WCW Sin

WCW Sin

Indianapolis, Indiana - January 2001

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Scott Steiner is the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Terry Funk is the Hardcore Champion, and Hugh "General Rection" Morrus is the United States Champion coming into this show. Chavo Guerrero is the WCW Cruiserweight Champion while the Tag Titles are held by "The Insiders" - DDP and Kevin Nash. 

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson

The first and only Sin PPV kicks off with the Cruiserweight Champion, Chavo Guerrero, defending the title against 3 Count's Shane Helms. Like a couple of the other matches on this show, the wrestling isn't bad - in fact, its arguably better than most of what the WWE was putting on around this time - but the characters are so not over that it prevents this match from feeling like anything more than a spirited exhibition match. I'm not the world's biggest Chavo fan, but a few years earlier, his love/hate relationship with his uncle Eddie had made for some good TV. Sadly, any of that character and personality had evaporated by this point as he was simply trotted out to be a "good hand." Similarly, 3 Count was one of the WCW's few redeeming acts in 2000...so they were split up. On one hand, this allowed WCW to create matches and rivalries among the former partners (and this led to some good matches), but in retrospect, I'm not sure it really was wise to break up an over act just to have them feud with each other in spotfest ladder matches in the hopes that they would get over as individual stars. Anyway, Guerrero and Helms execute a number of big moves and you can actually hear the live crowd pop over the incredibly distracting "sweetening" that WCW was now using. Buried under the awful crowd mix is a quality match and, thankfully, Mark Madden has been removed from commentary so its called decently too. I wouldn't go out of one's way to check this out, but its a solid opener. (3/5)

Big Vito takes on his (kayfabe) brother Reno in the next match. Even without the "sweetening," Vito was somehow over in 2000 - at least relative to the rest of WCW's roster. I'm not even sure why or how. He wasn't that good a wrestler nor was he a good promo, but fans cheered the guy...so WCW kept him in a never-ending feud with nobodies like Reno and Johnny The Bull in the undercard. Because they'd basically been attached at the hip for the better part of 3 months by this point, Vito and Reno have decent chemistry and they spice up their basic brawling with some actual good moves. Again, this match isn't outright bad - its just not interesting. No worse than average. (2.5/5)

According to Tony and Scott Hudson, the next match was not advertised - The Yung Dragons vs. Evan Karagias and Jamie Noble. This is the type of match I was referring to in my review of the opening bout. The idea of spreading out talent (by breaking up 3 Count and unmasking Noble [who was part of the Jung Dragons initially]) is a fine one, but it wasn't executed well enough. 3 Count were unlikable heels and the Jung Dragons were milquetoast babyfaces, but when the two factions became three separate teams, not a single one carried on with any sort of personality or gimmick beyond just being flashy, innovative wrestlers. Now, again, the matches that resulted were often very fun (this one included), but none of these guys had a chance in hell of actually getting over and moving up the card as long as they were entangled in a never-ending feud with each other that wasn't built on any real story. Lots of good high-flying and suplexes with Evan Karagias landing a crazy 450 as maybe the highest of the high spots. Why are these teams not wrestling for the World Tag Team Championships? (3/5)

Mike Sanders cuts a promo before his match against Ernest "The Cat" Miller. The two were feuding over the job of WCW Commissioner, but Ric Flair was the storyline president too. I'm guessing the logic was that Authority Characters were working in WWE, so why not have two in WCW? Miller was good in small doses as Glacier's teammate against the underrated team of Mortis and Wrath, but by this point, he was now one of WCW's most spotlighted talents...and I'm not sure he quite warranted that amount of screen time. The finish is a schmozz with the Natural Born Thrillers coming out to help Sanders only for KroNik to show up and basically turn face by taking them out and helping Miller win. (1.5/5)

The first and - as far as I know - only Penalty Box Match ever is next: Team Canada vs. The Filthy Animals with Jim Duggan as the guest referee. Team Canada is made up of Lance Storm, "Primetime" Elix Skipper, Major Gunns and Mike Awesome, who went from being one of wrestling's most in-demand free agents thanks to a good ECW run to a comedy character to now just a lackey. The Animals are Kidman, Mysterio, Konnan, and Tygress. I forgot if Major Gunns, who was initially forced into joining Team Canada when the Misfits in Action lost some stip match, had turned heel and was now happily in the stable or not. Whatever. Duggan starts the match with a very long-winded explanation of how this match would play out. Like hearing why a joke is funny, you know its a good idea for a stipulation match if you need a full 3 minutes to explain the rules to the audience. When the match begins, two of the heels get sent to the box almost immediately and, over the course of the match, there's nearly always a heel occupying that space (including Major Gunns at one point). As anyone would expect, everyone but Konnan looks good and gets some time to show their best offense (the Awesome Bomb gets the loudest pop of all, proving the time old adage that powerbombs are always over). Eventually the match devolves into an unmanageable mess that ends with the villains actually prevailing in somewhat clean fashion after a string of rapid-fire false finishes and a little bit of confusion over who the legal men were. Considering the stipulation, the ref, and that Konnan wrestled, this was about as good as it could've been. (2.5/5)

Next up - Meng vs. Terry Funk vs. Crowbar for Funk's Hardcore Championship. This is just an out-and-out brawl with no structure, no story, no selling, and nothing to recommend it outside of a surprisingly great finish. Funk and Crowbar brawl in the bathroom because WCW thought that milking that trope to death was somehow good. Meng takes a bunch of chair shots and garbage can shots and none of it is exciting or suspenseful. Crowbar hits a big leg drop from a high perch, which is impressive but doesn't factor into the ending because NOTHING that happens in this match is sold. Anyone reading this who thinks I just like to shit on hardcore matches should look back at what I wrote about the Nasty Boys/Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne classic from 94' or even the Dustin Rhodes/Bunkhouse Buck matches. Those matches were fantastic, with escalating violence and blood and urgency and suspense. This match is just guys hitting each other with garbage because it was "cool" in the late 90s. But this match is in 2001 and its all old hat even by then. This stuff hasn't aged well at all. Still, like I wrote earlier, the finish is surprisingly great as - if nothing else - they did successfully make it questionable as to who was going to win because, for the entirety of the match, pinfalls were being broken up by people who had just taken a weapon shot. So, if nothing is sold as truly devastating, how can anyone stay down for 3 seconds? Well, the answer is a rapid sequence followed by Meng's excellent Tongan Death Grip. A point and a half awarded for Crowbar's effort and the finish. At this point, WCW might as well have actually pushed Meng to the main event because the Tongan Death Grip was sick and Meng had credibility as a badass. (1.5/5)

The WCW Tag Team Championships are on the line next as The Insiders (Kevin Nash and DDP) defend the straps against Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire of the Natural Born Thrillers. There's some pre-match nonsense with "Above Average" Mike Sanders trying to argue that he should be able to "sub out" Thrillers whenever he'd like, but Ric Flair comes out and nixes that idea. I'm not sure what the purpose of this was - maybe just to make it clear that Flair was now the sole Authority? Regardless, The Insiders tandem impressed me at Starrcade 2000 by not stinking up the joint (which was definitely within the realm of possibility). While it wasn't as good as the Starrcade match, its worth mentioning that Sean O'Haire absolutely killed it in this match with his freakish agility and strength. I know that O'Haire flopped big time in the WWE, but he also debuted at a time when nearly every guy on the roster was jacked to the gills, covered in tribals, and looked like they used to work security on the Ozzfest Tour. In this context, O'Haire didn't turn many heads - but in 2019, I'd argue that he'd probably have a much stronger chance of getting over and winning Vince's approval. Anyway, at Starrcade I noted how noticeable it was to see Nash and DDP having fun and cutting loose a little bit, but here they seem to be just going through the motions. Its neither guy's worst performance ever...but, after seeing the finish, its hard not to wonder whether their lack of motivation came from the fact that they were going to get screwed and made to look like idiots by Buff Bagwell, a guy criminally not over by this point. While the Starrcade match ended with a nice "feel good" moment, this one ends with all sorts of messy interference - further devaluing the titles. (1.5/5)

Shane Douglas challenges General Rection for the US Championship in a First Blood/Chain match...that is not No DQ for some reason. This is a twist on the expected, but not a good one as it leads to a bout that is mostly a snooze. There is a chain hanging from the ceiling that both guys are fighting to use kinda? I say this because there is no urgency from either guy to grab a ladder for the majority of the match. Instead, they brawl in the ring and out, Shane applies submission holds, and Rection hits a big splash and a press slam, wrestling the same match these two would have without the First Blood/Chain stipulation. When it does come time for the finish, there's a ref bump as Douglas pulls a chain out of his boot and steals the victory. This match was not good and shows once again how inept WCW's producers/agents were at this time. A First Blood/Chain match needing a ref bump is just insane. (1.5/5)

Its time for, arguably, the heaviest promoted match of the show - Bill Goldberg teaming with "The Sarge" DeWayne Bruce against Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell in a No DQ tag match. Over the previous few months (?), Goldberg had gone on another undefeated streak, the new twist being that if he lost a match, he'd be fired. Luger and Bagwell had combined their forces to try to run him out of town, but Goldberg was backed up by his longtime friend and trainer - DeWayne Bruce, the real-life head trainer of WCW's Power Plant school. Now, if you think The Sarge would turn on Goldberg here, you (like me) might've forgot that Vince Russo had been relieved of his booking control by this point. Still, the WCW bookers who were in charge still found ways to drive away fans with this match...but we'll get there. First, let's talk about the match itself, which is dull and uneventful save for a Goldberg power spot or two. Eventually, Luger starts jawing with a fan in the audience and Goldberg comes out to sort things out - only to get sprayed in the face with mace! Goldberg is sent back into the ring and gets beaten down. I'm guessing Luger and Bagwell didn't just spray the mace themselves because the element of surprise was so crucial? Also, DeWayne Bruce disappears for the last 3-4 minutes of this match inexplicably despite the commentators talking about how tough he is for the first 8. Bagwell and Luger hit a Double Blockbuster and pin Goldberg and Goldberg is now retired. The crowd, naturally, shits all over it while the commentators try to add gravitas. So, again, to review, this was a No DQ match where nobody used any weapons until a fan used a weapon and Goldberg's tough-as-nails tag partner ended up being no help at all because, in the end, Goldberg was double-teamed 2-on-1 for the entire finishing stretch. A total mess that takes all the air out of an arena that is three-fourths filled with air and empty seats. Bad match, convoluted ending, very poor post-match production with the cameras not really capturing any of the emotion that this huge development should've brought with it. Garbage. (0.5/5)

Main event time - Sid vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Scott Steiner vs. A Mystery Man - for Steiner's WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Everyone but the Mystery Man comes out and then we hear the familiar sound of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" to signal the arrival of WCW President Ric Flair. Flair says that the Mystery Man is here, but will not come out until later for some reason. I think many fans believed that this meant the Mystery Man was going to be Flair himself, or at least Sting - basically someone with the credibility to take out both the heels (Steiner and Jarrett) after Sid had softened them up. Jarrett and Steiner use their partnership to wear Sid down. Sid does get some offense in at one point, rallying for a few minutes. The camera cuts backstage, where Flair is getting the Mystery Man out of a limo and when we return...Sid is on the mat and is not looking good at all. Basically, Sid had attempted a move from the top rope and broken his leg in one of the nastiest ring injuries ever. Jarrett and Steiner try to buy time with stomps and whatnot, but Sid is in terrible shape. The Mystery Man makes his way down the aisle and kicks Sid too. Then Steiner pins him. Dogshit match. And guess who the Mystery Man is? Road Warrior Animal. Is this the worst Mystery Man reveal ever? It has to be. The crowd boos at the reveal as they obviously expected someone remotely relevant. The commentators try to play up how big of a shock this is, that they believed Animal to have been retired, but nobody thought he was retired - people just stopped giving a shit about the Legion of Doom a good 3 years before this. If the last match earned a half-point on at least a decent performance out of Goldberg, this match lacked even that. (0/5)


WCW Sin has a well-earned reputation for being one of the worst pay-per-views ever. After a promising start (thanks to the cruiserweights), the show rapidly deteriorates into unwatchable, audience-infuriating dogshit. Now, it should be said that some of the booking decisions were meant to build towards WCW's next big storyline: a Ric Flair-led heel group running roughshod over the company until Goldberg, Sting, and other babyfaces came to the save day. This explains why Flair would bring in Road Warrior Animal to take out Sid in the main event. It explains why Goldberg's win-or-get-fired angle wasn't dropped by President Flair (who, as a babyface, had the power to veto it all along). Hell, the fact that its Flair that introduces Goldberg to the fan that betrays him is actually some nice, clever storytelling. The problem is really in the execution. For example, knowing that Flair was secretly a heel, it makes sense that he would make the Goldberg match a No DQ bout - - - but the heels don't even bother to use the stip their advantage. Similarly, it makes sense that Flair would bring in a Mystery Man to help keep the title on Steiner - - - but why not just include him from the very beginning? Was he really that worried that Sid would overcome both Steiner and Jarrett and that Road Warrior Animal would be the game-changer? Why not just have Animal come out from the get-go so they can beat him down 3-on-1? I know we're supposed to believe that Animal has betrayed Flair at this point, but if that is what we're supposed to believe, why doesn't Flair come out to make the save himself? I've given this show far more thought than WCW's staff did. With a Kwang Score of 1.75-out-of-5, which is probably generous, I'm happy giving this a...

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville