WCW Saturday Night - Saturday, 08/01/98

WCW Saturday Night - Saturday, 08/01/98

By Jeremy

Well, welcome to the final substitute edition of WCW Saturday Night while Jesse is out of the country. Tonight we have two solid hours with Scott Hudson and Mike Tenay.

For the second best Nitro report on the Internet, check out my column Tuesday mornings on The Unofficial Degeneration-X Homepage.

For now, on to the show.

Dean Malenko comes out to a big pop, and actually looks at the crowd.

Malenko grabs a mic and claims that he has a loophole for Chris Jericho this Monday on Nitro.

Match 1: Dean Malenko d. Barry Horowitz with the Texas Cloverleaf.

Horowitz is obviously the heel here. The fans were incessantly loud during his prolonged walk to the ring. Once in the ring, he, as usual, pats himself on the back.
Hudson announces that the Main Event tonight is a Number One Contenders match for the Cruiserweight Title belt between Rey Misterio, Jr. and Juventud Guerrera.
Malenko executes an armlock on Horowitz.
Malenko hits Horowitz with a spinning leg lariat off the ropes and gets a two-count.
Horowitz comes back with an atomic drop.
Horowitz elbows Malenko in the jaw.
Horowitz gives Malenko a boot to the shoulder and the Iceman up for two.
Malenko fires back with a backdrop suplex and a high knee lift, each of which warrants its own two-count.
Malenko executes a powerbomb and puts Horowitz in the Texas Cloverleaf.
Horowitz submits after about ten seconds.

Hudson announces this match for Road Wild: Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff v. Diamond Dallas Page & Jay Leno.

Did I really miss something this past Monday, or is this a new announcement?
Oh. Happened on The Tonight Show this past week.

Match 2: Hacksaw Jim Duggan d. Hugh Morrus (with Jimmy Hart) by disqualification.

Duggan gets one heckuva pop from the crowd.
Morrus takes the early advantage, but Duggan counters with three running clotheslines.
Morrus tries to walk away from the match, but Hart convinces him to fight.
Hart chokes Duggan as Morrus distracts referee Zack Morris.

Until recently, I thought I was the only one who noticed the resemblance between the ref and the actor.
Just goes to show you how well-educated we wrestling fans are, right?

Morrus puts about five reverse chinlocks on Duggan.

Each time, Duggan fights out of it with repeated elbows to the midsection.

The two battle outside of the ring.
Back inside, Morrus executes a snapmare takeover, and puts the chinlock back on Duggan.
Morrus rakes the eyes of Hacksaw after Duggan battles out of the latest chinlock.
Morrus picks up Duggan for a scoop slam.
Morrus misses an elbow drop from the top rope.
Duggan plays the crowd--receiving another huge pop--before hitting Morrus with a double axehandle.
The Barbarian runs in, and the ref disqualifies Morrus.
Meng comes in to the ring, and he and Duggan clear the squared circle.
Meng and Duggan stare off and then walk off.

Footage from The Tonight Show involving Leno, Hogan, Bischoff, Page, and the immortal Kevin Eubanks is aired.

Match 3: Fit Finlay d. Uncle Eddie Guerrero with the Tombstone Piledriver.

Both Finlay and Guerrero are received by the crowd as heels.
This promises to be a good match, probably with some Chavo interference.
Finlay starts off with back-to-back scoop slams, and Eddie leaves the ring.
Guerrero regains the advantage (back in the ring) and hits Finlay with a running leg lariat.
Finlay responds with a European uppercut and an eye rake.
Finlay executes the Hotshot, sending Guerrero into the ropes.
Finlay hits Guerrero with another uppercut and then drops the elbow down for a two-count.
Finlay with a clothesline for another two-count.

The crowd is chanting for Chavo.

Guerrero hits Finlay in the knees with a dropkick, then comes over the top rope with a slingshot flip.
After a seemingly pointless headbutt and a clothesline, Guerrero gets a two-count.
Finlay reverses a chinlock into a jawbreaker, and the two kindly exchange eye rakes.
Chavo the Russian cowboy runs in with Pepe.
Finlay pulls Chavo into the ring and sets him up for the Tombstone.
Eddie pulls Chavo away from Finlay, and gets Tombstoned himself for the pinfall.

Thunder returns this Wednesday, August 5, on TBS.

Nitro stills from the Jericho-Malenko match are aired.

Our Paragon of Virtue, our real Role Model, Chris Jericho, comes out in street clothes.

Hudson: "I heard that Jericho killed Kenny." This joke would have had more of a comedic impact if Hudson had had any idea what he was talking about.
Jericho: "I want you [pointing to crowd] to want me!... I am the smartest legal man of all time!... Malenko, the conspiracy is over. Tonight, we have a Number One Contenders match between Ron Misterio Jr. and Quasi Juice Guerrera."
Jericho really does have good mic skills.

Match 4: Roadblock d. Jim Powers with a powerslam.

Roadblock with an early advantage, throwing Powers into three of the four corners in the ring.
Powers attempts a comeback, but is hit with a lariat from Roadblock.
Roadblock scoop slams Powers, drops a big elbow, and gets a two-count.
Roadblock drops all of his weight on the back of Powers, and then puts Powers in a bearhug.
Powers breaks the hold with a series of punches.
After a very brief advantage for Powers, Roadblock kicks Powers in the face.
Powers gets powerslammed for the pinfall.

Hudson pushes the WCW Hotline.

Ad for Road Wild, featuring Travis Tritt and Tonight Show footage.

Match 5: Dancing Fools d. Public Enemy (with table) via pinfall.

Disco Inferno comes out first for the Fools, and announces that he has a new tag team partner.

It's Tokyo Magnum!!!

Disco throws Magnum in against Public Enemy.
Public Enemy hits Magnum with a double slam and a double clothesline.

Wouldn't they be great on a Doublemint commercial?

Rocko Rock executes a textbook vertical suplex on Magnum as Johnny Grunge pulls Disco into the ring.
The Dancing Fools are on the receiving ends of atomic drops.
Hudson and Tenay ignore a good deal of this match, pushing Road Wild instead.
Rocko Rock tags in Johnny Grunge as Tokyo Magnum tags in Disco.
Disco hits Grunge with a jawbreaker.
Magnum runs in, and the Fools attempt to suplex Grunge.
Rocko Rock runs in and enable Grunge to hit the Fools with a double DDT.
Grunge brings the table into the ring and sets it up vertically with Tokyo Magnum in a corner.
Grunge charges the table, and both men go down.
Rocko Rock and Disco fight outside the ring.
Disco gets up on the edge and backs into Magnum, who falls on Grunge for the pinfall.
As the Fools walk away celebrating, Public Enemy hurls parts of the table at them.

Another Road Wild ad.

Match 6: The Cat d. The Great Pumpkin with a spin kick.

Okay, so his name's really Ciclope. But as long as Malenko's not in the costume, he is THE GREAT PUMPKIN!
According to Hudson, the Great Pumpkin is a "luchador from south of the border."

Don't you just hate those damned Canadian luchadores?

The Cat Ernest Miller hits Pumpkin with a scoop slam and rolls him up for a two-count right away.
The Pumpkin comes back with a running lariat and a snapmare takeover.
After this brief gourdy advantage, the Cat comes back with a kick to the gut and a clothesline.
The Cat scoop slams the Pumpkin.
The Cat hits the Pumpkin with a spin kick to the back of the head and gains the pinfall.

Match 7: Steve "Mongo" McMichael d. Stevie Ray (without belt) by disqualification.

Mongo: "Where's the damn belt!?!"
Mongo gains the early advantage, but goofs by charging Stevie Ray in a corner.
Stevie Ray throws Mongo into the same corner and chokes him with a boot.
Stevie Ray hits Mongo with a running lariat.
Mongo comes back with a couple of punches, but Stevie Ray responds with an eye rake.
Stevie Ray hits Mongo with a knee to the face and a subsequent scoop slam.
Stevie Ray misses with some maneuver off the top rope.
Mongo hits Stevie Ray with back-to-back shoulderblocks from his three-point stance.
Stevie Ray regains the advantage and executes a scoop slam.
Chavo Guerrero comes back out with Pepe and the TV Title belt, which he tosses to Stevie Ray.
Mongo is able to roll up a distracted Stevie Ray for a two-count.
What happened after this was left unclarified by the announcers, and the camera was panned to Chavo heading back to the locker room.
I believe that Stevie Ray hit Mongo with the belt, and was disqualified.

This Week in WCW Motorsports.

Well, at least there is a preseason football game on.

Yes! Tampa Bay is up on Pittsburgh, 3-0. Go Bucs!

Match 8: Sick Boy (with Lodi) d. Lizmark, Jr. with the slapjack.

Lizmark takes an early advantage, hits a double underhook nothing and gets a two-count.

Boy, was that ever a blown move. Lizmark put Sick Boy in the double underhook, changed his mind (apparently) and rolled Sick Boy up for two.

Lizmark executes a moonsault and gets another two-count.
Sick Boy gains control of the match and puts Lizmark in a spinning suplex, which results in a two-count.
Sick Boy remains in control with a snap mare takeover.
Lizmark blocks an attempted vertical suplex and gets a two-count with a small package.
Sick Boy hits Lizmark with another snap mare for another two-count.
Lizmark tries to comeback, executing a decent drop toehold and a missile dropkick.
Lizmark blows another move, the fallaway slam, but Sick Boy sells it for a two-count.
Lizmark misses a high cross body, allowing Sick Boy to take control.
Sick Boy with the double underhook, the slapjack, and the pinfall.

Match 9: Saturn d. Scotty Riggs (with Lodi) with the Spicolli (Death Valley) Driver.

Lodi distracts Saturn as he enters the ring, allowing Riggs to attack Saturn from behind.
Saturn pokes Riggs in the eyes and hits a spinning kick, which knocks Riggs to the mat.
Lodi enters the ring, and gets T-Boned by Saturn.
Riggs attacks Saturn from behind (again) and throws Saturn out of the ring.
Riggs flies off the ring apron and nails Saturn with a clothesline.
Back in the ring, Riggs executes a snap mare for the two-count.
Saturn regains the advantage, and hits Riggs with a T-Bone suplex.
Riggs counters with a small package and gets a two-count.
Riggs hits a clothesline, and he follows it up with another snap mare takeover.
Riggs puts Saturn in a "surfboard hold," as Mike Tenay describes it.

That looks about as painful as Disco's Chartbuster.

Saturn picks up Riggs off the ropes and executes the Spicolli Driver.
The Flock runs in, followed by Kanyon.
Together, Saturn and Kanyon clear the ring.
Raven comes out, sneaks up behind Saturn, and hits him with a chair. He then tosses the chair to Kanyon.
Saturn sees Kanyon holding the chair, and puts Kanyon in a Spicolli Driver.

Road Wild ad.

Match 10 (Number One Contenders Match): Juventud Guerrera d. Rey Misterio, Jr. via pinfall due to Jericho interference.

The two shake hands before ref Mark Curtis calls for the opening bell.
Guerrera gains the early advantage, putting Misterio in an armringer, which Misterio reverses.
Guerrera takes down Misterio with a legsweep; Misterio bounces back up and takes down Guerrera with the same maneuver.
Misterio then takes control with a drop toehold and an anklelock.
Guerrera briefly executes a side headlock before rolling Misterio up for a quick two-count.
Guerrera puts the side headlock back on Misterio, who responds with an armdrag takedown.

This match is moving way too fast.
Oh, it's 7:59. No wonder.

Misterio executes the snap mare takeover on Guerrera and runs off the ropes into a leg drop.
Misterio then hits Guerrera with a split-legged moonsault for a two-count.

That's Tenay's term, not mine.

Misterio puts Guerrera into a reverse chinlock, hits him with a clothesline, and rolls him up for a one-count.
Misterio dropkicks Guerrera and then hits Juvi with a boot to the face.
Misterio connects with a hurricanrana for two.
Guerrera reverses the roll-up and gets a two-count of his own.
Misterio is thrown out of the ring.
Guerrera comes off the top turnbuckle with a plancha. Both men are down out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Guerrera attempts a powerbomb (huh?), which Misterio reverses into a sunset flip.
After nearly getting pinned once again--gee, the real-life drama of pro wrestling--Guerrera takes the advantage.
Guerrera gets tossed down to the arena floor.
Misterio drops into a baseball slide, and then executes a headscissors takeover outside of the ring.
Back in the ring, Misterio takes Guerrera down with the hurricanrana.

Ref Mark Curtis gets hit "accidentally."

Guerrera picks up Misterio as Jericho runs in with the title belt.
Jericho swings the title belt at Misterio. Though it misses by about three feet, Misterio sells it.
Back on the job, Curtis counts to three as Juventud scores the pinfall.

Well, that was a pretty decent program. I guess, being that we are one week away from the next PPV, WCW is doing their best to sell their product. And if it makes for a decent WCWSN every once in a while, I'm all for it.

That will about do it for me. It's been your pleasure, I'm sure.

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