wrestling recap

Wrestling Recap: Kurt Angle vs. Sting (Bound for Glory ’07)

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The Date: 14 October 2007
The Venue: Arena at Gwinnett; Duluth, Georgia
The Commentary: Mike Tenay and Don West
The Referee: Rudy Charles and Andrew Thomas
The Stakes: Main event singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

The Build-Up:
On the 27 May 1996 edition of WCW Monday Nitro, Scott Hall declared war on World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He, Kevin Nash, and their “third man”, Hulk Hogan, hijacked WCW programming as the New World Order (nWo) and WCW dominated the “Monday Night Wars”. WCW’s saviour in this period was Sting, who disappeared into the rafters for almost a year before returning in a persona heavily inspired by The Crow (O’Barr, 1989; Proyas, 1994) to defeat “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan for the WCW Championship in an infamous match on this day in 1997. By 2007, however, the wrestling landscape had vastly changed; the unthinkable happened on 26 March 2001 when Vince McMahon, chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), appeared on Monday Nitro to officially announce his purchase of WCW, thus ending the Monday Night Wars. While a handful of WCW wrestlers jumped to the WWE for an ill-fated “Invasion” angle, many chose to sit out their big-money contracts, and one WCW star who repeatedly turned down WWE was “The Icon”, Sting. Instead, Sting signed on with upcoming promotion Total Nonstop Action (TNA), an alternate to mainstream WWE founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett and initially part of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Initially, Sting’s time in TNA was focused on opposing Jeff Jarrett, who held a stranglehold over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, and in various feuds with Christian Cage and Abyss. When the NWA stripped TNA’s champions of their belts, Sting briefly captured the newly-christened TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a match mired in controversy. While Sting was undoubtedly one of TNA’s biggest signings, so too was former Olympic champion Kurt Angle, who made a shocking debut on October 6, 2006 and captured TNA’s top belt by making Sting tap out earlier in the year. After a short run with the TNA World Tag Team Championships, Sting earned himself another shot at the big belt and these two wrestling legends met once more in this one-on-one contest.

The Match:
As much of a wrestling fan as I am, it’s always been difficult for me to watch WWE on a consistent basis; over here in the United Kingdom, we usually have to pay extra for sports channels to watch the weekly shows, which is something I’ve never been interested in, so it was rare and exciting to have wrestling programming available on channels I was already paying for as part of my television package. TNA was one of those shows, and I dipped in and out of the product for quite some time; I watched some of the early years in the Asylum, where many of the low-tier WCW and WWE guys would battle it out over that piece of scrap tin the NWA called a championship and got my first taste of future stars such as AJ Styles, Abyss, and Samoa Joe as well as seeing personal favourites like Raven return to the ring. My peak for the company was when it transitioned to Impact Wrestling, a move I still disagree with, but I remember them signing big names like Sting and Kurt Angle and it really making me sit up and take notice. Sadly, a series of blunders meant that TNA/Impact never quite managed to reach the same level as the WWE but, for a while there, it was easily the number two wrestling promotion in the United States and things were legitimately very exciting in this much-needed alternative to the WWE mainstream. Where else, after all, would you get to see Sting and Kurt Angle battle for a World Heavyweight Championship? All this context is to say that, while TNA wasn’t quite as polished as the WWE powerhouse, they did the best they could to provide a different brand of wrestling and put on some truly exciting matches, and their hype package for this main event was emblematic of that as the video, while not to the standards of WWE’s production, set the stage for these two wrestling icons clashing in Georgia, the birthplace of WCW and Sting’s most memorable moments and of Angle’s Olympic gold medal victory.

A lengthy feeling out process soon saw Kurt Angle take control.

A couple of things I really enjoyed about TNA, especially during this time, was that they used a six-sided ring instead of the traditional four; while I’m sure this was difficult for many performers to adjust to, I always thought this helped the promotion stand out from the competition and thought it was a dumb move to remove that feature when Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff came along. Mike Tenay and Don West also liked to breakdown the match and its performers in a “Tale of the Tape” segment, which always lends an air of legitimacy to the contest in my eyes and essentially paints both competitors as being on somewhat even ground, although Angle was benefiting from a recent edge to his character and an association with Kevin Nash. Sting came out first to the unanimous support of the admittedly small audience and his absolutely dreadful TNA theme (nothing beats Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy”, in my opinion) and carrying his trusty baseball bat; Kurt Angle followed and man, it is weird not hearing the crowd chant “You suck!” at him and to see his vices still taking their toll. Once the bell rang, the two seemed a little cautious; they exchanged collar and elbow tie-ups and go-behinds at the start as part of a feeling out process, with Sting backing away whenever Angle grabbed the ropes to break his holds, but Angle’s wrestling prowess saw him get the upper hand in the early going with a takedown and a wrist lock. Sting showed he wasn’t just some showboat, however, by giving as good as he got; both men targeted the wrist and arm (a strange strategy considering both favour a leg-based submission hold…) and tried to out-wrestle each other with headlock takedowns. Things finally started to speed up once Sting whipped Angle off the ropes; Angle scored with a shoulder block, but Sting landed a beautiful hip toss that was enough for Angle to flee to the outside. Angle took his time getting back into the ring and switched from indulging him with tie-ups and went on the offensive with a gut kick, a European uppercut, and some knife-edge chops against the ropes.

Sting’s tenacity took a beating thanks to Angle’s resourcefulness and Nash’s interference.

A burst of adrenaline saw Sting shrug these off, however; he landed some chops of his own followed by the ten punches in the corner. An awkward reversal exchange saw Angle block Sting’s next attempt to whip him into the ropes, but he ate a dropkick and took a clothesline to the outside after Sting frantically kicked him off a potential Ankle Lock attempt. Sting eventually followed and rammed Angle into the guard rail and onto the announcer’s table before tossing him back into the ring. Angle’s attempt to regain some momentum saw him fly shoulder-first into one of the ring posts but a rake to the eyes allowed him to escape the Scorpion Death Drop. Suddenly, the match turned in Angle’s favour; he planted Sting with a snap German Suplex, followed up with a backbreaker and a couple of unsuccessful pin attempts, before once again beating on Sting and choking him in the corner. A vertical suplex scored a two count, then Angle locked in a body scissors around Sting’s ribs, which he transitioned into a headlock and ended with a belly-to-belly suplex that tossed Sting across the ring. Angle continued the pressure with a chin lock to keep Sting grounded, allowing both men to catch their breath and building tension as Sting rallied for support to power back to his feet. A double clothesline saw led to a dramatic ten count and another chance to the clearly winded competitors to recuperate; a slugfest followed, which saw Sting repeatedly plant Angle with a series of clotheslines and a big spinebuster. Sting’s first cover of the match resulted in a two count and directly led to him hitting his patented Stinger Splash on an absolutely drenched Angle, and then another to the champion’s back followed by a running faceplant. Oddly, Sting then went to the top rope; not sure why or what the hell he was thinking but it was a moot point as Angle leapt up and tossed him down with a big suplex for another near fall. Sting slipped out of an Olympic Slam and tried a roll-up for another close two count, then Angle got pissed and started pounding the life out of Sting with not one, not two, but three successive German Suplexes. Feeling the intensity raging through him, Angle dropped the straps and slapped on the Ankle Lock, but Sting was able to roll over and, inexplicably, reverse it into the Scorpion Deathlock! Unfortunately for the Icon, Angle’s wife, Karen, rushed to the ring the distract him and the referee, which allowed Kevin Nash to plant him with a clothesline.

In the end, Sting’s trusty bat and finishing move secured him his first, if brief, TNA Championship.

Angle then scored with the Olympic Slam but the referee was busy dealing with Karen so he was a little too late for the count, meaning Sting kicked out. Angle then sat Sting on the top rope but, while Sting was able to fight out of a belly-to-belly suplex, his attempt at a diving splash saw him eat nothing but knees, though he still kicked out of the pin. Angle then planted Sting and hit this trippy somersaulting knee drop, like a version of the 450 Splash, but it still only got a two count. Frustrated by Sting’s tenacity, Angle went for the Ankle Lock again, this time right in the middle of the ring; Stin rolled out and sent Angle flying into Nash. However, when Sting ducked Angle’s wild clothesline, referee Rudy Charles got taken out and thus Sting was left frantically motioning for a new referee after planting Angle with the Scorpion Death Drop. Referee Andrew Thomas tried to make the three count but Nash yanked him out of the ring and punched him out before putting a beating on Sting in the corner. Sting took both Nash and Angle down with a double clothesline, however, but got a good ol’ shot to the nuts from Angle for his efforts. Tenay tried to say that Sting managed to block a shot from Angle with his own baseball bat but he clearly wasn’t fast enough as you can see the bat hit him and he ends up bleeding as a result. Still, Sting snatched the bat away and busted Angle open before finally taking Nash out of the equation. Sting then hit another Scorpion Death Drop and Rudy Charles came around long enough to make the final three count, thus awarding Sting another World Heavyweight Championship, much to the delight of the crowd, the announcers, and Sting himself. Sadly, though, this was quite the lethargic affair; considering the two had a bit of a grudge heading into the match, the energy was lacking and it was a very slow and by-the-numbers affair, possibly to cover for Sting’s limitations and Angle’s physical issues. Both guys seemed to get winded very quickly and the referee bumps and interference weren’t really necessary, and the whole contest felt like it was on the verge of kicking into a higher gear but just never got around to it.

The Aftermath:
Sting’s first of four reigns as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion wouldn’t last long; he dropped the belt back to Kurt Angle two days later on an episode of TNA Impact! after interference by Kevin Nash. The two then faced off again the following month at Genesis in a tag team match; Sting and the recently-debuted Booker T took on Angle and Nash, with Angle again emerging victorious. Sting then took a bit of time away from TNA and even teased his retirement, before returning in 2008 and joining forces with Angle, Nash, and Booker T and Scott Steiner as the Main Event Mafia to battle TNA’s younger stars in a turf war. This not only saw Sting reclaim the top belt but reignited his feud with Angle, which eventually led to the stable turning on the Icon, and he and Angle continued to trade wins, losses, and the championship belt even as Sting’s sanity began to slip. Sting and Angle last shared a TNA ring together in 2013 when they reformed the Main Event Mafia to oppose the Aces & Eights stable; both men were inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame (with Sting being the very first inductee) and the WWE Hall of Fame and even showed up on WWE programming later down the line. However, while Angle officially retired from in-ring competition in April 2019, Sting bounced back from what seemed like a career-ending injury to become an active mentor and competitor in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to the contest between Sting and Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory 2007? Were you excited to see Sting and Angle be a part of the TNA roster at the time? Did the pacing and interference bother you? What did you think to Sting and Angle’s time in TNA and what are some of your favourite matches and moments from their time there? Were you a fan of TNA? Which of Sting’s “Crow” eras, personas, and matches are your favourite? Whatever your thoughts on Sting, and this match in particular, feel free to voice them below or leave a comment on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: Extreme Elimination Chamber (December to Dismember ’06)

Dr. K1 Comment

The Date: 3 December 2006
The Venue: James Brown Arena; Augusta, Georgia
The Commentary: Joey Styles and Tazz
The Referee: Mickie Henson
The Stakes: Extreme Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Championship

The Build-Up:
Back in the days when the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) competed in a vicious ratings war, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) offered a different brand of sports entertainment. First founded in 1992 as Eastern Championship Wrestling, the company was re-branded by one of wrestling’s greatest minds, managers, and promoters, Paul Heyman, in 1993 and came to be known for its violent and controversial matches and content, which was instrumental in inspiring the WWF’s “Attitude Era”. Unfortunately, despite ECW’s rabid cult following, the company was unable to sustain itself after losing its television deal; many of ECW’s stars jumped to the WWF and the company officially closed its doors in early-2001. ECW lived on, however, not just in the rise of independent promotions but also in the confines of the rebranded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE); the success of their Rise and Fall of ECW documentary (Dunn, 2005) saw the WWE host a special throwback event, ECW One Night Stand, in 2005 to celebrate the brand. It was so successful that a second event followed in 2006, one that would see ECW and many of its stars return as a third WWE brand. Unfortunately, despite initially being presented as an alternative product and a showcase for new talent, the WWE ECW was doomed to fail: it lacked the “Extreme” edge fans expected, Heyman’s influence was limited, and its top star and champion, Rob Van Dam, was stripped of his championship belts after being arrested on drug charges! The WWE seemed to lose interest soon after; although they promoted this pay-per-view event, very few matches were announced beforehand and the card was supplemented by Raw and SmackDown! talent. The entire show was built around this Extreme Elimination Chamber match, with former champion RVD being the first announced for the contest. There was also some drama surrounding Hardcore Holly’s involvement; he was initially scheduled to be a part of it before Bobby Lashley attacked him and took his place, failed to gain a spot in a match against RVD, and was finally included after Sabu was mysteriously attacked earlier on the show, a decision that irked the ECW original but would be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this universally lambasted event.

The Match:
Considering ECW December to Dismember 2006 was already criticised for its lacklustre card and padding its runtime, it’s perhaps not surprising that this match was preceded by not just a hype video emphasising its violent and brutal nature, but also a lengthy pre-match promo from ECW general manager Paul Heyman. While the crowd, and even the commentary team, have no love for Heyman, who turned heel by ditching the ECW originals for up-and-coming stars like Bobby Lashley and CM Punk (and, naturally, the Big Show) as the future of the company. This promo went on for about three minutes and, afterwards, the show wasted even more time by dwelling on the chamber’s lowering around the ring. What made this match unique, and “Extreme”, compared to previous elimination chamber matches was that each competitor also carried a weapon: CM Punk had a steel chair, Test a crowbar, Lashley a table, and the Big Show had a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Otherwise, the rules were the same; two men (RVD and Hardcore Holly) started the match and, around every five minutes, another competitor was released to join in. As was often the case whenever the Big Show actually got a serious push, much of Heyman, Styles, and Tazz’s commentary emphasised the champion’s size and strength; despite the fact that the Big Show had been beaten like a drum over the years by this point, he was hyped as “unbeatable” simply because he was a huge man with a newfound motivation since capturing the championship. Of all the competitors, rising star CM Punk,the epitome of an indie darling, and the ever-popular RVD made the most waves during their entrances. Even now, as big a fan of Test and even Hardcore Holly I am as a dependable midcarder, it’s hard to deny that these two stick out like a sore thumb; nobody in the audience wanted Holly in this match and their inclusion really speaks to how limited and lacklustre the WWE ECW roster was.

RVD proved the MVP of this thrown-together match, closely followed by crowd favourite CM Punk.

As mentioned, RVD and Hardcore Holly started the match after what felt like an ice age of stalling and entrances and they kicked off what was sold as the most devastating match in the entire WWE by…trading lock ups and punches. A clothesline exchange was enough for Holly to go for the cover, which earned him barely a one count, then Holly gently tossed RVD to the raised steel floor outside the ring. RVD leapt to the cage wall when Holly dodged his dive, which was admittedly pretty impressive; unfortunately, he ended up hitting the ropes when he tried a follow up dive, which was apparently enough to draw an “ECW!” chant from the crowd. Holly pressed his advantage by running RVD into the chain-link wall and slamming him on the steel but crashed and burned when he uncharacteristically went for a dive off the top rope and ate a boot for his troubles. RVD capitalised with his patented Rolling Thunder manoeuvre from the ring, over the ropes, and to Holly’s prone body on the outside, only to find himself deposited back into the ring from a suplex for a two count. Holly and RVD traded blows, with Holly landing his trademark dropkick, before CM Punk joined the action. The crowd exploded when Punk launched his steel chair right at Holly’s face and took out RVD with a springboard clothesline, only to be blasted with that same chair when RVD tossed it at his head! RVD followed up with his rolling monkey flip in the corner, which saw Punk slightly graze the chair with his tail bone, only for Punk to duck RVD’s spin kick and sweep him onto the chair with his speed and martial arts skill. Punk kept Holly out of the game with a springboard dropkick and continued to work over the busted open RVD, thrusting him head-first through the chair as it was wedged in the corner, only to have his momentum cut off when Holly swung him into the chain link wall for a near fall.

The crowd were unimpressed when RVD and Punk were eliminated, and by the botched pin on Holly.

Holly continued his attack with a sidewalk slam to Punk before dumping him on the ropes and booting him right in the head and driving him to the mat with a superplex. Regardless, CM Punk kicked out of two follow-up pin attempts and all three men were fatigued when Test brutally attacked with his crowbar, slamming, clawing, and choking Punk and RVD to give Holly time to recuperate. RVD somehow found a second wind, attacking with the chair then eliminating CM Punk with the Five-Star Frog Splash, which initially caused the audience to pop but their cheers quickly turned to boos when they realised what’d happened. Test then shockingly hit Holly with his Big Boot; however, despite the referee not counting to three and Tazz insisting that Holly kicked out, Hardcore Holly was summarily eliminated in confusing, frustrating, and anti-climactic fashion. RVD then flew in with a side kick off the top rope that downed Test and left him in prime position for a Five-Star Frog Splash off the top of the Big Show’s pod; however, the Big Show grabbed at RVD and interrupted the move, allowing Test to attack with a chair, dump him off the pod, and land a massive elbow drop from the pod to the steel chair, which took RVD out of the match and left the audience incensed as they realised their two favourites were gone.

After some stalling, shenanigans, and mediocre action, Lashley captured the championship.

There was a huge lull in the match where Test was left to awkwardly stumble about the ring as the counter wound down; then, when Heyman’s riot squad refused to let him out, Lashley broke out of his pod by smashing the roof with his table. Although he almost slipped off the top rope, Lashley, hit a diving clothesline, kicking the chair in Test’s face, and smashing him in the gut with the crowbar. The Spear that followed then took Test out of the match, leaving Lashley to stalk around the ring for over a minute as he waited for the Big Show to be released. The Big Show lumbered out with his barbed wire baseball bat and hammered at Lashley, who desperately defended himself with the chair; quickly, Lashley tricked the Big Show into getting the bat caught in the cage wall, allowing the challenger to drive the champion into the steel mesh and right through a pod, busting him open and leaving him prone for a beating. The Big Show rallied, effortlessly tossing Lashley into the ring and flooring him with a clothesline; however, when he went for his trademark Chokeslam, Lashley countered into a huge DDT! The Big Show got pissed when Lashley deftly ducked his haymakers and tried to plant him with a running powerslam, but Lashley easily slipped off, hit the ropes, and collided with a Spear to finish the clearly winded champion and capture the ECW Championship to reluctant applause. I can understand why this match is so poorly regarded; there’s just not enough star power, heat, or intrigue behind it. The weapons added some spice but they were barely used and there was too much waiting around, not to mention the two clear fan favourites being unceremoniously dispatched and that botched pin on Hardcore Holly!

The Aftermath:
This wouldn’t be the last time that the Big Show and Bobby Lashley clashed over the ECW World Heavyweight Championship; on the very next episode of ECW, Lashley defeated the Big Show in a one-on-one match, retaining the belt and temporarily removing the Big Show from WWE programming. Lashley continued to mix it up with his fellow chamber opponents, clashing with RVD on ECW and defending the championship against Test at Royal Rumble, but he ended up embroiled in a “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 23 as he represented Donald Trump in a match against WWE chairman Vince McMahon’s proxy, Umaga. This ultimately led to perhaps the most outrageous storyline of the revived ECW as McMahon and Lashley feuded over the championship, with the chairman actually capturing the belt in the process! Although December to Dismember wouldn’t be the end of ECW, it was the end of Paul Heyman’s tenure with the company, and the WWE, for some time; the show’s poor buy rate and attendance figures escalated tensions between Heyman and McMahon, with the former walking away from the company after his booking decisions regarding CM Punk, Rob Van Dam, and Bobby Lashley were ignored. Contrary to popular belief, ECW limped on for about two more years after December to Dismember, but the brand was never again afforded its own pay-per-view and December to Dismember went down in history as one of the worst produced, worst attended, and worst regarded wrestling events of all time.

My Rating:

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Terrible

What did you think to the Extreme Elimination Chamber match? Who did you want to see win the match at the time? Were you annoyed that Sabu was swapped out for Hardcore Holly? What did you think to CM Punk being the first person eliminated? Do you think the match should have made better use of its weapons? Were you excited that Bobby Lashley won? What did you think to the WWE’s revival of ECW? Would you like to see the December to Dismember event make a comeback? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to leave them below or drop a comment on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: Team WWF vs. Team Alliance (Survivor Series ’01)

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The Date: 26 November 1987
The Venue: Richfield Coliseum; Richfield Township, Ohio
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Paul Heyman
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stipulation: Ten-man elimination tag team match to decide the fate of both organisations
The Competitors: Team WWF (WCW Champion The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and The Big Show) and Team Alliance (WWF Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, WWF Hardcore Champion Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, Booker T, and WCW Owner Shane McMahon)

The Build-Up:
During its many decades as the dominating force in sports entertainment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has created some of the industry’s most successful competitors, changed the face of pay-per-view entertainment, and delivered genre-defining match types and wrestling cards. In 1987, the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) successfully gambled on WrestleMania then, as the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was due to broadcast Starrcade over the 1987 Thanksgiving weekend, WWF chairman Vince McMahon strong-armed many cable companies into airing his showcase of ten-man elimination tag team matches, the Survivor Series, or risk losing out on WrestleMania IV. By 2001, some of the WWE’s biggest events had taken place at the event and, this year, it was chosen as the final battle between the WWF and the alliance of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The WWF and WCW had gone head-to-head in a ratings war since 1996 but, by 2001, WCW faced bankruptcy and, in a shocking moment, the McMahon purchased WCW and the “Monday Night Wars” came to a surprising end. After attempts to keep WCW alive on WWF television fell through, the WWF began a storyline where WCW joined forces with ECW (also now owned by McMahon) and attempted to “invade” the WWF as the “Alliance”. Unfortunately, as many of WCW’s top names sat out their high-paying contracts, the WWF was forced to rely on lesser names and, all too soon, the angle was more about McMahon feuding with his kids, Shane and Stephanie, and the increasingly paranoid Steve Austin holding onto his WWF Championship. More and more WWF guys joined the Alliance, including one-time saviour Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho slowly turned heel in his quest for gold, and even Austin seemed to consider jumping ship as the angle wore on. Eventually, with viewers and audiences turning away from the product, the decision was made to ditch the entire thing with this “Winner Take All” elimination match that would decide which organisation would prevail. Initially, Vince himself was scheduled to compete on Team WWF but he named the Big Show as his replacement and went about sowing the seeds of dissension throughout the Alliance in the lead up to this premature end to what should have been one of the biggest and longest angles in wrestling history.

The Match:
Considering I wasn’t really able to watch much wrestling as a kid, let alone truly be a part of the Monday Night Wars, I was deeply invested in the Invasion storyline at the time. I was pissed when Austin turned heel at Invasion and became a paranoid, self-deluded, cowardly asshole who was obsessed with the WWF Championship. Although the Alliance was missing key figures like the New World Order (nWo), Goldberg, and Sting and had dramatically repackaged top WCW stars like Diamond Dallas Page and Booker T into heels, I was well into their attempts to tear down the WWF. Unfortunately, far too many WWF guys jumped ship for no reason, but I’m not here to re-book this angle, I just wanted to say I was into it, delighted to see these fabled WCW and ECW stars on television, and extremely invested for this match. The build-up was quite good; things weren’t all hunky-dory on Team WWF as Jericho had been feuding with the Rock over the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and, to make matters worse, the Alliance won all but two matches on this Survivor Series card, meaning the stakes were further escalated heading in, something Vince was sure to emphasise backstage when he riled up his competitors with a stirring speech. The match kicked off with its two biggest stars, Austin and the Rock, trading blows; the two went at it in the corner but Austin gained the upper hand with a Lou Thesz Press and an elbow drop for the first near fall. Austin pressed his advantage using his knee braces, but the Rock ducked under a clothesline and hit a Lou Thesz Press and a taunting elbow of his own to rapturous applause and a pin attempt that was broken up by Shane. Thanks to Shane’s interference, the Rock was helpless as Austin tagged in Booker T, who had ridiculously been painted as a poor copy of the Rock during the Invasion storyline when, realistically, the two had barely anything in common!

Things got off to a heated start and only escalated as Shane constantly interrupted pin falls!

Booker laid in some chops but got quickly taken down with a big clothesline for a near fall that was again interrupted by Shane, but the Rock was still easily able to tag in Jericho, who lit up Booker with some chops and planted him with a flapjack. Jericho didn’t press his advantage, however, meaning RVD was able to tag in; of all the new faces from this time, RVD was clearly the most dynamic and popular, so much so that even J.R. had to mention it. RVD showcased his athleticism by nipping up, leapfrogging the charging Jericho, and rolling across his back in a beautiful sequence but, not to be outdone, Y2J answered with a lovely spinning heel kick. RVD showed his cunning by holding the ropes and avoiding a dropkick; he followed up with a slick cartwheel moonsault for a two count. However, when RVD backflipped out the corner and went for a hurricanrana, Jericho countered and locked on the Walls of Jericho; once again, Shane put a stop to this, which also allowed Booker T to tag in. However, Booker got cold feet when Kane (sporting a weird alternative version of his bad-ass vest attire) also tagged in and gladly allowed Kurt Angle to take his place. Angle (who had recently made Kane tap out) tried using his speed to avoid Kane’s power but ended up launched into the corner and assaulted by a flurry of strikes; Kane then whipped him to the opposite corner and crashed in with a clothesline and simply sat up after eating a big German Suplex. Stunned, Angle went for the strikes and ended up taking a sidewalk slam and Kane’s huge flying clothesline off the top. Shane again broke up the pin, so Kane tagged in his big brother, the Undertaker, who also manhandled Angle and then switched his attack to Booker when Kurt made a desperate tag.

The Big Show’s brief rampage was shut down by a finish-fest and, naturally, Shane scoring the pin!

The Undertaker easily knocked Booker down with a big boot and scored a big leg drop for another pin attempt that was again interrupted by Shane; J.R. was getting as annoyed as the WWF competitors, the crowd, and me by Shane’s constant meddling. The Undertaker worked over Booker T’s arm and hit his trademark “Old School” rope walk strike and an arm take down that ended in an armlock on the mat. Shane’s interference allowed Booker to not only kick out of a pin but also tag Austin back in; Austin went right at his old foe, stomping a mudhole in the corner as the crowd sang “What? What? What?” over and over in what is still one of the most annoying chants in wrestling. The Undertaker avoided Austin’s running rope attack and then hit another Old School, only for Shane to break up the pin once more; Team WWF was so riled up that the referee had to hold them back, allowing Team Alliance to work the Undertaker over in their corner and bringing Kurt Angle back into the ring. Angle weathered the Undertaker’s assault and hit a neckbreaker for a near fall but fell to a DDT after missing out on a German Suplex. The Undertaker then made the hot tag to the Big Show, who went on a rampage somewhat neutered by J.R.’s observation that the Big Show often makes big dumb mistakes! RVD illegally charged the ring and ate a clothesline and a standing military press for his efforts; the Big Show then smacked up Team Alliance and went for the Chokeslam but Angle was able to fight out and hit the Angle Slam! Booker T followed up with the Scissors Kick and the Spin-A-Roonie before tagging in RVD, who came crashing down with a Five-Star Frog Splash. Shane then tagged in to hit his big top-rope elbow drop and, naturally, got the pin fall to eliminate the biggest man from the match.

Some eliminations were quite lacklustre as it came down to a four-on-two disadvantage for the WWF.

Thankfully, Shane immediately got his comeuppance as the Rock beat the hell out of him and then tagged Kane back in so he could drill Shane with his trademark One-Arm Chokeslam. The Undertaker followed up with a Tombstone Piledriver, and then Jericho finished Shane off with a Lionsault to finally get him out of the match. Jericho and Angle then went at it; although Y2J won the early advantage with a sick butterfly backbreaker, Austin broke up his pin attempt, allowing Angle to take him down and bring Booker T back into the fold. However, after three consecutive scoop slams and an elaborate knee drop, Booker switched with RVD; RVD landed a kicking combination but his corner shoulder thrusts were countered into a near fall off a roll up. Jericho tagged Kane back in; Kane brought the power and even caught RVD’s fist mid-swing and planted him with a powerslam, fought off Booker T’s interference, and shrugged off the Five-Star Frog Splash. However, as Kane readied a One-Arm Chokeslam, Booker T nailed a Harlem Sidekick; as a brawl broke out, RVD caught Kane with a sidekick off the top rope that was somehow enough to score him the three count. This pissed the Undertaker off so much that he beat up the opposition single-handedly; Snake Eyes and the big boot left Angle primed for the Last Ride but a distraction from Booker T allowed Austin to plant the Undertaker with a Stone Cold Stunner and drape Angle’s lifeless form over him for another elimination! Bolstered by their four-on-two advantage, Booker T attacked the Rock once more, scoring with another Harlem Sidekick but almost being pinned off a desperation DDT and a Samoan Drop, with both pin attempts broken up by Austin. Out of nowhere, the Rock then whipped Booker into Angle and anti-climactically eliminated Booker T with a simple roll-up (your five-time WCW Champion, everybody!) RVD took his place and worked the Rock over with some kicks, before a top rope slam bought the Rock the time to tag in Jericho. A flying forearm, shoulder tackle, and a running neckbreaker scored Y2J a near fall; however, although he managed to land on his feet when RVD countered the Lionsault, Jericho couldn’t avoid a spinning kick. RVD then glanced Jericho with the split-legged moonsault (J.R. postulates that Jericho “got a knee up”) and then ate a pin from the God-awful full-nelson faceplant Jericho was trying to get over as a finisher at this time (I believe it was called the Breakdown…) to even the odds. Things broke down into a brawl again but Angle and Jericho soon paired off in the ring while Austin assaulted the Rock on the outside; after wearing Jericho down with a chin lock and some stomps, Angle tagged in Austin, who planted Y2J with a superplex for a two count.

Despite Jericho’s actions, the WWF (and Vince) came out on top thanks to Angle’s last-second assistance.

An awkward miscommunication off an Irish whip eventually saw Austin switch with Angle. However, when Angle went for a German Suplex, Jericho rolled through and briefly applied the Ankle Lock to a massive ovation; although Angle escaped, he was visibly limping when he tagged out. Austin and Angle continuously tagged in and out but Jericho eventually made the hot tag and the match picked up again as the Rock tied Angle in the Sharpshooter; this surprisingly caused an immediate tap out and an aghast Paul Heyman to almost have a coronary! Austin, the last man standing for his team, Austin countered a diving crossbody and traded Walls of Jericho attempts with Y2J. Although he got his knees up to counter a Lionsault, Austin’s top-rope double axehandle didn’t hit and he barely kicked out after Jericho landed a missile dropkick. However, another awkward exchange saw Austin take Jericho out; although Austin and the Rock immediately rekindled their rivalry, Jericho spitefully planted the Rock with the Breakdown, completing his heel turn and earning him the admonishment of the Undertaker. Thankfully, the Rock was still able to kick out; when the Rock tried a comeback, he was launched outside and smashed off the ring post and the steel steps. Back in the ring, Austin’s spinebuster led to the Rock being trapped in a Sharpshooter that had Paul Heyman screaming for a repeat of the Montreal Screwjob; when the Rock reached the ropes, Austin tried to nail him with the WWF Championship and ended up in the Sharpshooter as well! The Rock countered a Stunner with one of his own, but couldn’t capitalise thanks to a low blow and interference from Alliance referee Nick Patrick. Austin took advantage to nail a Rock Bottom and was so incensed when the Rock kicked out that he took it out on Nick Patrick and forced Earl Hebner back into the ring. After the Rock ate a Stone Cold Stunner, the match seemed to be over; however, Kurt Angle suddenly nailed Austin with the WWF Championship! The Rock then hit the Rock Bottom and finally pinned Austin to eliminate him, win the match, and put the Alliance out of business. As the Alliance reacted in anguish and shock, Vince sauntered out to bask in his victory to really hammer home his superiority.

The Aftermath:
Considering how overbooked and chaotic this match was, it’s weird that Angle’s last-minute turn always comes across a little flat to me. Vince had hinted that he had tipped the odds in his favour prior to the match but I always felt like the execution was lacking. The next night on Raw, Vince rechristened the WCW Championship the “World Championship” and prepared to reward Angle by stripping Austin of the WWF Championship and giving it to his mole; however, the status quo of the WWF finally returned to normal by the decree of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, who returned to the WWF as a part owner after buying Shane and Stephanie’s shares in the company, turning Austin face again and Angle heel. The World Championship situation culminated in a tournament at the next month’s event, Vengeance, which saw Chris Jericho defeat both the Rock and Austin to become the first-ever Undisputed Championship and go on a disastrous main event run that ended with him dethroned by a returning Triple H. Every member of the Alliance eventually became part of regular WWF programming; some won their jobs at Survivor Series, others were quietly repackaged, and some were forced to kiss Vince’s ass on national television. Other WCW names, such as Eric Bischoff, the nWo, and Rey Mysterio, soon joined the company and the bloated roster eventually led to a brand split that also saw the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and United States Championship adopted by the company. Despite his emphatic victory, Vince never passed up an opportunity to reshape history in his favour or bury WCW; while ECW had an anniversary show and even a short-lived and catastrophic revival, WCW was rarely given its due unless it suited Vince’s purposes and has mainly been evoked to maintain the trademark on their pay-per-views and unique match types.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to this “Winner Take All” elimination match? Did you ever doubt that the WWF would come out on top? Who would you have preferred to see on Team Alliance? Were you annoyed at Jericho’s actions and how easily some guys were eliminated? Did you see Angle’s turn coming or were you expecting a different end to the match? What did you think to the Invasion storyline and how would you have improved it? Would you like to see WCW get more credibility or do you think it’s better off dead? Who were some of your favourite WCW competitors and what would your dream WWF vs. WCW team be? What are some of your favourite Survivor Series matches and moments? Whatever you think about the Survivor Series 2001 main event, feel free to share your thoughts below or leave a comment on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: Undertaker vs. Mankind (King of the Ring ’98)

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The Date: 28 June 1998
The Venue: Civic Arena; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Tim White
The Stakes: Hell in a Cell match between heated rivals

The Build-Up:
The Undertaker had been a force of nature within the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) ever since debuting as part of the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team on this day at the 1990 Survivor Series. Over the years, the Deadman built up an impressive list of rivalries with some of wrestling’s most talented, and notorious, names, and one of his strangest and most bloodthirsty foes was Mick Foley. Foley, who had made a name for himself as the “King of the Deathmatch” and putting his body on the line in hardcore matches in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Cactus Jack, debuted as Mankind on 1 April 1996 and one of his first feuds was against the Undertaker. The two battled in the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl and the Undertaker’s long-time manager, Paul Bearer, even allied with Mankind back in the day, a partnership which was reignited after Kane made his dramatic debut and began targeting his older brother. Mankind became embroiled in the ongoing feud between the Undertaker and Kane, which included an on-again/off-again partnership between the Brothers of Destruction but, with Kane booked to challenge for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWF Championship at this same event, the Undertaker looked to end to his rivalry with Mankind in the second-ever Hell in a Cell match. The Undertaker had, of course, been involved in the first Hell in a Cell match the previous year; the structure, a wire-mesh cage with a roof and a locked door, was, at the time, regarded as the WWF’s most dangerous match ever and this match went a long way to not only cementing Foley as an absolute madman (whose career was noticeably shortened by this match) but evoking an unrivalled sense of danger surrounding the Hell in a Cell thanks to both men, but particularly Foley, putting their bodies on the line for the sake of our entertainment.

The Match:
It has to be said that there wasn’t a massive amount of build-up towards this match; instead, it was more like the WWF had pressed “Play” after pausing the Undertaker/Mankind rivalry for a while, and the main reasoning behind Foley wanting to put the Undertaker through hell was because the Deadman had attacked Paul Bearer, who was managing Kane at the time, who Mankind referred to as “Uncle Paul”. Indeed, even Foley later admitted that a big part of the reason for his ridiculous stunts in this match came because the feud didn’t have much momentum behind it and the Undertaker was currently dealing with a broken foot, so Foley was worried that the match would suffer as a result. This (and the anticipation for the main event) may explain why Mankind entered to next to no reaction from the crowd, but they soon perked up when Foley tossed a steel chair up to the roof and then clambered up the chain link wall to await the arrival of the Undertaker, which perfectly played into the mental instability of the Mankind persona as hyped up by J.R. and The King on commentary. The Undertaker received a far more rapturous response from the crowd upon the sound of his gong alone and, despite his broken foot, followed his rival up to the cell roof.

While the match started on top of the cell, it wasn’t long before Foley was crashing off (and through) the structure!

With the chain link roof buckling under their combined weight, the two exchanged blows and Mankind immediately landed chair shots to the Undertaker’s back. Looking to end his undead opponent early, Mankind prepared to deliver a suplex to the Deadman but the Undertaker fought back with his patented strikes, which knocked Foley loopy, then sent Mankind right off the roof and crashing through the announce table below! J.R.’s response summed up this heinous, absolutely insane spot perfectly: “Good God almighty! Good God almighty! They’ve killed him!” and one look at Foley’s prone body amidst the table debris makes it hard to argue with this statement! The crowd went absolutely bonkers, electrified by the unforeseen moment, and even the Undertaker later admitted that he was certain Foley was dead. If this were to happen in today’s climate, J.R. and The King’s declaration that the match was over would probably be true and this basically stopped the proceedings for about ten minutes as referees, doctors, Vince McMahon, and even hardcore legend (and Foley’s friend and mentor) Terry Funk rushed out to tend to Foley. No matter how many times you watch the replay (and it’s shown again and again to buy the guys time), it never fails to make an impact (literally and figuratively) as Foley’s body plummets right off the top and absolutely decimates the announce table. However, halfway up the entrance ramp, Mankind clambered to his feet, shoved aside the WWF personnel, and scrambled back up to the top of the cell for more! The Undertaker obliged by Chokeslamming Foley through the cell roof! Mankind landed with an almighty thud and had his face smashed by the errant steel chair, which caused a tooth to come out of his nose! This second fall was completely unexpected for everyone involved and, for the second time in the match, Foley was legitimately believed to be dead by everyone present. Terry Funk, Sergeant Slaughter, and WWF referees desperately tried to revive Foley and buy the two time to recuperate; Funk even took a Chokeslam from the Deadman that literally slammed him right out of his shoes(!) to give Foley a couple more seconds to get back in the game and, beyond all expectations, the match continued for about another ten minutes despite Mankind continually crumbling like a sack of potatoes from the Undertaker’s lightest touch. Again, this would never happen today; the match basically gets back on track, with the cage door being locked and the two continuing to fight, despite the fact that Foley is severely concussed and probably has some internal injuries.

The brutality of the match was unlike anything anyone had seen in the WWF before and cemented Foley’s legacy.

J.R. and The King continued to express shock and awe at just how physically tough and reliant Mankind was, and Foley proved to have a little fight left in him as he interrupted the Undertaker’s signature rope walk to send the Deadman crashing crotch-first to the ring ropes and then made himself a meme with his bloodied smile. Staggered, limping, and favouring his ribs, Mankind knocked the Undertaker to the outside but was in too much pain to lift the steel steps. The Undertaker, however, had no such qualms and repeatedly rammed the steel steps into Foley’s arms and head at ringside! Somehow, Mankind dodged the Undertaker’s torpedo dive through the ropes, causing the Deadman to crash head-first into the cell, and then grated the Undertaker’s already lacerated forehead against the chain link wall to really get the crimson flowing. Mankind then hit the Undertaker with a Pulling Piledriver onto the steel chair, but ‘Taker kicked out at two so Mankind delivered a leg drop onto the steel chair after laying it across the Undertaker’s bloodied face, but was again frustrated by a two count. The Undertaker then got dropped by Mankind’s signature Double-Arm DDT and Foley pulled out a bag of thumb tacks(!) and sprinkled them everywhere, much to the commentators’ shock and the crowd’s delight! Mankind delivered shots to the Undertaker’s head, sending the Deadman teetering, only to be shut down by the last reserves of the Undertaker’s strength. Mankind resorted to applying the Mandible Claw to try and cause the Undertaker to black out, which resulted in Foley clambering behind the Deadman and ultimately sealing his fate as the Undertaker staggered to his feet and dropped Mankind, back-first, right onto the thumb tacks! With dozens of the sharp pins sticking into this flesh and tattered clothes, Mankind walked right into a Chokeslam onto the tacks and, finally, mercifully, was put down with a Tombstone Piledriver. For their efforts, the crowd gave both men (but particularly Mick Foley) a standing ovation and filled the area with applause as doctors and WWF officials were finally able to attend to Foley’s battered, bloody body but, in a final show of guts and perseverance, Foley refused to be stretchered out and was instead assisted to the back by Funk and Slaughter to a standing ovation.

The Aftermath:
As impossible as it may be to believe considering the horrific abuse they suffered in this match, neither Mankind nor the Undertaker were done on this night; both men ended up interfering in the main event, which saw Kane emerge as the WWF Champion after Steve Austin got busted open, and two months later Mankind was back in a Hell in a Cell match as he faced his former partner one-on-one on an episode of Raw is War. Foley’s injuries in this match were substantial and greatly contributed to the softening of his Mankind character, who eventually became a loveable goofball and enjoyed a successful tag team run alongside The Rock before Foley was given the company’s biggest prize and, eventually, made plans for his in-ring retirement. As for the Undertaker, he shifted into the main event picture soon after, forming an alliance with Kane and targeting Steve Austin and the WWF Championship before eventually getting back into it with his brother. This wouldn’t be the last time the Undertaker and Mankind met in the ring, either; they fought on Raw is War two nights later, battled over the WWF Tag Team Championships, and were included in multi-man championship (or contender) matches throughout 1998 and 1999. While Foley would later end his lengthy and storied career in another Hell in a Cell match, this particular contest would be one of the defining moments of his career; while the actual in-ring work was somewhat pedestrian, the match impressed on sheer spectacle alone and has been evoked (for better or worse) in video packages, hype for the brutality of the match concept, and in subsequent Hell in a Cell matches.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the battle between Mankind and the Undertaker in Hell in a Cell? How would you rate it against their other matches and against Hell in a Cell contests? What was your reaction when Mankind went sailing off the top of the cage? Do you think the match should have ended right there, or after Foley’s second fall? How are you celebrating the Undertaker’s debut this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from his long and distinguished career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and or let me know what you think about the Undertaker on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: Benoit vs. Sabu / Scorpio (November to Remember ’94)

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The Date: 5 November 1994
The Venue: ECW Arena; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Commentary: Joey Styles
The Referee: Freddie Gilbert
The Stakes: ECW Death Match between rivals / impromptu singles match

The Build-Up:
Back when the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) were going head-to-head in a heated ratings war, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) found a way to stand out from the “Big Boys” with their extreme brand of sports entertainment. Originally known as Eastern Championship Wrestling, ECW was re-branded by one of wrestling’s greatest minds, managers, and promoters, Paul Heyman, and came to be known for its violent and controversial matches and content, which was instrumental in inspiring the WWF’s “Attitude Era”. ECW also offered a stage for some of wrestling’s most talented technicians and luchadores and allowed future wrestling stars and Hall of Famers to hone their characters and craft. By 1994, ECW had developed a cult following with the rabid Philadelphia crowd at the ECW Arena, though they were still a few years away from airing their first pay-per-view, Barely Legal; instead, ECW hosted supercard events such as this one from the ECW Arena. Although November to Remember 1994 featured “The Franchise” Shane Douglas defending his ECW World Heavyweight Championship against Ron Simmons, the main event went to their “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac”, Sabu, and former Pegasus Kid, Chris Benoit, after they previously battling to a count out on an episode of ECW Hardcore TV earlier in October. Aside from the greater controversy surrounding any Benoit match, which I’ll touch upon later, this match also gained infamy after a botched suplex saw Sabu suffer a broken neck, earning Benoit the nickname “The Crippler” and Sabu a reputation was one of wrestling’s toughest competitors.

The Match:
Although I’ve never had much history with ECW beyond what I’ve seen from their competitors in other promotions, I’m always interested to take a look back at what they were up to while the big guns duked it out over ratings and haemorrhaged money trying to put their competition out of business. Some of my favourite wrestlers got their start in ECW and, arguably, peaked while in the Land of the Extreme, and one of my favourite wrestlers when I started getting into the sport was Chris Benoit. He wasn’t the biggest guy or the most charismatic, but he was scarily intense in the ring and had a sadistic edge that made him seem so dangerous at the time. I, like many, fully bought him as an under-rated and under-appreciated talent and was pleased as anything by his ascension to the main event, but of course it’s extremely difficult to separate the man’s work from his horrendous final hours so it can be a bit tough to rewatch his matches. Still, this is one of his most notorious bouts so I wanted to get into it to get an understanding of how Benoit built an aura around his character following this match, and it’s very surreal to see him so young, and sporting a mullet!

A botched suplex broke Sabu’s neck and caused a brawl to break out to distract the audience.

Benoit was very anxious to get things underway at the beginning of the match; luckily for him, Sabu didn’t waste any time and went right at him, a decision that proved disastrous as Sabu ended up feeling the brunt of Benoit’s attack. A knee to the gut and a suplex over the ropes dropped Sabu, who was still recovering from three broken ribs, and then the match took a sudden and unexpected turn. Benoit hooked Sabu up into a kind of T-Bone Suplex and launched him into the air, but Sabu rotated awkwardly and came crashing down right on his neck! Sabu was able to roll out of the ring but it was pretty clear that he was badly hurt from the move as the referee and Paul Heyman frantically checked on him. Benoit played to the crowd and tried to keep the show going as best he could, something helped by Sabu’s cohort, 911, challenging him so Sabu could get medical attention. Benoit refused 911’s challenge since he didn’t sign a contract to fight him but eventually jumped him from behind to get some cheap shots in. 911 planted him with a chokeslam, however, and got the three count…though the bell didn’t ring so I’m not sure how official it was…The ECW Tag Team Champions, Public Enemy, then rushed the big man with baseball bats to keep him away from Benoit, then the rest of the ECW locker room rushed the ring for a massive brawl to take the attention away from the clearly injured Sabu.

Benoit and Scorpio battled to a no contest to try and salvage to show.

Eventually, Joey Styles declared that Benoit was the winner of the match by default since Sabu was unable to continue. Benoit then mocked Sabu on the mic, earning the ire of 2 Cold Scorpio and resulting in an impromptu match between the two. Benoit took Scorpio down with a clothesline and hit a huge powerbomb for a two count; a snap suplex followed but Benoit was floored after Scorpio ducked under a chop and hit a crescent kick. This was enough for Benoit, who took a powder to allow his Public Enemy buddies to jump Scorpio, only for them to be taken down by Scorpio’s martial arts skills. As the ECW locker room surrounded the ring, Benoit took control once again with a back elbow and a beautiful superplex for a near fall. Frustrated, Benoit sat Scorpio back on the top rope and tried for an avalanche back suplex only for Scorpio to counter it into a pinning predicament for a two count. The double-underhook suplex also earned Scorpio a two count, as did a really clumsy looking and potentially dangerous victory roll from the top rope (that was almost like a reverse Frankensteiner, of sorts). Shrugging off a side kick, Benoit took the action to the outside and smashed Scorpio’s face off the steel steps; Benoit then launched Scorpio into the metal guard rail and hopped into the ring but the match ended on a double count out regardless. Pissed off, Scorpio rushed Benoit with a steel chair and chased him from the ring before talking shit about him on the mic to end the show. Obviously, if you wanted to see Benoit fight Sabu then you’re going to be disappointed, but I think they did a decent job making the most of a bad situation. The crowd didn’t seem annoyed at what happened; if anything, they were cheering Benoit on as he took on Scorpio and they seemed to enjoy the brawl, but this was a bit of a mess thanks to that horrendous botch and just goes to show that anything can happen in a wrestling ring.

The Aftermath:
Sabu’s refusal to break character and speak English almost exacerbated his injury when he was taken to hospital following the botch. He managed to recover, however, and was back in ECW by 1995 for a very public firing when he chose to accept a booking for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) over defending the ECW Tag Team Championships in a match that would’ve seen him share the ring with Chris Benoit again. Since Sabu no-showed the match, he never wrestled Benoit again as the Crippler jumped back to WCW. This wouldn’t be the last time Sabu broke his neck, however; he broke it again in December 1998 during a match against Taz and came to be known for similar disastrous injuries and speaking out against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Benoit would, of course, eventually make his way to the WWF and achieve his World Championship dreams only to forever tarnish his legacy by murdering his wife, son, and taking his own life in one of wrestling’s worst tragedies.

My Rating:

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Terrible

Were you shocked by what happened at November to Remember 1994? Who were you hoping would win the match before the injury happened? Were you satisfied by the impromptu contest between Chris Benoit and 2 Cold Scorpio? What is the worst botch you’ve ever seen in a wrestling match? Were you a fan of Sabu? What are your thoughts on Benoit and his tarnished legacy? Did you watch ECW back in the day and, if so, who were some of your favourite wrestlers and what were some of your favourite matches and moments? Would you like to see the November to Remember event brought back? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to leave them below or drop a comment on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: Goldberg vs. DDP (Halloween Havoc ’98)

Dr. K1 Comment

The Date: 25 October 1998
The Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena; Paradise, Nevada
The Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Mike Tenay
The Referee: Mickie Jay
The Stakes: Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship

The Build-Up:
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) gets a lot of flack for not building more original, home-grown stars; one of the principal reasons they took a commanding lead in the “Monday Night Wars” against the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was because they lured over big-name stars like Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage with lucrative contracts to cash-in on their mainstream popularity. However, there are actually many home-grown WCW stars: “The Icon” Sting was unquestionably the heart and soul of the company, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair their most prolific link to the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Diamond Dallas Page/DDP their most inspirational story of a journeyman wrestler becoming a beloved figurehead, and Bill Goldberg easily their most successful home-made talent. After an injury saw his American football career come to an end, Goldberg transition first to powerlifting and mixed martial arts before being persuaded by Sting and Lex Luger to train at the WCW Power Plant. Impressed by the big man’s physique and intensity, WCW head honcho Eric Bischoff rushed Goldberg to television and booked him on an unprecedented winning streak that saw him amass an alleged win 173 consecutive wins (though the number was actually closer to 156) using a very simple formula of hitting a couple of big moves, including performing his finisher, the Jackhammer, on the seven-foot Giant! In contrast, DDP was a late bloomer, having started as a manager before transitioning to an in-ring career at the relatively late age of thirty-five. Page hit his stride when he famously rejected joining the New World Order (nWo) super stable and cemented himself as WCW’s top babyface, scoring WCW Tag Team Championship and United States Championship victories with his signature Diamond Cutter, which he boasted he could hit on anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Goldberg’s impressive (if inflated) winning streak eventually saw him dethrone “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on one of the most successful (if controversial) episodes of WCW Monday Nitro in 1998. After DDP earned the right to challenge for the championship at Halloween Havoc by winning a War Games match the previous month, the stage was set for these two icons to collide but it wasn’t all plain sailing. Goldberg disagreed with DDP’s ideas for the match and WCW came under fire when the pay-per-view overran its allotted timeslot, meaning paying viewers didn’t get to see the main event bout and had to settle for a re-run on the following episode of Monday Nitro.

The Match:
As I’ve detailed before, I wasn’t lucky enough to grow up watching WCW or WWF; I wasn’t able to get into wrestling until early-2000, and by then all I could really watch were WWF pay-per-views, so my knowledge of WCW was limited to magazines and videogames. Still, competitors like Goldberg and DDP definitely stuck out for me, primarily because they had a lot of media attention and featured in one of my first real experiences of WCW, the ill-fated Ready to Rumble (Robbins, 2000). I didn’t really get to see DDP in action until he was inexplicably cast as the Undertaker’s sadistic stalker during the botched “Invasion” angle, a decision which meant DDP’s WWF and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) career never reached the heights of his WCW fame. Similarly, I wouldn’t get to see Goldberg in action until he arrived in WWE in 2003 for a lacklustre run that saw him put on one of the worst performances in wrestling history, and later further tarnish his reputation with a series of questionable performances following his Hall of Fame induction. Still, I’m always excited to watch WCW biggest stars perform at the height of their career and popularity and to see them booked correctly, especially as this is considered one of the best matches in either man’s career. There was a moment of trepidation as the bell rang; at this point, Goldberg has amassed a winning streak of 154 and his matches were short, sharp affairs that played to his strengths as a powerhouse. DDP, meanwhile, was more of a technician and a wily competitor, though neither man backed down or showed any fear; this was undoubtedly a match with high stakes for both since it meant a championship reign for DDP and another feather in the cap of WCW’s brutish superstar. After a spot of jaw-jacking, the two men locked up, with DDP being easily overpowered in the early going; Goldberg repeatedly tossed him into the far corner with little effort and DDP, realising that tenacity alone wouldn’t win the day, changed tactics, stalling for time and then took the big man down with an arm drag before goading him into charging the two of them through the ropes and to the outside.

It took some time for Goldberg to play to his strengths and he ended up injuring himself as a result.

The crowd grew a little restless as the two men stalled some more and clambered back into the ring; DDP went back to basics, slapping on a headlock, only for Goldberg to surprisingly wrestle his way out of it with a wrist-lock takedown and then counter DDP’s attempts at a trip with an impressive standing back flip! DDP’s efforts to rile Goldberg up resulted in the big man losing his cool and pummelling the challenger with some stiff shots, slamming him to the mat with an overhead throw, and then locking in a cross armbreaker on the canvas. DDP easily reached the ropes and stunned Goldberg with a jawbreaker before laying in some forearms and working over Goldberg’s arm and shoulder; however, he found himself tumbling outside when Goldberg easily threw off an attempted Diamond Cutter. Once DDP hopped back into the ring, Goldberg went back to the wrist lock and, this time, DDP countered with a drop-toehold before being bashed to the outside again with a shoulder block. A jawbreaker over the ropes and a spinning neckbreaker saw allowed DDP to press the attack, tossing Goldberg into the corner and scoring a two count off a Russian leg sweep. DDP put the pressure on with a front facelock to give both men a chance to rest, but Goldberg soon fought back with some stiff knee strikes to DDP’s ribs and that weird spinning takedown thing he liked to do. Goldberg followed up with a modified suplex and a nice sidewalk slam, but a lackadaisical cover saw DDP easily kick out. Goldberg then punished DDP with another cross armbreaker but, clearly having run out of moves, paid the price when he tried for another sidewalk slam as DDP countered with an awkward, but effective, headscissor takedown! Goldberg popped right back up, however, and delivered a sidekick (thankfully not to DDP’s head…) but crashed and burned on a Spear attempt when DDP wisely flipped out of the way and caused the champion to charge shoulder-first into the ring post and spill to the outside.

Both men hit their signature moves but it was the undefeated Goldberg who eventually came out on top.

The two milked the moment to take a breather before DDP took Goldberg down with a big top-rope clothesline for a two-count; despite favouring his right arm, Goldberg planted DDP with a uranage-like slam (that honestly looked like DDP countered into a DDT). Although DDP got to his feet first and called for the Diamond Cutter, he got absolutely blasted with Goldberg’s trademark Spear, much to the delight of the crowd, but Goldberg couldn’t capitalise thanks to his shoulder injury from the ring post. This also meant he struggled to lift DDP for the Jackhammer and, when he finally did, the challenger slipped out of it and planted him with the Diamond Cutter. However, exhaustion also meant that DDP couldn’t immediately follow-up so Goldberg easily kicked out. It was at this point that the crowd really came alive, just in time for Goldberg to counter DDP’s suplex into a Jackhammer and score the three count in the blink of an eye! Having been taken to his limit, Goldberg helped DDP to his feet and showed him respect before celebrating his win to a chorus of cheers. However, I have to say that I wasn’t massively won over by this; Goldberg was always at his best when he played to his strengths, which meant power, power, and more power. There were times here where he looked lost and his limitations showed, such as him struggling to respond to DDP’s attempts to get him up and him going for the same moves. It wasn’t massively glaring but it makes DDP’s efforts to carry Goldberg to a more competitive match even more obvious; Goldberg, didn’t exactly press his attack, or overpower DDP enough for me to believe that Page was too beat up to make a cover, especially as DDP did a lot of stalling throughout the match. I appreciated the attempt to showcase Goldberg’s more technical abilities, but his physicality could’ve been played up more, maybe with a few more hard shoves and that military press slam he liked to do. In the end, it was a decent match, potentially the best of Goldberg’s career at that point, but I could feel the crowd getting restless throughout and I echoed those sentiments and was just waiting for a little more action from both men.

The Aftermath:
Although this wouldn’t be the last time Goldberg and DDP faced off against each other, it did mark the end of their feud; by the next month’s pay-per-view, DDP was once again the WCW United States Champion and was busy feuding with Bret “Hitman” Hart. Although Goldberg wasn’t on the show, he did headline Starrcade the following month, where he lost the WCW Championship and had his winning streak snapped in controversial fashion by “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash following interference from Scott Hall and a taser. Goldberg and DDP wouldn’t face each other again until April 1999, where they battled for the WCW Championship on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro, this time with DDP as the champion. They battled each other sporadically throughout 1999, with their final match being a singles bout at Fall Brawl 1999, which Goldberg again won. As far as I can tell, they never crossed paths when in WWE and, with DDP officially retired and committed to helping wrestlers and others improve their lives through his DDP Yoga, I can’t imagine that we’ll ever see these two locking up in a match ever again.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Are you a fan of Goldberg’s match against Diamond Dallas Page at Halloween Havoc? Do you agree that it’s one of their best matches or do you think it’s over-rated and prefer a different bout of theirs? Were you a fan of either man during their WCW days? Which of their matches and moments was your favourite and what did you think to their career outside of WCW? What’s your favourite Halloween Havoc match or event? Whatever your thoughts on Goldberg, DDP, WCW, and Halloween Havoc, I’d love to see them in the comments.

Wrestling Recap: Kane vs. Jericho (Armageddon ’00)

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The Date: 10 December 2000
The Venue: Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center; Birmingham, Alabama
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Theodore Long
The Stakes: Last Man Standing match to conclude rivalry

The Build-Up:
On October 5th, 1997 (the day after my twelfth birthday, which sadly clashes with Global James Bond Day), Glenn Jacobs made his dramatic debut as Kane, the scarred, monstrous younger half-brother of the Undertaker. Following this, Kane ran wild throughout the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as a monstrous “tweener” who attacked bad guys (“heels”) and good guys (“faces”) alike, primarily brawling with his brother and being embroiled in WWF Chairman Vince McMahon’s vendetta against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Although Kane always received his fair share of cheers for the amount of ass he kicked, he cemented his status as a face after suffering a betrayal at the hands of his friend and tag team partner, X-Pac, which led to him firmly setting his sights on the WWF Championship, held by Triple H, after returning from an injury in mid-2000. However, while a team up with his brother was teased, Kane would turn on the Undertaker, don a bad-ass new vest attire, and embark on a renewed path of destruction, bolstered by his newfound ability to vocalise his hatred of the world and all things beautiful. Eventually, this led to him crossing paths with “Y2J” Chris Jericho, a high-flying former WWF Intercontinental Champion who earned the Big Red Machine’s rage after accidentally splashing him with hot coffee in a backstage segment. Despite swiftly enacting revenge on Jericho, and coming out on top in their last two pay-per-view bouts, Kane’s anger at Jericho only exacerbated when Y2J cost him the WWF Hardcore Championship and attacking him with a steel chair the month before. Having found a fury awoken inside himself, and frustrated with Kane’s constant attacks, Jericho went to then-WWF Commissioner Mick Foley and out-right demanded one last match with the Big Red Machine here, a Last Man Standing match, to finally put their differences aside once and for all.

The Match:
Of course, Armageddon 2000 was also the night of the infamous six-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship. That match, and this one, would (in storyline) cast a great deal of controversy onto Commissioner Mick Foley, since Vince McMahon wasn’t pleased that Foley had sanctioned eight of his top stars to compete in dangerous and potentially career shortening matches. However, both the video package and J.R. and The King emphasise that Jericho not only wanted this match, he literally begged for it; pushed to the edge by Kane’s constant assault, Jericho was eager to put an end to the Big Red Machine and had become increasingly violent, attacking Kane with repeated steel chair shots in the build-up to this match, and the story heading in was that Y2J was the plucky underdog and Kane was the unstoppable monster, and that something naturally had to give in this Last Man Standing match. This match also came when both men were, arguably, at the peak of their careers; Jericho was still riding a wave of popularity and early success following his memorable debut, and Kane was absolute hench as fuck at this time, sporting probably my favourite look of his and apparently reinvigorated by his recent main event push. Fittingly, given the intensity of this feud so far (which, despite quickly escalating into Kane wanting to disfigure Jericho’s face, we’re constantly reminded all started over a hot cup of coffee), the two begin the match by brawling on the entrance ramp. With no disqualifications or count outs in effect, both men were free to do whatever they wanted in order to pummel the other until they were physically unable to answer the referee’s ten count, and Kane immediately took full advantage of that to batter Jericho out to the backstage area where (after a brief, awkward period of dead air) he tried to end Jericho’s life by hurling an equipment box at his head!

Chris Jericho was constantly on the back foot thanks to Kane’s raw power.

Luckily, Jericho dodged out of the way (and similarly avoided having his head caved in from a massive shovel shot) and (after the two take pot shots at Mideon, who randomly wandered into the fight), Jericho threw sawdust in Kane’s eyes and slipped out of a running powerslam to send the Big Red Machine into the ring post. Jericho quickly followed up by slamming Kane’s face into the steel steps and then rolling him into the ring, where (oddly, considering the stipulation) the majority of the main action took place. Constantly on the defensive thanks to Kane’s sheer size and strength, Jericho pressed his advantage by knocking his opponent down with a back elbow off the top rope, countering a back body drop, and even clotheslining Kane out of the ring. However, Kane, nimble as a cat, did that awesome spot where he landed on his feet and then caught Jericho in mid-air, clamping down on a bearhug and running Y2J spine-first into the ring post before finally dumping him on the thin outside padding with a running powerslam. Kane then gave Jericho a receipt for smashing his face into the steel steps, and then continued to work Jericho over in the ring, focusing on the spine with stomps, backbreakers, and shoulder thrusts into the corner. Despite the brutal assault, Jericho not only refused to stay down but also scrambled and clawed his way back into the fight, desperate to mount a comeback; Kane easily shut him down with a huge one-arm toss and then applied that awesome choke hold where he held his opponent by the throat and stretched him across his back. While J.R. rightly pointed out that submissions are irrelevant, Kane’s strategy was clearly to punish Jericho and to choke him out so he couldn’t make it to his feet. This led to the first ten-count of the match; Kane stalked the ring, stunned that Jericho managed to beat the count, and the crowd was suitably worked into a frenzy as they cheered for Y2J to get back into the fight. However, when he tried to do so with a back spinning heel kick, Kane snatched him out of the air (almost dropping him) and slammed him to the mat and had his Lionsault rudely interrupted when Kane got his knees up and then fell victim to Kane’s mental top-rope diving clothesline.

Chris Jericho enduring Kane’s assault and ultimately overcame him using his feisty wiles.

After milking the ten count, Kane continued overwhelming Jericho with huge haymakers and, when Jericho defiantly got to his feet and asked for more, Kane delivered an absolutely massive One-Handed Chokeslam and was driven to a frenzy when Jericho somehow staggered to his feet as the referee counted to nine. Incensed at Jericho’s tenacity, Kane snatched a steel chair from ring side, rammed it into Jericho’s ribs, smashed it over his spine, and signalled his intention to put an end to Jericho’s insolence with a Tombstone Piledriver to the chair. However, Jericho escaped and blasted Kane with a low blow before felling him with a DDT. Seizing the chair for himself, Jericho finally turned the tide with a sickening shot right to Kane’s unprotected head; he with a flying forearm, a top rope missile dropkick, a bulldog, and then finally hit the Lionsault onto Kane after laying the chair across Kane’s abdomen (which, naturally, hurt Jericho just as much as Kane). However, Kane did his trademark zombie sit-up at the count of nine and then shut Jericho down with a big boot to the face and military pressed Y2J out of the ring. The two brawled back up the ramp towards the cars and stage decorations surrounding the entrance; there, Jericho was (eventually) able to cause Kane to crash onto (but not quite through) a nearby table with a facebuster. Hurt and desperate from Kane’s brutal and relentless assault, Jericho resorted to utilising his surroundings to his advantage; as Kane staggered to his feet, Jericho caused a wall of barrels to come crashing down onto his opponent, effectively burying and pinning him down and ensuring that the Big Red Machine couldn’t answer the ten count. Although Kane’s gloved hand popped out from between the barrels (and he could have easily just crawled out the other side), Jericho kicked it away and was declared the winner, finally overcoming his monstrous opponent and putting an end to their rivalry.

The Aftermath:
I was well into this feud at the time; I’d only been into wrestling for just over a year by this point but Kane had firmly become my favourite wrestler and I loved seeing him absolutely manhandle Jericho in this rivalry. The actual match wasn’t really anything that great; it was a fairly standard big man vs. little man match that was designed to put over Kane’s immense strength and Jericho’s tenacity, but it did this very well and I think the two worked pretty well together. Despite the fact that Jericho had been on the losing end of their matches and most of their segments prior to Armageddon 2000, this match marked the end of their heated rivalry. Over the next few weeks, both men went their separate ways, with Jericho restarting his epic rivalry with Chris Benoit over the Intercontinental Championship and Kane switching back to being a fan favourite soon after. This feud, and match, also marked Kane’s detour into the Hardcore division, which led to a pretty entertaining triple threat match for the belt at WrestleMania X-Seven following Kane’s mammoth performance at that year’s Royal Rumble. This wouldn’t be the last time Chris Jericho and Kane crossed paths; the two would battle one on one a couple of times in random, throwaway matches and often face off for the Tag Team Championships, but they would never again enter into a prolonged feud with each other. Instead, each man pursued their own individual World Championship goals but, despite competing in Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank ladder matches, never went head to head for the company’s top prize.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the bout between Kane and Chris Jericho at Armageddon 2000? How would you rate it compared to their other bouts and what did you think to their feud in general? Were you a fan of the ending to this match? What did you think to Kane’s look and presentation during this time? How are you celebrating Kane’s debut this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Kane’s long and complex career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts about the Big Red Machine, leave a comment below.

Wrestling Recap: Edge & Christian vs. Dudleyz vs. Hardyz (SummerSlam ’00)

Dr. K3 Comments

The Date: 27 August 2000
The Venue: Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena; Raleigh, North Carolina
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Jim Korderas and Tim White
The Stakes: Triple threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match for the WWF Tag Team Championships

The Build-Up:
For many, myself included, the year 2000 was a peak time in wrestling, particularly in the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Coming out of a widely criticised WrestleMania, the company really hit its stride after riding the surge of popularity following the engaging rivalry between WWF chairman Vince McMahon and the renegade “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. With Austin out with a serious neck injury, the WWF strapped the proverbial rocket to the Rock, who reigned as a super-popular fan favourite champion in the main event, but their undercard wasn’t exactly slouching, either. The tag team division, already full of some colourful characters, hit a new pinnacle with the many contests between Matt and Jeff, the Hardy Boyz, and Edge and Christian that stretched back to each teams’ time in the Brood stable. By this point, the two had already engaged in death-defying ladder matches but their rivalry reached new heights when Bubba Ray and D-Von, the Dudley Boyz, brought their own brand of hardcore action to their matches, specifically in the form of tables. The three teams had already clashed at WrestleMania earlier that year in a triangle ladder match that saw Edge & Christian utilise their trademark chairs (with the two being known for a double chair shot to the head known as the “Con-Chair-To”) and the Dudleyz had made a name for themselves by driving WWF Superstars, particularly women, through tables, much to the delight of the crowd. With the rivalry between the three only intensifying, WWF commissioner Mick Foley ordered Edge & Christian to defend their WWF Tag Team Championships against both teams in this, the first-ever TLC match, in which the competitors must scale a ladder to claim the belts like in a traditional ladder match but could also utilise steel chairs and tables for additional carnage.

The Match:
Edge and Christian hit the ring first and then wisely bailed as their opponents followed; the Hardyz were so desperate to throw hands with the Dudleyz that they rushed to the ring before Howard Finkel could finish his introductions. Edge and Christian tried to take advantage by attacking them with all with steel chairs, but the Hardyz intercepted them, relieving them of their chairs so they could use them against Bubba, D-Von, and Christian. However, while Bubba took a chair right to the face courtesy of Matt, he immediately got a measure of payback by knocking Jeff out of the air with a chair shot as he went for the Hardyz’ patented Poetry in Motion. Edge then caused Matt to take a powder following a clothesline and he and Christian worked over D-Von, with Christian using a steel chair to hit a big crossbody in the corner and then sending D-Von face-first into it with a drop toehold. The guys paired off and stomped at each other for a bit to buy Edge the time he needed to slip outside and bring the first ladder of the match into play; he slammed Bubba into it, but the damn Dudley easily sidestepped a running charge and sent the ladder back into Edge’s face using the ring ropes. Bubba then planted Christian with a DDT and, as the crowd chanted “We want tables!” over and over, climbed up the ladder to make a try for the belts. The Hardyz intercepted him, however, and planted him with a powerbomb-like slam off the ladder; while Matt beat down Christian, Jeff started a climb of his own only to face opposition as D-Von set up his own ladder right next to the first one. Both men were so distracted fending the other off and climbing for the belts that they were easily caught from behind with Edge, who took them both down with a double Russian leg sweep of sorts.

The action and the stunts built beautifully in the early going as the teams utilised their signature weapons.

Christian then tried to take advantage, climbing both ladders at once, but Bubba shut him down with authority by landing a big-time Bubba Bomb off the top rungs of the ladder! Jeff then took a hellacious bump when he tried climbing a third ladder only to be toppled off by Edge onto the other two ladders, which were stacked up on the mat, the impact of which also smashed the ladder into Matt and Bubba’s faces, as well. Edge and Christian went for the Con-Chair-To on Jeff, but he managed to drop to the mat at the last second; Bubba then went nuts with a ladder, running it right into the champions and using it to smash a steel chair back into Jeff’s face. To the absolute delight of the crowd, Bubba and D-Von hit their Wassup! headbutt to Edge’s groin and Bubba demanded that D-Von “Get the tables!!” Unsatisfied with the selection under the ring and suspiciously avoiding the tables already set up at ringside, D-Von retrieved a table from the entrance ramp and set it up in the ring as Bubba beat on Matt, Jeff, and Christian before the two successfully drove Christian through the wood with their Dudley Death Drop (3D) finish to a crescendo of applause. The Dudleyz then went outside and created a four-table stack right next to the ring but, before they could do anything with this structure, Edge attacked with a steel chair, cracking both right over the head (!) before Matt planted him with the Twist of Fate. The Hardyz then added to the assault by hitting stereo leg drops to a prone Edge from a nearby ladder set up in the ring corner. Matt then awkwardly sandwiched Edge between a ladder before launching Christian off the top rope and onto it, which had to absolutely suck for his ribs. Meanwhile, on the outside, Jeff laid Bubba over a table and went for a Swanton Bomb off a massive ladder only to crash and burn when Bubba rolled off the table at the last minute!

After putting their opponents down with some big spots, the champions retained their titles.

Matt brought the twenty-foot ladder into the ring and (eventually) made a climb for the belts. However, after Edge, Christian, and D-Von intercepted him, and all four men went crashing to the mat after Christian planted Matt with a reverse DDT and Edge and D-Von fell to the top rope. Shaking off the effects of a brutal chair shot to the head, Bubba stumbled into the ring and started climbing, only for Edge and Christian to tip the ladder over and send him crashing through the four-table stack on the outside! With the field clear of their opposition, Edge and Christian went for the belts only for Lita to interrupt their climb by dumping them crotch-first onto the top rope! Encouraged by Lita, Matt desperately set up the ladder and briefly brushed the tips of his fingers against the belts before D-Von went him careening through two tables stacked up outside the other side of the ring! Edge then Speared Lita on the outside, nearly cracking her head open on the edge of a ladder in the process as Jeff and D-Von competed to grab the championship belts. Both men grabbed onto them as Edge pushed the ladder out from under them and frantically kicked at each other while dangling high above the ring. D-Von was sent crashing to the mat, but Jeff refused to let go. Edge and Christian solved this problem by swatting Jeff out of the air with a ladder and, with all their opponents unconscious or incapacitated from their falls, the champions successfully climbed the twenty-foot ladder and retrieved their belts. This was, in a word, carnage; but controlled carnage. So much could’ve easily gone wrong, but it came together really well, even with a couple of awkward moments here and there as the guys prepared tables and ladders for later spots. There wasn’t much chair action here but, in a match involving ladders and tables, it makes sense to focus on these aspects and the crowd was super into all the big spots and, though livid that Edge and Christian walked away with the belts once more, clearly appreciated all of the death-defying action crammed into these twenty minutes.

The Aftermath:
Of course, this wouldn’t be the last time these three teams fought. They brawled the very next night on Raw is War and the Hardyz defeated the Dudleyz to become the number one contenders soon after. While the Dudleyz were side-tracked with teams like the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) and the Right to Censor, the Hardyz beat Edge & Christian for the belts at Unforgiven, only for the wily Canadians to briefly outsmart the brothers by assuming the guises of masked lucha libres. The storylines then converged at the 2000 Survivor Series, where the Hardyz and the Dudleyz joined forces against the Right to Censor and Edge & Christian in a winning effort. Though Edge & Christian were able to regain the belts by winning a Fatal 4-Way match at Armageddon, the Dudleyz then defeated the Canadian duo (despite nursing storyline concussions) at the Royal Rumble event and successfully defended them against not just Edge & Christian but always the Undertaker and Kane at No Way Out at the start of 2001. The stage was thus set for another TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven, this one even more chaotic than the last and featuring run-ins from not only Lita, but Rhyno and Spike Dudley as well, though Edge & Christian again came out on top as the champions by the end.

The TLC match became a staple of WWE programming over the years.

Over the next few years, the paths of these six men would regularly cross; even when pursuing singles glory, the three teams would butt heads in the ring, clashing or competing in eight subsequent TLC matches over the next ten years or otherwise utilising tables, ladders, and chairs as they fought for pride, vengeance, or championship gold. The TLC match evolved slightly as time went on, with the match occasionally allowing pin fall victories and shifting away from tag team action to primarily be used in singles matches for the various World Heavyweight Championships. The match even got its own annual pay-per-view slot, featured little persons competing in a “WeeLC” match, was used to unify the World Heavyweight and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Championships, and Kane once even captured the World Tag Team Championships all by himself on the first-ever Raw broadcast of the stipulation. The WWE’s first-ever women’s TLC match took place at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in 2018; this was a triple threat match for the SmackDown! Women’s Championship but, at the following year’s event, the first-ever women’s tag team TLC match took place.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Fantastic

What did you think to the first-ever TLC match? Were you into the rivalry between these three teams? Which team did you want to see win and were you annoyed that Edge & Christian escaped with the belts? Were you impressed by the death-defying action in the match? Which TLC match is your favourite? Which of the matches featuring Edge & Christian, the Hardy Boyz, and the Dudley Boyz is your favourite? What are some of your favourite SummerSlam matches and moments? Whatever you think about these teams, the TLC stipulation, and SummerSlam, be sure to share them below or comment on my social media.

Wrestling Recap: The Outsiders vs. Sting, Savage, & Luger (Bash at the Beach ’96)

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The Date: 7 July 1996
The Venue: Ocean Center; Daytona Beach, Florida
The Commentary: “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, Mike Tenay, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Tony Schiavone
The Referee: Randy Anderson
The Stakes: Six-man tag team match to repel the Outsiders’ invasion

The Build-Up:
On 4 September 1995, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) changed the shape of the wrestling industry by airing the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro, a weekly broadcast that included the unexpected WCW debut of Lex Luger and kicked off the start of the “Monday Night Wars” as the show ran in direct competition to the World Wrestling Federation’s (WWF) Raw is War. Over the course of a staggering eighty-four weeks, WCW would dominate this ratings war thanks to signing a number of wrestling’s biggest names to lucrative contracts; two of the most prominent of these were Scott Hall (formerly WWF’s Razor Ramon) and Kevin Nash (formally Diesel), who regularly gatecrashed WCW programming to declare war on the organisation, assumedly as “Outsiders” sent explicitly by the WWF to disrupt WCW. Though this was later downplayed to avoid legal issues, the two constantly hassled WCW Executive Vice President Eric Bischoff and goaded him into forming a three-man team to face the duo and their mysterious “third man” at Bash at the Beach. A random drawing saw Sting, Lex Lugar and “Macho Man” Randy Savage chosen to oppose the Outsiders, but Hall and Nash refused to reveal the identity of their third man until the show; although Sting was initially said to be up for the big turn, the mystery man turned out to be the legendary Hulk Hogan, whose act was becoming a bit stale by that point. Hogan’s turn to the dark side legitimately shocked the wrestling world and reinvigorated his career; rechristened “Hollywood” Hogan, the once colourful wrestling hero led the New World Order (nWo) in hijacking WCW’s programming as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, eventually leading to a year-long storyline where Sting underwent a complete character change to oppose Hogan in their infamous Starrcade match. While the nWo eventually outlived its welcome, there’s no denying the impact this match had on the wrestling industry; it made WCW must-see television and forced the WWF to undergo a dramatic change of attitude to outpace and ultimately dethrone their competition and it all started here with this iconic three-on-two tag team match.

The Match:
I find it interesting looking back at the Outsiders’ arrival in WCW; even Michael Buffer’s introduction hypes up how the duo threatens the sanctity, the very existence, of the company, which I find a little amusing. You’re seriously telling me that two men are really that much of a threat? Admittedly, I haven’t watched the weeks leading up to Bash at the Beach but it seemed all the two did was interfere in matches, attack a few wrestlers, and accost Bischoff while claiming to have a third man in their posse. These days, an invading team would be at least three men to start with, if not six to eight, and would constantly disrupt programming, attacking everyone and destroying the ringside area, but back then all it took was a former bodyguard-turned-disappointing World Champion and an upper mid-carder with a tragic drinking problem to threaten the stability of one of the biggest wrestling companies in the United States at the time. After weeks of speculation and anticipation bout the duo’s third man, Hall and Nash sauntered to the ring by themselves; even I, with little exposure to WCW or even the WWF back in my fledgling wrestling fan days, was aware of the nWo and Hulk Hogan’s turn to the dark side thanks to WCW’s Nintendo 64 videogames, which featured “Hollywood” Hogan and his black-and-white cohorts in prominent roles, but WCW were determined to drag the reveal out for maximum impact. Naturally, the commentary team were more than a little biased towards the WCW competitors and “Mean” Gene Okerlund was less than impressed at their lack of a partner; however, the duo was completely unfazed maintained their arrogance even in the face of the two-on-three disadvantage they would be in throughout the match.

With Luger taken out, the Outsiders worked over Sting’s ribs and cheated for an advantage.

Sting, Luger, and Savage came to the ring together, so united as a team that they even wore matching face paint, and things quickly got tense as Luger and Hall got into a slanging match all while the commentary team bickered distrustfully amongst themselves since the Outsiders had done such a good job of sowing dissension throughout WCW. Hall and Luger started the match; Hall disrespectfully tossed his toothpick in Luger’s face, earning him a good ol’ slap to the jaw and a forearm shot across the forehead despite beating on Luger in the early going. Luger was all fired up, even taking a cheap shot at Nash, but Sting was forced to save him from a Nash headlock with a Stinger Splash in the corner. Unfortunately, Luger bashed his head on the ring post, evening the odds as doctors stretchered him away. Regardless, Sting went after Hall in a flurry, bashing his head off the mat, planting him with an Inverted Atomic Drop and a facebuster, but Hall was able to counter Savage’s top-rope axehandle with a shot to the gut. Rather than tagging out, Hall goaded Sting, distracting the referee and allowing Nash to hit Savage with Snake Eyes, but he immediately recovered to clothesline Hall to the mat for the first near fall of the match. Hall tagged in Nash; Savage (accompanied by Rhodes’ shouts of “Who be bad now?!”) used his quickness at first but the big man shut him down with some slow shots and a big body slam. Thankfully, Savage avoided an elbow drop and tagged in Sting, but he immediately took a beating in the corner from some repeated elbow strikes before being choked by Nash’s long, unstable leg. Sting countered a whip into the opposite corner and floored Nash with a dropkick but couldn’t get him over for a sunset flip pin and ate a lifting choke for his troubles. Hall tagged back in, hitting his trademark Fallaway Slam for a two count, but Nash came back in for a Big Boot and starting working over Sting’s ribs. Sting was able to duck under a clothesline and hit a low dropkick to bring Nash to the mat, but Hall tagged in to cut off both his opponents before dropping a bunch of elbows before wrapping the Stinger up in the Abdominal Stretch (with an assist from Nash) to really milk the crowd. Even when Nash slipped in behind the referee’s back to take over the hold and continue to work over Sting’s ribs and Sting was able to break free, he was too hurt to make the tag and got cut off again by Hall, who scored a two count of a clothesline.

Savage’s comeback was cut short by Hogan’s shocking turn and the infamous formation of the nWo!

After a brief sleeper hold, Hall dumped Sting to the outside, where Savage threatened to attack Nash with a steel chair when the Outsider made a move towards Sting. Back in the ring, Sting continued to play “face-in-peril”, eating a big Sidewalk Slam from Nash but kicking out at two, who was so frustrated that he rammed Sting’s head into the corner. Sting finally started to mount a comeback with a bunch of punches and leapt at the big man with a standing crossbody to tag in Savage. The crowd erupted as the Macho Man took out Hall, smacked his head into Nash’s, and started pounding away on Nash, landing repeated top-rope axehandles on Hall. A shot to the balls shut down Savage’s assault, however, leaving all four men lying; the crowd erupted again as Hulk Hogan came to the ring, presumably to help his fellow WCW teammates out, but instead chose to Hogan hit the Atomic Leg Drop on the prone Savage, twice, before high-fiving Hall and Nash. Hogan tossed the referee from the ring, hit another Atomic Leg Drop on Savage and then pinned the Macho Man as Hall made the three count. The crowd wasn’t really sure how to react at first but, as the smirking trio celebrated, cups and other trash started to fill the ring; one enraged fan even tried to rush them, only to be rightfully beaten down as a result. In the aftermath, Okerlund demanded answers from Hogan, who cut a scathing tirade against WCW, its fans, and heralding the birth of the “New World Organisation”. Finally having had enough to the fans and the businessmen taking his fame and popularity for granted, Hogan vowed to tear WCW down and destroy everything in his path to dominate the industry, with the three men absolutely revelling in the crowd’s disgusted reaction. Honestly, the match wasn’t too much to shout about; it was a fairly standard tag team bout, with the bad guys cheating for an advantage and setting up Savage for a big hot tag, but the ending is what makes it truly memorable. Once Hogan came to the ring, I think you could probably guess that he was going to turn (Heenan screaming “Who’s side is he on?!” didn’t help…) so it might’ve been better if he’d come out alongside, say, Luger to cast a bit more doubt over him and the after match promo was a bit long-winded, but there’s no denying that this marked a significant turning point for all involved.

The Aftermath:
Of course, this event saw the birth of the nWo and Hogan’s transformation into the arrogant, embittered “Hollywood” Hogan. The nWo immediately reinforced their message over the next few weeks by brutally assaulting WCW wrestlers after their matches and backstage, before establishing their dominance when Hogan captured the WCW Championship from the Giant at the next pay-per-view event, Hog Wild. Soon enough, the nWo became the hottest thing not just in WCW but the wrestling world; audience tuned in every week to see what they’d get up to next, who would join the increasingly growing group, and bought their t-shirts and merchandise by the thousands. The nWo proved so popular that Bischoff proposed giving them their own television show, but this fell through and an nWo-centric pay-per-view proved less than successful. As established, during the nWo’s first year, their greatest threat loomed in the rafters as Sting bided his time before challenging Hogan, but Hogan’s revived career wouldn’t be so easily upended. Even as the nWo splintered into other factions and began to wind down, WCW continued to milk the group for all it’s worth; they were such a prominent faction that, when Hogan, Hall, and Nash finally returned to the WWF in 2002, they were brought in as the nWo for a short-lived and poorly-handled revival. Although the group was officially disbanded later in 2002, they continued to make sporadic appearances; generally represented as the original three, sometimes alongside their “sixth member”, X-Pac, the nWo bizarrely defended Sting during his WrestleMania match against Triple H and were inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame in 2020.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to the clash between WCW’s defenders and the invading Outsiders? Were you excited by Hall and Nash’s shocking appearance in WCW at the time? Who did you think the third man was going to be? What was your reaction when it turned out to be Hulk Hogan? Were you a fan of the nWo and, if so, who were your favourite members of the super group? What are some of your favourite matches and moments from WCW’s Bash at the Beach pay-per-views? Whatever your thoughts on the nWo, Bash at the Beach, and WCW, feel free to voice them below.

Wrestling Recap: Money in the Bank Match (WrestleMania 21)

Dr. K3 Comments

The Date: 3 April 2005
The Venue: Staples Center; Los Angeles, California
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stakes: Six man ladder match for a chance to cash-in on a World Heavyweight Championship at any time within a year

The Build-Up:
Since World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has largely dominated the wrestling landscape, it’s no surprise that the WWE has been at the forefront of creativity, whether with their celebrated Superstars, their impact on pay-per-view entertainment, or the creation of memorable matches. Since 1993, Superstars were given a first-class ticket to a World Championship match at WrestleMania by winning the annual thirty-man Royal Rumble match, and the company had been awing fans with their ladder matches since 1992, with their Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) matches being some of their most hotly-contested spectacles. It was long-time veteran “Y2J” Chris Jericho who first came up with the idea of combining these concepts in the “Money in the Bank” ladder match, originally pitched as a means to get more names onto the WrestleMania 21 card, which, in its original inception, saw six men vying for the chance to grab a briefcase that would be their ticket to a championship match. At the time, the WWE was in the midst of their first brand split and only competitors from the Raw brand were involved in the match but, in time, the number and variety of the competitors would increase. There were a number of moving parts involved heading into the match: all of the competitors had crossed paths both in the past and recently, with Jericho and Christian having been at odds with each other since WrestleMania XX, Christian was finally finding his feet as an amoral, egotistical singles star alongside his muscle, Tyson Tomko, and his storyline brother, Edge (who was originally reluctant to be in the match), was just starting to explore his own path as a reprehensible bad guy. Also involved were Chris Benoit (a dependable hand who had spent most of the year in the main event scene as the World Heavyweight Champion), Kane (still in the midst of a run as an unmasked psychopath), and rising star Shelton Benjamin, who was not only the Intercontinental Champion at the time but who had also made an impression by besting Triple H in what should have been star-making performances Raw.

The Match:
I’ve always enjoyed ladder matches; they can be extremely gruelling and impressive bouts, especially the tag team and TLC contests that the WWE perfected between 1999 and 2002. The idea of putting some of the best and most physically impressive up-and-comers in a ladder match alongside some reliable hands with a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship on the line was already a great prospect, but the very idea of a Superstar being able to cash-in that briefcase anytime, anywhere really added some much-needed spice into the main event scene. However, I have to say that I think I preferred it when the Money in the Bank ladder match didn’t have it’s own pay-per-view event; it makes sense, of course, since the King of the Ring, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble matches all got their own events but I think it very quickly diminished the spectacle of the match and the entire concept since you suddenly had annual Money in the Bank pay-per-views running with at least two of the matches on the card, which I do think is a bit of overkill. These matches could easily be spaced out over the year, taking place on WrestleMania or SummerSlam or even special editions of Raw or SmackDown! since it’s a great way to get some names on a card and under the spotlight without draining the crowd with multiple matches in one night. Following the entrances (which included a fantastic visual of the ladders around the entrance ramp bursting into flames when Kane came out), Jericho, Benoit, Christian, and Shelton put aside their differences to intercept Kane on the aisleway in a blatant attempt to target the biggest man in the match, only to be summarily manhandled by the Big Red Machine.

Chaos ensued in the early going, with the ladders and the agile Shelton stealing the show!

This pack mentality continued at ringside as Benoit and Shelton worked together to take Kane out with a double suplex, while Jericho caused a ladder to smack Christian right in the face in the ring before getting into it with Shelton. The youngster ended up eating the canvas off a facebuster and then Jericho successfully fended off Benoit and Edge with a dropkick to the ring apron before he, Christian, and Shelton took it in turns to dive onto the two, though of the three it was Shelton who impressed the most with his running senton splash from the ring to the competitors outside. Not to be outdone, Kane then took all of them out with a diving clothesline of his own before heading into the ring and swatting Edge and Christian with a ladder. Jericho ended this assault with a Missile Dropkick off the top rope and then used the same ladder to brutalise Shelton and Edge before he (and the ladder) got planted with a German Suplex by Benoit! Benoit retrieved the ladder and managed to counter Kane’s Chokeslam into a Crippler Crossface; however, he took a ladder shot right to the face from the Big Red Machine when he had the same hold locked in on Edge and ended up having his left arm pulverised by the ladder courtesy of Kane. Edge put a stop to the assault with a Spear and then rekindled his old partnership with Christian to crush Kane between two ladders before both men were downed by a springboard clothesline from the agile Shelton Benjamin. Although Shelton was able to hit a spin kick on the ladder to take Christian out of the equation, he got hurled into another ladder by Edge but immediately got a little payback by countering Edge’s Spear into a flapjack into the same ladder! Shelton followed this up by crushing Edge against the ladder with a huge Stinger Splash, clearing the ring and allowing him to make a climb for the briefcase; unfortunately, Jericho intercepted him from the other side of the ladder and the two got into a slugfest. Christian, Benoit, and Edge then joined the party, scaling ladders of their own to duke it out up high, each one making a desperate reach for the briefcase, until Christian sacrificed his spot to drive Benoit’s arm into the canvas, Jericho plummeted from his ladder, and Edge was sent crashing off the top courtesy of Shelton’s signature T-Bone Suplex Slam!

The opportunistic Edge bypassed the athleticism of his foes to steal the briefcase for himself!

Chris Jericho recovered first but Christian intercepted him before he could climb, earning him a good old boot to the back of his head for his troubles. This led to the undeniable highlight of the match as Shelton ran up an angled ladder and clotheslined Jericho from the top of another ladder as he was reaching for the briefcase! Absolutely unreal stuff from Shelton here; it boggles my mind that he didn’t get more of a push towards the main event, or a World Championship run! Unfortunately, Christian was on hand to bash Shelton off the ladder with one of his own; Kane then booted the ladder in Christian’s face and tried to murder Shelton by Chokeslamming him out to ringside, but the youngster’s boot got tied up in the ropes and Christian’s “Problem Solver”, Tyson Tomko, took Kane out with a boot before he could do any more damage. Tomko then set up a ladder and gave Christian a boost towards the briefcase, but Kane simply shoved the ladder over and sent Christian spilling onto his bodyguard on the outside! Kane then made a play for the briefcase but he and Jericho ended up toppling to the top rope during their struggle; Benoit then returned to the ring and, despite his bad arm, was able to set up a ladder, scale it, and drop head-first onto Kane’s prone body with his trademark Diving Headbutt that busted open the stitches above the Rabid Wolverine’s eye! Benoit then hauled himself up another ladder and frantically fought off Kane’s attempt at a Chokeslam with repeated headbutts. Although this worked, Edge came out of nowhere with a sickening chair shot to Benoit’s injured arm! Benoit tumbled from the ladder and, with the field clear, Edge was able to scale it, unhook the briefcase, and steal the victory for himself to a chorus of boos! Man, I have to say, this was a hell of fun match; I think the only things that let it down were the short length (though this did add to the entertaining chaos) and the fact that Edge and Benoit kinda disappeared for a bit in the middle there. As weird as it always is seeing Kane in this kind of match, he really held his own; I think a bit more could’ve been done with the other guys ganging up on him, but he definitely made an impression with his power game. The star of the show was, of course, Shelton Benjamin; his agility and innovative offense was absolutely riveting at the time, and it really is a shame he didn’t get a proper run at the top. Everyone else was, of course, brilliant and played their parts well; the match even benefitted from the ladders actually behaving and this really set a high standard for other Money in the Bank ladder matches to follow.

The Aftermath:
Most of these guys would continue to mix it up in matches together over the following weeks and months; Chris Jericho unsuccessfully challenged Shelton Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship at Backlash the following month and Edge scored a big victory at that same event by blasting Chris Benoit with a brick to win their Last Man Standing match. A few months down the line, at Vengeance, Chris Jericho and Christian were challenging for John Cena’s WWE Championship and Kane was embroiled in a feud with Edge that had somehow resulted in the Big Red Machine becoming the heroic avenger after he was betrayed by Lita, a woman he had blackmailed into a relationship and all-but-raped! This of course leads me to the man who benefitted the most from this match; Edge’s victory saw him become an unhinged, despicable character on Raw, one who stole Lita away from Kane and delighted in flaunting their highly sexual relationship on a weekly basis. He even made a chump out of former friend Matt Hardy, who made a dramatic return to the company to get into it with Edge despite the real-life animosity between them as Lita had been sleeping with Edge behind Matt’s back! Edge cemented himself as a top heel on Raw but held onto the Money in the Bank briefcase for about eight months; although he could’ve cashed in his contract at any time, he wisely chose to do so at the conclusion of the 2006 New Year’s Revolution pay-per-view, which saw him blast WWE Champion John Cena with two consecutive Spears to capture his first World Championship. Unfortunately, Edge wouldn’t get to defend the belt at WrestleMania 22 as he lost the title to Cena via submission only one month later; instead, Edge went on to have a brutal hardcore match against Mick Foley that further established him as a top star. Of course, this wasn’t the last Money in the Bank ladder match; the first interpromotional version was held at WrestleMania 22, it was upgraded to an annual pay-per-view event in 2010, and the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank match took place in 2017.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the inaugural Money in the Bank match? Did you like that Edge won the match or would you have liked to see someone else take the win? Were you impressed by Shelton Benjamin’s physicality and would you have liked to see him get a World Championship run? Which of the competitors was your favourite? Were there any competitors you would’ve liked to see included in this first match? What’s your favourite Money in the Bank match? Whatever your thoughts on the Money in the Bank match, share them below or leave a comment on my social media and be sure to check out my other wrestling reviews!