Hall’s WCW Fall Brawl 2000 Review

Fall Brawl 2000
Date: September 17, 2000
Location: HSBC Arena, Buffalo, New York
Attendance: 8,638
Commentators: Scott Hudson, Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden

I’m one of the rare breed of people who really likes 2000 WCW and it’s fun to see just how screwy it got for the company before it went under. That’s what we have again here, with one of the last big matches before things fell completely apart, as Goldberg faces Scott Steiner. There isn’t much else on this show but it could be enough so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Goldberg vs. Steiner, with shoves of the wrestlers mixed with shots of their action figures. It’s like they’re trying to make a commercial for the toys but it didn’t go so well (yeah something not working in 2000 WCW is shocking).

Cruiserweight Title: Kwee Wee vs. Elix Skipper

Skipper, part of Team Canada and a Deion Sanders knockoff, is defending and Kwee Wee is in his bright pink with Paisley (better known as Sharmell). On the other hand you have Major Gunns, who isn’t happy to be here with Skipper. Kwee Wee knocks him outside to start and is rather fired up. Back in and Skipper gets caught in an armdrag, only to take Kwee Wee down into a chinlock. Kwee Wee fights up and they crash out to the floor, with Skipper hitting a moonsault, taking out Kwee Wee and a cameraman.

They get back in and Skipper talks a bit too much trash, allowing Kwee Wee to come back with a powerbomb. Cue the Natural Born Thrillers on the ramp as Kwee Wee hits a Thesz Press and then a dropkick for two. Kwee Wee sends Skipper outside, allowing Mike Sanders (of the Thrillers) to come in and hit Kwee Wee in the back with a stickball bat. Skipper comes back in with a high crossbody but Kwee Wee rolls through for two. Back up and Skipper goes after the leg, setting up the Overdrive (MVP called it the Playmaker) for the pin to retain at 11:03.

Rating: B. Well that’s about the definition of “better than it should have been as both guys were working hard as they seemed to realize they had a chance to get some attention. That’s what you want to see in a spot like this and they had a heck of an opener as a result. Good match, with Kwee Wee turning down the goofiness when the spotlight was on.

Commentary previews the rest of the show, as I wonder if they knew what it was coming in.

Here is 3 Count, who wants to sing their song, but here are the Misfits In Action to cut them off.

3 Count vs. Misfits In Action

Shannon Moore starts with Lieutenant Loco (Chavo Guerrero), with Loco reversing a rollup into a wheelbarrow suplex. Corporal Cajun (Lash Leroux) comes in and gets moonsault pressed out of the corner. It’s off to Evan Karagis, who gets faceplanted down, much to Mark Madden’s worry on commentary. Shane Helms (the future Hurricane) comes in to miss an elbow, allowing the massive A-Wall to plant him and take over.

Moore sneaks in for a Samoan drop/neckbreaker combination and a suplex/crossbody combination gets two on Cajun. Helms’ top rope sunset flip gets two and it’s back to Moore to hammer away on Cajun against the ropes. Cajun gets sent outside and everything breaks down, including the series of dives.

A-Wall breaks up Karagis’ dive but gets knocked through a table (which he set up at the start of the match) at ringside. Back in and Helms superkicks Karagis by mistake, leaving Loco to catch a dive with a sitout powerbomb for two. All three members of 3 Count can’t suplex Loco and Cajun so Karagis DDTs both of them at once instead. A-Wall breaks that up and Cajun hits Whiplash for the pin at 10:26.

Rating: B-. Another match with two teams getting out there and flying around, with 3 Count getting to show off rather well. The ending sequence was only so good, but what mattered here was letting some younger stars get the chance to showcase themselves. You would get that fairly frequently around here, but it’s nice to see it paying off this well.

Earlier today, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner wouldn’t give a kid an autograph, even when the kid offered $1.50.

Harris Twins vs. Kronik

Chain match and the Harris recently made their “astounding return to WCW”, making me think that Schiavone has no idea what “astounding” means. Hold on though as Brian Adams says we should up the ante and make it a first blood match. I guess so neither team has to take a fall, because a CHAIN isn’t enough of a stipulation. Ron and Clarke fight to the floor to start and Adams misses a middle rope fist shot to Don as there are A LOT of empty seats opposite the hard camera.

Clarke and Ron fight into the crowd with the other two joining them and…well they hit each other a lot. There’s pretty much nothing else going on here, as neither is a great team in the first place but on top of that they’re chained together. The referee gets bumped and Ron is busted open, only for Ron to untie himself and use a barbed wire baseball bat to take Kronik down. Adams is busted open and the referee sees it for the win at 6:32. Why he ignores Ron bleeding isn’t clear.

Rating: D. I mean…what do you want here? It was a chain first blood match and only one team’s blood counted in the end. The Harris Twins were around for the better part of ever in WCW and they never got above around this level. Kronik was fine for what they were, though they were only going to be so good given their in-ring limitations.

Post match Kronik beats up the referee for being a moron.

General Rection (yep) gives a rather patriotic speech before his match against Lance Storm. He dedicates the match to special enforcer Jim Duggan and I think you know where this is going.

US Title: General Rection vs. Lance Storm

Storm, with Major Gunns is defending and the winner gets both the title and Gunns, who is currently an involuntary Canadian. Jim Duggan is also the guest outside enforcer. Before the match, Storm says he can’t believe that Americans here in Buffalo haven’t moved to Canada yet. The Canadian National Anthem is played and we actually get a good chunk of the song. Commentary points out that Duggan’s shirt is extra large, which can’t be a good sign.

Storm jumps him from behind to start but Rection is right back with the chops in the corner. A backdrop drops Storm on his back and Rection plants him with a Samoan drop. Rection suplexes him for two but Storm gets in a kick to the face for two of his own. Storm’s dropkick gets two more and he sends Rection outside for a big dive. Rection fights back on the floor and a powerslam gets two back inside. Storm is sent outside and tries to leave so Duggan throws him back inside. Gunns gets on the apron for a distraction…and Duggan hits Rection with the 2×4. The Canadian Mapleleaf retains the title at 6:46.

Rating: C-. That’s WCW for you, as their big idea was to turn Jim Duggan to prevent someone named General Rection from winning the US Title. Duggan’s turn couldn’t have been more telegraphed and then it wound up being exactly what it looked to be. Storm was good in this role and there were worse choices than Rection for a challenger, but they were running with a big anchor (and a dumb name).

Post match Duggan opens the “extra large shirt” to reveal a Canadian shirt before beating up the Misfits In Action.

The Natural Born Thrillers are ready for the Filthy Animals (this company LOVED factions) with Mike Sanders doing a funny Konnan impression. Gene Okerlund threatens to have Sean O’Haire’s kneecaps taken out but gets held back. Sanders mocks the Animals a bit more to wrap it up.

Natural Born Thrillers vs. Filthy Animals/Big Vito/???

For clarification, that would be:

Thrillers: Sean O’Haire, Mark Jindrak, Mike Sanders, Reno, Johnny The Bull, Chuck Palumbo, Shawn Stasiak
Animals: Konnan, Rey Mysterio, Disco Inferno, Juventud Guerrera, Tygress

Though it’s really not clear how many of them are in the match. Konnan has a mystery partner and it’s…Paul Orndorff, who was a trainer for the Thrillers and doesn’t think much of them. Apparently this is an elimination tag and there are so many people on the apron that they’re running out of room. Or are they all even in the match? Shawn Stasiak is on commentary and a bunch of both teams drop to the floor so I think it’s just four on four instead of…well a lot more than four on a lot more than four.

Anyway Jindrak plants Mysterio to start and hands it off to O’Haire for a slam and a near fall. Guerrera springboards in and gets caught with a falcon arrow, but is fine enough for a hurricanrana. A headscissors sends Jindrak into the ropes and it’s off to Vito, who grabs a Japanese armdrag. Disco Inferno comes up from the floor to clothesline Jindrak, who tilt-a-whirl slams him down. It’s off to Konnan for the rolling clothesline to O’Haire but Disco, ever the moron, gives Konnan the Last Dance (Stunner) by mistake for the pin at 6:00.

Bull plants Disco, who avoids a moonsault, but none of his partners will tag him. Instead Reno comes in to Roll The Dice (Cross Rhodes) for the elimination at 7:53. Vito comes in to beat up Reno but has to escape Palumbo’s torture rack. The Vito Special hits Palumbo and it’s time for the stickball bat. That misses though and one of the Thrillers cracks Vito with a kendo stick (the referee sees it and doesn’t mind), setting up another Roll The Dice to get rid of Vito at 8:42.

Orndorff and company huddle up on the floor and it’s Guerrera coming in to start fast on Reno. A dropkick puts Reno down and Guerrera hammers away in the corner. Guerrera hits a top rope spinwheel kick into the Juvy Driver, allowing Mysterio to hit a top rope legdrop What’s Up for the pin at 10:45. Mysterio and Guerrera slug away on Jindrak and O’Haire, the latter of whom sends Mysterio crashing out to the floor. Guerrera sends both of them outside, where they pull a dive out of the air and then LAUNCH Guerrera over the top and back inside. That looked amazing, and the Seanton Bomb gets the pin at 12:08.

Orndorff comes in and strikes away, including the Boogie Woogie elbow, but Bull hits him with a kendo stick. Orndorff takes it away and hammers on Bull, setting up the piledriver for the pin and elimination at 13:28. O’Haire and Jindrak stomp Orndorff down in the corner but Jindrak misses Poetry In Motion. Orndorff strikes away at O’Haire and piledrives Jindrak…but hurts his neck on the landing (Madden: “I think he threw out his brain.”). O’Haire gets the pin at 14:51 and Orndorff is out, both of the match and seemingly of reality.

Mysterio and Tygress give Jindrak a Bronco Buster each and Tygress gives Sanders an X Factor. Note that all of this is happening around Orndorff, who is down in the middle of the ring with the trainer checking on him. Thankfully the referee FINALLY throws the match out at 16:35 due to the injury.

Rating: C+. I still like the Thrillers, who could have been something if they weren’t presented in such a similar fashion. They were dominating here until the unfortunate ending, though I’d assume the Thrillers were going to win in the end. The match was the usual mess as there were way to many people involved and it was hard to keep track of who was in or just at ringside, but the Thrillers did look good for the most part.

Orndorff is taken out on a stretcher and receives a standing ovation. He suffered a stinger here and, save for a one off match in 2017, this was the end of his career.

Billy Kidman (who wishes Orndorff a speedy recovery) and Madusa are ready to fight Shane Douglas and Torrie Wilson in a scaffold match. This sounds like a bad idea.

Billy Kidman/Madusa vs. Shane Douglas/Torrie Wilson

This is a scaffold match, meaning they’re fighting on a small platform (thankfully wide enough to move around a bit) above the stage, with the winners being the first team to get to the other end and climb down. Before the match, Douglas promises that Kidman and Madusa won’t put a hand on Wilson. He’s also not paying anyone here a dime in the promised refunds if they lose, because they’re not losing.

They keep cranking the scaffold higher and Torrie is clearly terrified. Kidman flips out of Douglas’ belly to back suplex to start, leaving Madusa to very carefully take Torrie down. Madusa beats Douglas up a bit and the women get over to the other side but neither bother to climb down. Instead Douglas gives Kidman a powerslam but manages a backdrop. Kidman and Douglas keep reversing each other as Madusa starts climbing down but the men fighting keeps shaking the ladder.

Douglas hits his Franchiser jawbreaker and then kicks Madusa down onto a crash pad. Kidman fights back so Torrie hits him low, naturally having to walk down the scaffold in terror because, you know, she’s TERRIFIED UP THERE. Kidman gets thrown off the scaffold and through the stage (or the pad near it), which is enough for the win, though Torrie and Douglas still have to climb down rather than just lowering the stupid thing. Torrie getting down the ladder is enough for the official win at 6:15.

Rating: D. On one hand, it was set up better than the 80s versions due to having a much wider scaffold, but there was still only so much you can do in this situation. Torrie was not only terrified but also not a wrestler, leaving Douglas and Kidman to flip around until they got to the ending. Just not a good idea overall, and having two people do plunges after a legitimate injury wasn’t the best visual. This was also Madusa’s last match (save for a battle royal appearance in 2018) so she and Orndorff both went out on low points.

Sting is ready to win against the Dark Carnival tonight and then go on to his World Title shot tomorrow night. Cue Jeff Jarrett to jump him from behind and claim tomorrow’s title shot instead.

We look back at Mike Tenay going to David Flair’s mess of a house, where Tenay (who said he was all alone despite the cameraman being with him) asked about Flair’s mental stability over finding out that he isn’t the father of his girlfriend’s (Stacy Keibler) baby. Flair doesn’t say anything but keeps looking out the window.

Tenay asks if Flair has any leads, with Flair suspecting his brother Reid. Tenay points out that Reid is 11 years old and then suggests Ric Flair is the father. He has even asked Ric face to face, with Ric not actually denying it. Flair gets up and jumps the mail man, accusing him of being the father and putting him in the Figure Four on the lawn. Then Flair runs off. This was hilarious, as Flair played an over the edge psycho well.

Vampiro vs. Great Muta vs. Sting

The Insane Clown Posse is on commentary and this is basically a handicap match, with Vampiro and Muta jumping Sting in the aisle. Commentary clearly has a ball making up various move names as Sting is taken into the crowd to keep up the beating. Muta is dubbed The Great Tuna as they come back to ringside with commentary talking about Muta’s overly speedy misting.

A chair shot takes Sting down and they go inside, where Sting fights up. Some kicks to the face cut Sting down again though and Muta hits the moonsault. Vampiro wants the pin though and gets in a fight with Muta, with the Posse having to break it up. Sting comes back in with the baseball bat and cleans house. The Scorpion Death Drop finishes Muta at 5:13.

Rating: D. Other than a few funny lines from the Posse, this was another mess of a match with Sting not feeling like he was in any real danger. The feud with Vampiro went on for way too long and it felt totally out of steam by this point. Muta felt like he was there for his history with Sting and to take the fall, which isn’t the best use of a star of his caliber.

Post match Sting saves Muta from a beating.

That 70s Guy (Mike Awesome) gets off his bus and says he won’t be facing Jeff Jarrett tonight. Instead, he has Gary Coleman, one of his favorite stars from the 70s (which Coleman corrects as the 80s). And after a catchphrase, we’re done.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Mike Awesome

Bunkhouse Brawl meaning anything goes, with weapons already in the ring. Jarrett comes out in a Tennessee Titans jersey, thereby ticking off the Buffalo Bills at ringside. Before the match, he mocks the Bills and the fans are not exactly impressed. Thankfully Awesome comes out in regular gear and they start with the weapons on the floor.

Some whips into the barricade have Jarrett in more trouble and Awesome chokes with a rope. Jarrett is back with some whips with a belt but Awesome shrugs it off and knocks him back to the floor. They get into a chair duel with Awesome getting the better of things and knocking Jarrett down with some chair shots. Jarrett fights back but has to block the Awesome Bomb back inside. Instead Awesome is backdropped through a table as the Buffalo Bills are not happy.

Awesome avoids a whip into the barbed wire table and instead sends Jarrett into it twice. A sitout powerbomb gives Awesome two but the Awesome Splash misses. Jarrett yells at the Bills again though and they get up on the apron, allowing Awesome to hit an Awesome Bomb for….two. Jarrett kicks Awesome low and grabs the guitar but GARY COLEMAN runs in to hit Jarrett low. That earns Coleman the guitar shot but now Sting runs in to lay Jarrett out. Awesome gets the pin at 9:08.

Rating: D. WOW. So it literally just took Sting, Gary Coleman (geez) and the BUFFALO BILLS to put Jeff Jarrett down. That’s another level of pushing someone like a monster and the result, with Sting doing the work, shows you why so few people were able to get over in WCW. This was so far beyond a mess that the action itself, which was ok, was completely forgotten by the end.

It looks like Jimmy Hart of all people carries Coleman out. That’s just appropriate for some reason.

We recap Goldberg vs. Scott Steiner. Goldberg attacked Steiner’s freak (their word) Midajah so Steiner beat up Goldberg’s girlfriend while forcing Goldberg to watch. This is designed to be nothing but a violent crash between two monsters.

Steiner is ready to beat up Goldberg and then go back to the hotel because he’s ready to explode.

Scott Steiner vs. Goldberg

Anything goes. Steiner has his protective face mask on and they stand around for a good while to start. They lock up to start with Steiner powering him into the corner. That earns him a running shoulder and the gorilla press powerslam for the big crash. Back up and a clothesline puts Goldberg down and the big elbow gives Steiner two. Something pretty close to a Diamond Cutter drops Goldberg again but he’s back with something like a powerslam. The spear hits the buckle though and they go outside with Steiner smashing a chair over Goldberg’s back.

Cue Midajah with a lead pipe as Steiner ties Goldberg in the Tree Of Woe for some chair shots to the ribs (rather than the cut on the top of Goldberg’s head). Steiner sends him flying with a suplex and, after the pushups, hits a backbreaker for two. Midajah brings in the pipe but Goldberg takes it away and blasts Steiner. The Jackhammer is loaded up but cue Vince Russo (of course) with a baseball bat to knock Goldberg down (of course) for two.

They go outside again and a table is set up, only to fall back down. Steiner slams him through it anyway and puts on the Recliner back inside. Goldberg makes the rope and muscles him up for an electric chair. Steiner gets shoved off the top, but Midajah hits him with the pipe. The belly to belly superplex gives Steiner two and the Recliner goes on again, with Goldberg sending him outside to escape this time. Goldberg’s swinging neckbreaker drops Steiner again but Russo comes in for a second time. That lets Steiner knock Goldberg silly with the pipe, setting up the Recliner for the win at 13:48.

Rating: B+. It was a wild brawl and felt like two people beating on each other until one of them couldn’t stay up any longer. At the same time, Russo being out there felt every bit like someone latching on to the biggest feud of the show. That’s not the best way to go, but Russo rarely did anything for the greater good. Anyway, one of the better matches of the night here, but dang it would have been better without Russo.

We recap Kevin Nash vs. Booker T. for the World Title. Nash turned on Booker after promising that he respected him. This led to Vince Russo wanting Nash to win the title, even with Jeff Jarrett’s help. The numbers game worked and Nash won the title, setting up a cage match rematch tonight.

Booker T. is ready to get the World Title back.

WCW World Title: Booker T. vs. Kevin Nash

Nash is defending in a cage. Nash slams him down to start and hits the knee in the corner, followed by the running clothesline. The elbow misses but Nash is right back with a big boot and clothesline for two. The double arm crank goes on as this is almost all Nash so far. Nash’s side slam gets two more but Booker sends him into the turnbuckle, which was exposed somewhere in there.

The jumping side kick drops Nash and the ax kick connects. That’s shrugged off and Nash hits a chokeslam to leave them both down. Booker gets up and slugs away before sending Nash into the exposed buckle. Nash is busted open so Booker rakes his head over the cage. The missile dropkick connects but Nash hits a hard clothesline for two. A big boot gives Nash another breather but the Jackknife is countered into the Bookend to give Booker the title back at 9:03.

Rating: C. It was fine and that’s about as high as I can go. Not only were they stuck behind the war that was Goldberg vs. Steiner, but it was a cage match that only went about nine minutes. You’re only going to get so much out of that and it didn’t help that Nash was his usual only somewhat motivated self. It was pretty clear that Steiner was getting the title sooner rather than later, but first Booker had to drop the title to Vince Russo of all people, again, because WCW.

 

Results
Elix Skipper b. Kwee Wee – Overdrive
Misfits In Action b. 3 Count – Whiplash to Helms
Harris Twins b. Kronik when Adams was busted open
Lance Storm b. General Rection – Canadian Mapleleaf
Natural Born Thrillers vs. Big Vito/Paul Orndorff/Filthy Animals went to a no contest when Orndorff was injured
Torrie Wilson/Shane Douglas b. Billy Kidman/Madusa – Wilson climbed down the scaffold
Sting b. Great Muta and Vampiro – Scorpion Death Drop to Muta
Mike Awesome b. Jeff Jarrett – Scorpion Death Drop
Scott Steiner b. Goldberg – Steiner Recliner
Booker T. b. Kevin Nash – Bookend

 

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7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

For a show in the total dying days of the company, this was a pretty good watch. The first two matches are both better than expected, Goldberg vs. Steiner was an awesome hoss fight, and the main event is ok enough. The biggest problem is the stretch of three matches in the middle, but even those are mostly short. When you have such a bad stretch for WCW, it was nice to see a show that was actually fairly decent. It’s still not a great show, but given where WCW was, this was quite the surprise.