then the Filthy Animals cut an unfunny promo back. In-ring, these two teams have enough talent in their ranks to produce a really good match, but they also have to carry the weight of Konnan, Torrie Wilson, and Asya, so I'm not necessarily looking forward to this match.

Tony Marinara tells Disco Inferno that because he lost, he is now forced to bring in "the boys" from home. Disco is seriously worried.

Jeff Jarrett, backed by Creative Control, walks around backstage, promising he'll do something to impress the Powers That Be. 

The 6-person elimination tag match is next - Malenko, Saturn, and Asya of the Revolution taking on Kidman, Eddie Guerrero, and Torrie Wilson of the Filthy Animals. Early on, Malenko is poked in the chest by a face-painted fan in the front row and, credit to Russo, I'm not sure if this is a work or shoot as the camera stays on the fan even as he's escorted out of the area. Back in the ring, Torrie is beaten down by Asya, causing Kidman to come into the ring and take her out. Guerrero steps over to Torrie to check if she's alright and Kidman gets rolled up. The crowd breaks into a loud "Eddie!" chant and Kidman exits the ring, leaving Guerrero and Torrie to fend for themselves. Konnan walks out on the match too, seemingly to talk some sense into Kidman. Asya can actually work a little, connecting with a big vertical suplex to respectable applause before tagging out to Malenko. Guerrero hits a headscissors-into-a-victory roll to eliminate the Iceman soon after and we're back to even sides. Despite maintaining control for a few minutes, a miscommunication leads to Saturn taking out Asya with an errant kick. Guerrero capitalizes and hits a Frog Splash to put her away. The match is now 2-1 with the Animals outnumbering the Revolution, but as Eddie's partner is Torrie Wilson, this is really just a 1-on-1 affair at this point. Cool spot with Saturn attempting a springboard splash and Eddie cutting him off with a dropkick. Eddie follows it up with a big tornado DDT for 2, but Saturn hits his Death Valley Driver for a near fall of his own. Saturn misses an elbow drop from the top but Eddie refuses to make the tag, recognizing the futility in putting Torrie in the ring with Saturn. Eddie hits a crossbody from the top, but Saturn locks in the Rings of Saturn! Torrie Wilson is the last member of her team and the crowd heats up tremendously. Saturn pulls her by the hair, but Torrie hits her with a low blow! Shane Douglas gets involved and distracts the ref, allowing Saturn to hit her with a low blow of his own! I'm going to be kinda nice and say this match was average, but anything more than that would be going overboard. (2.5/5)

Before the fans or announcers can even register Saturn's victory, though, we cut to...

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett beats down on Buff Bagwell, who is up next in a match where he'll be putting his career on the line.

Curt Hennig is out first, no longer decked out in his Cowboy gear despite that gimmick getting over. The story leading up to this match is that the Powers That Be have essentially put a hit on Hennig, turning every one of his matches into a Retirement Match by making it that, if he loses by pinfall, he needs to leave WCW. Buff's music plays, but Bagwell doesn't show up. Instead, Jarrett and Creative Control make their way down the aisle and it looks like Hennig will be wrestling Jarrett instead. Buff Bagwell comes out with a 2x4 and cleans house and now the match is ready to start. What's funny about this match is that the commentators keep referring to the losers having to "hang up their boots," which seems like a purposeful choice of words to lead to a future swerve, essentially telegraphing whatever screwy way they deal with the loser of this match. The crowd is fully behind "Perfect," which is unsurprising considering his opponent and how low-regarded Buff Bagwell was (and remains to be). At times, you can tell that Perfect is not loving his dance partner either. Hennig locks in a sleeper and some "Boring" chants start up (as well as some barely noticeable "We Want Bret"s). Its an old-school spot (that they repeat) and one that a natural heel like Hennig usually uses effectively - but in this context, with the crowd solidly behind him, it just seems like a lazy to add minutes to the match. Buff's comeback seems like it was tacked on to a different match as Bagwell doesn't really sell any of the damage or fatigue he endured for most of the contest. Buff's Blockbuster finish startles the crowd who probably expected a more elaborate conclusion, especially considering that this was a Retirement Match featuring one of the biggest stars of the 90s. Again, though, the word "retirement" is never really uttered, though Schiavone does at least note that Hennig's career has come to a "screeching halt" and Heenan calls it a "sad day" for wrestling. Hennig gets a standing ovation, but, again, we cut backstage before the gravity or emotion can really be fully appreciated. (1.5/5)

Bret Hart vs. Sting is next, the winner going on to face Chris Benoit in the finals of the World Championship tournament. Designed to not only cement Bret Hart's facedom, but to help draw some sympathy for the Stinger too, this one reeks of Russo overbooking too as Lex Luger makes a run-in and attacks his best friend Sting but Bret Hart refuses to take the cheap victory around minute 6-7. Also should note, before the match, Heenan notes that Bret feels he's been "jobbed by the promotion" because why not use "insider terms" before a title match? This match is too rushed to be considered even good, a very disappointing bout considering that these two, who given time and the right context, surely should've been able to tear the house down. (1/5)

After a word from Benoit, Lex Luger is shown backstage wearing a neck brace. He explains that because of his neck injury (which was diagnosed and then treated in the last 4 minutes) he will be unable to compete tonight. 

Back to the ring we go for Vampiro (with Jerry Only) vs. Berlyn (with The Wall) in a Chain Match. Before the match can begin, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Oklahoma make their way down the aisle to the familiar sound of the Sooners Fight Song. Oklahoma's commentary immediately distracts from what is happening in the ring and destroys any possible good that occurs in this match. In the ring, Vampiro falls victim to the numbers game, chained to The Wall rather than to Berlyn. For some reason, when the Wall covers Vampiro, the ref makes the count despite this match clearly being supposed to be Berlyn/Vampiro. Berlyn gets jealous of The Wall's dominance and the two argue, The Wall eventually walking out. The Oklahoma commentary is maybe the most annoying, awful, unentertaining commentary I've ever heard in a match. Vampiro, with help from Jerry Only, hits a big suplex and then a Michinoku Driver before using the chain to choke out Berlyn in a camel clutch for the win. This match would've been maybe average without Oklahoma, but his commentary is so bad it brings this one to unwatchable territory. (0/5)

Scott Hall, the United States and TV Champion, is backstage. Hall issues an open challenge to anyone that wants a shot at either of his titles.

Curt Hennig is shown exiting the building while Kimberly is shown entering. She'll face David Flair later. Great.

Lex Luger, in a neck brace, makes his way down the isle with Elizabeth at his side. His opponent tonight is Meng. Lex Luger working like a bumbling, cowardly heel ala Hollywood Hogan is just so odd and kind of shows how little reverence Russo had for any of the characters or history of WCW. I'm a Meng fan and, judging by the signs in the crowd, he was over enough to deserve a spotlight PPV match, but a multi-time World Champion like Luger shouldn't be screaming "Help me!" during this match or probably really any match. Elizabeth tries to use mace to help her man, but after struggling to even get the pepper spray to work, she blasts it into Luger's eyes instead because she has absolutely no aim whatsoever. Luger, no longer wearing the brace, falls prey to the Tongan Death Grip. Another dud of a match. (1/5)

David Flair is seen polishing his crowbar like a pyscho. Since when do people polish their crowbar?

Scott Hall makes his way down the aisle. Still as charismatic as ever, Hall does his usual schtick, but compared to everything we've seen for the past hour, its pure gold. Booker T accepts Hall's challenge as Schiavone explains that this match will be for both of Hall's belts. Booker is fairly over, but Hall is more popular with the live crowd, the Toronto fans popping huge when he throws a toothpick into Booker's face. These two don't have natural chemistry, but the match gets physical enough to cover up its miscues. The crowd doesn't seem to give too much of a shit, though, the audience noticeably turning away from the action at one point (and not even in the direction of the entrance ramp, where Jeff Jarrett comes walking). Again, overbooking spoils what was a decent match and what could've been a big moment for Booker T as, up to this point, while Booker had had some big wins on PPV against the likes of Chris Benoit and others, Scott Hall might'e been the biggest "name" he'd faced yet. The lights go out and when they come back on, Midnight is in the ring. She cleans house and the heels make a run for it. (2/5)

A video is aired hyping the next match. Psychotic David Flair is one of the worst and greatest characters in wrestling history I think. 

Flair makes his way down the aisle, crowbar in hand, for his match with Kimberly. Kimberly tries to distract him with her beauty, for Flair is too psychotic to care. She hits him with a low blow, but he only winces a little and crabs his trusty crowbar. He takes out the ref and looks like he's going to beat her down, but she begs for mercy as the crowd cheers on, hoping they'll get a live sex show. Instead, she pulls out his cup and hits him with a second low blow. This time it registers and she bashes his skull into the mat repeatedly. He tosses her aside and gets her in the corner. Kanyon makes his return (Schiavone notes that he was in Hollywood working on the Ready to Rumble movie coming out this spring) and, shockingly, doesn't turn on Kimberly, taking out Flair with a russian leg sweep. Kanyon checks on Kimberly and, because no match can have too many low blows, gets in the crotch by Flair's crowbar. DDP makes the final save, hitting a Diamond Cutter on David. Arn Anderson comes out to stop the carnage and the Triad exits. Flair gets back up and takes Double A out with the crowbar. There are bits and pieces of this angle that have been almost good, but mostly in that "So Bad Its Good" way. Unfortunately, its not quite bad enough to register as good and its certainly not good enough to register as good either. Its just dumb filler involving characters that either (a) were far more interesting/tolerable when they were allowed to be themselves or (b) have no business being featured in a pro-wrestling show (this would be David Flair and Kimberly). Half-star for David Flair's overacting. (0.5/5)

Sid vs.Goldberg in an "I Quit" Match follows. Goldberg strikes early, but Sid manages to win control in the ring and plants Goldberg into the mat with TWO big chokeslams. He tries to choke him out, but Goldberg locks in an MMA-influenced armbar. A "Goldberg Sucks" chant starts up as he pummels Sid with clubbering blows. Sid sells a damaged arm to garner further sympathy. I'm not sure if this match was designed to get Sid over as a face (the Havoc match certainly seemed so), but what it is effectively doing is putting heat on Goldberg. Goldberg locks in a Kokina Clutch and the match is called - even though Sid never quit. So, yeah, basically the same finish as their Havoc match, only this time with a bucket less blood. Also, while that match exceeded my expectations, this one did the opposite by not delivering on any of the carnage that they had promoted. (0.5/5)

Main event time - Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a showdown in Toronto. Unlike every other match on this card, you get the feeling that Vince Russo's marching orders were to go out and just put on a great wrestling match like they had done a few months prior in their storied Owen Hart dedication match. Dean Malenko makes a brief run-in that draws crickets, the crowd showing only slight interest in the run-in. Back in the ring they go and Hart connects with a piledriver. Two anti-WCW signs are prominently showed - one reading "Wait! This isn't WWF!" and the other "Why Would Anyone Pay For This?" (which is funny, but kinda self-deprecating unless that fan got his tickets for free). Benoit gets some payback a few minutes later as, after some back-and-forth exchanges, the Crippler hits a tombstone piledriver and then nails a flying headbutt for 2. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash arrive and immediately go after Benoit. Goldberg makes a run-in to try to restore some justice but after nailing Nash with a spear, Hall hits him with a chairshot. Hart is back up and he hits Hall with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Well, maybe they weren't told to just go out their and have a good match. Trash starts to fill the ring as Hart takes out Hall on the outside of the ring. Inside the ring, Goldberg is on his feet but the referee is still out cold. A new referee comes in and the match goes on despite all the shenanigans. At the entrance ramp, Goldberg and the Outsiders get pulled apart by staff. Back in the ring, Benoit and Hart try to win back the crowd's attention, but backstage the brawling continues. Its almost a perfect metaphor for this entire show - a good wrestling match struggling to happen through a myriad of pointless, overbooked distractions. As Benoit locks in a figure four, Schiavone reminds fans that both men are fighting their second match of the night, which is a necessary reminder because so much bullshit has happened between the start of this show and the main event that the "ironman" element has been completely lost (it also doesn't help that Benoit/Jarrett opened in what feels like eons ago and Sting/Hart was a brief dud). Both men are back on their feet and Hart hits his patented russian leg sweep for 2. Had this match just been allowed to breathe, it'd probably be remembered as one of Hart's best outings in WCW as the last third is pretty great. Benoit hits a pair of big suplexes (the first one planting Hart into the mat with nasty force) and then tries to lock in the Crossface, but Hart wrestles out and locks in the Sharpshooter to a huge ovation. The last 60 seconds of this match are probably the best 60 seconds of wrestling that WCW aired in months. The Hart Family enter the ring to celebrate with Bret, who hugs Benoit in the center of the ring. Heenan calls this "maybe the best match I've seen in my whole career," which is ridiculous. (2/5)


With a piss-poor Kwang Score of 1.25-out-of-5, WCW's first ever Mayhem PPV ranks as one of the worst wrestling shows I've ever seen. Score-wise, only Bash at the Beach 99' performed worse. This show fails in every way possible, from overbooked clusterfuck matches to bad comedy to overwrought "drama" that gets turned on by the fans because of how unbelievable and corny it is (i.e Arn Anderson leaving the ring on a gurney). Going into this show, it looked like it could've been actually a little bit of fun - Benoit/Hart, Sting/Hart, and Benoit/Jarrett as your three tournament matches? Sid/Goldberg in an "I Quit" Match? A Scott Hall Open Challenge? Even Knobbs and Smiley, in the right hands, could've been booked to be entertaining. Instead, every single match under-delivers and, in multiple cases, actively take the wind out of the crowd (for example, while Hall is more over than Booker T at the start of their match, giving him the "Warrior Treatment" probably would've popped the crowd and helped heraldin the idea of WCW seriously pushing their younger talent). On paper, this show promised variety, but in execution, we got nonsense interference in nearly every contest, making this entire show feel like a bad episode of Nitro. Total garbage that's impossible to recommend.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyvile