WCW Slamboree 2000

The last show I reviewed, the abysmal and often baffling Spring Stampede 2000, needed a good 4-5 paragraph introduction to explain what had happened between that show and the previous WCW pay-per-view. This one also needs some backstory as it's essential to know that 12 days before Slamboree 2000, on an episode of WCW Thunder, Scream star David Arquette won the WCW World Title in a tag team match. 

Again: David Arquette won the biggest prize a singles wrestler could ever earn in a tag team match.

The idea was that Arquette winning the title would not only be the kind of shocker that would demand viewers' attention, but that it would also help generate buzz for the WCW-produced film, Ready to Rumble (which starred Arquette, Oliver Platt, Joe Pantoliano, Martin Landau, and Rose McGowan - the oddest assemblage of B-movie talent in any film ever). 

The dumbest thing about this, aside from the script itself, was that WCW couldn't even get the promotion of their $24-million garbage film right either. 

Ready to Rumble was released on Friday, April 7th, 2000, and earned just a little over $5 million at the box office (good enough to make it the number six movie of the weekend), so nonsense described above happened THREE FULL WEEKS after wrestling fans made it clear they weren't interested in a wrestling-based buddy flick that mostly just made fun of wrestling fans.

In an act of desperation and stupidity, WCW doubled-down on their costly foray into film-making and opted to build the main event of Slamboree (held a full MONTH after the movie tanked at the box office) around the flop's leading man as well as its key set piece, a triple-cage structure that, unsurprisingly, was never seen again after 2000. Anyway, on with the show...

WCW Slamboree 2000

Kansas City, MO - May 2000

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, David Arquette is the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, the United States Championship is held by Scott Steiner, the WCW Television Championship no longer exists, and the WCW Hardcore Champion is Terry Funk. Chris Candido holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Titles are held by Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden, and Scott Hudson

The show kicks off the way many of the best WCW pay-per-views of the 90s began - with two cruiserweights in action in a "workrate" match sure to please fans eager for some exciting fast-paced action. This time around its Chris Candido defending his Cruiserweight Championship against The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Iaukea. Candido takes a handful of really dangerous spills in this match, really putting his body on the line and winning over the crowd with his efforts (there's a loud "You Suck!" chant when Iaukea takes control midway through the match, though, on second thought, that chant could've been for Candido's valet, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch). Iaukea is maybe my least favorite cruiserweights ever, a guy that was not great at any one thing, but also not really good at any one thing either. If one were ranking the cruiserweights that appeared in WCW between 96' and 2000, he would objectively have to rank somewhere in the late 20s, right? Maybe even late 30s? Just like at Spring Stampede, the finish is bizarre. Sunny hits Iaukea with a nasty, nasty chair shot (I'm guessing because she probably wasn't really trained in delivering them remotely safely) and Candido makes the cover and the bell is rung...but according to the ref, Iaukea kicked out at 2.99 (I must've blinked and missed it) and the match continues, even after Candido's music has begun playing. "Hard Knocks" Chris Candido then hits a piledriver and a splash off the top rope to officially defeat Iaukea. Was this a miscue or just a bizarre Russo-ism? I genuinely don't know. After the match, Paisley gets revenge for her man and eventually she and Artist strip Sytch down to her shapewear, which is much, much less "sexy" or "risque" than the usual lingerie that is revealed in these sorts of toxic segments. The wrestling in this match wasn't bad, largely due to Candido, but the finish and post-match was awkward. Still, arguably better than anything at Spring Stampede. (2/5)

The WCW Hardcore Championship is up for grabs next with Terry Funk defending the gold against Norman Smiley and a Mystery Partner. This is a sequel to their Spring Stampede match but is much less safe and features a completely impotent "mystery partner" who hits Funk with all sorts of weapon that have no effect on the old man. At one point, Funk starts tossing chairs high into the air and some of them look like they connect right to the Mystery Man's face (which is, fortunately for him, covered in a catcher's mask). Funk dishes out and takes several unprotected chair shots, but because this match is being treated like a joke on commentary and because both Funk and Smiley are essentially comedy characters, the gravity of two guys hitting each other with actual steel chairs straight to the dome isn't appreciated at all. In ECW, under Heyman's watch and Joey Style's commentary, one could see this match as a seriously violent war, but here, its like you can hear the faint sound of circus music beneath it all. Eventually they find their way out from the backstage area and end up in the ring, where the cartoonish ultra-violence continues and the Mystery Man is revealed to be Ralphus, who looks like he could die at any minute. Its hard to say whether this match is better or worse than their Spring Stampede bout, but at least this one doesn't end with a Dustin Rhodes run-in so I'm going to call that a plus. There is no sense in producing hardcore matches this dangerous and not treating them as dangerous. Even in 2000, when I was a teenager, I think I would've found this unenjoyable to watch because there's really no story beyond two guys hitting eachother with weapons while the commentators make bad jokes. At least in the WWE, where the hardcore division's matches were often built around far less dangerous weaponry (tin foil trash cans, phony fire extinguishers) and silly costumes/backdrops, no one was taking years off their career. Here, though, the risk-taking is needless and put on screen as fodder for Mark Madden's punchlines. Kudos to Smiley and Funk (and Ralphus) for putting themselves through this. Too bad the production around it is insulting. (2/5)

David Arquette shares some thoughts with "Mean" Gene Okerlund as he makes his way into the building. Arquette arrives alone, hinting at some friction with DDP. Arquette notes that Page doesn't think he's a "sports-entertainer." Ugh, why? 

Shawn "The Perfect One" Stasiak makes his way down the aisle to the familiar sound of Mr. Perfect's old theme song (or a slight variation of it) for a match against Curt Hennig. This is a surprisingly tight match, in large part due to Hennig still being able to go and also knowing how to build a match around small details. Less surprising than Hennig's performance is how much the crowd is into the match, the first of the night not to feature any absurd shenanigans. Its almost like WCW fans, as late as 2000, still just wanted to see two guys have a wrestling match on a wrestling show. Stasiak ends up getting the clean victory, which was the right call in the sense that it got a younger, fresher talent over. On the other hand, Curt Hennig was both somewhat of a "name," had the audience behind him, and could still perform better than 90% of the rest of the roster, so him losing to a guy stealing his gimmick is risky if Stasiak ends up undeserving of such a push. This might be the best match WCW put on PPV in well over 2 months. (2.5/5)

Less impressive is the next contest, which begans with Hugh Morrus cutting a cringe-inducing promo whereby he states he will no longer be called "Hugh Morrus," a name designed to embarrass him, and will now go by "Hugh G. Rection." Even now, 18 years later, you can hear the echo of an entire viewing audience collectively groan. Rection is challenging Scott Steiner for his United States Champion, who comes out to a huge pop despite being the heel. These two have negative chemistry and there are multiple instances when someone looks like they met get legitimately hurt by a botched powerbomb or an errant moonsault. It is just an ugly, ugly match from beginning to end and Rection looks particularly dumb falling for some of the weakest heel schtick ever. I can understand people being Steiner fans based on his insane promos, but his in-ring work is lazy and sloppy in equal parts. Stinker. (0.5/5)

Next up - Mike Awesome taking on Kanyon. Like his debut bouts at the previous month's Spring Stampede show, Awesome gets ample opportunity to showcase his impressive offense here, hitting a huge splash onto the arena floor at one point and, later on, an absolutely sick Alabama Slam. He also nearly cripples Kanyon with a very slipshod powerbomb, but somehow the former Triad member fights on. Kanyon, no slouch in the ring either, gets great responses for his hope spots, including an excellent hangman neckbreaker in the corner. Awesome starts to tease that he is going to powerbomb Kanyon onto the bare arena floor and because Kanyon has been getting destroyed for the most part and this is a Russo-written show, I felt genuine suspense/worry over whether or not he was going to actually take what would've been a guaranteed concussion-causer (if not a career ender). Before Awesome can hit the move, though, the Wolfpack theme hits and Kevin Nash shows up. This brings the rest of the New Blood out, as well as Flair, and the match gets thrown out. Not a bad match and I'm not sure what the point of the anti-finish was. Sure, Kanyon was an above-average worker and had some potential...but he'd been in WCW for what? 3-4 years now? Mike Awesome was the fresh man, dominated the match, and should've gotten the pin. Then, in the post-match, to garner even more sympathy for Kanyon, we can get the powerbomb-on-the-concrete teases and the Nash run-in. (2/5)

Vince Russo pops up again, as annoying as ever, barking order at Miss Elizabeth as her main squeeze, Lex Luger takes on Buff Bagwell. I feel like I could write a college thesis about Bagwell's output and how he could've been a huge star had anyone in WCW, at any point in time, actually worked with him and taught him even a modicum of psychology. As is, Bagwell is probably underrated as an all-arounder, but he really could've been something if he'd been properly coached - not unlike his opponent, a guy who has had plenty of really good matches but always and *only* when paired up against a really good wrestler. Bagwell  had mastered getting heat just by preening - and he does it just fine here - but by always resorting to this same tired schtick, his matches never feel meaningful or important. This was a much bigger issue during his awful babyface run, where his cocksure strutting made it impossible for most fans to ever get behind him as a relatable hero, but even as the villain it had become pretty tiresome by this point. It doesn't help that Luger, who we're supposed to cheer, does a silly, straight-faced posedown before the match himself - a holdover from when he was the arrogant prima donna that the crowd was supposed to hate. Luger is saved by a small contingent of male audience members that will cheer for him just because he's an "old school WCW guy" so the match isn't DOA, but the lazy, pedestrian action doesn't win anyone over as it goes on either. Eventually Miss Elizabeth escapes Vince Russo by striking him with a bat (if only she'd clubbed him in the mouth and shut him up) and runs down the aisle, interfering on behalf of Lex. I was actually surprised she didn't turn heel just because, by this point, not turning on your longtime partner/client/teammate/husband was the swerve. Luger gets the win with the Torture Rack because "DQ rules are still lax" from Spring Stampede, I guess. Chuck Palumbo shows up in the post-match sporting Lex Luger's tights and proceeds to beat down The Total Package with help from Bagwell. Great - they're going to run the exact same storyline pretty much only with Chuck friggin' Palumbo in the Buff role. The audience doesn't react at all because they have no clue who Palumbo is. (1.5/5)

Shane Douglas vs. Ric Flair is our next match. This match, like so many other angles going on in WCW around this time, was built on "real life heat" between Douglas and Flair dating back to Douglas' first run in WCW in the early 90s. To this day, Douglas and Flair and many on the internet like to talk about how this blow-off should've been "huge," but the fact is, workrate wise, Douglas' ECW run was more comparable to Triple H's style than, say, the revolutionary high-spots that Sabu did or the must-see go-go-go technicality of Angle and Benoit. Douglas, at his ECW peak, was an excellent promo and a very dependable performer, no doubt, but in 2000, this approach didn't pack much of a "wow" factor. It also didn't help that to a majority of WCW fans, the Douglas/Flair beef, no matter how much the commentators tried to build it up, was still a feud built around a really, really over guy (Flair) and a relative newcomer with few WCW accomplishments of note. To add some diarrhea sauce to this shit sandwich, Vince Russo believed that having Flair wrestle in dress clothes was a good idea. This minute detail shouldn't be a huge problem, but its kinda like that time the Ultimate Warrior showed up on RAW in a baseball cap and ponytail. Ric Flair, the consummate pro-wrestler, had been wrestling in trunks and boots for close to 30 years and that's the Ric Flair that should be showing up to this "dream match." Anyway, this is mostly just a brawl with both guys jettisoning anything resembling technical wrestling and trading fists and, in Flair's case, plenty of low blows. I'd like to believe that these two could've had a much better match, but this really might've been as good as they were capable of being. Flair and Douglas have obvious energy and the willingness to work nice and stiff, but this match desperately needed an agent that knew how to build suspense by playing to their strengths, the inherent story of the young lion challenging the old, and a healthy dose of smoke-and-mirrors - something that we would eventually get with Flair when he returned to the WWE (most notably in high profile matches against Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker). Around the 8 minute mark, Buff Bagwell shows up as does a man in a Sting mask who the commentators are 1000% sure is Vince Russo. The masked man nails Flair with the bat and Douglas gets the win (and also gets in some additional shots with the chain he'd pulled out of his trunks). Luger shows up to even the sides as Ric Flair basically "no sells" getting hit by a chain and a baseball bat and demands Russo comes out to face him anyway (the stipulation was that Flair would get 5 minutes alone with him if he beat Douglas). Melee ensues and Russo shows up, taking out Luger with a bat, and making it clear that Vince Russo is not the Masked Man (who attacks Flair again). Its a total clusterfuck of an angle as it is eventually revealed that the Masked Man is none other than David Flair. In case one was wondering if Vince Russo had ever really watched WCW before coming into the company, this is a pretty clear indication that the answer was "No." Not only was this a pretty blatant repeat of the last time David Flair turned on his father, but it also involved maybe the least talented "worker" on the roster, guaranteeing that the upcoming pay-offs would be absolutely terrible. Eventually Kevin Nash shows up to save Flair, but he himself is taken out by David Flair's psycho girlfriend Daffney. And that's basically it - Vince Russo, David Flair, and Daffney beat down Kevin Nash and Ric Flair, but all the pain is really felt by the audience back then and anyone dumb enough to watch this now (like me). (1/5)


Fortunately, Sting is up next, the only main eventer on the roster that was still even trying to have good matches. His opponent is Vampiro, who, despite being notoriously sloppy, could actually be pretty entertaining at times. Right from the start, Sting is throwing haymakers and bringing lots of fire to this match, Vampiro bumping and selling with equal spirit. These two came to steal the show and while doing so wouldn't be difficult, its still worth a tip of the hat for the effort. Unfortunately, what was probably a "looks good on paper" idea ends up hurting the match as a lead pipe is introduced and, like Triple H's famous sledgehammer, both guys proceed to use it like two guys who have never held or seen anyone use a lead pipe in their lives. At one point they end up on the top rope and Vampire attempts a hurricanrana, but Sting lifts him up into a powerbomb position and - more or less - well, maybe just less - "powerbombs" him into the middle of the ring. Again, this seems like an idea that was pitched to Sting, but just is so out of his wheelhouse that it doesn't look like he's really comfortable delivering it (dropping to both knees before bringing Vampiro to the mat). Sting then finishes him with some Stinger Splashes and his trademark reverse DDT in under 7 minutes. This match started out really strong, but then cooled off around minute 4. Too bad. (2/5)

In another major grudge match built up over the previous few weeks of TV, Hulk Hogan took on Billy Kidman in a match with Eric Bischoff serving as the guest referee. As anyone might've predicted, this match is all about watching Hogan toss Kidman around, though the former Flock member does at least get a little bit of offense in at various points. Like Sting/Vampiro and even Douglas/Flair, you can't necessarily call out Hogan or Kidman for not trying to have an entertaining bout. Kidman bumps his ass off and Hogan brings the fire, tossing the cruiserweight around with hiptosses and delivering (and receiving) some harsh belt shots too. There are fun moments when Hogan, who clearly has the match won, gets into Bischoff's face for not making the count. Chairs and tables are introduced and Hogan's anger and frustration registers. This was built-up to be a one-sided beatdown and, for most of its duration, that is exactly what it is. One can criticize the booking of this feud, sure, but the pay-off was always going to be Hogan destroying the pesky heel and the cowardly Bischoff and this match delivers it in entertaining-enough fashion. My biggest annoyance is with the runtime as there are noticeable gaps towards the end when Hogan fumbles around with the tables and Kidman and Bischoff just kind of writhe around while the commentators stretch for time. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Diamond Dallas Page vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. David Arquette in a Triple Cage Match for Arquette's World Championship. Before the match, a comprehensive video package goes through the events that led us here and then its time for the introductions. Arquette comes out wearing the uncoolest gear I've ever seen. I believe this was a tie-in to Ready to Rumble, but he looks so outrageously goofy that it has the effect of making the historically dumb movie (which I don't think I've seen in at least 15 years) seem even dumber. As one would expect, the majority of this match is just a Page and Jarrett brawl and because they're both aware at how much this entire angle didn't get over, they put forth a really strong effort to help people forget Arquette's involvement and focus on them. To that end, Jarrett blades early and Page gets color too later on. There are a handful of genuinely cool, exciting moments - Jarrett and Page crashing through the wall of the second age and nearly toppling into the crowd 15 feet below, a cool table spot in the second cage, and, during the post-match, one of the most crazy bumps of that year as Mike Awesome tosses Kanyon (who both show up in this match because I'm guessing Jarrett and Page had no interest in being involved such a stunt) off the 2nd level of the cage through the entrance ramp. David Arquette's heel turn doesn't make much sense, but its not as bad as Kimberly turning on him the previous month (which made even less sense). At least in this situation, one could point to DDP constantly treating Arquette like his "little buddy," though, even if that was the reason for the turn, wouldn't it have made more sense for Arquette to just want the title for himself? He had ample to win it, too, but decided instead to give it to Jarrett just to screw over DDP? Was that the angle? Whatever the plan was, it was a net negative for WCW, whose ratings continued to drop after the angle and it further discredited Jeff Jarrett, a guy who had a considerable legitimacy issue that, I'd argue, dogged him even when he was the "King of the Mountain" in TNA (in fact, he had even less credibility there as he was widely known to be the part-owner of the company). This is too interesting of a match to be considered just "average," but its not good enough to be considered worth watching either. (3/5)


Earning a Kwang Score of 1.70-out-of-5, Slamboree 2000 is an improvement compared to the last two WCW pay-per-views, but those shows were historically bad, especially the clusterfuck-filled Spring Stampede show that saw Russo and Bischoff attempt to reset the entire company. With that reset accomplished, Slamboree was essentially the first real show of the "new WCW" and while there are some bright spots on this show - Mike Awesome was fresh, Chris Candido had the potential to be a decent cornerstone for a new wrestling-centric Cruiser division, Scott Steiner was getting over, Kevin Nash was surprisingly still over, Sting could still go -  there are far more negatives, specifically Russo and Bischoff inserting themselves into nearly angle, the David Arquette fuckery that killed their World Title's credibility, a midcarder in Jeff Jarrett being positioned as a top level heel when he'd never earned that spot, and maybe the worst color commentator of all time, Mark Madden, bleating and blabbing all over the show. 

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WWE Money In The Bank 2018

WWE Money In The Bank 2018

Chicago, IL - June 2018

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Universal Champion, while AJ Styles holds the WWE World Championship. The Intercontinental Champion is Seth Rollins, while the United States Champion is Jeff Hardy. The SmackDown Tag Team Championships are held by The Bludgeon Brothers, while the RAW Tag Team Champions are Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt. On the female side of things, the RAW Women's Champion is Nia Jax and the SmackDown Women's Title is held by Carmella. Oh, and there's a Cruiserweight Champion named Cedric Alexander that I don't think has defended the title in a legitimate PPV spot ever.

COMMENTATORS: Cole, Coach (RAW), Saxton, Phillips (SmackDown), Graves (all)


The show began with Daniel Bryan taking on rival, Big Cass. As anyone could've predicted, Bryan got a huge reaction from the fans. Bryan took an awesome bump into the barricade early which Big Cass followed with a bunch of rudimentary offense. Just like at Backlash, Cass's gloating was limited to sticking his fist in the air like Diesel used to do - but at least this time he paired it with a look of glee. Cass not constantly trying to dominate, not adding more insult to injury at times, not showing any urgency was a bit weird considering that this was the tack that cost him the victory last month. Cass' gloating ended up allowing Bryan to go on a rally that culminated with an excellent splash from the top rope onto the arena floor - the kind of move that probably isn't great on the knees, but is much less risky (in terms of concussions and neck injuries) than the flying headbutts he used to deliver. Back to the top rope Bryan went, but Cass was able to regain momentum here, hitting a fallaway slam that threw Bryan three-quarters across the ring (as the crowd chanted "Big Cass Sucks!" and "Asshole"). Minutes later, Bryan went after Cass' knee with vengeance and then stunned the big man with a series of Yes Kicks, only to get cut off by a massive Big Boot from Cass that looked like it could've ended the match. As Cass wondered how Bryan had survived the hit, the big man paced around the ring and prepared to launch Bryan out of the ring. Bryan escaped, though, and hit his Flying Knee before locking in the heel hook in the middle of the ring. Cass tapped again, Bryan getting another clean victory over the 7 footer. An improvement from Backlash and a hot opener. (3/5)

Backstage, Kevin Owens delivered a heaping mountain of pancakes to the New Day. He tries to convince New Day to help him take out Strowman, but New Day refused to agree to cheating and was sent packing. 

Back in the ring, Sami Zayn came out to a fairly big pop (despite being the heel) for his match against Bobby Lashley. I haven't watched RAW for months now, but from what I hear, the Zayn/Lashley segments have been heavy on comedy and somewhat questionable in terms of whether they're effectively building Lashley as a main event-level player. Zayn controlled early, outsmarting his bigger/stronger opponent before the former Impact Wrestling Champion was able to mount a comeback, catching Zayn off the ropes and tossing him almost effortlessly with a fallaway slam (lots of those tonight, btw). Lashley's offense is impressive, no doubt, and Zayn is great as the whiny jerk, but Bobby could use a more definitive, exciting game-ender than a vertical suplex (and Zayn should be able to withstand a bit more punishment). The crowd seemed generally indifferent to this whole match, but as it didn't overstay its welcome, it wasn't too bad. (2/5)

After some commercials we got a promo from Elias, the would-be balladeer getting a warm reception from the crowd to the point that even after he insulted them, they chanted "We Are Scumbags" in agreement. His opponent, Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins, got an even bigger response, in no small part because of the roll of strong matches he's had over the past few months on RAW (according to what I hear). Rollins controlled early, landing a springboard clothesline and then a series of shots in the corner. Elias was able to cut him off with a clothesline on the apron, though, and went to work on Rollins' neck. Elias' control segment wasn't fancy, but it was effective enough. Rollins fought back, hitting his trademark suicide dive to the outside and then a blockbuster back in the ring. Rollins springboarded off the ropes at one point and tweaked his knee allowing Elias to hit an Ed Leslie Classic (the High Knee) right into the Architect's face for 2. Despite the injury, Rollins recovered and was even able to attempt a frog splash (that Elias countered by raising his knees). Elias then went to the top himself as the commentators pointed out how uncharacteristic that was - basically telegraphing that Elias was essentially just setting himself up for the superplex-into-a-falcon arrow. Coach and Graves questioned whether Rollins had been playing possum all along, a thought I had the very first moment he "tweaked" his knee and sold it to the nosebleed sections. Rollins attempted a suicide dive, but Elias countered it by sending Rollins into the wall. At this point, Elias turned the dial strung together his offense with serious urgency. A "This is Awesome" chant started up and though I don't think it was deserved, Elias' ability to hit that "second gear" certainly raised the suspense level. The finishing sequence came as Rollins and Elias attempted to take each other out with some fast pins (ultimately ending with Rollins pulling Elias' tights to snag the W). Rollins' willingness to bend the rules to hold onto the title is an interesting touch that you don't typically see in a babyface and the end also leaves things open regarding Elias. This finish made him a somewhat sympathetic character, but not so much that it could ever be mistaken for turning him face. Fun match, but not an all-time classic or anything. (3/5)

Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Ember Moon, Lana, Natalya, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss then competed in the second ever Womens' Money In The Bank match. There were lots of hits and just a few misses in this one as the match featured plenty of impressive spots but also suffered from the usual (maddening) stretches where various participants were basically "sleeping" at ringside to allow other workers to "get their shit in." Highlights included Ember Moon hitting a cross body on Banks into a ladder, Naomi taking a split-legged bump onto a ladder, and Sasha hitting double knees on a stack of Lana, Ember, and a ladder. There were some telegraphed moments and at least one clumsier-than-expected sequence (the Sasha/Charlotte/Becky stretch failed to recapture the awesomeness of their show-stealing WrestleMania 32 match), but there were also some wonderful non-ladder-related bits (Lana applying The Accolade as the crowd chanted "Lana Day!" and Becky Lynch purposefully not hitting the Becksploder on Flair into a ladder in a subtle show of restraint and respect for their friendship that might've also cost her a victory). Alexa Bliss didn't necessarily shine, but she might've been the most over talent in the match anyway (despite being the sole heel), and her win got a huge reaction from the crowd. Very fun match, but not necessarily one I'd call truly "must see." (3/5)

After a quick backstage segment involving GMs Angle and Paige (and Baron Corbin), it was time for Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal, a match most expected would get heavily booed. In this case, most were right too as the crowd chanted "CM Punk," "Boring," "Rusev Day," and "This Is Awful" as Reigns and Mahal put on a slow-paced match that featured multiple chinlocks and very little in terms of exciting sequences or innovation. To make matters worse, the match was unnecessarily long, further irritating the crowd to the point that there was a loud "End This Match" chant about two-thirds of the way through. If the WWE somehow thought that Jinder would get cheered over Reigns by the snarky Chicago crowd (which was, at times, it seemed like the commentators were trying to get over), they really overrate his skills because at no point did he win over anyone in the live (or likely home) audience. Someone wrote that this match might've seemed okay on mute, that the audience's derisive chants made it seem worse than it was, but the Chicago fans didn't get it wrong. This was a plodding, uninteresting slog of a match that went too long and felt "beneath" Reigns at this point as Mahal, no matter how hard they've tried, still doesn't look or perform the part of an engaging, top level star. Point awarded for the entertainment value of hearing 20,000 people actively shit on a match. (1/5)

The SmackDown Women's Championship followed, Carmella defending the title against Asuka. These two had their work cut out for them having to perform in front of a crowd that was more than a bit irritated by the previous match. Unfortunately, whoever laid this one out seemed to actively want to antagonize the audience further as Carmella controlled more than 70% of it. Asuka can bump and sell expertly, but nobody ever wanted to see The Ultimate Warrior wrestle like Terry Taylor and Asuka not being able to dismantle the much less experienced Carmella went against everything that had made Asuka one of the company's brightest new talents of the past couple years. That being said, Carmella has obviously improved and, storyline-wise, it makes some sense that Carmella would last longer now than she would've 12 months ago, but there's a difference between Carmella putting up a strong effort and uncharacteristic dominance and, at times, Carmella was doing the latter when the former would've made more sense. On the positive side, the finish was stupendous and well-executed and a genuine surprise that worked extra well in Chicago (where at least a portion of the crowd might've been wondering if the person under the mask could've been recent rumored signee Io Shirai). (2.5/5)

Nakamura challenged AJ Styles in a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship next. This was a high stakes match in more ways than one as the critics have been somewhat split on Nakamura's WWE run so far. The match started out a touch "slow," but everything Styles and Nakamura threw at each other was impactful. Unlike the previous night's Chicago Street Fight, Nak and AJ built this one around signature strikes - Nakamura's lethal kicks and knees and AJ's Phenomenal Forearm - rather than weaponry, and while the crowd was respectful, I'm sure at least some were disappointed. Over the course of this match, the approach proved to be a wise one as the tension and suspense grew gradually to the point that relatively "regular" moves ad sequences took on extra weight as the battle became one of attrition and endurance rather than video game violence. Now, that's not to say there weren't a handful of really cool, risky moments (including a Styles Clash off the steel steps onto the floor), but Styles and Nak spent considerable time getting there by raising the level of carnage incrementally over the course of 30 minutes rather than putting the pedal to the metal from minute one the way Gargano and Ciampa did. By the end, the crowd was fully invested in the match, even if some at home might've been unimpressed with a match that relied so heavily on (and was really built around) character-driven storytelling rather than merciless use of weapons and furniture destruction. (3.5/5)

Ronda Rousey had her very first singles match ever, challenging Nia Jax for the RAW Womens' Championship next. At WrestleMania, Rousey proved that she could hold her own in a highly choreographed match on a big stage - but there was still ample reason to question how good she'd look just a few short months later in a 1-on-1 contest against the relatively unpolished Jax. I wrote in April that I thought it'd be best to position Rousey against Mickie James, arguing that she would need to be paired up with a "pro's pro" in order to prevent her inexperience from being exposed. Thankfully, I was wrong. In her very first singles match, Rousey bumped and sold with such spirit that it was impossible not to be impressed or root for her (there were some that expected she'd be booed by at least 50% of the crowd as they might've favored the "real wrestler" Jax over the "celebrity signing"). That shouldn't be a worry now either as Rousey, whose only mistake in the entire match might have been the dopey smile she sported during her entrance, is clearly in the WWE to do work and have quality matches. Jax, meanwhile, was noticeably sharper here than ever before. As others have noted, if this match was rehearsed (and it likely was, multiple times), the word "rehearsed" needs to stop being a dirty word when the resulting product is a match this entertaining. One's view of the finish will waver depending on your opinion of Alexa Bliss, who cashed in the briefcase she won earlier in the night to become the new RAW Women's Champion. As an avowed Bliss supporter (prior to tonight, she'd earned an average match rating of 2.76 across 17 bouts and has been on a recent tear), I don't mind that the company has booked her so strongly since joining the main roster. Is it "fair" to Sasha Banks or Bayley or Ruby Riot? That argument would hold greater merit if Bliss wasn't getting solid reactions, excelling in her promos, and delivering in the ring with such consistency. Is she the best worker in the company? Far from it - but this isn't a Jinder Mahal situation, no matter how much her detractors would like to paint her as "just a look." For some, the finish will prevent this from being a Match of the Year candidate, but I'm fairly confident that this will end up on my yearly Top 10 list. (4/5)

Main event time - Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Rusev vs. Bobby Roode vs. The Miz vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens vs. Kofi Kingston in an 8-man Money In The Bank ladder match for a chance to challenge either Brock Lesnar (the reigning Universal Champion) or AJ Styles (the WWE Champion) in an impromptu match. The first stretch of this match was (somewhat predictably) built around seven guys trying to take out Braun Strowman, eventually dragging him all the way to the stage area and burying him under a mountain of ladders. Back in the ring, this bout offered the same thrills and spills as the women's before it, though the level of violence was noticeably higher and the pace a touch quicker too. There were several highlights, including Rusev hitting a fallaway slam on Owens into a ladder, Kofi hitting a stage dive on 5 guys only for Balor to launch himself  atop them all with a cannonball splash immediately after, and an absolutely insane Kevin Owens bump from atop the mega ladder through a table in the stage area. The Owens bump should put him out of action, in kayfabe, for a number of weeks but because this is the WWE in 2018, he'll probably wrestle on RAW before I even post this. Braun Strowman emerging from under a pile of ladders and preventing Finn Balor from dragging another one towards the ring was an awesome visual as was the aforementioned Owens fall and The Miz's reaction as Braun set his sights on him in the ring. While Strowman dominated at multiple times, I was pleased to see Samoa Joe consistently positioned as capable of fending him off and, with the help of others, incapacitating him at times too. When Strowman wasn't the center of the match, we did get some other fun spots, including a Triple Accolade by Rusev and Balor hitting a Coup De Gras onto Bobby Roode from an insanely high ladder on the outside of the ring. Speaking of Roode, he was in the match. The finish followed soon after and featured one final hope spot from Kofi Kingston, who got a rather promising pop when it was revealed he would be representing New Day. I expected Big E to get the nod (and maybe even to win the thing), but Kofi was due for a spotlight singles appearance and the Chicago crowd lent their support. This match wasn't quite good enough to be considered the Match of the Night, let alone the Match of the Weekend, but it was still a very enjoyable, entertaining contest and while Braun didn't necessarily need the win, like Alexa Bliss, there's nothing wrong with booking a talent this popular consistently strong. (3.5/5)


With a Kwang Score of 2.83-out-of-5, the 2018 edition of the Money In The Bank PPV was an improvement from last year's show and, in terms of overall score, is the highest rated non-"Big 4" show since the surprisingly excellent Great Balls of Fire! show from right around this time last year. Despite its lengthy run time, the WWE did a good job of keeping the show moving, each match offering something slightly different - a tough thing to do when you've got two multi-person ladder matches, a Last Man Standing bout only 24 hours after a Chicago Street Fight, and nary a tag team match in sight. The Lashley/Zayn, Rollins/Elias, and Reigns/Mahal matches all felt like skippable TV bouts (is it a coincidence they were also all from the RAW brand?), but only one was outright offensive (the 5-minutes too long snoozer between The Big Dog and The Modern Day Maharaja). On the flipside, the matches that truly needed to deliver - Rousey/Nia, the ladder matches, and Nak/AJ - all did, with Bryan also carrying Cass to an exciting opener too. In terms of the booking, everything made sense and the right person won most every match...though seeing Asuka become "just another wrestler" is a tough pill to swallow after her remarkable run in NXT and respectable first few months on the main roster.

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

NXT Takeover: Chicago II

NXT Takeover: Chicago II

Chicago, IL - June 2018

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the NXT Champion is Aleister Black, the NXT North American Champion is Adam Cole, and the NXT Women's Champion is Shayna Baszler. The NXT Tag Team Titles are held by The Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong (subbing for Bobby Fish). 

COMMENTATORS: Percy Watson, Vic Joseph, and Nigel McGuinness



NXT Takeover: Chicago II begins with a video hyping tonight's multiple title matches and highly-anticipated grudge match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. This is the NXT "PPV" debut of Vic Joseph, who does commentary for 205 Live (a show I don't watch). I'm excited to hear what this guy can do...

The Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against Oney Lorcan (former indie fave Biff Busick) and Danny Burch. The crowd was firmly behind the UE early, chanting for the stable as a unit but then also both Roddy and O'Reilly singularly. Burch and Lorcan are a bit colorless, both guys essentially playing "no nonsense toughmen" but this sort of act has been done before and better and not that long ago (see The Revival or even, to a lesser degree, Sheamus and Cesaro [who at least had some personality to make them interesting]). The action was hard-hitting throughout and I really enjoy the unique striking of O'Reilly. Strong might be even better in terms of his execution, even if not quite as innovative. Lorcan's lariats and uppercuts looked like they could knock you to next week, but what surpised me more was his delivery of a rope-assisted somersault splash to the outside (and, later, an excellent bump he took on the ring apron off the top rope). Burch worked hard too and got to showcase his toughness, eating a ton of offense from the UE but never fully dying. Lorcan hit a double-Blockbuster on the outside that drew a "holy shit" chant and it looked like they might win the title, but Adam Cole made the save (before getting sent to the back by the referee). O'Reilly locked in a guillotine soon after, but Lorcan wouldn't quit and countered it into a suplex. There was an insane double submission spot that O'Reilly escaped by, while in a crossface, stomping Lorcan in the face until he released Roderick Strong from a single crab. The fighting continued as the crowd chanted, "NXT!," this match finally coming to a finish after O'Reilly and Strong hit Lorcan with a barrage of headshots and their Total Elimination-esque finish. The Chicago crowd treated the UE like they were babyfaces, but they didn't do anything faceish. Meanwhile, Lorcan and Burch played it straight down the middle. From a technical/workrate perspective, this match was really good - and the crowd responded to the big spots - but I thought it was missing the emotional, character-based anchors that made the Revival/#DIY/AOP matches legit all-time classics. (3.5/5)

The Velveteen Dream came out next, decked out in some Hulk Hogan-inspired gear, for his match against Ricochet. The Dream's outfit and mannerisms during his entrance were a bit bizarre - on one hand, they were crowd-pleasing and entertaining and fun, but on the other hand, it seems a bit early for The Dream to be mixing-and-matching his own persona with a tongue-in-cheek version of another iconic character, like we still need to see more of  what The Velveteen Dream is itself before we need to see a mash-up. It just seemed random and, considering how over both guys were with the live crowd, a wholly unnecessary distraction. The Velveteen Dream's in-ring facial expressions might be as good as anyone else on the roster and has helped make every one of his Takeover matches seem like important and meaningful matches to him (which makes them seem important and meaningful to the audience). Dream hit an imperfect rope-assisted somersault cannonball and followed it up with a Rick Rude-like reverse neckbreaker, but despite putting all of his character into every bit of his offense, the crowd seemed to rise and fall in their spirit, quieting down at multiple points during Dream's control segment. A "Both These Guys!" chant started up just as Ricochet started to gain some steam. Ricochet hit a number of high-risk maneuvers, including a big tope to the outside, a 619 in the corner, a springboard back elbow, and minutes later, a standing shooting star press (the kind of move that, 20 years ago, I'm not sure was even invented yet). Dream cut him off on the top rope, though, eventually giving him the ability to hit Ricochet with a release Death Valley Bomb (which is not really to dissimilar to the AA really) from the top. In an even crazier spot, Velveteen ended up superplexing Ricochet from the same corner to the arena floor, both guys hitting the ground hard and barely beating the count back into the ring. Back in the ring, Ricochet looked like he might be in control, but Dream dodged a punch and hit his rolling Death Valley Bomb for 2. A strike exchange followed, both guys selling the exhaustion and damage expertly. The final 4-6 minute stretch was even more incredible than anything that had come before with all sorts of bright moments - The Dream's trashtalking, Ricochet doing some finisher theft, The Dream countering a ridiculously long distance shooting star press by lifting his knees at the last possible moment. Ricochet eventually connected with his 640 Splash for the win, a move that you can see a hundred times but will never not be impressive. (3.5/5)

The NXT Women's Championship was on the line next, Nikki Cross challenging Shayna Baszler in a clash of personalities and styles. Cross put the craziness on full display at the start of the match, bouncing in the ring like an excited puppy and then turning her back on Baszler and daring her to strike. Cross then tried to choke her out early and while she couldn't get the job done, she stayed in relative control for the next several minutes before eating a back drop into the steel ramp. Baszler then connected with an absolutely vicious knee to the face that seemed like it drew a huge reaction from the crowd until it became obvious that the crowd was more focused on something going on in the stands. Once whatever was happening in the crowd died down, the fans refocused on the match. Cross continued to fight back no matter what Baszler threw at her, using every trick she could think of to gain an advantage over the former MMA competitor. Cross is not a world beater like Asuka or a perfect athlete like Charlotte, but what she could do was use her cunning to throw screwballs at the green Womens' Champion and that's what she tried. It made for a different sort of match than any of the men's bouts and while it didn't offer as many insane peaks, it was still a strong match. As Tazz said on his podcast covering the show, the finish was not executed very well - Baszler should be tapping her opponents much quicker and Cross' facial expressions seemed out of place as you're getting choked out - no matter how much they might've wanted it to appear that she was almost enjoying the asphyxiation. It was an odd final note to hit in an otherwise solid bout. (3/5)

EC3 and Keith Lee were shown in the audience. Keith Lee looks like he could be interesting...

In a somewhat surprising move, the NXT Championship was not on the line in our main event but contested in the next match - Aleister Black defending the gold against Lars Sullivan. Right from the start, Black was wrestling with a ton more urgency and speed, showing a different gear than the more calculated style he'd exhibited in his other Takeover matches. I really liked seeing this side out of Black, the stoic, almost devilish champion actually bumping and selling like an over-matched underdog for the much-larger Sullivan. Speaking of Sullivan, with his look, he gets a ton of mileage out of just doing the basics with relative proficiency, but one can already see that, in time, he could be something really special. At one point, Black blocked a top rope splash with his knee but ended up taking more damage than he inflicted, the injured knee becoming the focus of the match from then on. Even with his knee in pain, though, Black would find a way to counter Lars' finisher into a DDT. Lars wouldn't stay down for long, though, hitting a powerslam on the apron moments later after taking a series of big front kicks to the jaw. Sullivan hit a headbutt from the top, but even this couldn't put the champ away. Sullivan went for another tackle at Black's knees, only for Black to counter with a double stomp onto Sullivan's back and then a very, very, very poorly shot (or executed, it was hard to tell) Black Mass. From the initial camera angle, it looked like he missed him by a good 3-4 inches and Sullivan's sales job looked unnatural and awkward. Black went for it again, but Lars caught his foot and then rocked him with a huge clothesline. Black hit his second Black Mass, but Sullivan wouldn't go down, the crowd actually popping for his toughness. At this point, though, Black was in full control and hit a third (if you count the first, errant one) Black Mass to put the monster to bed. I liked that this one offered something a bit different than the other matches on the card and was impressed by Black's range, wrestling as the fighting babyface champion for the first time instead of the devil-worshipping anti-hero. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa in a Chicago Street Fight. Their last match was an "Unsanctioned" Match, so I'm not sure how this stipulation is really adding anything, but these two have such great chemistry and have been involved in such great matches against and with each other that it doesn't really matter. Before the match began, Candice LeRae (Gargano's real-life wife) handed him a crutch, the weapon that has become a symbol of this entire feud. Ciampa arrived with his own crutch, but still no entrance music - his theme song essentially being deafening boos at this point. Unlike their last match, which started off with a little bit of suspense and anticipation, this one was a straight-up wild brawl from the start with Gargano tossing Ciampa over a table and then the two making their way into the stands. The use of a Stop sign had me reminiscing about Horace Hogan and the not-much-glory days of WCW's Hardcore Division (not a happy memory), but at least they followed it up with a legitimately crazy spot - Gargano launching himself off a riser to hit a crossbody onto the arena floor. Back to the ring they went where Gargano dug around under the ring and pulled out a number of metal objects. Ciampa hit a series of suplexes (even drawing a "Suplex City" chant), but Gargano escaped and hit a tope to the outside. Ciampa recovered, though, and grabbed a hold of the steps, another trash can, and an additional chair. Ciampa then wrapped the chair around Gargano's neck and sent him chair-first into the steps in one of the most brutal-looking spots I've seen in years (drawing a loud "Fuck You Ciampa!" chant from the crowd). Ciampa then set Gargano's head onto the steps and threw a trash can at it to add further injury to injury before dumping him back into the ring. With the match in complete control, Ciampa grabbed a pair of handcuffs and attempted to lock Gargano's wrists. Gargano rallied, though, hitting a spear and then using his belt to inflict exact some sweet revenge on the man that betrayed him a year ago (as the crowd chanted "You Deserve It!" all the while). Gargano then hit a *nasty* superkick onto a garbage can-covered Ciampa, but when he attempted to send Ciampa into another can in the corner, Tommaso countered with a perfect powerbomb-into-double knees and then a series of big trash can lid strikes. On the apron the battle continued, Gargano hitting a series of big elbows, but ultimately getting driven into the steel steps from a Ciampa White Noise. The match continued, though, with Ciampa then doing some remodeling by pulling the canvas off of the ring and exposing the wooden boards under the mat. In a great throwback to their last match, Gargano attempted to powerbomb Ciampa onto the boards, but was unable to do so, instead opting to just hit him with a savage kick to the face from below. A "Boo! Yay!" slugfest ensued, the match maybe relying on a touch too many tropes, but definitely pleasing the crowd the whole way through. After a nearfall, Ciampa slid to the outside of the ring and Gargano attempted to strike with a crossbody over the top only to eat a trash can lid instead. Ciampa sized him up for a running knee, but Gargano dodged it and Ciampa went crashing into the steel steps as the crowd chanted "Stupid Idiot" to mock him. Gargano then came into the ring and went right to work on the knee, hitting with his fists and then a series of strikes with a chair as the crowd rooted him on. Ciampa managed to bounce back, though, first by sending Gargano back-first into a trash can and then by locking him up with his own submission finish. Ciampa, with the crutch in hand, went right at Gargano's injured neck, but still Johnny Wrestling kicked out. For at least the third or fourth time, the crowd started chanting for tables - something they had to know the crowd would want to see. Ciampa dragged Gargano up the ramp and sent him into the set as the commentators noted that things had now come full circle from the last Takeover: Chicago. Up they climbed to the top of a rig, Ciampa looking to send Gargano through a table nearby. Before making the attempt, though, he pulled off Gargano's wedding ring, spit on it, and tossed it out. Gargano, miraculously, though, countered with a White Noise through a table a good 4-5 feet below in a crazy, crazy spot that looked absolutely insane on first watch (but much less risky on replay). An EMT crew came out and hoisted Ciampa onto a stretcher as Gargano watched from his perch, looking almost like he was in a trance until he realized that Ciampa had taken his wedding ring. Meanwhile, Ciampa's selling the whole time was just brilliant, his agony so clear, but also so deserved. Gargano then took out the EMTs and dragged the gurney back to the ring, where he locked in the Gargano Stretch and proceeded to handcuff Ciampa so he can hit him with a series of kicks to the skull. Again, a group of NXT suits came out to pull Gargano away, the crowd booing any attempt to keep these two men separate. In a fluke finish, Ciampa caught Gargano with a DDT onto the exposed wooden boards as he we getting back into the ring, but as the commentators noted, Ciampa had tapped out twice when there was no referee around. In a sense, this match wasn't about the pinfall, so I wasn't bothered by the ending one bit. Gargano got his revenge, but ultimately cost himself the "victory" in order to do so, with Ciampa barely even able to have his arm raised in the end. While not as emotionally rewarding as their last Takeover battle, this was still a hellacious, physical, ultra-violent match that delivered exactly the kind of brutality as they'd promised. It will be interesting to see where they go with this feud as I could see them having a third match, but am not necessarily sure what is left for these guys to do to each other short of actual murder. (4/5)


The NXT formula continues to produce the kind of shows that should not only please fans of the current spot-heavy, fast-paced "indie style," but also those that miss the "golden days" of wrestling before the Attitude Era, when every match on a card was built around distinct characters having a deep, personal grudge or competing for a prestigious, meaningful championship. Just like the last Takeover show, Takeover: Chicago II earned a strong 3.5-out-of-5 Kwang Score on 5 matches, not a single match dipping below "above average." What might be most commendable about this show is that, on paper, it wasn't necessarily one built around multiple "dream matches" or heavily hyped gimmick matches. The main event was literally a sequel to the last show's main event (what really is the difference between an Unsanctioned Match and a Street Fight?), while every championship match (save for maybe the NXT Championship one) was expected to end exactly the way they did. Unlike the next night's Money in the Bank, this show didn't marvel the crowd with shocking twists or by stacking the card with every name on the roster (Adam Cole, Kairi Sane, and EC3 had mere cameos, while Kassius Ohno and The War Raiders were nowhere to be found) - it took a "looks good on paper" card and then booked and let breathe every single match on the card, the creative team getting out of their own way and letting relatively unproven talents (at least in NXT) talents like Lorcan and Burche and Lars Sullivan show their stuff. It was a wise decision.

FINAL RATING - Watch It All

WCW Spring Stampede 2000

WCW Spring Stampede 2000

Chicago, Illinois - April 2000

Before we get to the review, some background info is crucial here. 

At the start of 2000, WCW was in very, very bad shape. In 99', the WWE had pulled away in the TV ratings war and WCW was losing money left and right as merch and ticket sales dropped and expensive, costly decisions flopped (see "The KISS Demon" for one example). Former WWE writers Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara were brought in (replacing Eric Bischoff) as the new creative leads from the company in the late fall of 99' and tried to shock the audience back into paying attention, but they were ineffective.

On the positive side, Bret Hart had been crowned World Champion and turned heel at Starrcade 99' - which didn't make a ton of storyline sense, but at least gave the company some direction as Goldberg would chase the title and take on the reformed nWo. Unfortunately, Hart was injured during the match and forced to retire. Then, Goldberg was also injured and put on the shelf for 5 months. Backstage, Vince Russo was unceremoniously sent home when he pitched having the now-vacant World Championship go to Tank Abbott, an early UFC star with legit toughman credentials but not a proven draw in the slightest.

Former wrestler/longtime writer/promoter Kevin Sullivan was put in charge of the booking, but was unpopular with much of the young talent as they worried he'd primarily push the older stars. Sullivan tried to win over the locker room by having putting the title up for grabs in a tournament and having Chris Benoit win, but it was too little too late as Benoit left the company the night after beating Sid for the company's most prestigious championship. He took Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn with him to the WWE. While none were bona fide stars at this point, they were widely regarded as among the best in-ring workers in America, if not the world. Even as late as the fall of 99', WCW could boast having better in-ring workers (if not characters/personalities or production) than the WWE no matter what the ratings showed. With Benoit and Company's defection to the WWE, WCW's fate was fully sealed.

And so the title went to Sid and Jeff Jarrett became the leader of a pitiful version of the nWo, his supporting cast headed up by the Harris Twins. Kevin Nash was still floating around, but was treating everything like a joke. DDP, Luger, and Sting had been flipped heel-to-face so many times since 98' that they'd lost most of their overness while Flair and Hulk Hogan had reverted back to the characters they'd played in 95', a good two years before the audience was craving nostalgia runs from them. 

I don't quite recall who was in charge of "the book" at this point (I believe even Sullivan had been demoted to working as part of a committee by this point), but coming into Spring Stampede, the decision was made to bring back both Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo. The idea was that Bischoff was the genius behind WCW's hugely successful run in 96'-97' and that Russo was the brains behind the WWE's turnaround in 98'-99'. In theory, a tag team of Bischoff and Russo would be able to right the WCW ship.

Their first major decision: a full brand reset. All titles were vacated and almost immediately a storyline war was booked between The New Blood, basically anyone on the roster under the age of 35, and The Millionaire's Club, all the "established" stars like Hogan and Flair and Luger and so on. Weirdly, though, Russo and Bischoff took a big gamble and booked the veteran Millionaire's Clubbers as the babyfaces despite the more natural idea of having the younger, hungry talent working to overthrow the old guard. Its easy to criticize them for this twist on a classic story line, but it actually made some sense from a business perspective. By all indicators, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair and Lex Luger and Kevin Nash and the rest of the big names, despite being years past their prime, were still the company's biggest draws, highest merchandise movers, and most recognizable "names." Turning every one of your stars into a heel and hoping less over talent like Billy Kidman and Lash Leroux would pick up the slack would've been crazy. And so, as ill-fitting as it may seem now, the Millionaire's Club were positioned as the good guys, fighting for tradition, against the angry upstarts who only cared about...uh...actually leaving their feet during matches?

Spring Stampede 2000 was promoted as the symbolic start of a new WCW. I've never seen the show before, so this one will be new to me. I'm hoping it contains a few gems...


CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: All titles have been vacated. 

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden, and Scott Hudson


The show kicks off with Lex Luger and Ric Flair (who wrestles in a polo and dress pants) taking on The Mamalukes (Big Vito and Johnny The Bull). Before the match could begin, though, Vince Russo (who had once famously stated he would never appear on TV) marched out and turned it into a handicap match - not by having Disco Inferno join the fray, but by having The Harris Boys come out. At first, the numbers game is too much for Luger and Flair, but they eventually fight out from underneath and run roughshod over the heels. On one hand, this is clearly what the fans want to see and lord knows I'll never argue the Harris Boys deserve anything more than to be jobbers...but The Mamalukes, to their credit, had been working hard for the past few months and Johnny The Bull, while green, had some respectable agility. Flair and Luger squash all four men, burying them in comical fashion. This match was to advance to the finals of a tournament for the vacant WCW World Tag Team Championships, which would usually mean things should be competitive. Nope, not here. At least this doesn't eat up too much time. (0.5/5)

Backstage, Mike Awesome cuts a promo but is interrupted by Bam Bam Bigelow. To those that have never heard of Mike Awesome, he's an interesting/infamous late 90's wrestling figure. In ECW, where mid-sized guys like Tazz and Sabu and RVD reigned supreme, he (and Brian Lee before him) came off like giants. Awesome had had a series of brutal matches in the fledgling company and was even the ECW World Champion at one point. WCW signed him and he ended up dropping the title, in the ECW arena, to Tazz (who was signed to the WWE at the time). This meant that, for the only time ever, a WCW guy faced a WWE guy at an ECW show. Awesome's reputation and success, though, was largely the work of legendary wrestling svengali Paul Heyman, who had brought him over to ECW from Japan and pushed him to the moon despite an outdated look (i.e "mulleted 'roid monster") and very little charisma. WCW gave him a huge contract and, as this show would indicate, saw him as a huge piece of their rebuilding phase. Anyway, Awesome beats down Bigelow and storms off. 

The next match is insane. Mancow was (is?) a Chicago shock jock who had said some unkind words to Jimmy Hart during an interview, causing the Mouth of the South to attack him in his studio. Mancow has the support of the Chicago crowd as he makes his way down the aisle with a crew of weirdos - which does nothing to dispel the notion that he was a right-leaning Howard Stern clone. Before the match, Mancow calls Hart a piece of shit and hearing someone curse on a wrestling program, even on PPV, still feels like a huge deal. They proceed to have a match that actually looks like a worked shoot at times as Hart really lays in his shots. I'm guessing that someone had his ear backstage about making sure Mancow knew that this "phony wrestling" stuff wasn't so phony so Hart attacks him like its a real fight. Hart goes to the top rope too and delivers a very awkward splash onto both Mancow and the referee. Hart's bodyguard, Hail (aka Emory Hale), comes in and tosses Mancow onto his flunkies on the outside with a press slam in the best spot of the match. Hail is completely forgotten in 2018, but in 2000, he went through a somewhat infamously botched push as, after spending most of his time working as an oversized jobber he was re-packaged as "The Machine" under a generic mask and re-debuted on Thunder against Diamond Dallas Page. Despite respectable size and even signs of serious potential, Hale was doomed from the start as The Machine lost his first match in under 8 minutes and was never heard of again (until he ditched the mask again and showed up as Jimmy Hart's latest prospect). Anyway, Mancow somehow gets the win and celebrates with his obnoxious "Free Speech" music blaring. Kidman shows up after the match and beats down Jimmy Hart to continue his feud with Hulk Hogan, who the crowd starts chanting for. This is such an absurd match, from beginning to end, that there's no way to just call it average. (3/5)

Next up, The Wall vs. Scott Steiner in a United States Title Tournament match. The Wall is hyped up as a rising star, but Steiner dominates early. The Wall eventually lands some offense and Steiner actually sells for some of it. Outside they go where Steiner blinds The Wall and the former Nazi Bodyguard accidentally chokeslams the referee through the table. Another referee emerges and Steiner wins by DQ. This was done to protect The Wall, but in one of those countless examples of WCW stupidity, it goes against everything their commentary team was putting over at the start of the show - that no match would end in a DQ because no fan buys a PPV to see DQs. Well, at least they kept that promise for close to 30 minutes. A half point for the right man winning as Steiner was far more over than The Wall. (0.5/5)

Backstage, Ernest Miller is getting interviewed about his upcoming match against Mike Awesome. Cue Bigelow, who shows up to destroy him and take his place in the US Title Tournament.  

And so to the ring we go for Mike Awesome vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. This one starts out as a straight-up brawl with Awesome in the driver's seat, the booking obviously designed to get him over strong as a world beater. Awesome hits a great dive to the floor and the commentators play up how well-rounded the big man is. The minute Bigelow looks like he might get some offense in, Ernest Miller shows back up and kicks Bigelow to the floor. The Cat says before he'll continue the match he wants to put on his dancing shoes, which ends up costing him dearly as Awesome obliterates him and lands a frog splash for the win. This is the third match in a row to go well under 5 minutes. I'm sensing a pattern with these tournament matches. (1/5)

Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas cut a promo backstage against Flair (and not really Luger) before their match against Harlem Heat 2000, another World Tag Team Championship Tournament match. I feel like this match would've been better if they just read the result rather than wasting our time actually putting it on. This isn't even a squash as much as its a non-match. It goes under 3 minutes and makes the Mancow/Hart match look like Savage/Steamboat. Harlem Heat 2000 have some post-match tension because everyone was clamoring for a Stevie Ray/Big T feud? (0/5)

Finally we get the makings of a competitive match as Booker T takes on Sting in another match from the United States Title Tournament. Booker T was *technically* a New Blood member, but was refusing to take orders from Bischoff and Vince Russo (making him a face). Sting was still a face (his Fall of 99' heel turn having flopped and been reversed 3 months later) and the commentators hype up how dangerous he is now that he's back in full health. Booker T and Sting don't get enough time to really develop their match, but instead of just making this a pedal-to-the-metal sprint with loads of signature offense, they break it up with some awkward rest holds. It comes across like two guys trying to have a "proper match" in fast forward. There's at least one really cool spot where Sting attempts the Stinger Splash and gets hit with a Harlem Sidekick. Sting eventually surprises Booker with a Stinger Death Drop to win this one clean at 6-and-a-half minutes. The commentators try to play up this match as some sort of grueling battle, but it was far too short to deserve such praise. After the match, Booker T and Sting shake hands, further cementing the idea that Booker T is his own man and not a New Blood stooge. This match could've been good to great as the crowd was interested and clearly wanted to see a good, competitive match involving a rising star and a proven talent, but instead, they cut them off at the knees. Bad booking. (2/5)

Again we cut to the backstage area where Vince Russo is telling Eric Bischoff not to worry about Hulk Hogan showing up. Billy Kidman chimes in that even if Hogan does show up, he'll be in a wheelchair. Bischoff tells him that he should be worried due to his attack on Hart earlier. The acting is absymal all around. 

Speaking of Kidman, he wrestles next against Vampiro in another US Title Tournament match. I forget which show it was, but I feel like these two almost had a Match of the Night on one of the PPVs before this. This time, not so much. Kidman as a heel is just weird and bad casting as he really shined as an underdog that could overcome the odds with ridiculous high flying. Vampiro, meanwhile, was getting over just fine before this New Blood nonsense and should've been kept separate and special as an enigmatic loner. At one point, Mark Madden notes that WCW could've been having great matches like this if the Millionaire's Club hadn't been hogging the spotlight all these years. Ugh, actually, WCW routinely had strong matches in the midcard in 96' and 97' and even 98' that would put this match to shame (see pretty much any match involving Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, or DDP from this time). Kidman and Vampiro try to get as much of their shit in as possible before Hulk Hogan shows up in a sports car. Hogan, as expected, gets a big reaction (even in 2000, he's Hulk friggin' Hogan) and puts a hurtin' on Kidman. He struggles to put him through a table at ringside but eventually does it and sends him back in the ring so Vampiro can pin him. I understand that matches weren't going to end with DQs on this show, but wouldn't Bischoff and Russo want Kidman to get the DQ victory here? Or does it not really matter because Vampiro is also New Blood (but ostensibly a babyface like Booker)? Just seems inconsistent with the ending to The Wall's match. Whatever. This match goes 8 minutes but really feels like 5 because its really more like an angle to further the Kidman/Hogan feud (which, yeah, even typing it 18 years later, is still a head-scratcher of an idea as, of all the young talent that could've been booked against Hogan, Kidman might've been the most ill-fitting). (1/5)

Hogan storms backstage on the hunt for Eric Bischoff, who gets abandoned by Vince Russo. Hogan eventually tracks him down but a squad of police officers prevent him from choking him to death. The cops then PULL THEIR GUNS OUT as Bischoff screams "Shoot him!" They handcuff "Old Cold" Hulk Hogan. This is such an absurd angle it definitely deserves a point. (+1)

Still backstage, Terry Funk finds Norman Smiley and their Hardcore Championship match begins. Their brawling backstage is more comedic than hardcore and more sad than good. Like Mike Awesome, someone in WCW thought just because Funk was over in ECW he'd be over in WCW, but in this context, the 55-year old legend (who looked a good 10 years older than that even) just didn't work. Smiley, meanwhile, was just wasted here (much like La Parka), a guy that the crowd responded to but positioned as such a corny character in such one-note comedy matches that there was never any chance he could truly help the company (by, say, selling merchandise or helping bring in a youth audience the way countless comedy characters had been used in the WWE). Things get a little more serious when they make their way to the ring and Funk starts taking stiff chairshots to the head. Dustin Rhodes shows up to attack Funk, continuing their feud (that no one cared about), and we get at least one legitimately dangerous moment as Smiley is nearly decapitated by a ladder hanging on the edge of the apron. I'm not sure if they designed it to lead to what would've been a crazy spot, but Smiley is lucky it didn't work out because I think he would've lost his face permanently. Funk overcomes the odds and wins the "match" to become the Hardcore Champion. This match isn't good, but compared to most of everything else on this show, it's not the worst. (1/5)

Backstage, Vince Russo tells off Booker T and enlists him to do him a favor.

The next match of the United States Title Tournament follows - Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner. Much like every other match so far, this one runs under 5 minutes - which basically buries both guys and the title. Steiner controls early to get his signature taunts in, while Awesome rallies to hit some of his own impressive offense. This match is exactly how you shouldn't book two guys that you want to get over as potential main eventers. Halfway through minute two, Kevin Nash shows up (Awesome had attacked him on Nitro or Thunder) and hits Awesome with a crutch to the back. Steiner then locks in the Recliner and Awesome taps. Jeez - they can't even get the finish right as tapping out is the ultimate way to lose a match and getting pinned would've been the "lesser" loss. This forwards the Awesome/Nash feud, which I guess is a positive? (1/5)

Again we cut backstage - which has to be some sort of PPV record - where Russo (with Booker in tow) cuts a promo on Dustin Rhodes. Russo "shoots" and tells Dustin that he was a nobody until he (referring to himself) created the Goldust character. I'm not sure if all the swearing and "insider" stuff on this show was ahead of its time or just stupid. I'm gonna go with stupid. Even today, when the WWE does similar wink-wink stuff, its often cringe-worthy, but at least its usually reserved for bigger storylines or characters (Cena would be the clear example). Here it just seems wholly unnecessary and lazy. 

Sting vs. Vampiro is next (another US Title Tournament match). These two had been feuding for a couple weeks on TV, so it probably would've made more sense to have them meet in the finals, but whatever. Sting, predictably, misses a Stinger Splash on the outside early on to give Vampiro an advantage. Vampiro is unable to capitalize, though, as Sting hits his signature offense for the win in just under 6 minutes. These two did not have the greatest chemistry and there were some awkward moments. I'm not sure if they were rushed or this was just another example of Vampiro being sloppy, but this was not very good and I'm skeptical that their impending feud will be any good either. (2/5)


Backstage, DDP is with Kimberly to cut a promo about his match against Jeff Jarrett for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tonight. He tries out some new catchphrases and ends with the "Bada Boom" one, which never really caught on. 

The vacant WCW Cruiserweight Championship is on the line next in a multi-man match featuring TAFKA Prince Iaukea, Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, Lash Leroux, Juventud Guerrera, Chris Candido, and Crowbar. There was a time when WCW's cruiserweight division featured the best international talent ever assembled, but this was obviously not that time. Guerrera and 3 Count were the most capable of wowing the crowd with innovative high-flying maneuvers, but don't get enough space to do it here. David Flair shows up and gets a "Woo!" pop from the Chicago crowd. Flair is legendarily terrible, but I think I'd still rather watch him wrestle than Leroux. Daffney and Paisley get involved multiple times (with Daffney actually taking some hits), but its Tammy Lynn Sytch (former WWE diva Sunny) who makes the biggest impact, debuting by helping her real-life boyfriend/cuckold Chris Candido score the title. Sytch was not yet the total trainwreck she would become, but she's dressed way, way trashier than she was ever presented in the WWE (which is not a good look). Sytch and Paisley proceed to have a "catfight," rolling around in the ring as the male wrestlers pretend to try to break them apart. Sytch would've been a big "get" in 97' or even 98', but by 2000, she (like Rena "Sable" Mero) had been replaced by other women who were equally as popular even if they didn't necessarily have the same level of charisma or "It" factor. All in all, this sucked. (1/5)

Here we go with the finals of the World Tag Team Championship tournament - Team Package taking on Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas of the New Blood. Mark Madden talks non-stop about the years of "heat" between Douglas and Flair (in truth, according to Douglas, they buried the hatchet when he signed with the company months before this), trying to make this match seem like a big deal because, y'know, it being for the World Tag Team Championships meant nothing by this point. Vince Russo is also on commentary for this. Ric Flair is still wrestling in street clothes for this match, which I don't understand at all. The fans are fully behind Luger and the Nature Boy and, surprisingly, this match actually manages to generate some heat and get good reactions despite not really featuring any stand-out moments (aside from maybe when Douglas has Flair in the corner and audibly cusses him out). Years later, Douglas would opine that he believes there was money in a Flair/Douglas feud built around their "shoot heat," but that the storyline was so instantly watered down by Vince Russo shenanigans (not to mention the involvement of Luger and Bagwell) that they were unable to tell the simple story they could've/should've. Based only on their interactions here, I agree 100% - when Flair and Douglas start trading shots, you can see there was chemistry and that Flair was still capable of bringing the fire against a worthy opponent (after months and months of retreading the same ol' rivals in Hogan, Sting, Savage, and Piper). Flair plays the face-in-peril and makes a hot tag to Luger around the 7-and-a-half minute mark to a big pop. Unfortunately, just as the good guys look like they're about to win the gold, Vince Russo pulls the referee out and argues with him outside the ring. This goes on for at least 15-20 seconds too long before KroNik show up. The irony of a team of stoners (which, by the way, was never even a fleshed-out part of their gimmick despite the name) being late for a run-in is lost on the commentary team. Clark and Adams apply the slowest, least-impressive double chokeslam I've ever seen on Luger, allowing Bagwell to make the cover as Russo strips referee Nick Patrick of his shirt and places it on himself (thus making himself the referee). This show is a parade of awful over-the-top booking with each match's outcome somehow out-dumbing the previous match's outcome. I don't see how anyone could ever defend Russo's work after watching this show. The first 7 minutes of this match were decent, maybe even better-than-decent, but the ending was idiotic. (1.5/5)

Before their match, Scott Steiner cuts a promo about Sting and clarifies that he is his own man - not a member of the New Blood or the Millionaire's Club. I'm usually a bit of a mark for Steiner's rantings, but this wasn't one for the highlight reel. This is the finals of the United States Championship Tournament and the commentators play up how grueling the night has been for Sting. At least they don't try to get Steiner's endurance over as he has clocked in something like 6 minutes of action all night (Sting meanwhile has put in a whopping 12, I think). Watching back WCW's PPVs from 99' to this, I'm convinced that, of the main event guys in the company during that time frame, Sting was working harder and delivering the best all-around performances of any of them (with maybe Goldberg at #2 and Bret Hart at #3 miles away). He busts out an awesome crossbody over the top rope (a "pescado" in luche libre speak) within the first 2 minutes and continues to cut a great pace for the rest of their all-too-brief match, launching himself with 3 perfect Stinger Splashes before Vampiro shows up in the corner by popping through the mat and then pulling Sting below. Vampiro reemerges, dragging Sting up with him. Sting is bleeding from his mouth and looks dazed (and his acting's not that bad either). Steiner locks him in the Recliner and the referee rings the bell. I criticized having Steiner use the Recliner to put away Awesome after Nash hit him with the crutch earlier in the night (and stand by that criticism), but here its a different story so it actually isn't as bad. Unlike earlier, when Awesome actively tapped out, Sting was "unconscious" from Vampire's bizarre attack, so he gets to save face by losing via "ref stoppage." Now, that doesn't make this a good finish, but I'd argue if this was the only screwjob on the show, it might've worked. But by this point, every single finish had been screwy so the audience isn't surprised anymore, they just feel ripped off. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Diamond Dallas Page vs. Jeff Jarrett for the vacant WCW World Championship. This is the finals of a tournament that ran on Nitro, but its also personal as Jeff Jarrett had struck Kimberly with a guitar shot. After a few minutes of fighting in and around the ring, Page and Jarrett end up in the stands where the crowd loudly chants "DDP!" in support of the babyface. A trash can and crutch get used, but neither guy really has a clear advantage at this point. Into the ring they go and Page connects with a big clothesline, but ends up crotched on the top rope soon after. Jarrett hits an impressive superplex and goes to the outside to grab a chair. He nails Page in the back with it twice, but no DQ is called because of the "lax rules" tonight. Jarrett further damages DDP's back by sending him hard into the corner. Its really amazing how much better a match can be when wrestlers are given time to register and sell and have hope spots and cut-offs in their match (even if they're imperfectly executed) as this feels like the first bout to feature any. Jarrett's cockiness ends up costing him and Page hits a powerbomb for 2. They go back to the outside where the brawling continues as Eric Bischoff watches from the entrance ramp. Jarrett grabs a copy of DDP's book, Positively Page, and rips it up in front of him to add insult to injury. Kimberly gets involved for the third time in the match, grabbing Jeff by the hair to prevent him from furthering his assault on Page. Jarrett rolls back into the ring and stomps on his opponent but continues to gloat between every bit of offense. Page rallies and a minute later almost hits his Diamond Cutter, but Jarrett holds onto the ropes. Jarrett grabs the World Championship and hits DDP in the head with it, but only gets a 2! Bischoff walks closer to the ring as Jarrett applies the Figure Four. Kimberly grabs the guitar and starts making her way towards the ring. Oh god, are they really going to do this? Even though it would make no sense? Just for the "shock" of it? Russo and Bischoff aren't that stupid, right? Jarrett keeps the figure four locked in but Page refuses to quit. Page eventually grabs the ropes and the hold is broken - but didn't need to be because of the lax rules, right? - and they're back on their feet. The back-and-forth continues a bit with Page getting a 2 on a sidewalk chokeslam before Jarrett applies a sleeper. Kimberly holding the guitar on the outside of the ring is really telegraphing things. Page hits a jawbreaker to get out of the sleeper and then nails a Diamond Cutter as Bischoff distracts the ref. Why would he even need to if the DQ rules are lax anyway? Page sets up Jarrett to get hit by the guitar, but guess what? In the most unsurprising "twist" ever that also makes the least bit of sense ever, Kimberly hits DDP with the Diamond Cutter and Jarrett gets the win. This was the best match of the night before the final few minutes as Jarrett and Page had good chemistry, the brawling had intensity, and because they were given a decent amount of time (this match went 15 minutes - roughly twice as long as any other), an actual story developed. Unfortunately, the overbooked, nonsense ending was so bad, it hurts the overall rating. If you got rid of the shenanigans, started the match by calling it a "No DQ" contest, and then just delivered a clean finish to give your new World Champion some credibility, I could see this match being in the 3-3.5 range. (2/5)


I reviewed The Great American Bash from 91' recently and summarized its awfulness by saying that the show's creators did not get a single match right. The show earned an all-time low score of 0.82-out-of-5 on the Kwang Scale and features "no redeeming qualities." Spring Stampede 2000, by comparison, is a much better show. By comparison to most every other show I've reviewed, though, it is still an absolute dumpster fire of a PPV. The best "match"/segment on the show is the Mancow vs. Jimmy Hart because its the most absurd and happens early enough in the show to come off as a fun diversion. Hulk Hogan being forced into handcuffs at gunpoint? That's something worth seeing. Unlike Great American Bash 91', which is mostly boring, this show is mostly just infuriatingly ridiculous and convoluted. If I'm not mistaken, every single match ends with some sort of shenanigans that makes someone (the ref, the commentators, a wrestler, Russo) look like an idiot. I've heard Vince Russo talk about the importance of "logic" in wrestling, but this entire card is an exercise in anti-logic. At this point, WCW was in a hole and the booking on this show reveals that Russo and Bischoff's big idea was to dig their way out of it. I'm morbidly curious what the next PPV has in store for me because this show seems like the kind of one that would've put the company out of business. If Great American Bash 91' had no redeeming qualities, this show can only be enjoyed through a "hate watch," the little bit of entertainment value that can be taken from it being the opportunity to see WCW crumble before your very eyes.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville