WCW Spring Stampede 98'

WCW Spring Stampede

April 1998 - Denver, Colorado

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The WCW World Heavyweight Champion coming into tonight's show is Sting, while the United States Title is held by Diamond Dallas Page. Booker T is the reigning Television Champion, Chris Jericho holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, and the World Tag Team Championships are held by The Outsiders (though, based on Cagematch.net, they hadn't defended the titles in well over a month). 

COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

Bill Goldberg takes on Saturn of Raven's Flock in the night's opening contest. Goldberg is super over to the point that every single thing he does gets a pop. While his work is noticeably sloppy, Saturn (and several other members of the Flock) feed into him so well that the action never ceases and Goldberg really does come across as an unstoppable monster. Still, what makes this match work beyond being just another Goldberg squash is Saturn's brief offensive flurries; the former ECW star's inventive moveset is as fun to watch as Goldberg's raw intensity. Ignoring the hiccups (a bothced back elbow from the apron, a mistimed dropkick) is easy when you get a finish sequence as hot (and incredible) as this. Fun, above-average match. (3/5)

Chavo Guerrero vs. Ultimo Dragon is one of the best cruiser matches I've seen that doesn't include Mysterio, Malenko, or Chavo's uncle Eddie. Dragon and Guerrero bust out a ton of submissions early and, throughout the match-up, both competitors display defensive wrestling techniques (reversals, counter-strikes, blocks) that you don't see often enough in today's product. The attention to detail and crisp execution (save for yet another mistimed dropkick) would make this a better-than-average match on its own, but what keeps the audience engaged is the added bonus of having Eddie Guerrero carrying on ringside, advancing his on-going drama with his nephew. Guerrero's facial expressions are overdramatic and campy, but hey, this is WCW Wrestling, not Masterpiece Theater. A telegraphed finish hurts this one a touch, but overall, a very good (almost great) match that provides quality storyline advancement as well. (3.5/5)

The hits keep coming when the Television Title is on the line - Booker T defending the strap against Chris Benoit. The story coming into this match is that Booker and Benoit had wrestled two time limit draws over the previous few weeks forcing WCW to eliminate the time limit for this showdown. In the early going, Benoit won't let Booker T get any momentum, scrambling out of the ring every time it looks like the Harlem Heater is gonna get on a roll. While the match starts a bit slowly, Booker T working an armbar and Benoit's offense initially just consisting of some of the stiffest, loudest chops ever, as it revs up, Booker T's selling and bumping paired with Benoit's steely determination and vicious suplex display draws the crowd in and transform this match into, easily, the best Television Championship match I've caught in months. Without a heel/face dynamic, the crowd is fully behind both men by the end, especially in the las third of the contest when Benoit delivers several outstanding maneuvers (a picture-perfect diving headbutt, a trio of german suplexes, and a back suplex from the top rope) but can't score a pinfall due to his own exhaustion. Booker's final comeback is not as technically impressive, but the audience doesn't mind, popping huge for an Arn Anderson-worthy Spinebuster, a Tito Santana-inspired flying forearm, and Booker T's very own Spinnerooni. Referee shenanigans taint the winner's victory, but progresses the story without sacrificing either man's overness or credibility. The best Booker T match I've seen on my journey through WCW's pay-per-views and one of Benoit's best performances as well. (4/5)

After three good-to-great matches, I was wondering when this show would sink a little and the next match was the answer - British Bulldog vs. Curt Hennig with Jim Neidhart and Rick Rude handcuffed outside of the ring. I'd guess these two guys worked a ton together in the WWE during the early 90s (and a cursory Google search proved it) but there's not much chemistry to speak of here, both men definitely just going through the motions to get to an unremarkable finish that actually hurts everyone involved (including Bret Hart, who isn't even there for it) by making it painfully obvious that the whole Hart Family/nWo rivalry was at least 2-3 entire rungs down the ladder in terms of relevancy. When Vincent is a key figure in your storyline, you know you're small potatoes. Poor Bret. (1/5)

Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner make their way down the aisle, "The Stuff" showing off a brand new cast on his wrist. Bagwell claims that, due to injury, their match tonight is cancelled, but JJ Dillon (and a doctor in street clothes) show up to put the kibosh on their tomfoolery. Lex Luger and Rick Steiner (with Ted DiBiase in tow) make their way down the aisle and the match has begun, though, despite trying to avoid the match, its the heels who dominate for most of the match's duration, breaking down the Dog-Faced Gremlin and cutting the ring in half. Eventually Luger comes in for the hot tag and Scott Steiner runs away from his revitalized brother like a coward leading to a predictable "feel good" ending. More of storyline-advancing segment than a PPV-worthy contest, but it isn't bad for what it is. However, one does have to wonder, considering how unimpressive the action was, how many people really were clamoring for a Steiner vs. Steiner match so many months after Big Poppa Pump's heel turn? (1.5/5)

Tony Schiavone announces the next match as a bonus bout and what a bonus it is - La Parka vs. Psicosis. As much as I wanted to adore this match (as a fairly big La Parka fan), it just didn't measure up to the peaks that La Parka had previously reached in his WCW pay-per-view appearances. Ditto for Psicosis, whose match against Rey Mysterio at Bash at the Beach 96' is one of the greatest cruiser battles I've ever seen. Part of the problem is the fact that the crowd is beyond dead, barely popping for any of the high spots, even when they're head-spinningly awesome (for example, Psicosis hits a corkscrew somersault to the outside that is way, way riskier than this crowd deserves from him). Now, maybe in 1998, when cruisers could be enjoyed weekly via Nitro and Thunder, a match like this could be seen as ho-hum, but in 2016, we just don't see daredevil wrestling presented as fun and character-driven as these two did it. Plus, even in a slightly-less-than-amazing La Parka match, you're still talking about a guy who exuded so much charisma and worked the actual ring in such crafty ways to gain an advantage (notice the way the Chair Man of WCW utilizes the ropes and, in one great spot, the imbalance of two guys on the turnbuckle) that there is far more to enjoy in this match than there is to complain about. Average on the La Parka scale is above-average on everyone else's. (3/5)

Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan make their way out for the next contest, a Bat-on-a-Pole match against Roddy Piper and The Giant. Piper goes for the bat early on, but ends up taken down by the heels. Piper gets on a bit of a roll, though, and Hogan bumps and sells for him with respectable pizzazz - the fact is, as old and tired as Hogan was even in 1998, he could still draw huge reactions with minimal work. Not a single high spot in the La Parka/Psicosis match popped the crowd as much as seeing the Hulkster put over The Giant's knee and cartoonishly spanked. When Nash and The Giant square off, they don't bother with anything as hard-hitting as what they attempted in their somewhat infamous first match but they don't half-ass it either, stealing a page from Piper and Hogan by keeping it simple but also keeping things moving and reserving their energy for a handful of "That was cool" moments (the double Big Boot and The Giant's dropkick, for two examples). The finish is structured chaos - the babyfaces teaming up to grab the bat while the heels rely on the arrival of Hogan's oiled-up ally The Disciple, Hollywood errantly striking his own teammate with the bat - and as a storyline-pushing angle, it is intriguing. Unfortunately, WCW wouldn't follow this up in the way fans were obviously craving (Nash vs. Hogan sooner rather than later), but in a vacuum, its a pretty enjoyable spectacle match. (2.5/5)

Epic Slamboree commercial next, the announcer promising that this event will...change...wrestling...history...forever. Seeing as I can't name a single match on the show, I'm going to wager that it didn't. (+1)

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Raven for Page's United States Championship follows, a match that kicks off so hot, it is almost a tragedy that it can't maintain that level of intensity and awesomeness for its entirety (an entirety that also feels like it doesn't last quite enough for it to be considered a true classic). Weapon shots galore, wild use of scenery, stiff shots from both guys, emphatic selling and bumping - Raven and Page are just outstanding here and spots by Billy Kidman (DDP hits one of his coolest Diamond Cutters here) and Sick Boy of Raven's Flock just add to a match already chock-full of fireworks. The crowd is thoroughly engaged as well, arguably more than they were in the more "star-studded" match that preceded this one and definitely more than the main event that follows. Even the commentators can't help but mark out. As close to a 4-star match as a match might get. (3.5/5)

Main event time? Sting vs. Randy Savage for the WCW World Championship in a No DQ match is our show's closer, but the bout really serves to just set the table for the post-match angle, a continuation of the brewing Nash/Hogan feud. Overshadowed by the much more hellacious brawl before it, Sting and Savage fight all over the arena and deliver a few decent moments (the Stinger Splash onto the guardrail spot is one I never tire of thanks to Sting's dedication to the bit), but things don't get interesting until the final moments, when Miss Elizabeth gets physically involved to a degree she rarely (if ever) had before. From there, clusterfuckery ensues as was wont for WCW's main event scene at this time (as evidenced by similar shenanigans wrapping up the two matches that came before this one too). Some critics have called this one of the worst WCW main events of the year, but I'm going to hold my judgment until I see how low WCW can go in 1998. As a stand-alone match, it's not that awful, but its also not anywhere close to great. Watching it, one can't help believe that these two could've actually put on a much better match if they had worked together in 94' or 95', when Sting was less dejected and Savage was less hobbled by injuries. (2/5)


WCW Spring Stampede 98' reminds me of Paul Simon's Graceland album. The first third is almost impervious to criticism. Goldberg/Saturn is a red hot opener. Chavo/Dragon is, maybe, the best Chavo Guerrero match I've ever seen and the first Ultimo Dragon match I found myself caring about in months. Booker T/Benoit is a classic TV Title Match reminiscent of the kind of great TV Championship bouts Regal delivered in 93'/94'. And then, with the all too familiar entrance theme of the New World Order, the wheels fall off the show. Hennig/Bulldog go through the motions in their match, both tag matches play out as extended angles that occur after a wrestling match occurs in the background, and the crowd is indifferent to a shoehorned "bonus match" between La Parka vs. Psicosis that is pretty exciting but painfully misplaced on the card. DDP/Raven shakes the cobwebs out of the crowd's collective head only for their brain to be bludgeoned by yet another angle posing as a contest, Sting not necessarily even trying to make the best of a bad situation and Savage, who was remarkably over at the time, essentially positioned as a supporting actor on what should be one of the biggest nights of his career. With a Kwang score of 2.77-out-of-5 thanks to a handful of very good (even great) matches, I'm categorizing this as...

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

WWE Royal Rumble 2003

WWE Royal Rumble 2003

Boston, Massachusetts - January 2003

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WWE World Champion was Kurt Angle, while the World Heavyweight Championship was held by Triple H. Lance Storm and William Regal held the World Tag Team Championships, while the WWE Tag Team Champions were Los Guerreros. Billy Kidman was in the midst of his third Cruiserweight Championship reign and Victoria held the WWE Womens' Championship at the time.

COMMENTARY: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW), Michael Cole and Tazz (SmackDown)

The 16th annual Royal Rumble kicked off with a match that would have serious consequences later in the show - The Big Show taking on Brock Lesnar for a spot in the evening's 30-man battle royale. Lesnar was over huge as a babyface while The Big Show was huge at this point, lumbering through this match. Of course, Show being noticeably heavy makes Lesnar's feats of strength even more impressive. I'm not sure the finish was ever in question, but after Show lands a chokeslam the crowd does bite hard on a near fall. A sub-par match that could've been at least average if Show was able to move faster than 1 mile per hour. (2/5)

The Dudley Boys take on the World Tag Team Champions, Lance Storm and William Regal, in the next bout. Within the first 15 seconds, the fans are demanding tables. A fun match, but nothing particularly memorable. Storm and Regal are near-flawless workers and the Dudleys were still over - but this is the type of solid-but-unspectacular match that these two teams could've essentially accomplished in their sleep. I'm not knocking the lack of creativity (or even tables), but average ain't exciting. (2.5/5)

Extra point for a video package hyping the debut of Nathan Jones. Jones was a "can't miss" prospect to some degree - 7 feet tall, 300+ pounds, legitimate villainous background, scary look - but his career would collapse almost as soon as it began, his run not even reaching El Gigante heights of notoriety. (+1)

Oh my - Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson. Where does one begin in describing this feud and match? For starters, a cursory search on Google reveals that this rivalry began in October - meaning that this was the culmination of a 4 MONTH FEUD. Compare that to Angle and Benoit, who wrestle later in the evening but were tag team partners for months earlier. Anyway...a half-point must be awarded for the incredible video package that precedes this match and captures some of the most distasteful moments in WWE history, including Torrie Wilson's father, Al Wilson, suffering a heart attack during his honeymoon with Marie and then the out-and-out BRAWL that occurred at his funeral between our two leading ladies. If the Katie Vick storyline is RAW's unparalleled low point, the Al Wilson storyline is SmackDown's nadir. The match that ensues is sloptastic, but they at least try some moves beyond hair tosses and forearms. Surprisingly, though, what really hurts the match is that it is worked like any other (poorly choreographed) womens' match of its time. Dawn Marie should be enjoying the beatdown she administers while Torrie Wilson should be an emotional volcano, erupting with anger to the point of destroying Marie beyond recognition. Instead, we get a rather rushed finish to a feud that, again, lasted four months and involved the DEATH of one woman's father at the hands of her opponent. I'm not saying this should've been a 60-minute Hell in a Cell match, but if you're going to give us an overwrought soap opera build, give us an overwrought soap opera conclusion. (0.5/5)

Hey - the matches of tonight may not be anything special, but we do get some great vignettes. This time its Sean O'Haire who breaks up the monotony with his fun Devil's Advocate gimmick. I'd love to see a guy like Austin Aries get similar spotlights prior to his debut on the main roster because a segment like this gets much more accomplished than a cold match in front of an indifferent audience. (+1)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line when Scott Steiner challenges Triple H. Scott Keith gave this negative stars. Dave Meltzer gave this one star. Me? I don't know...I mean, it's a bad match. The layout is questionable as Triple H fights from underneath so much that the crowd, which was 50/50 anyway (due to this being pretty much The Game's hometown), is definitely rooting for him by the end. At one point, Triple H bleeds needlessly and so gratuitously that it comes across as overreaching. Steiner sports a whale tail that would make Lita blush and he botches an underhook powerbomb. The finish draws huge boos from the crowd....but Flair's involvement is great, Triple H and Steiner sell for each other well, and the other dozen or so power moves that Steiner executes are crisp. If you think this is one of the worst matches on PPV ever, I'd draw your attention to some of the crap WCW put on their Battlebowl cards or basically just about every match on the InVasion pay-per-view. For a World Title match, this one underwhelms, but its not a slap-in-the-face insult the way so many other critics have described it. In fact, as Act II of a storyline, the finish (and post-match) makes total sense, even if the crowd wanted a clean ending. (2/5)

And on the opposite end of the spectrum we have the next bout - Kurt Angle defending the WWE Championship against Chris Benoit. At the time, this match was praised heavily - including earning near-masterpiece status from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer (he gave it a rare 4.75 stars) - and I must admit that, the first time I saw it (this would be in 06'/07'?), I believed it to be one of the best matches I'd ever seen, right up there with Bret vs. Perfect at SummerSlam 91', one of my go-to "Favorite Matches Ever" as a remarkably great match rife with emotion but never overdramatic or corny. The emotion is earned in this match through nothing more than wrestling. Subsequent viewings have taken some of the luster off the match - its one of those bouts that, on first viewing, feels much longer, like a true epic, but tends to get shorter every time I see it. Similarly, the post-match scene comes off as far more genuine when you don't see it coming after a lengthy commercial for the WWE Anthology CD. But these are small, slight criticisms. The timing, the counters and reversals, the struggle put into every submission, the way the crowd's interest and emotions are built up from a respectable rumble (no pun intended) to raucous ovations...this match is just undeniably terrific. Modern viewers unfamiliar with this match may see it as a harbinger of the "self-conscious epic" of today and may even criticize the sheer amount of high spots and "movez" - but I find that criticism invalid for this particular match. To me, Benoit and Angle (especially) had their fair share of matches with each other and others where they seemed more interested in proving how much they could do instead of telling a story, but this one actually seems edited to me, like they decided to purposely let their biggest spots breathe and didn't hesitate to take two extra breaths with their selling. For being, arguably, the quintessential match of both guys' WWE careers, I have no issues scoring this one high. 13 years later, it remains a must-see match, the execution flawless and the finish standing as one of the most definitive endings to a title fight ever. (4.5/5)

Main event time - the 2013 Royal Rumble kicks off with the arrival of our number one and number two entrants - Shawn Michaels and Chris J...Christian, rather. With the distraction in place, Jericho attacks the Showstopper from behind, bloodying him with a chair and tossing him as Chris Nowitski (the number 3 entrant) watches from outside. As a start to the Rumble, its an awesome, attention-grabbing sequence that is only strengthened by Jericho's strong work over the next 30+ minutes (save for one moment when, at least to these eyes, it looks like his feet do hit the ground during one of his many "skin the cat" moments). Elsewhere, we get a nice callback to the previous year's show when Undertaker and Maven share a moment and John Cena cutting an R-rated promo to the delight of the crowd (Batista also has a respectable showing in his first Rumble appearance). Unfortunately, what hurts the match is its lack of consequence beyond birthing the Michaels/Jericho feud and providing a storyline explanation for Brock Lesnar to compete for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 19. In fact, examining that card, one sees a plethora of names that don't appear anywhere on this show, specifically Steve Austin, The Rock, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan (3 out of 4 would appear at February's No Way Out show). While the finish was likely never in question to most fans in 2003, the lack of star power or even a single surprise entrant hurts the replay value considerably (throughout the match, Ross essentially admits to knowing every expected entrant [but not what number they drew], telegraphing the idea that there will be no shocking debuts or returns in this match beyond the advertised re-emergence of the Undertaker). A decent edition of the company's most popular annual speciality match, but far from worth revisiting. (3/5)



With a Kwang score of 2.75-out-of-5, the 2013 Royal Rumble is a one match show that is buoyed by a handful of good production choices (love those Nathan Jones and Sean O'Haire promos), storyline advancement (the Michaels/Jericho sequences during the Rumble match), and fun sports-entertainment moments (Cena's raps, the return of The Undertaker). The rest of the show is a split between a trainwreck that you can't look away from and dreck that you'd fast forward through on a typical RAW episode. On the trainwreck side you get Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson attempting to put on a heated wrestling match when neither is capable of the simplest of maneuvers and Triple H trying laughably hard to prove his value by "carrying" Scott Steiner to a bloody, suplex-filled showdown (when, in reality, if they had stuck to a more traditional layout and less nuanced finish, it would've actually worked better). The dreck is what is left over (the non-match between Show and Lesnar and the instantly-forgettable Tag Titles bout). I can see Ruthless Aggression superfans calling this one of the best shows of that era, but I'm certainly not a member of that minority. Are you?

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WWE Hell in a Cell 2016

WWE Hell in a Cell 2016

Boston, Massachusetts - October 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Kevin Owens is the reigning WWE Universal Champion while Roman Reigns holds the United States Championship. The New Day are still your WWE World Tag Team Champions, TJ Perkins is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and Sasha Banks holds the RAW Womens' Championship.

COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton

Hell in a Cell 2016 kicked off with the first of three cell matches - Rusev vs. Roman Reigns for Reigns' United States Championship match. Relatively slow-paced and full of weapons, Rusev and Reigns delivered a pretty good hardcore match - but a Hell in a Cell? Not really. As would be the problem for the two cell matches that followed, the lack of blood put on a ceiling on the drama and I'm just not really a fan of matches built around steel steps spots. Rusev busted out a kendo stick at one point, striking Reigns right across his chest protector in one of the more silly sequences. There was at least one great sequence of wrestling leading up to a Superman Punch and Rusev's chain-assisted Accolade made for a great visual, but this match was less interesting than the pull-apart brawl they had at SummerSlam. (3/5)

Bayley took on Dana Brooke next. This match was ripped to shreds by many, but I didn't find it too distasteful. Dana Brooke is a face tattoo away from being Luna Vachon. Very deliberate, highly choreographed work. Clean finishes are a good thing and this one didn't overstay its welcome, but that's about the best that can be said about it. (1.5/5)

Commercials galore.

Jericho is backstage with Mick Foley and Stephanie for a filler segment.

The action continues with Enzo and Cass taking on Gallows and Anderson. The more abstract and weird that Enzo gets with his pre-match schtick, the more I appreciate him. Speaking of Enzo, his offense looked noticeably better here than in recent months and it should be fun to see him tangle with the similar-sized members of the New Day (as you'd have to believe that feud is coming sooner than later considering they're the only two tag teams on RAW that are remotely over). Gallows and Anderson may have been "big in Japan," but in America, they are irrelevant and dull. Another ho-hum match that was thankfully kept short and ended clean. (1.5/5)

We're back in the Cell for the WWE Universal Championship match - Kevin Owens defending against Seth Rollins. You know a show isn't very good when you don't get your first great spot of the night until 90 minutes in and you've already had a Hell in a Cell match. Stiff, action-packed, with good character work, but a lack of selling took me out of the first half, particularly one sequence where both Owens and Rollins were landing great-looking superkicks but treating them like Duane Gill chest chops. Rollins hit an impressive suplex on the apron before we got some much-needed shenanigans in the form of a fire extinguisher and the arrival of Owens' best friend, Chris Jericho. I really enjoyed Y2J's involvement, his presence taking this Hell in a Cell match somewhere relatively fresh. Despite being at a 2-on-1 disadvantage, Rollins connected with an incredible powerbomb on Owens through two tables leading to an Eddie homage frogsplash and a big near fall. I didn't particularly like the finisher kickout that followed, but the vicious chairshots that Rollins suffered definitely worked. A very good match that probably could've been considered great if it had been slowed down and significant moves were treated as significant. Instead, the "go-go-go" of this match worked against it as almost nothing these two did registered as effective. (3.5/5)

Brian Kendrick challenged TJ Perkins for his Cruiserweight Championship next. The crowd could not have cared less about this and, while I'm an admitted Kendrick mark, I was equally bored by this one. Where are Perkins' signature moves? His Detonation Kick is sweet, but aside from that, I'm not sold on him being a fresh and exciting performer. Even on the main roster, we've seen better high-flying out of Kalisto and Neville. Kendrick hit a nifty belly-to-back into a cradle at one point too. Dull start to the match leading to a finish that was too derivative to fool anyone in the crowd. (1/5)

The New Day defended their WWE World Tag Team Championships against Sheamus and Cesaro in the next contest. Considering the amount of experience in the ring, I was surprised how sloppy this one started, Cesaro and Woods not grooving as well together as one might've expected.  A decent enough schmoz finish wrapped up a match that was definitely better than the first tag bout of the night but nothing worth seeking out. The New Day need new challenges that are booked as credible threats to them and, while Sheamus and Cesaro are better-than-average workers, they weren't positioned as potential usurpers nearly well enough for this match to have any real suspense. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Charlotte challenging Sasha Banks for her WWE Womens' Championship in Banks' hometown of Boston. Both women got lavish entrances after an excellent video package really set the tone for this history-making showdown. While every other cell match began with the cage already on the floor, Charlotte and Banks got into the ring when it was still hanging overhead, essentially telegraphing how this fight would begin. Banks took a huge powerbomb through an announcer's table and the match, which had not yet begun, was seemingly cancelled on the spot. While it was obvious the match wouldn't end this way, credit must be given to Banks and Charlotte - lesser actors would've bungled the story, but Banks' tears seemed real and Charlotte's grating, obnoxious celebrating made it impossible not to want to see her get her ass kicked. Once the match started back up, the two women proceeded to put on the match of the night and one of the best matches of the year. Nothing that the men had done in their cell matches seemed original, while this one featured a variety of fresh spots, partially because Banks and Charlotte have the speed and agility of cruiserweights and, as far as I can recall, we've never seen two out-and-out cruisers in a cell match. Hence, we saw monkey flips into the cage wall, huge crossbodies, and double knees that were delivered with more intensity than anything the men did. Unlike Rusev and Reigns, whose use of weapons seemed perfunctory, Charlotte utilized chairs and tables to target Banks' injured back, at one point sending her through a chair with a spinning sidewalk slam. In return, Sasha had her best babyface performance yet - trying her best to outwrestle Charlotte throughout but not being afraid to get violent (the double knees in the corner onto a chair was a particularly kickass moment). As the match winded down, the drama increased, Flair eventually ramming Banks' head into the corner of the steps in a rapid motion that looked like it should've opened her up hardway. What appeared to be a botched table spot on the outside eventually sequenced into Charlotte locking in the Figure 8, but Sasha would not quit, bashing the hell out of Flair with a chair. This led to a riveting and emotional forearm-trading stretch in which Charlotte's demands of "Respect Me!" seemed like they came from deep inside her soul, her character's true motivation beyond just holding the WWE Womens' Championship finally coming to light. Sasha tried valiantly to hoist Charlotte up for a powerbomb through a table, but ultimately fell short, the toll of the match making it impossible for her to seal the deal. The actual finish was abrupt and underwhelming, an unfortunately anti-climactic ending to a match that delivered some tremendous violence, remarkable character work out of both performers, and an emotional weight that neither of the previous cell matches even bothered to attempt. A stronger ending would've thrust this even higher on my rating scale, but expect to see this one on my Year End's list. (4/5)


With only one match worth seeking out, Hell in a Cell 2016 (and its 2.43-out-of-5 Kwang score) was a below-average show that no one will ever want to revisit. While the main event was a must-see affair, Rusev/Reigns and Owens/Rollins were the kind of instantly forgettable matches that have thoroughly deflated the entire concept of the Hell in a Cell as a gimmick match. Now, its been many a year since what was once the most violent stipulation match in the WWE lost its defining quality, but one can still criticize the WWE for shoehorning this event (and its guarantee of not just one cell match, but multiple cell matches) into its yearly schedule instead of actually letting the need for a cell organically rear its head in a storyline.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WCW UnCensored 98'

WCW UnCensored 98'

March 1998 - Mobile, Alabama

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Sting is the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, the Outsiders are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, Booker T holds the TV Title, the US Champion is Diamond Dallas Page, and Chris Jericho holds the Cruiserweight Championship.

COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

Eddie Guerrero challenges Booker T for his World Television Championship in the opener. From the very start, this one is worked intelligently and the crowd eats up pretty much everything they do. Guerrero is excellent as the heel, initially trying to avoid Booker T and buy time, but then getting vicious when he is able to score the upper hand. Booker T, meanwhile, may not have been the most polished worker yet, but his enthusiasm is contagious and the crowd was definitely hugely behind him. The type of match that makes one miss the Television Championship and what it stood for - solid storytelling, clear heroes and villains, urgency, and palpable drive to defeat your opponent to achieve a true goal. I would've liked Guerrero to get more violent during the post-match, but overall, a strong opening contest that was borderline great. (3.5/5)

Next up, a rematch from several years before (and one of the most truly fucked up matches I've reviewed), Juventud Guerrera taking on the nWo's Konnan. Unlike their notoriously botchy and almost kayfabe-breaking match-up at Fall Brawl 96' (which I still gave 4-stars), in this one, they seem like they're on the same page for the most part which makes for a more comfortable viewing. Konnan dominates again, but that was always his best role in WCW anyway - tossing around cruiserweights and acting like a total bully. Meanwhile, Guerrera is perfectly fine as an underdog, though, not nearly as good as Rey Mysterio. There are some great spots throughout this match, some daredevil bumping by Guerrera, and some impressive offense out of K-Dawg, but the finish is so "out of nowhere," it really hurts any sort of credibility the match had built up. (2.5/5)

The WCW Cruiserweight Championship is on the line when Chris Jericho defends against Dean Malenko. A month prior, Jericho had had won of his best matches yet against Juvi and he steps it up again here, shifting organically from cowardly, ass-showing heel to vicious, corner-cutting villain over the course of the match. Malenko, mild-mannered and cool, is a great foil to the brash Jericho and their in-ring chemistry is hard to ignore. Their feud, up to this point, had emphasized Malenko's tremendous offensive repertoire and Jericho's jealousy (and ludicrous claim that he knew even more moves than the Iceman), but the match doesn't go to extreme bounds to play that up - for better or worse. While it may have been fun to see Jericho try his hand at dozens and dozens of increasingly complex submissions, as his comedic promos may have alluded to, it's not a knock against the match that, as the match goes on, both competitors are more interested in winning than just dazzling the crowd with innovative spots (and Jericho calling out things like "This is #634!" doesn't last longer than minute 2). (3.5/5)

Lex Luger takes on the nWo's newest member - Scott Steiner - next. On paper, this seems like a terrible match, especially in 1998 (had it happened in 90'/91', it would've been a fairly big deal), but with a very short running time and Steiner wrestling a sell-first style unlike anything we'd ever seen out of him before, it's a pretty fun sprint. That being said, the execution of both Steiner and Luger is far from flawless, but the crowd pops for the big moments and the match is lean enough that it almost seems like all big moments. The finish is clusterfuckery, but it keeps everyone looking strong and signals to the match that fans were really craving - brother vs. brother, Rick vs. Scott. (2.5/5)

In 1998, three-way matches weren't unheard of to most wrestling fans (ECW's first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, from almost a year earlier had featured one), but for WCW, a true triangle match was still a novelty. Fortunately, the workers involved here were three of the most creative that WCW had to offer - Chris Benoit, Raven, and United States Champion, Diamond Dallas Page. Unlike in today's typical three-way, Raven, Benoit, and Page stay in close proximity for the vast majority of the match, cutting off eachother's pin attempts and really delivering the non-stop action that matches like these should provide. Pinfalls count anywhere, which adds an extra element to the match and promotes the usage of high-risk and hardcore wrestling out of all three men, the fight even ending up at the entrance way at one point. On commentary, Schiavone and Tenay do a nice job of retelling some history to make it clear that all three men are tough enough (and crazy enough) to go to extremes to win the match. Things get crazy when the weapons come into play, all three men giving and taking some vicious shots as the match devolves into a violent brawl. The first misstep is a lame, botched table spot near the entrance way, but by this point, the crowd had seen so much, it doesn't damper their spirits in the least. Page's crawl back into the match may be a trope now, but back then, his immense popularity and the freshness of the stipulation allowed it to work in a way it really can't in 2016. Back in the ring, Benoit's dismantling of Raven is awesome, the ex-ECW star selling with the kind of gusto that only comes from knowing you are tearing the house down (and have even more A+ stuff on the way). The final spot of the match isn't pretty, but its hard to fault the performers when part of the fun of this match, for the audience and seemingly for the participants, was to take every risk imaginable and innovate without a net. Well worth checking out. (4/5)

As JJ Dillon had announced earlier, the powerbomb is legal in the next contest - Kevin Nash vs. The Giant in a rematch from Souled Out 98' (which, itself, was a rescheduling of their cancelled match at Starrcade 97'). Nash arrives first with a cocky grin followed by The Giant (who has no entrance music, but is sporting a neck brace). There's some intimidating posing out of both men and then kung fu comedy out of Nash, these two obviously not looking to take the same risks they took in their surprisingly athletic exhibition in January. Say what you will about how the nWo had made WCW look like chumps for all of 97', by this point in the feud, the crowd would still rally behind guys they believed could thump the villains and The Giant was one of em'. Nash takes more bumps in this match than I think he's taken post-2005, but aside from a single bodyslam, there was not much meat to this. A dumb run-in makes the drama of the Jacknife Powerbomb being legal moot. (1.5/5)

Bret Hart takes on Curt Hennig next. While this pales in comparison to their matches at SummerSlam 91' and the first King of the Ring PPV, its still worth watching for fans of either guy, especially considering that neither would go on to produce any real classics from this point on. I particularly like Rude's consistent involvement and Hart's resiliency and focus - this is Bret doing the Bret of 92'-96' in front of a 1998 crowd that had moved on from that type of storytelling, which makes it an interesting watch, even if it isn't the best bout of the night. Above-average based on their chemistry alone, but certainly a step down in terms of heat from what Bret had done with Austin, Michaels, and Undertaker in the WWE a half-year earlier. (3.5/5)

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship is on the line - Sting defending the title against Scott Hall, who had won this opportunity by being the sole survivor in November's World War 3 battle royale (who woulda thunk WCW would actually hold up the guaranteed title shot from that match 4 months later?). The best bits of this match are Hall's - his bumping and clowning were really second to none at this point, though, Sting had lost so much credibility at Starrcade (and in the months after) that this match has absolutely none of the "big title fight" feel that his first defense could've (and should've) had. In 1998, having Dusty Rhodes as your wingman in what was supposed to be a "too cool for school" stable was just an awful idea. This was a pre-Memba Berries era and Dusty was only a hair hipper than Lee Marshall at the time (hell, if Chris Cruise had joined the nWo it would've made more sense than the Dream doing it). At under 10 minutes and featuring Sting doing a "crotch chop" (because that was a "cool" thing that faces did in the late 90s), this match seems like the death knell for the Crow gimmick and any chance of Sting being booked as a legitimate champion in WCW. (2/5)

Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. "The Maddness" Randy Savage. What is really surprising about this one is just how motivated Hogan seems, especially compared to Sting, essentially proving that the poor booking of the Stinger and the continued dominant booking of the Hulkster may have actually been a good idea. Macho is pretty animated but he's slowed down since the feud with DDP and, against Hogan, can't get nearly as brutal with his offense. There are all sorts of ridiculous moments to this match, including a finish and post-match that are beyond dumb, but one can't argue that the old timers got lazy here - they blade, they go at eachother with stiff belt shots, and Savage takes a hell of a back body drop into the cage wall. Far from the best cage match WCW ever produced, but not nearly as embarrassing as some of the ones Hogan produced against The Giant or the Dungeon of Doom in 94'/95'. Again, the post-match is inarguably one of the worst "swerves" WCW would throw against the wall in a year full of mindless garbage booking. (1.5/5)



Don't let the 2.72-out-of-5 average score fool you - this is a show for only WCW's most faithful fans, those people out there who can actually appreciate what Hogan and Savage are able to accomplish despite themselves, who can watch a lesser Hart/Hennig match and recognize the quality storytelling (even as the crowd takes a siesta), who can turn back their mental clock and get caught up in the innovation and excitement of the excellent triple threat match while ignoring the fact that nearly every spot here has been done and redone countless times since. This is a show that "smart" fans will enjoy partially because of how of its times it is - and how easy it is to watch and pick apart (Booker T and Eddie Guerrero in an opening match? The Disciple showing up in a main event? Juventud Guerrera maskless? What was WCW thinking?!?). But there's far funnier ways to spend 3 hours on the WWE Network if its comedy you're looking for.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Armageddon 2002

Armageddon 2002

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - December 2002

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, The Big Show is the reigning WWE Champion while Shawn Michaels is the World Heavyweight Champion. Chris Jericho and Christian are the WWE Tag Team Champions while Los Guerreros hold the World Tag Team Championships. The Womens' Champion is Victoria. Billy Kidman held the WWE Cruiserweight Title coming into the show, but did not defend it on PPV.

COMMENTARY: Tazz and Michael Cole (SmackDown), Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross (RAW)

Armageddon kicks off with a fatal fourway elimination match for the World Tag Team Championships - Chris Jericho and Christian defending against The Dudley Boys, Lance Storm and William Regal, and the popular odd couple of Booker T and Goldust. The crowd desperately wants tables, but the reunited Dudleys don't provide them, getting eliminated (along with Storm and Regal) in rapid succession within the first ten minutes or so of the match. From here, we get a good-not-great 2-on-2 contest, the crowd fully in support of the babyfaces (particularly Booker T). Signature offense leads to some close near falls before a well-executed final sequence to crown new champions. Solid opener. (2.5/5)

Edge vs. A-Train is next. This is the type of match that might've benefitted from context - but I've never been an Albert fan and Edge, even at his best, has always been someone I've enjoyed most when he's been paired with an elite worker or someone that is at least as over as he is. Albert is neither. The final minutes are strong, but the finish doesn't make a ton of sense. The post-match is fun, but I feel like if you take the last act and restructure it, you'd have Edge coming out hotter and Albert not looking any worse than he already does when we fade to black. (1.5/5)

After a quick segment with Heyman and Big Show, we get one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Eddie Guerrero, taking on Chris Benoit. Cole and Tazz play up how important this match is as the winner will inch even closer to a World Championship shot. Guerrero hits a huge splash from the top rope to the outside in the match's first big spot, giving him the advantage back in the ring. Guerrero spends a ton of time working on Benoit's left leg, slowing the pace but, after a some nifty reversals, ending up locked in for a series of nasty german suplexes from the Crippler. Benoit calls for the headbutt, but Guerrero is on his face before he can get to the tough rope, causing him to come back to the mat and hit Latino Heat with even more germans! Guerrero gets a rope break and, in an impressive show of strength, its Guerrero who starts tossing out the suplexes in rapid succession, following them with a picture perfect frog splash for two. Chavo Guerrero rears his ugly head to assist his uncle, but the tough-as-nails Benoit stays alive, even after Eddie locks in his Lasso from El Paso submission. Miraculously back in control minutes later, Benoit hits a huge powerbomb and, despite interference, a flying headbutt. Exhausted, he's unable to capitalize in time, Guerrero wisely returning to the Lasso. However, it's the technical prowess of Benoit that enables him to eventually lock in his Crippler Crossface for the win. A tough, physical match with great sequences, but even with Cole and Tazz's quality commentary, the match doesn't necessarily feel consequential - it feels more like the WWE had found a lever reading "automatic great match" and just pulled it, knowing full well that even at their worst, these could two tear the house down. Better than average because these everything these guys did was usually better than average. (3/5)

Thanks to a lengthy video package, we are provided some context for our next segment - Dawn Marie's revelation concerning her hotel stay with Torrie Wilson. The story here is that Dawn Marie's romance with Torrie Wilson's dad, Al Wilson, was all just mind games to get Torrie's attention. Dawn Marie comes out with Al and proceeds to hype the footage she has of their hotel tryst and call out Torrie, who she claims is in hiding (classic wrestling trope). Cut to the video footage from Room 357,  a large percentage of which had already aired on SmackDown based on the video package. After initially resisting Dawn Marie, Torrie downs a glass of wine and eats a strawberry out of Dawn Marie's hands, the video segment getting creepier and less erotic with each passing minute. The crowd pops big for the big kiss as Dawn Marie freezes the footage to survey the crowd about whether they want to see more or not. As expected, the crowd does - but Al Wilson doesn't, drawing "asshole" chants from the crowd. At this point, all the heat that was on Dawn Marie is now on Al Wilson, the wet blanket, while Marie actually comes out of it looking less like a bitch and more like your run-of-the-mill pervert. Embarrassing segment. (0/5)

Batista, with Ric Flair in tow, makes his WWE pay-per-view debut next - squaring off against Kane. The two monsters trade power moves and work at a much quicker pace than one might've imagined, neither guy wasting any time with restholds or over-dramatic selling. Flair tries to get involved on the outside, but Kane no sells him and maintains control on the inside with a big boot and a rather overtly-choreographed sidewalk slam to Batista, looking greener and greener as the match wears on. Batista botches a powerbomb attempt (or was it just supposed to look like he did?) and the crowd lets him hear it before Kane connects with a clothesline off the top. Batista regains control with a spine buster, but this match went off the rails minutes earlier and the repetitive sequences are doing it no favors. Not even the Nature Boy getting involved can truly save it, though, the Batista Bomb that ends it is a considerably impressive move (that Kane proceeds to no sell by sitting up from almost immediately after the bell). This one started out much stronger than it ended. (1.5/5)

John Cena and Bull "Bling Bling" Buchanan are here! Cena spits a "freestyle" in the entrance area. Based on the crowd's reaction (or non-reaction), Cena's shtick wasn't quite as hot as it would become yet. For the novelty of it, I'm gonna reward it a point. (+1)

The Womens' Championship is on the line in the next match-up - Victoria defending the strap against Jaqueline and Trish Stratus. While the execution here is not nearly as fluid as the kind of action we see out of the women in the WWE today, the performances are no less passionate, brave, or physical. In fact, some of the sequences attempted here are as risky and physically-demanding as the high spots that Sasha Banks busts out. Unfortunately, aside from just the fact that the work is sloppier all around (Jacqueline, for example, was always known more for her in-ring toughness rather than how smooth she was), the finish shows that the bookers had much less confidence that the women could actually tell a fleshed-out story that wouldn't bore the audience. Their low expectations seem quaint now as, even on this show, I'd have shaved off 1-2 minutes from Edge/Albert and Batista/Kane to see what else these ladies could've accomplished. (2/5)

The WWE Championship is on the line - Kurt Angle challenging The Big Show. The story around this match really revolves around Brock Lesnar, though, the guy screwed out of the title by Paul Heyman at Survivor Series. For some reason, Show comes to the ring first, followed by Kurt Angle, who comes out to a somewhat muted response - the crowd not quite sure if they should cheer or boo the guy. Once the match begins, though, a "Let's Go Angle" chant starts up, maybe inspired by the fact that Lesnar (the true babyface in this storyline) isn't around for them to root for. A motivated, dominating Big Show is my favorite Big Show and Angle, like Triple H, is almost always just a tad funner to watch when paired against a guy with a dramatically different size or style (for example, against a high-flyer like Mysterio or monster like Undertaker). Forced to use his speed and agility, Angle may not execute his dropkicks and moonsaults perfectly, but it makes a ton more sense than trying to suplex a 500-pounder (though, it's not as if Angle doesn't hit some of his signature offense, including an Angle Slam early on). A ref bump allows Big Show to escape the Ankle Lock and the shenanigans begin, the crowd chanting "We Want Brock" in unison. A chair shot isn't enough to end things and, for the second time in a matter of minutes, Mike Chioda goes down. We then get a run-in from the one guy I think everyone can agree had no business even doing a run-in during a Championship match and the match goes on before we get the finish that everyone in the crowd saw coming (but also paid to see). A kitchen sink of a match that featured a little bit of everything - good action and sloppy action, logical storyline development and illogical storyline development, acceptable bullshit and disappointing bullshit. (3/5)

Rob Van Dam is at The World in New York City despite being one of the most over guys on the roster at the time. He says he's really looking forward to seeing Triple H get his ass kicked. Me too.

A video package provides context for our main event, a 3 Stages of Hell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Shawn Michaels defending against Triple H. Ric Flair gets tossed out of the match instantly, Earl Hebner trying to keep the first fall - a streetfight - at least somewhat even. For two guys known for storytelling and execution, the first round is far from flawless; there's a botched roll-through, a lazy Sweet Chin Music sequence, and very little in the way of psychology. Neither guy wrestles with any sort of strategy, even when it would make the most sense for Trips to target Michaels' back (instead, he goes after his knee). The fight heads on over to the entrance, Triple H grabbing a barbed wire 2x4 and then, moments before he goes to strike Michaels with it, lighting it on fire! Michaels is able to boot it out of his hands, though, and ends up hitting Helmsley with it himself in a well-intentioned, but not necessarily believable spot. The Game, now sliced open, ends up back in the ring, where Michaels hits him with a trash can lid but doesn't have the sense to actually go for a pinfall (after, again, a FLAMING, BARBWIRE 2x4 spot). The streetfight continues, Michaels eventually succumbing to a Pedigree for the first fall. As the cage lowers, Triple H goes to grab yet another table (despite neither of the first two, on the outside of the ring, getting utilized yet). In a bizarre and illogical decision, Triple H opts not to simply walk out of the cage the minute it lowers, setting up a table in the corner instead. Michaels ends up busted open a few minutes later after a slingshot into the cage. The combatants end up near the top of the cage as Ric Flair returns to stack up even more tables on the outside, teasing a huge fall from the top of the cage. Instead, Helmsley ends up back in the ring where Michaels hits him with an elbow from the top. Having seen enough, Flair gets involved, his interference backfiring to the point that the Nature Boy ends up a bloodier mess than either of his proteges. Despite connecting with a huge Sweet Chin Music, Michaels opts not to take the surefire pinfall, choosing instead to risk his own wellbeing to drive The Cerebral Assassin through a table with a splash from the top of the cage. As one could've predicted, we get Round 3 - a Ladder Match (which Lawler points out should favor the match's creator, the Heartbreak Kid). As one might've also predicted, the crowd seems somewhat exhausted by this point, likely because, after 30+ minutes, they'd seen just about every big spot possible - all except the one that had been teased and set-up from minute one (someone going through the growing collection of tables on the outside of the ring). After Michaels misses a splash from the top of the ladder, a sizable part of the audience becomes more interested in something happening in the audience than Triple H's second Pedigree and dramatic rung-climbing, brought back only after Michaels connects with his own second finisher of the night. From here, we get the only conclusion that could exist, a spot that actually benefits from being seen from afar (as the replay shows) rather than up close (where Michaels is clearly seen kicking a table away before the leg bounces directly into his face). An exhausting match both for the competitors and the audience, but undeniably brutal and certainly worth catching if you're a fan of these two's other vanity matches. (3.5/5)


With Kwang score of 2.25-out-of-5, Armageddon 2002 closed out the year for the company on an overall sour note. This show really does seem like the WWE limping to the finish line with Undertaker, Austin, and The Rock no longer around, Hogan and the nWo having come and gone, and Brock Lesnar and Rob Van Dam purposely "chilled" so as to build towards bigger moments at the Rumble (in the case of Lesnar) or not to overshadow Triple H and HBK (in the case of RVD). Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, Christian, and Edge are all around, but are positioned no higher than they were a year prior (actually, Jericho is positioned lower on the card at this point). In a vacuum, the show has redeeming qualities - the Women's Championship match is pretty great before it gets cut needlessly short, Guerrero/Benoit is solid, Angle/Show is fun, and if you crave a ridiculous, convoluted "epic," Michaels and Triple H deliver one with fists full of ham. I, personally, am not a fan of these self-conscious, logic-bending vanity matches and have seen enough "just good" Benoit and Guerrero matches that this card didn't appeal to me much (and I doubt it will appear to others). The less said about the eye-rollingly dated Torrie Wilson/Dawn Marie angle the better.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WCW SuperBrawl VIII

WCW SuperBrawl VIII

San Francisco, California - February 1998

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Championship is vacant, while the Steiner Brothers hold the WCW World Tag Team Championships. Diamond Dallas Page is the United States Champion, Rick Martel is the World Television Champion, and Chris Jericho holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

SuperBrawl VIII kicks off with Booker T taking on Rick Martel in a rematch from the previous month's Souled Out show. These two had unique chemistry - Martel could still go but was certainly the veteran while Booker T was the fresher figure on the scene, still a little green but definitely a much better performer here than he was 3-4 years earlier when Harlem Heat first came into WCW. Some of Bookah's offense looks sloppy, but the physicality helps because the viewer can really feel the impact of the hits he and Martel trade off. After dominating for the majority of the contest, Booker makes some rookie mistakes, launching himself into the guardrail at one point. The finish is terrific, though, and transitions to the next contest, this one for the WCW Television Championship... (2.5/5)

Before he can even catch his breath, Saturn locks Booker T in his Rings of Saturn submission, trying to make quick work of his challenger. The former ECW tag specialist is amazing here, showcasing the kind of variety that may not be all that impressive today (when guys like Seth Rollins are "the norm"), but made him really stand out back in 1998 - I mean, how many 250 pound guys were able to come at you with nasty suplexes, springboard moonsaults, shooter-quality submissions, and smash-mouth brawling back then? Booker T sells the fatigue of having to fight two rough bouts in a row, but what really helps him here is the emotion he brings to the match, an underrated quality in a position like this where one needs to convince the audience that pure adrenaline and desire can get you through 30 minutes of tooth-and-nail fighting. Again, I'm going to compliment the finish here - Saturn doesn't look weaker having lost and Booker T seems like he has something almost the equivalent of the Diamond Cutter that can put opponents down for 3 from any position he needs to. (3/5)

La Parka takes on Disco Inferno next and, from the very moment he's on the screen, the Chairman of WCW is awesome - dancing, throwing his chair, doing suicide spin moves over the top rope - he is just too good for this Earth. I've always had a soft spot for Inferno, a guy that has one of the worst gimmicks ever but played it so well that he deserved PPV time - something you really can't say about many music-themed dud characters that WWE offered in the mid-90s (for example, "The Real Double J" or Flash Funk). La Parka's offense is out of this world throughout, the kind of work that motivates me to search the Network for his Nitro matches just to see if he was this fun to watch all the time. While not a legendary match (and maybe just 2-3 minutes too long for two guys that, while entertaining, didn't necessarily have the best chemistry), I'd take these 12 minutes of action over the much more convoluted, high-spotty stuff that fills up too much of the WWE's midcard these days. (3/5)

The hype for the next bout is almost grating - Goldberg getting praised above and beyond what's necessary for his squash against Brad Armstrong. Goldberg's feats of strengths are impressive (as is the variety of throws he executes), plus there is no denying that the crowd reacts very positively to him (though, not quite as much as Heenan and Schiavone claim in their unending promotion). Nothing great, but this was not a match designed to be great. Like an Ultimate Warrior or Sid bout from the 80s/early 90s, this is a "segment" more than a match and its enjoyable and effective. (2.5/5)

Chris Jericho delivers one of his best bouts yet in the next match - the Lionheart defending his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Juventud Guerrera. Compared to the excellence of Mysterio/Guerrero from Halloween Havoc or Rey's matches against Malenko and Ultimo Dragon in 96', this one doesn't quite measure up - though it comes ridiculously close, its biggest weakness maybe being that it simply doesn't feature as likable an underdog as Mysterio. Jericho is fantastic, though, busting out all sorts of comedy schtick while still delivering vicious offense and playing the dominant villain who wants to win, but doesn't necessarily want to work as hard as he can to earn it. Guerrera's work is a bit less flashy than when he first burst onto the scene in WCW and the drama around the Hair vs. Title stipulation isn't focused on nearly to the level that Eddie and Rey had done it, but this one is still well worth digging up. (4/5)

Mongo McMichaels vs. The British Bulldog is next - Davey Boy wrestling his first PPV match for WCW since 1994. If Bulldog seemed out of place then, when his look wasn't so far removed from his 92' heyday, in 1998, the Union Jack-themed appearance clashes with its surroundings entirely. Mongo, meanwhile, seems like a guy fairly undeserving of the protected booking he's been receiving (not only here, but also in his not-so-one-sided feud with the emerging Goldberg) based on his work here. In the right setting (tag matches featuring Ric Flair, NFL or Debra-based rivalries), Mongo was acceptable, but this match falls in none of those categories and Bulldog, in 1998, is simply not working hard enough with his own diminishing skills to lift this one into even "so-so" territory. They at least attempt to tell a story, but the hammy acting is hard to ignore (or enjoy). Extra half-point for not going too long either. (1.5/5)

Following this one we get our United States Championship match, Chris Benoit challenging Diamond Dallas Page for the strap. Using his size advantage to get the upper hand, Page is very good here, blending domineering power moves with heelish backpedaling reminiscent of his work before he came "The People's Champion," effectively getting over the idea that Benoit is such a threat to him that he can only win by going to his vicious side. Benoit is equally focused, chopping down his larger opponent and trying to use his technical prowess to keep Page on the mat. Benoit eventually locks in a sleeper and while, in a lesser match, this would kill the crowd, Page is so animated that its anything but a rest hold. When, minutes later, Benoit attempts another sleeper, it leads to an excellent sequence culminating in a perfectly-executed superplex spot, both men believably down and out. Page calls for the Diamond Cutter but, for whatever reason, doesn't attempt the move, instead opting to try a lazy pinfall and then hitting a big clothesline from the top. Benoit is able to get his Crippler Crossface locked in, but DDP reaches the ropes quickly, the battle raging on and both guys showing exhaustion and frustration in equal measures. Benoit connects with a trio of german suplexes that shocks the sold out Cow Palace crowd and gets a count of 2.9 out of it. DDP combats it minutes later with a surprising DDT counter, leading to the final sequence. While not the type of match I'd go searching for, it's a very good bout, hard-hitting, action-packed, never dull, and wrestled with intensity from bell to bell. Good, nearly great, stuff. (3.5/5)

Before our next match, we get a video package hyping the rivalry between The Giant and Kevin Nash, including footage of the devastating powerbomb that nearly crippled the future Big Show.

Randy Savage takes on Lex Luger in a No Disqualification match next. One can look all the way back to 95' (I think) to find the roots of this rivalry, these two, even when on the same side of the good/bad divide, could never get on the same page. Savage arrives first with Miss Elizabeth and the crowd is fully in support of him, at one point chanting "Luger Sucks" at the Total Package. Smartly worked around Luger's rib injury, Savage shows that while he may have been declining in terms of his physical gifts, he was still about as entertaining a worker as one can be. The finish is a bit confusing, the nWo initially running in to help Macho but Savage not accepting their help (despite being perfectly fine with Liz's interference earlier in the match). It also leads to an implausible Torture Rack out of Luger who, even when he was fresh in the initial stages of the contest, couldn't apply the hold due to his condition. Good action and a decent way to further the Savage/nWo split storyline, but inessential viewing. (2.5/5)

The Steiner Brothers put their WCW World Tag Team Championships on the line against The Outsiders next. The crowd is vehemently behind the Outsiders from the very second the match begins, audibly chanting "Steiners Suck!" and "N-W-O!" Rick Steiner starts things off and has the match under control until - dun-dun-DUNNN - Scott Steiner turns on his own blood and joins the New World Order. Scott Hall botches his first attempt at an Outsider's Edge soon after, but connects with the redo to regain the titles for the bad guys. More of an angle than a match, this turn would mark the beginning of Steiner's singles run. Considering how stale this feud had gotten, how little sense it really made (didn't the Outsiders try to legitimately murder the Steiners 6 months or so earlier?), and how much Hall and Nash needed to be split up themselves and put into singles competition, this is far from a riveting segment, but it accomplished what it needed to, even if it wasn't the most dramatic or interesting route to get there. (2/5)

Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. Sting for the vacant WCW World Championship. As Hogan walks down the aisle, my initial thought is, "Where's Bret Hart?" January's Souled Out show had originated as an nWo-themed event, but SuperBrawl VIII is much more of an "nWo show" than Souled Out was. For some reason, Hogan comes out swinging from the get-go, dominating Sting with his belt and looking more aggressive and powerful than he has in at least a dozen or so months. Hogan moves around well, though, his offense beyond punches and chokes looks a bit awkward. Sting getting beaten down so bad in the opening minutes certainly doesn't help his credibility, but his cartoonish comeback pops the crowd and the Stinger ends up getting some quality revenge by wailing on Hogan with his own belt. Wisely, they take the match out of the ring, where minimal brawling (eye rakes, chokes, etc.) get much more mileage than they would in the squared circle. Sting attempts a Stinger Splash but eats the guardrail, giving Hogan a chance to steal a victory. Back in the ring, Sting is able to hit his Splash after all and even locks in the Scorpion Death Lock, though, Hogan is close enough to the ropes to survive. We get a ref bump and a Leg Drop (which pops the crowd huge), but Sting kicks out when replacement ref Nick Patrick makes the count. The match continues and Sting just won't stay down, Hogan losing focus and getting increasingly frustrated with each near fall but dominating all the while. Sting starts no-selling and the crowd eats it up, eventually hitting the Scorpion Death Drop but ending up knocking Nick Patrick to the mat. Hogan's flunkies show up and try to take out Sting, but Savage helps out and hits the already-beaten Hogan with an international object (a can of spray paint) as Nick Patrick wakes up and makes the count. In a cool moment, Sting sprays Hogan with the initials "WCW," the company finally giving us the moment that it should've delivered two months prior at Starrcade. If this match was designed to make Sting look like a credible champion, it didn't accomplish that, but at least they finally got the ending right. A slightly better than average match due to Hogan's efforts, even if, booking wise, it made no sense to have him dominate so much and to, again, not give Sting a clean victory. (3/5)


SuperBrawl VIII starts out relatively strong, with a good TV Title mini-tourney followed by fun work out of La Parka, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Diamond Dallas Page. However, despite being undoubtedly over, once the nWo start actually competing, the match quality goes down and the feeling of "Seen It Already" grows. The Tag Team Title match is more of an angle than anything and, while Hogan should be commended for how much work he does in the main event, Sting's performance is lacking and the story of the match is so one-sided that it almost feels like the powers that be had already moved past any notion of actually making Sting the focal point of the company. While his work here shows that he may not have not deserved that position, after a year of build, he deserved more protection than he got here. With an average "Kwang Score" of 2.75-out-of-5 and only one match worth checking out, I'm giving it a...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE No Mercy 2016

WWE No Mercy 2016

Sacramento, California - October 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, AJ Styles holds the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, while The Miz is the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Becky Lynch holds the SmackDown Women's Championship, but was unable to defend the title due to injury. Finally, the odd couple pairing of Rhyno and Heath Slater are the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

COMMENTARY: Mauro Ranallo, JBL, and David Otunga 

Main event time! In one of the biggest shockers of the year, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship triple threat match kicked off tonight's show - AJ Styles defending the strap against former champion Dean Ambrose and SummerSlam opponent John Cena. Bizarrely, the wrestlers were introduced and welcomed to the match before a lengthy video promo aired, the kind of thing that seemed like a flub more than a "creative choice." After an awkward triple clothesline spot to start the match, we got a series of good moments, including Cena catching Ambrose and slamming him into the post on the outside and AJ following it with a forearm to the floor. Cena showed off his strength again minutes later with a double german suplex but also busted out his sunset flip driver thingy. Styles hit his Pele Kick and the Argentine Backbreaker Powerbomb he fancies, while Ambrose got in his trademark elbow from the top. The fun of a good triple threat match is seeing this sort of signature offense in new contexts and sequences and there were a handful of great moments and good sequences - Cena's 10 Knuckle Shuffle, AJ combo'ing a suplex on the apron and following it up with a 450 splash on Ambrose in the ring, the double submission false finish - but there were also more than a few hiccups (Cena not quite rolling through for the spot where he caught AJ off the ropes, Ambrose's rarely-good tope, the inanity of that double submission false finish). A letdown of a match only compared to the more jaw-dropping work that AJ has done this year with a finish that seemed tacked on for efficiency, not because it was the most creative conclusion that they could come up with. (3/5)

Nikki Bella took on Carmella next, continuing their rivalry. In 2014/15, I came to really appreciate Nikki Bella's efforts and felt like she turned a corner and became one of the better workers in the Women's Division, but based on this match, I'd say she still has some ring rust to shake off. Carmella is heading in the right direction with her own performance, but at times, her awkwardness in positioning herself for sequences is glaring. I anticipate the eventual Nikki Bella heel turn and feud with Becky Lynch, but there's no need to rush that storyline this fall or winter - better to keep the Blue Brand's two best female performers separated for the time being and plan for what could be a very good clash at WrestleMania. (1.5/5)

The SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line with Heath Slater and Rhyno defending against The Usos. I was not too impressed with their title match at last month's Backlash show and this one was even less interesting to me. The Usos' heel turn is a bit DOA and, considering the chemistry they had in their matches against The Rhodes Brothers, Harper and Rowan, and Cesaro and Kidd, it's a bit frustrating to see them struggling to keep the crowd engaged working on the other side of the good/evil line. (2/5)

The show continued to stick in mediocre territory with our next contest - Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger. Swagger has been around for 8 years, but I don't think he's ever been regarded as "important" for longer than 8 weeks at a time here or there. Sure, he's a former World Champion (as Mauro Ranallo pointed out on commentary), but he's also been a series regular on Superstars for years now, his last notable match being his bout against Rusev back in 2014 (is it really almost 2017?). Corbin has a bright future, but that's what people were saying about Swagger and I'm not sure Corbin is as fundamentally sound as Swagger was when he debuted. Giving credit where it's due, the combatants tried to add some actual psychology and storytelling to their match, but that didn't make it a classic or anything. Solid finish out of Corbin and I must admit to being curious as to how they will continue to build him when SmackDown is currently oversaturated with strong heels. (2/5)

Next up was the night's Intercontinental Championship Match - Dolph Ziggler challenging The Miz and putting his career on the line to do so. I've ranted and raved about The Miz for years now so its fun to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves in 2016. His work here was brilliant, skin-crawlingly annoying trolling, drawing heat from the crowd not just by viciously beating down on Ziggler (whose often overdramatic selling was slightly toned down on this night, which actually made it easier to feel sympathy for the guy) but by mocking Daniel Bryan. The crowd was a bit dead at the start of the match, but they pulled them in with near falls and basic, hard-hitting action (its worth noting just how much variety and quality "movez" Miz has made part of his repertoire at this point, including the slingshot powerbomb and the hangman's neckbreaker). The storytelling featured some clever callbacks to the events that led to this match, rewarding those that have been keeping up with the rivalry. While I didn't necessarily like the final result and wouldn't call this a "Must See" match when, the truth is, these two have had dozens of matches very similar to this (though, with much lower stakes), this was probably the match of the night and should've closed the show. (3.5/5)

With Becky Lynch out due to injury, Naomi challenged Alexa Bliss. The best thing about this one was Naomi's beautiful entrance as the rest of it was pretty ugly. Absolutely dead crowd too. One of the worst matches that's been featured on a Network special this year, but that could've been predicted when you consider this was a cold match featuring two talents that are not terribly over or smooth (though, I'm a fan of both and love Naomi's obvious drive to improve), inserted late into a card in front of an audience that had now been emotionally wrung out from the IC Title Match. (1/5)

Main event time again sorta - Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. Like Naomi/Bliss, you can't knock the talent for not working hard and, given more opportunities, they showed enough natural chemistry for me to believe that we could see good matches out of these two some day...but this wasn't either guy's best night as the crowd definitely didn't bite on much they did aside from Wyatt's senton onto the steps and Orton's RKO teases. Overall, a so/so match featuring a few spikes of good action separated by stretches of meandering character work that lost my interest. The ending was designed to "shock" and, to some degree, it succeeded - but its hard to get excited for a "reunion" when the two characters involved have never been separated for very long anyway. (2/5)


With a score of 2.14-out-of-5, No Mercy is the lowest ranking show I've reviewed out of the WWE this year. Partially to blame was the match order, though its not like the WWE World Championship match actually delivered on its promise anyway. Giving Ziggler/Miz an additional 3-5 minutes and putting it at the end of the show might've helped make it truly "great," but positioned where it was and laid out in the minutes it got, I wouldn't rank it far above "good." Nothing else on the show was worth watching.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville