WCW/nWo Fall Brawl, Sunday, 9/12/99
WCW/nWo Fall Brawl, Sunday, 9/12/99
- Howdy once again, everyone. I am Big Mike, fresh from Key West, Florida, and it's time for Fall Brawl.
- First of all, let me just say one thing: Cowboys 41, Redskins 35. Thank you.
- Ugly times these days for the WCW, ladies and gentleman. I am beginning to think that they are actually trying to see how far down in the ratings the WCW can slip. Could the Sid and Randy Savage angles be any more painful to watch? One note to Eric Bischoff's replacement: the fans are not booing because Savage and Sid are heels, they are booing because the angles suck. No one wants to hear them on the damn mic! I turn the channel every time either one of them comes on the television. Even worse, when Sid runs in on a match (every other match), I can't watch Nitro for at least thirty minutes or so, because I am so disgusted! And I won't even start about the "Millennium Man," undefeated stuff!
- I don't know what the answer is right now. I still love WCW, but I had what these guys are doing to it. It's kind of like FOX owning the Los Angeles Dodgers. These guys are turning WCW into the Los Angeles Dodgers of wrestling. By the way, it was a HUGE mistake to let Raven/Scott Levy go. Having said all of that, there still are some good things about WCW these days, but they seem to be getting fewer and farther between. Cut Sid (not literally, Arn). Retire Savage and Hogan, permanently. Give the young guys more than token airtime. Stop booking Silver King matches on prime time Nitro. Tell Schiavone to stop taking himself so seriously. I personally think we could be helped by a big save by the Hitman on this one. I truly think Bret Hart is the key to bringing WCW out of these doldrums.
- One more and I'll get off my soapbox. There is an unbelievably huge difference I've noticed between the WWF and WCW in the past few months. To put is simple: the WWF is funny, WCW is not. Maybe this is oversimplifying it, but I laugh my ass off when I watch RAW and the Rock or Mankind or anyone comes on and starts popping off at everyone. What's your name. IT DOESN'T MATTER!! You watch Nitro and, God forbid, Thunder, and you see Tony and everyone else trying to take themselves SOOO seriously! It's really painful to watch that, especially when every other match is Damien vs. Ciclope or something. Even in the nWo days, you had Nash and Hall on for some comic relief. You always had Dusty Rhodes when he was wrestling. Now what do we have - ummmm, errrrr, nothing, and I think this is turning fans off more than anything to WCW. If you know wrestling is staged, which most sensible fans do these days, what do you tune in for? Sure, good scientific matches, just maybe, but you really tune in for a good SHOW, and WCW just has not been putting on a good, entertaining show lately. I am, and always will be, a fan of WCW. However, I find myself watching the WWF more and more now because it is simply more entertaining. That's a shame, because it doesn't really seem like that difficult of a concept to grasp. Every single DDT Digest writer has grasped it, it seems like, and the fans certainly have, but for whatever reason Eric Bischoff has not yet grasped that concept.
- OK, enough pre-show comments. Now, with a cold Coors Light in hand, on to the show............
- We start with a montage of something...I just got the PPV at the last minute here!
- We are live from the Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. WOOOOO!
- Tony Schiavone, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, and "Iron" Mike Tenay commentating.
- Schiavone talks about the Luger heel turn - uh, I mean the questions surrounding the world title match tonight. They also talk about Benoit vs. Sid. Man, if the bookers screw this one up, I will be pissed.
- A montage of the Insane Clown Posse, Guerrero's Posse situation.
- Insane Clown Posse/Vampiro vs. Eddie Guerrero, Billy Kidman, and Rey Misterio, Jr.
- Ugh, Tony calls the ICP very good wrestlers. What match is he watching??
- Sign in the audience: Rey, Show Me Your Misterio. Nice.
- We start off with one of the ICP and Kidman. I can't tell them apart. I think it's Shaggy.
- Nice one! Kidman had Shaggy in the wheelbarrow position and Rey came off with a guillotine leg drop! Guerrero now comes in with a flying somersault.
- Violent J now in with Rey Misterio Jr.
- Vampiro tags in and helps double team Rey Jr. Rey Jr. comes back though, and puts the vaunted BroncoBuster on Vampiro.
- Now Kidman is in. DDT by Shaggy. Now Vampiro is back in.
- I hate to say it, but the ICP does not look too bad so far.
- Vampiro goes up top and comes down on Kidman with a spinning kick, but Rey pulls Vampiro off before he can get the pin.
- Ahhh, the old "distract the referee so my teammates can beat the crap out of Kidman" by Vampiro. The oldest trick in the book.
- Shaggy with a nice powerslam on Kidman, but Eddie breaks up the pin with a thumb in the eye.
- Kidman gets to Rey Jr. Rey comes in with a middle rope moonsault. He goes to the ropes, and gets kicked in the back by Vampiro. Now we are outside, and Vampiro runs Rey into the railing.
- Misterio is getting worked over by all three opponents now. He finally gets over to Eddie for the tag, and Eddie puts a few Flair Chops on Vampiro for good measure. Eddie is going at Vampiro like a house a-fire. Brain says, "you can hear that one in El Paso!"
- Now Shaggy comes in with a guillotine leg drop on Eddie. He then tags Vampiro in.
- Eddie cleans house. The ICP looks like, well, a couple of clowns as they go down.
- Vampiro holds Eddie up for some sort of a Stunner-like move by Shaggy. Kidman pulls Vampiro off the top rope as he goes up. Kidman is grabbed by Vampiro and SLAMMED to the mat. Here comes Eddie with a missile dropkick on Vampiro!!! Now Kidman is back up with a shooting star press!! 1-2-3!!! The Trio wins.
- Rey Misterio looks like he hurt his knee legitimately. The trainers are carrying him out.
- WHEW! Great first match! That one surprised me.
- The Revolution is at the Internet location. Saturn is asking if you really can download those pictures of the Nitro Girls. Nice. Saturn guarantees a clean sweep and all four members walk away and leave Chad Damiani looking stupid.
- Kaz Hayashi vs. Lenny Lane for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship
- Here come Lenny Lane and Fruity, I mean Lodi.
- Lenny has a sign that says "West Hollywood Blondes." Nice.
- Lenny is skipping around the ring.
- Kaz is kicking Lenny in the ass, and Schiavone says, "Kaz is working on Lenny's rear end." Tenay's reply, "Excuse me?" Priceless.
- Lenny goes outside and jumps into Lodi's arms. Kaz with a nice flying body press onto both of them.
- Nice powerbomb by Lenny back in the ring.
- Lenny goes out and another nice high dive by Kaz outside the ring.
- Lenny goes back in and Lodi is working over Kaz outside the ring. Lodi throws Kaz back in and Lenny gets a two count.
- Lenny flips Kaz over, but Kaz gets a standing hurricanrana. Two count only though! Kaz throws Lenny off the turnbuckle, and Lenny comes back with a bulldog. Two count only though.
- Kaz now with a belly to back suplex. Both men are down now.
- Kaz comes off the ropes with a bulldog on Lenny. He sets Lenny on the ropes, but Lenny catches him. Now Kaz comes off the ropes with a nice Liger bomb. Lodi puts Lenny's leg on the ropes though.
- Kaz goes back up top and catches Lenny with a hurricanrana. Two count only though.
- Forward roll by Kaz, but a two count again!
- Kaz with a backbreaker. He is going up top. Lodi tries to interfere, but gets nailed. Lodi puts a jawbreaker on Kaz, and a rollup by Lenny for two. Now Lenny comes back with a full nelson into a front face slam. Lenny gets the three count to retain the belt!
- All in all, this was a very nicely worked match.
- Here's Scheme Gene in the middle of the ring. He calls out Sting. Sting says Luger is this far away from losing his friendship. He says Luger better stay in his own business. Sting basically says he will beat Hogan. Sting is vying to become the nine time World Heavyweight Champion according to Mean Gene.
- A montage of the Revolution-First Family situation.
- The First Family (Shane Douglas-Dean Malenko) vs. the Revolution (Hugh Morrus-Brian Knobs).
- Will the First Family, how you say, eat your lunch?
- HA!!! Shane comes on the speaker and says, "SAGINAW, MICHIGAN!!!" Silence for a second. "WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA!!! Are you ready for a Revolution?"
- All four men in at first. The Revolution clears out the ring. This is a no-DQ match.
- All four men outside, and everything is flying.
- Malenko is working on Morrus outside the ring and Shane Douglas in working on Knobs in the ring.
- EWWW! Knobs rubs his armpit in Douglas' face! Is that a submission move?
- Each man tags out. Malenko with a nice armbar on Morrus, and Malenko tags Shane Douglas in.
- Malenko and Knobs are now the legal men. Malenko throws Knobs out and Douglas begins to work on Knobs.
- Now it's Knobs and Douglas, and Douglas gets in trouble after going over to Jimmy Hart and mouthing.
- Scoop slam by Knobs. Here goes Knobs up to the middle rope. He goes for the flying splash, but lands on Douglas' foot.
- Both men tag out, and Malenko is cleaning house. Knobs is in, now he's kicked out. Jimmy Hart comes on the apron and gets a fist in the face. Knobs trips Malenko as he is coming off the ropes. Morrus catches Malenko in the face with an elbow and goes up top for the moonsault on Malenko. 1-2-3!!!! It's over. My gosh, the First Family won!!!!
- Decent match. Not horrible, not great, but decent.
- Montage of Prick Steiner and Perry Saturn.
- Rick Steiner vs. Perry Saturn for the World Television Championship.
- Tony states that Buff Bagwell has not arrived at the arena for his match with Berlyn, but that another WCW wrestler will take his place. Hmmm.
- I would describe the moves in this match, but they are basically just beating on each other.
- Oh, nice German release suplex by Saturn. Rick Steiner retaliates with a kick to, ummmm, Saturn's rings.
- Tenay states that the referees are wearing black armbands, as are the announcers, for the Shooter, Brian Hildebrand, a.k.a. Mark Curtis. Tenay talks about how much respect everyone had for him. Brain: "He's watching."
- Slow match. These two guys remind me a lot of each other. Steiner executes a German release suplex. Two count.
- Steiner tries to intimidate Nick Patrick, but Saturn rolls Steiner up, one count only though.
- Steiner puts Saturn in an ankle lock, but Saturn reaches the ropes.
- Steiner goes right back to the ankle lock.
- Belly to belly suplex by Rick Steiner. Now another.
- Steiner sets Saturn up top, but Saturn comes back with a missile dropkick, now a springboard forearm off the middle rope, and a belly to belly suplex. Two count only by Saturn.
- Saturn comes off the ropes, but Steiner catches him with a belly to belly suplex.
- Death Valley Driver by Saturn!!! Steiner kicks out at two!!
- Saturn is going for the Rings of Saturn, but Steiner kicks out.
- Steiner goes up top, but Saturn kicks him and Steiner gets the old Nutcracker.
- Saturn gets up on Steiner, but Steiner fights his way on top and gets the Steiner Bulldog off the top rope. 1-2-3. Steiner retains!!!
- Slow match. The Revolution is going to get a clean sweep alright. They are getting swept.
- Scheme Gene is backstage talking to Hulk Hogan. Gene keeps stating how Sting trusts Hogan. Uh-oh, I see another Hogan heel turn. Hogan keeps telling Gene how he is on the up and up.
- As the Three Stooges talk, a "We Want Flair!" chant starts. They state that Buff is still not in the arena but they have a replacement wrestler. They do not know who it is as of yet.
- Berlyn w/ his personal bodyguard vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan(?)
- Alex Wright goes for the 'ol Fritz Von Erich angle of being an angry German sympathizer. Where's Uda?
- I know Bill doesn't like him, but screw it, I have a soft spot for the 'ol Hacksaw. I like to watch him. He can't wrestle, but he's funny as hell to watch.
- How long has it been since Hacksaw has been on a PPV. Of course, he starts a "USA!" chant.
- Berlyn attacks Duggan as Duggan is putting the 2 x 4 down.
- Duggan comes back with a series of clotheslines. Man, Alex Wright/Berlyn needs some sun. Duggan, by contrast, looks like he's been sitting down in Key West for about a year.
- Duggan comes in with his traditional brawling/wrestling.
- Berlyn tries to go toe to toe with Duggan with not so great results. Duggan looks like he's been pounding a few cold ones while sitting in the sun. Quite a little boiler going on there, Hacksaw.
- Berlyn is on the offensive now. Tenay and the boys keep going on and on about how it is not like Buff to miss a match. Sounds like a work to me. Hmmm, Buff and Uda are both not here.
- Heenan: "When I go to Germany, they call me Her Heenan, when Okerlund goes, they call him Hairless Okerlund." Thank you, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress on the way out. Tony makes some remark and Heenan says, "I'm funny at this age." Nice one.
- Now both men are outside and Berlyn's bodyguard works Duggan over on the exposed concrete outside. The bodyguard has pulled the mat back and drives his head into it.
- Duggan is back in dead on his feet. Reverse neckbreaker, and Berlyn gets the 1-2-3. It's over.
- Typical Duggan match. Too bad he has to job to Berlyn. Now Buff is in the back talking to a WCW agent. Buff says his plane was late. They tell Buff that the match is over.
- Bagwell comes to the ring and embraces Duggan. Duggan pushes him away.
- Harlem Heat-Rednecks montage.
- Barry Windham/Kendall Windham w/ Curt Hennig vs. Harlem Heat for the WCW World Tag Team Championships.
- I like Harlem Heat. I'm glad they're back. It sure bolsters the tag team division.
- Man, the Rednecks are full of tradition. You've got Barry and Kendall Windham, sons of Blackjack Mulligan, and Curt Hennig, son of Larry "the Axe" Hennig.
- Hennig being a redneck and being from Minnesota - something wrong there.
- The crowd is chanting "Harlem Heat!"
- We start with Kendall Windham and Booker T. Booker T is dominating. Now Barry and Stevie Ray are tagged in and the Heat are double-teaming Barry with a double suplex.
- Kendall now in, working on Stevie Ray. This is another brawl. Hard to describe when it's: punch to the face, now kick to the face, now kick to the groin.
- Barry Windham looks like he's been drinkin' beer with Jim Duggan.
- Power slam by Stevie Ray.
- Now Booker T and Kendall Windham are tagged in. Superkick by Booker T. He is working Kendall over.
- Hennig comes up on the apron and gets hit for his trouble. Booker T gets put outside, and gets worked over by Hennig
- Advertising in the ring. Just noticed that all four corners have the 10-10-90210 logo or whatever it is.
- All men are back in, and Booker T catches Kendall with an axe kick. Barry is tagged and Barry throws Booker T out to get worked on by Hennig while Stevie Ray is getting held back by the referee.
- Backdrop suplex by Barry Windham on Booker T. Two count only. Booker T needs the hot tag.
- Windham hits the superplex, but Stevie Ray breaks up the pin. In comes Kendall. Lariat by Kendall, but only a two count.
- Booker T catches Kendall in a variation of the sunset flip, but only a two count.
- Booker T gets the tag, but Johnny Boone, the ref, does not see it. In the meantime, Barry tags in, and puts the sleeper on Booker. Not too good of an acting job. Boone's back was turned when the Windham tag was made. Booker T gets to the ropes. Kendall comes in with a head butt off the second rope, but Stevie Ray breaks up the pin.
- Stevie Ray is tagged in, but Johnny Boone does not see it again, of course. Stevie Ray cleans house anyway. Wow, Barry Windham hits Stevie Ray with the cowbell. Kendall is covering but the referee is watching the outside of the ring, because Booker T is the legal man.
- Here comes the legal man, Booker T, off the top rope with a missile dropkick and the pin!! Harlem Heat are the nine time WCW World Tag Team Champions!
- Montage of Benoit and Sid Scissors.
- "The Crippler" Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
- Penzer says that Sid is 79-0. Really now. Schiavone finally concedes and says, "Regardless of whether you think the streak is valid or not, he has laid a path of bodies to the U.S. Heavyweight Title." That's better. But then Tenay says Sid's streak is longer than Goldberg's.
- Of course, Charles Robinson is the referee.
- Sid sprays it and doesn't say it when he tries to yell at the crowd.
- Horrendously slow match. Not even Benoit can carry Sid in a match, apparently. Someone tell Sid if he doesn't put on a good match, he can't play softball. By the way, I would not want to be pitching with Sid up at the plate.
- Benoit with an Indian Deathlock on Sid! I haven't seen that one since grade school.
- Wow!! Benoit has Sid on the outside with his leg sandwiched between the steps and the ringpost and is just taking a running start and ramming the steps into Sid's leg.
- They are back in and Sid catches Benoit on the splash attempt, but Benoit hits the German suplex.
- Sid catches Benoit with a Samoan drop as Benoit comes off the ropes. Two count only. Sid is limping around the ring.
- Sunset flip by Benoit, but Sid counters. This is really a painful match to watch. This is worse than the Duggan match.
- Sid throws Benoit into the corner, but Benoit kicks to the face and now a baseball slide into the leg. Benoit gets the Crippler Crossface, but Sid powers out and gets to the ropes.
- Benoit signals for the flying headbutt, but Sid moves.
- Sid is setting Benoit up for the powerbomb. Up and down. 1-2-3. Sid is the new United States Championship. Horrible.
- That was a truly ugly match, and those of you who read my writings know I don't call a match downright ugly very often. Benoit was forced to lower himself to Sid's level.
- Montage of DDP and Goldberg.
- Diamond Dallas Page vs. Goldberg.
- DDP gets on the mic and does his "two-time" spiel.
- Goldberg comes out to his original music.
- Mickey Jay finds and confiscates a chain and a roll of quarters off of DDP.
- Both men lock up and DDP goes down.
- Goldberg kicks DDP out of the ring, and Page gets on the mic and, to incite the fans, says, "If you don't stop chanting Goldberg, I'm going home." Of course, the chant gets louder and Page goes over the railing like he is going out. Goldberg goes after him.
- They are back in the ring and Page goes for the Diamond Cutter. Goldberg kicks out, but Page pulls brass knucks out of his tights and nails Goldberg.
- Page does not go for the pin, but instead goes after Goldberg.
- Goldberg comes back up on Page, but Page gets the brass knucks out and nails Goldberg again. Elbow drop, but Goldberg kicks out at two!
- Page has Goldberg in a chin lock/choke hold. Mickey Jay checks Goldberg, but he is "hulking out."
- Now Goldberg is no-selling DDP's shots, and puts Page down.
- Page catches Goldberg with a DDT out of nowhere, but only gets the two count.
- Goldberg with a suplex, but a two count only. Here comes the Triad. Kanyon hits Goldberg with a tray!! Page with a variation of the chokeslam. Goldberg kicks out! Page is talking to the ref and the Triad attacks Goldberg. Double clothesline by Goldberg!
- Page comes back and runs into the spear!!! Jackhammer, and it's all over. Your winner: Goldberg.
- Goldberg is a much more solid performer than Sid, in my opinion. Still not a great match, but not bad either.
- Montage of Sting and Hogan.
- Sting vs. Hulk Hogan for the World Heavyweight Championship
- We are back, and Michael Buffer is in the ring. I think he stole an outfit from Wayne Newton. The shirt has a leopard skin collar with a blue tie and black suit.
- Sting comes out first. Tony keeps babbling about how you can trust Hogan.
- Hogan comes out in the red and yellow. One thing you gotta say of the guy, he still can get a big pop out of a crowd.
- Hogan shakes Sting's hand as they come into the ring.
- Here comes Bret Hart!!!! He is, according to Buffer, wishing luck to both competitors. Man, I like Bret Hart. It looks like they are setting him up for a monster face run. He shakes both men's hands, says something to both of them and walks out. That was odd.
- Nick Patrick is your referee.
- Both men are running mouth at each other early on, as Hogan claims Sting did not have a clean break.
- Slow match. Hogan is in control with a scoop slam and two elbow drops. Hogan goes for the pin, but only a one count.
- Now Sting comes back with an elbow drop.
- Suplex by Hogan, and Sting pops right back up. Sting goes on the offensive on Hogan now.
- Clothesline by Sting, and a two count. Hogan rolls outside. Sting follows, and both men are fighting toe to toe. Hogan runs Sting into the railing. Body slam by Hogan on the outside. Now Sting rams Hogan into the railing, and then drops Hogan onto the railing. Hogan uses the camera cord to choke Sting, and both men work themselves back into the ring.
- Backdrop suplex by Hogan. Two count only. Hogan is now stretching Sting's arms.
- Abdominal stretch applied by Hogan. I think the bar has been raised too much. In the old days, I would have thought that (for Hogan anyway) this was a good scientific match. I'm kind of bored right now to be honest.
- Now Hogan is on top as Sting is in the ropes, and Hogan is biting the forehead of Sting. Hogan keeps saying, "It's for the title!"
- Sting was a cross body block off the ropes. Two count. Sting now nails a Stinger Splash. Now another! He tries a third time, but Hogan moves. Hogan is "hulking up." Big foot. Hogan goes for the leg drop, but DDP comes in and nails the referee!!! Hogan is on top, but DDP pulls him off and hits a diamond cutter and puts Sting on top of Hogan. Hulk kicks out!!
- Bret Hart comes in and nails DDP. They are fighting on the outside. Here comes Sid, and Hogan knocks him out of the ring. Here comes Luger with a ball bat!! Hogan knocks Luger down. Now Sting has the ball bat, and Sting hits Hogan with the bat!!! Sting puts Hogan in the Scorpion Deathlock and it's over!!! Hart comes in and Luger nails Hart with the bat. Sting and Luger embrace and Sting is the nine time World Heavyweight Champion!! Sting and Luger have double-crossed Hogan!!
- Sting and Luger celebrate, as we fade to black with a Halloween Havoc promo.
- Decent PPV. The great matches came early though. Interesting curve thrown in the last match. Looks like their setting up another Hulk goes nWo-type angle with Sting and Luger pulling the swerve at the end. Again, the Sid-Benoit match was just plain ugly. It's that simple. The ICP came out looking decent though.
- Well, adios everyone, I am Big Mike, and I am out. God rest your soul, Brian Hildebrand/Mark Curtis.