WCW From the Beginning

nWo SOULED OUT (Jan. 25, 1997)

Ladder Match:
Eddie Guerrero defeated Syxx in 19:49.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Eddie Guerrero retained the WCW TELEVISION TITLE.)

The opening match was a great ladder match, Guerrero and Syxx hit each other with a wide variety of moves both before the ladder was brought into the ring, and even after when each used the ladder to further inflict pain on the other. 

Eddie was climbing up the ladder when Syxx was knocked down, but Syxx went to the top rope and came flying off with a spinning leg kick that knocked Eddie off. 

Syxx then started to climb, but Guerrero tipped the ladder, sending Syxx flying all the way to the floor outside the ring. Eddie then climbed up and grabbed his TV title back. 

Scott Norton pinned Disco Inferno with the Power Bomb in 12:45.
Rating: ** ¼

Disco actually skipped is usual dancing girl entrance as he was all business, rushing to the ring to start the fight. 

Disco gave a valiant effort but in the end’s Scott Norton’s power was too much as he earned the win.

The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom) defeated M. Wallstreet and The Boss when Enos pinned Boss after a power bomb in 15:23.
Rating: ** ½

Both The Destruction Crew and Wallstreet and the Boss were looking for nWo spots. The higher-ups set this match up to determine their membership. 

The Crew followed up their win from a few weeks ago with another one tonight. After, they joined several other nWo members in beating down Boss and Wallstreet.

Curt Hennig and Diamond Dallas Page defeated Johnny B. Badd and Marcus Bagwell when Curt Hennig pinned Badd with the Hennig Plex in 19:24.
Rating: ****

Quite frankly, this match stole the show. Four great workers put on an exceptional match. Badd and Bagwell proudly carried the WCW banner into the match, but the willingness of Hennig and DDP to go the extra mile when it comes to underhanded tactics may have made the difference. 

The ending was chaotic, when Bagwell hit Hennig with a spinebuster, only to have DDP come back and hit him with a Diamond Cutter. But Badd knocked him out with a Tutti Frutti punch, only to get caught by a Hennig Plex.

Stone Cold Steve Austin pinned Carl Ouellet with the Stone Cold Stunner in 19:20.
Rating: ** 1/2
(Stone Cold Steve Austin retained the WCW UNITED STATES TITLE.)

Ouellet’s power was quite a test for Austin, but Stone Cold showed his toughness going toe-to-toe with the big man. 

Austin eventually got in position to hit Ouellet with a Stunner and celebrated the win with a couple beers. 

The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated Big Van Vader and Lex Luger when Nash pinned Luger with the Jackknife Power Bomb in 17:50.
Rating: * 1/4
(The Outsiders retained the WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES.)

Luger and Vader took a page out of the nWo playbook by bullying their way into the title shot and the makeshift team nearly were able to knock off the tag champs. 

However, strength in numbers again played to the nWo’s advantage. Luger was about to put Kevin Nash in the torture rack, but while Scott Hall was distracting the ref with Vader outside, Syxx came in and hit Luger with a belt, giving Nash the chance to powerbomb him. 

25-Person nWo Invitational Battle Royal:
Diamond Dallas Page won a 25-person Battle Royal:
Rating: *** 3/4

The nWo’s master plan didn’t totally come to fruition as before the match, Luger, Vader and Eddie Guerrero jumped a couple entrants and took their place in the match. 

Bagwell was pleased to have some strong WCW backup and fought alongside them, However, Flair and Anderson were just as willing to fight the WCW guys as the nWo.

However, their miscommunication and arguing allowed the nWo to eliminate them all at once. 

Toward the end, Vader eliminated Curt Hennig, only to have Hennig pull the rope down from the outside and have Vader spill over. It was Hall, Nash and DDP along with Luger and Guerrero in the ring. Scott Hall tossed out Eddie Guerrero, but Luger tossed out Hall. Nash ran to give Luger a big boot, but Luger moved and Nash was suddenly straddling the top rope. Luger shook the rope a couple times before Nash finally went to the floor. 

However, Luger turned right into a Diamond Cutter. DDP tossed him out and won the nWo Invitational. 

Hollywood Hogan pinned Rick Steiner with the Big Leg Drop in 16:50.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Hollywood Hogan retained the WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.)
[Scott Steiner interfered against Rick Steiner.]

For someone not used to singles wrestling, Rick Steiner looked like a seasoned veteran of one-on-one battles. 

But of course, it’s never one-on-one when you’re dealing with the nWo. But despite their presence, Steiner never gave it, fighting off the various interference. 

Having enough watching in the back, Scott Steiner came out with a lead pipe to watch his brother’s back at ringside. 

Late, Rick Steiner made a rally and Hogan was Staggered. It looked like he was setting him up for a Bulldog off the top rope, but Rick Rude and Kevin Nash distracted the referee, while Hall made a move toward Steiner on the top rope. 

This though brought Scott to the apron to keep Hall from doing anything, but then in one of the most shocking moments WCW might have ever seen, Scott Steiner hit his brother with a lead pipe!!

Rick fell to the ground, Hogan hit him with a leg drop and pinned him. 

After the match, the nWo members surrounded Scott in the ring. But Scott dropped the pipe and then started giving them all hugs. Rick Rude pulled out an nWo shirt and gave it to him and Scott put it on.

Card rating: ** 1/2

MONDAY NITRO (Feb. 10, 1997)

Eddie Guerrero defeated Konnan by disqualification in 8:48.
Rating: **
(Eddie Guerrero retained the WCW TELEVISION TITLE.)

Nothing was settled between Konnan and Eddie Guerrero with the TV title on the line. When it looked like Guerrero had the advantage, Konnan began to assault Guerrero with a chair to cause the DQ.

Dean Malenko made Glacier submit to the Texas Cloverleaf in 14:56.
Rating: ****

Malenko figures to have settled things with the martial artist after making him tap out to his Texas Cloverleaf.

Interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin

Austin came out to do an interview with Gene Okerlund, but before Austin could start, Bradshaw ran out and hit Austin with a lariat, then saying "All it take is 1, and this belt is mine."

Syxx pinned Psicosis with the Top Rope Legdrop in 13:43.
Rating: ***

Syxx was hoping to prove a point to Rey Misterio Jr. that he is better than any luchadore. He was impressive in a victory over Psicosis. 

Harlem Heat (Stevie Ray and Booker T) defeated The Boss and M. Wallstreet when
Booker pinned Wallstreet with the Book End in 0:08:41.
Rating: ***

Harlem Heat (Stevie Ray and Booker T) defeated The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and
Matt Hardy) when S. Ray pinned J. Hardy with the Slapjack in 0:04:13.
Rating: ***

Harlem Heat (Stevie Ray and Booker T) defeated Justin Bradshaw and Scott Norton
when Booker pinned Bradshaw after a Hotshot in 0:05:53.
Rating: * ½

Rick Rude told the Outsiders that despite his lofty position within WCW, the championship committee still has authority over title matches, and as long as Harlem Heat is ruled No. 1 contenders, they earn a shot at the Outsiders. 

So The Outsiders were desperate for someone to knock off Harlem Heat. They reached back out to M. Wallstreet and The Boss telling them they could make things right if they took them out. They didn't. 

So the Outsiders came back and said, that wasn't their real match. They fed them the Hardy Boys and Harlem Heat beat them very quickly.

So once again they said that wasn't the real opponents, and brought out nWo members Bradshaw and Norton. The two took advantage of a worn down Harlem Heat, but Steve Austin came back out and with the ref distracted, hit Bradshaw with a Stunner. He stood over him saying "All it takes is 1 you dumb son of a bitch."

Big Van Vader and Curt Hennig battled to a double countout in 0:17:35.
Rating: *** 1/4

Curt Hennig went after Big Van Vader but all heck broke loose late in the match. Norton came out to attack Vader, but Lex Luger had his friend's back. The four continued to brawl through a commercial break. 

nWo calls out Diamond Dallas Page

The upper brass of the nWo has been livid about what Diamond Dallas Page has gotten away with the past two weeks. The entire group, including Hollywood Hogan, was in the ring and demanding DDP come into the ring and face him like a man. 

DDP’s voice came over the sound system saying he’s not as stupid as Hogan looks. He knows better than anyone how the nWo operates and that gives up an edge. He knows how to stay one step ahead of the nWo. But if you really want to see him that bad, he’ll be right down. 

Hogan and Rude said Page wasn’t coming from the back, so they dispatched nWo members into the crowd to wait for DDP to come down from whatever side. 

But this left everyone’s back turned and no one saw DDP come out from under the ring. He snuck in behind Hogan and hit him with a Diamond Cutter, then raced back out before the nWo goons could get their hands on him. 

Card rating: ** 3/4

--------------------------

MONDAY NITRO (Feb. 17, 1997)

Harlem Heat (Stevie Ray and Booker T) defeated Arn Anderson and Ric Flair when S. Ray pinned A. Anderson with the Slapjack in 15:02.
Rating: ** ¾

The Horsemen were the latest obstacle thrown in front of Harlem Heat but again they cleared it. 

Marcus Bagwell made his return after the match and grabbed a mic and told Flair and Anderson, "You guys still think you can do things alone? If you want to be bitter stubborn old men, go right ahead. But look what it's getting you. Losses. I joined the Horsemen the same time Steve Austin did and look what he did after he got away from you. You two are anchors holding down progress. Maybe you have the right idea though not joining the WCW team, because WCW doesn't need you." 

Flair was livid "I am WCW. I built this company." Bagwell replied "Maybe, but right now, you're killing it."

Dean Malenko made Wrath submit to a kneelock submission in 8:16.
Rating: ****

One week after taking care of business against Glacier, Malenko looks to have done the same with a win over Wrath.

Disco Inferno pinned Chris Candido with the Last Dance in 2:44.
Rating: ** ¼

Chris Candido and Disco Inferno finally met in the ring after weeks of confrontations. But Disco shockingly won the match quickly. As Candido was berating Tammy for seemingly dancing when Disco’s music came on.

Candido got on the mic and demanded another match saying that was a fluke and it was all Tammy’s fault. Disco wasn't having it, saying he should take his loss like a man. But after some back and forth, Disco said he’ll gladly take another match so he can teach another lesson about how women deserve to be treated. 

Scott Steiner made Scotty Riggs submit to the Steiner Recliner in 14:44.
Rating: *** 3/4

Scott Steiner beat Scotty Riggs but was confronted again by his brother Rick who kept asking, "Why?" Scott again knocked Rick out but this time he answered, saying "You want to know why? Because this has always been about me. I could've left you years ago and went on my own path and become a world champion, but I said no because of you. I put my own career on the backburner for our team. But what do you do the first chance you get? You throw away a chance for us to be champions together, to be selfish. You said yes to the route I turned down because of you. So if that's the way it's going to be, that's the way it's going to be. It's all about me now."

Syxx pinned Johnny B. Badd with the Top Rope Legdrop in 15:00.
Rating: ** 3/4

Syxx got another big win to build momentum for a Cruiserweight title match against Rey Misterio. Gene Okerlund approached Syxx after and admitted to Syxx he’s looking like a fine-tuned machine, but he has no idea where Rey Misterio has been. 

Syxx said, “Yeah, that’s weird that Rey is sitting at home, getting rusty. It’s almost like he’s been barred for arenas to get any training in. Funny.”

Lex Luger defeated Curt Hennig by disqualification in 15:41.
Rating: 3/4*
[Scott Norton interfered against Lex Luger.]

What was a pretty good match quickly turned into another brawl. Luger was ready to put Hennig in the torture rack before Scott Norton ran down and caused the DQ. 

This of course drew Vader to the ring and the four engaged in another big brawl.

Handicap-Match:
Diamond Dallas Page defeated The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) and Hollywood Hogan when Page pinned Hogan with the Diamond Cutter in 0:00:51.
Rating: -*

The nWo made it clear to DDP, after weeks of avoiding the nWo in the ring, he would fight Hogan and The Outsiders in a handicap match, and if he chooses not to, he forfeits his No. 1 contender status and his Superbrawl title shot. 

The nWo hit the ring first and when DDP's music hit, The Outsiders left the ring to go meet him on the ramp. Only, he never showed up. But Harlem Heat did. Heat rushed out and attacked The Outsiders fighting them around the entrance way and into the back.

This left Hogan alone in the ring who didn't see DDP come out of the crowd. He smacked Hogan in the back of the head with the plaque he got a few weeks ago. This was all before the match officially began, so once the bell rang, DDP pinned a nearly unconscious Hogan. He celebrated holding up the world title belt as the camera faded out.


Card rating: * 1/2