wrestling / News
Hall’s WCW Nitro Review 7.24.00
Image Credit: WCW
Loading...Monday Nitro
Date: July 24, 2000
Location: CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Scott Hudson, Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden
I have a huge soft spot for WCW 2000. The company is dead to rites and they know it, which seems to make things that much better. The thing that makes it so fun is how everyone has pretty much given up and are just having fun because there’s no pressure on them. That’s what we should be seeing here so let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here is US, er, Canadian Champion Lance Storm for a chat. He thinks that winning the title should cause the fans to stand for the Canadian national anthem, with the Maple Leaf being lowered as the song plays. Storm is ready for Mike Awesome at New Blood Rising in Canada but he wants a warmup match, so send someone out here. Cue Hardcore Champion Big Vito, who promises a beating. Storm says he’s a professional so his title is on the line, but what about Vito’s? Apparently Vito is in too so it’s a double title match.
US/Hardcore Title: Lance Storm vs. Big Vito
Title for title under hardcore rules and Storm jumps him to start fast and stomps away. A charging Storm is dropped face first onto the turnbuckle and Vito uses a traffic cone to hit Storm low in the corner. Vito takes too long getting weapons though and gets caught with a top rope superplex for the big crash. Vito’s belly to belly sets up the top rope elbow for two and there’s the swinging DDT for the same. Back up and Vito tries a superkick but Storm rolls him into the Maple Leaf (half crab) to become a double champion at 4:31.
Rating: C. The match didn’t have the time to go anywhere but there was something fun about seeing Storm, the wrestler, pick the hardcore guy apart to master that division as well. It was a simple story that worked perfectly well as part of Storm’s major push. He would pick up the Cruiserweight Title the following week.
Here is World Champion Booker T. for a chat. He thanks the people who came before him before moving on to Jeff Jarrett, who has been complaining about not being World Champion. Jarrett can complain all he wants until New Blood Rising but then he needs to hate the game rather than the player.
This brings out Goldberg, who doesn’t have any issues with Booker but wants a title shot tonight. Booker is in but here is Commissioner Cat to say the fans are going to make this decision. They have until the top of the hour to vote on WCW.com for Booker’s challenger, with nine other options, including Sting. Goldberg goes after Booker and security has to hold them apart as I try to figure out why they are bothering with this voting nonsense.
Here are your voting options:
Goldberg
Sting
Billy Kidman
Lance Storm
Mike Awesome
Positively Kanyon
Buff Bagwell
The Franchise
Stevie Ray
Vampiro
And yes, they’re serious about this.
Billy Kidman is on commentary with a video tape, allegedly showing himself and Torrie Wilson, uh, canoodling.
Misfits In Action vs. Miss Hancock/David Flair
It’s Lieutenant Loco (Chavo Guerrero)/Major Gunns for the Misfits and Flair is in a suit. Flair jumps Loco to start and slams him down as we hear about the Rip Off The Camouflage match between the women at New Blood Rising. Naturally Madden only wants to hear about the tape because, well, Madden.
Gunns chases Hancock around the ring as Loco chokes Flair down in the corner. Back in and Hancock misses a charge to low blow Flair in the corner. Flair gets up and chairs Loco in the back, only for Hancock to miss a high crossbody (ignore that she was aiming for Gunns, who was laid over Flair’s knee). Hancock and Flair argue so Gunns grabs a rollup for the pin at 2:35. This was as bad as you would expect.
Post match the brawl is still on, with Gunns losing her top and the Misfits clearing the ring.
Jeff Jarrett complains to the Cat about the fan voting thing. Cat doesn’t care so Jarrett wrecks his desk, earning himself a Tag Team Title shot against Kronik.
Sting (allegedly, as he has his face wrapped up after being set on fire) says the mask comes off tonight.
Goldberg knows he’s winning the vote and threatens violence otherwise.
Brian Adams finds Bryan Clark out cold, with a guitar next to him.
Tag Team Titles: Kronik vs. Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett is challenging and it’s only Brian Adams for Kronik. Jarrett strikes away until Adams snaps off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. A piledriver gives Adams two and they head outside, where Jarrett hits a piledriver of his own. That’s only good for two so Jarrett hits a middle rope ax handle to the back.
Adams is right back with a full nelson slam and a legdrop for two (Madden: “That move never wins.”). The referee gets distracted so Jarrett gets in a guitar shot to the throat for two. Cue Bryan Clark to hit Jarrett with a piece of a guitar, followed by the Meltdown. The referee breaks up High Times (double chokeslam) through a table so they give it to the referee instead. We’ll call that a no contest at about 6:00.
Rating: C. This was basically a singles match with a run-in finish. I’m not entirely sure why Jarrett even bothered wrestling the match as it would have made more sense for him to just get DQ’d or something, as defending the Tag Team Titles on his own, when he wants the World Title is….well actually it would have fit perfectly in WCW 2000. Also, at least Clark wasn’t down too long off of that guitar shot, as that might be the most realistic part of the whole thing.
Vampiro teleports into Cat’s office as Cat can’t figure out a puzzle on his desk. He offers to help Cat deal with the Great Muta and gets Cat to be guest referee. Ninjaing is promised.
The Franchise (Shane Douglas) interrogates Torrie Wilson about the tape but Wilson denies knowing about it. That opens up quite a few questions.
Sting is at 35% of the vote with Goldberg at 30%. The other eight people add up to 35%, with only Vampiro getting into double digits.
Vampiro vs. The Great Muta
The Cat is guest referee and Vampiro has the Insane Clown Posse/the Demon with him. And Vampiro jumps the Cat at about 25 seconds so the big swerve is upon us. Eventually the Cat fights up and clears the ring, even getting in some shots at Shaggy 2 Dope.
Booker T. is down to face anyone for the title because he’s leaving with the belt anyway.
WCW World Title: Booker T. vs. Sting
Sting is challenging….but never mind as here is Goldberg to jump Sting and take the title shot. Good grief. Sting is taken to the back on a stretcher so Booker goes with him, only to come back to answer the challenge.
WCW World Title: Booker T. vs. Goldberg
Goldberg is challenging and hits a clothesline to start fast. Booker is already bailing out to the floor for a breather so Goldberg sends him hard into the steps. They go back inside with the bloody Booker getting caught in a cross armbreaker. The referee breaks it up because Booker is defenseless so here is Stevie Ray to throw in the towel. Goldberg throws it back but here is the Cat to say Goldberg wins….just the match, as Booker can’t lose the title without giving up. Either way, the whole destruction lasted about 2:45.
The rightfully livid Goldberg leaves and Ray checks on Booker, who is out of it.
Post break Booker, with Ray, storms into Cat’s office and demands another title match with Goldberg. Works for Cat.
Buff Bagwell vs. Positively Kanyon
Judy Bagwell, in a neck brace after being attacked by Kanyon, is here too. Kanyon however is not here but Judy says “Chris, get your chicken s*** a** out here!”. The Bagwells do the Buff strut…and here is Kanyon as a fake cameraman to jump Buff. And we get a bell, even as Judy beats on Kanyon. Madden: “You mean WCW pays him so little that he has to work as a cameraman?” Buff fights back and gives him a backdrop but walks into the Kanyon Cutter. The bell rings at around 40 seconds and I have no idea if this was a match or not.
Post match (I think?) Kanyon chases Judy to the back and throws her into the trunk of a car. Buff eventually gives chase.
Billy Kidman promises to air the tape tonight.
Mike Awesome vs. The Franchise
Torrie Wilson is here with the Franchise, who wants out of this town as fast as possible. Awesome has his women with him because he is currently the “Fat Chick Thriller”. Awesome hammers away in the corner to start and hits a clothesline out to the floor, setting up one heck of a springboard clothesline.
Wilson jumps on Awesome’s back so Franchise can get in a cheap shot, followed by a reverse Hennig Neck Snap back inside. The neck crank goes on but Awesome is back up with the clotheslines and a running splash for two. Wilson breaks up the Awesome Splash and Franchise hammers away with his chain. Cue the tape (which is Kidman and Wilson in bed underneath a blanket), allowing Awesome to hit an ax handle for the pin at 5:18.
Rating: C. This was just a backdrop for the tease of the tape and it wasn’t quite as good as Ric Flair teasing photos of Elizabeth at Wrestlemania VIII. Awesome was in such a weird place as he was supposed to be a big threat, at least the midcard variety, but then he has the Thriller thing to ruin the whole thing. In other words, thanks Russo.
Post match Kidman comes out with Wilson’s underwear so here is Lance Storm to go after Awesome. That just earns Storm a beating.
Franchise beats up the production worker for airing the tape. Kidman comes to the ring with the underwear and the tape, apparently after having given copies to the roster. We see some of said roster watching the tape (Kwee Wee is ironing) and…that’s it.
Caged Heat (the Cell) is lowered.
Filthy Animals vs. Mark Jindrak/Sean O’Haire vs. Perfect Event vs. Misfits In Action
Ok so….geez. From what I can understand, the non-Animals are in a four way match for the Tag Team Titles at New Blood Rising. The Animals want in, so they have to win here to get added, but since that’s too easy, this is escape rules and the one team who DOESN’T escape is out of the match. Got that? Don’t feel bad if you don’t as I had to listen to it twice to get the whole thing.
And yes, it’s a four way Cell match to set up a four way non-Cell match because reasons. It’s a big brawl to start (as you would expect in an eight person Cell match) and they have a stationary camera in the corner for a nice camera angle. Jindrak and O’Haire are out in just over two minutes (meaning they advance) and Perfect Event just walks out, leaving us with the Animals vs. the Misfits.
Mysterio gives Rection a Bronco Buster in the Tree Of Woe as the Perfect Event locks the cage. Konnan (of the Animals) goes to cut the lock as Disco Inferno (of the Animals) is on top of the Cell and opens a trap door. A ladder is brought in with Rection and Mysterio getting up top for a brawl.
Juventud Guerrera and Corporal Cajun go out at the same time, with Schiavone thinking that Guerrera (an Animal) going out first means the Misfits wins as even commentary has no idea what is going on here. Schiavone: “We’re completely lost.” The Animals set up a table at ringside but Rection can’t get a dive off the Cell. Cajun is sent through the table as Mysterio and Rection climb back inside. Rection powerbombs Mysterio off the ladder and leaves to win at 9:38.
Rating: D+. So commentary didn’t know what was going on, the match inside (mostly) of the Cell was designed to set up a four way tag match at the PPV (where the champions retained anyway) and the whole thing wound up meaning nothing as the team who wasn’t in still isn’t in. It’s kind of fascinating to see a match be so big and yet so pointless but, again, WCW in 2000. It makes you wonder how they survived this long in the first place.
Stevie Ray gives Booker T. a pep talk.
After a break, we’re given the “second” replay of Ray being sent through a window by Goldberg. Add “second” to the words WCW doesn’t understand (assuming something wasn’t edited off the YouTube version).
WCW World Title: Booker T. vs. Goldberg
Booker is defending and jumps Goldberg from behind to start fast. Goldberg fights back and gets sent inside for an ax kick from Booker, with the knee brace hitting him in the back of the head. Goldberg’s powerslam lets him hammer away but here is Jeff Jarrett to chair Goldberg in the back. That’s no sold so here is the Cat to kick Goldberg in the face. Booker’s side kick sets up the Bookend for the pin to retain at 2:27. Yep, that’s what they just did to Goldberg.
Post match Goldberg spears Booker and lays him out to end the show. Yep, that’s what they just did to the World Champion, who had been champion for less than a month and was seen as an underdog in the first place. And no, they never had another singles match. I was a huge WCW fan in 2000 but I remember watching this life and thinking it was one of the dumbest things I had ever seen. Goldberg was the monster of all monsters in WCW and not only did he smash through the World Champion in about three minutes, but he also lost to him in about two and a half minutes. Oh and he wrecked Sting too, just for a bonus.
Results
Lance Storm b. Big Vito – Canadian Maple Leaf
Misfits In Action b. Miss Hancock/David Flair – Rollup to Hancock
Kronik vs. Jeff Jarrett went to a no contest
Goldberg b. Booker T. via referee stoppage
Positively Kanyon vs. Buff Bagwell went to a no contest
Mike Awesome b. The Franchise – Top rope ax handle
Perfect Event, Mark Jindrak/Sean O’Haire and Misfits In Action b. Filthy Animals by escaping the cage
Booker T. b. Goldberg – Bookend
