WCW Souled Out - Sunday, January 17, 1999
WCW/nWo Souled Out - Sunday, January 17, 1999
- Greetings, fellow humanoids! I am the Danimal and this is the redheaded stepchild of all Pay-per-Views, Souled Out!!
First of all, I'd like to thank Bill for the opportunity to recap this once-in-a-month
happening. I've been a DDT Digest reader for about a year now and can honestly say that
this is the best WCW page going; a rare (for the Internet) triumph of substance over style.
- Second, to remove any doubt that this is a history-making recap, let me pull out the soapbox and present
the FIRST and ONLY defense of Tony Schivone's infamous Monday Nitro remarks on
the net...Attention, MARKS: Schiavone, like all the wrestlers, refs, "security force" people, etc. is PLAYING
A CHARACTER!! While I agree that it is not really a great idea to publicize your competition nor do I think
his assessment of Mick Foley is an accurate one, remember that as the King of Hyperbole, Selective Memory and Hype, Tony is just playing along with the script. Those of you who are actually upset by his comments need to remember that we are watching a bunch of grown men in their underwear pretending to fight each other, so try not to take it quite so seriously.
- That having been said, allow me to introduce my contemporaries who will help me to endur...er, recap this event: here are Dave, Chad, Leroy and Rob.
- By the way, here are some possible menu items for the new WCW Nitro Grill which recently broke ground in Vegas: The Macho Manwhich, Jake "The Steak" Roberts, The Torture Rack of Ribs, The Figure
Four Leg of Lamb, The Marcus "Buff" Bagel, Mulkey Lime Pie, Brutus "The Barber" Beef Stroganoff,
The Junk Yard Hot Dog, Chris Jericola, and Minnesota Wrecking Brew.
- On wit' da' show...
- We start with WCW President Ric Flair giving a state of The Union Style Address boldly proclaiming that "WCW is stronger than ever...ratings notwithstanding."
- We are live in Charleston, WV. Your announcers are the usual suspects: Tony, Mike, Bobby.
- Tony is about to tell us about the nine stunning matches on schedule for tonight when he
is alerted to a "disturbance" backstage...Goldboig has been jumped, it ap
pears, and has injured his
knee. "Get out of here!," he yells, hurling a chair at the camera.
- MATCH ONE: Chris "Don't call me Ben-noit" Benoit vs. Mike "Deputy" Enos
- LeRoy predicts that later tonight David Flair will turn nWo. BTW, the nWo part of
the Souled Out Logo has been crossed out; Tony informs us this is now a strictly WCW event.
- Usual dull match from the (imo) overrated Benoit. Chops, bearhugs and German Suplexes are the order of the day for this one.
- Enos' offensive highlight is the deadly neck twist.
- Benoit also pulls off one of my favorite dumb moves: the flying head butt.
- After Enos performs perhaps the worst lariat in modern history, Benoit counters a suplex attempt and slaps on the crossface for the win. Not what I've come to expect from an Enos match.
- We see a Video Montage showing the short yet illustrious history on the Cattle Prod,
Stun Gun, Stun Stick, or whatever...
- MATCH TWO: Norman Smiley vs. Chavo Jr.
- Warren Moon has done well in his transition from football to wrestling, but you'd think he'd come up with a better moniker than "Norman Smiley"
- Smiley comes to the ring with an urn containing the "ashes" of Pepe. He taunts Chavo by spreading some of the sawdust around the ring
- Action is back and forth, with much Big Wiggling from Smiley
- After one dance, Heenan exclaims, "Give it to me, Norman!" Hmm...
- They eventually end up in a game of twister, with Smiley performing such holds as the "Surfboard Submission" while Heenan and Tenay discuss his Adidas wrestling shoes.
- Chad: "This is Kama Sutra wrestling"
- Smiley gains the advantage, and gives Chavo a nice top-rope superplex.
- They exchange lame attempts at sleeperholds, Smiley hits a belly-to-back suplex
- Chavo's out of the ring, back in.
- Eventually, Norman gets Chavo is a..well...compromising "wheelbarrow"-type position and does the Big Wiggle while spanking Chavo!!
- This match ends when Smiley throws the remains of Pepe into the eyes of Chavo and slaps on the Norman Conquest and gets the submission..
- Chavo embraces the urn, showing his true affection for his dead wooden horse.
- Konnan is online with Mark Madden. He's obviously upset at his former chums in the nWo for dissing him.
- MATCH THREE: Fit Finlay vs. Van Hammer
- Wow! A main event-caliber match this early on the card!
- Chad calls this the "battle of the worst trunks in wrestling" Fit is in his trademark lime green and black, and Van Hammer is sporting what we dubbed "Bon Jovi jeans"
- Only real highlight here is nostril pull by Finley. I would have submitted, myself.
- Both guys give it 100%, but yet we fail to become emotionally involved. What is Fit's motivation? Where is Van Hammer coming from? Do they view each other as just pieces of meat?
- Fit wins with the tombstone.
- MATCH FOUR: Wrath vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
- Biglow has slipped from Goldboig challenging headliner to Wrath-facing midcarder real fast
- If you like big men punching and kicking each other, this is for you!
- The crowd has been quiet through the whole card to this point. Even BBB's headbutts can't wake them.
- Occasionally, BBB applies the deadly rear chinlock, wearing his opponent down.
- The announcers pass the time discussing the merits of full-head tattooing.
- BBB does pull both a powerslam and DDT out of his hat.
- Bigelow's hits his finisher, Greetings From Asbury Park, and gets the win. I would have called it the Tunnel of Love.
- MATCH FIVE: Lex Luger vs. Konnan
- Konnan enters and says some stuff in a forgein language apparently only understandable to West Virginians.
- Luger enters to Wolfpac music.
- Chad: "Luger has Van Hammer Hair."
- Luger graciously invites Konnan to leave and save himself a beating.
- Unfortunately, Konnan does not take him up on his offer.
- Konnan must be paid by the kick, as we see a flurry of them to start the match.
- Luger comes back with kicks. If he would only follow them up with punches...
- K-Dogg is tied up in the ropes. Luger gives him knees to the back, knowing that as long as he stops after four seconds, the ref won't disqualify him. Smart!
- Chad: "Mikey Jay is the Larry Flynt of referees"
- After more nondescript action, Luger slaps on the dreaded...bearhug.
- At one point, Luger throws Konnan out of the ring, and goes out after him.
- From the floor, Konnan looks up and says something to Lex, who decides to climb back into the ring and showboat.
- Out comes Miss Elizabeth, who appears to have received an "upgrade" recently. Her red velvet top can only hope to contain her!
- But now, as if on cue, Luger has been placed in the Tequila Sunrise. Elizabeth sprays something in the eyes of K-Dogg, who breaks the hold.
- Tony and Mike incorrectly identify the substance as black spray paint, despite the fact that the mist is light in color and left no tell-tale paint on Konnan's face.
- Luger puts the K-Dogg in the Torture Rack and it's all over...your winner Lex Luger by submission.
- MATCH SIX: Chris Jericho vs. Perry Saturn
- Now we're getting somewhere. Saturn is once again Perry Saturn, it appears.
- Jericho enters with Ralphus, who is holding the a bag with the dress that Saturn will wear if he loses. Tenay informs us that the stipulations have been changed so that whoever loses the match will have to wear it. I've also read it's only for 90 days, not their entire career.
- Back and forth action to start. Ralphus is looking good, as usual.
- Ralpus pulls out the dress...leopard skin print...NICE...
- Jericho hits a high-risk Maneuver: over the top rope back body drop
- Jericho suplexes Saturn back in the ring
- Chris has "ROLE" on one boot and "MODEL" on the other.
- Saturn gets a two count.
- Saturn sling shoots Jericho over the top rope.
- Jericho attempts a Lion-Tamer, Saturn twists out of it
- Jericho goes for a suplex, Saturn rolls him into a small package
- Scott Dickinson pushes the pair, who are now acting as one unit, over!
- Dickinson gives a superquick three count, and Jericho wins!
- Saturn, being a Man of His Word, puts on the dress, not for the first or last time I suspect.
- Dickinson in a touching gesture attempts to zip the back of the dress before Saturn shoos him away.
- Jericho, Ralphus and Dickinson leave together, laughing maniacally.
- David Flair is online at WCW.com. He sets a new record by boring us within four seconds...
- MATCH SEVEN: Four Corners Match for the Cruiserweight Championship:
Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Psychosis vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
- Tony makes vague reference to some coin toss that determines which two men will start
- Kidman and Rey start things off
- They run and jump and flip each other around. Luchadore matches are fun to watch, but often look too choreographed.
- This one turns into a chaotic free for all that I'm not about to try to doa play-by-play on.
- Kidman wins.
- MATCH EIGHT: Ric and David Flair (w/ Arn Anderson) vs. Curt "Don't call me Henning" Hennig and Barry Windham
- The crowd comes to life for the first time all night for the Flair's entrance.
- Windham demands that David start the match, and team Flair complies.
- Windham suckers David with the old "test of strength" trick but David counters with a hip-toss.
- Ric is tagged in and puts Windham through the ringer.
- Henning tags in.
- In an attempt to badmouth Flair, Curt actually says "You wanted to embarrass your punk family, your whole kid." Oops.
- The two grapplers trade chops. Snapmare takeover by Hennig. David receives a chop from Curt and falls off the ring apron nicely.
- Ric is tossed out of the ring and worked over by Windham. Later, Flair is put in the Figure Four by Hennig.
- Windham cheats by grabbing Hennig's arm, giving him more leverage (?)
- The hold is eventually broken (released) and Windham comes back in. Flair is double-teamed while David distracts the ref.
- Arn cheats by grabbing Hennig and pulling him out of the ring.
- Ric puts Windham in the Figure Four while Arn works over Hennig.
- Hennig escapes and comes back into the ring, breaking Ric's figure four.
- All four men are in the ring, David is getting slapped around by Hennig.
- Hennig sets David up for the Hennigplex but Arn cheats again but nailing Henning with a tire iron.
- David falls onto Curt and gets the three count. The Flairs are your winners.
- Out comes the nWo B-team: Norton, Vincent, Adams, Horace. They beat up on our heroes. Out comes Nash, Hogan, Steiner, Buff, Luger. Ric is handcuffed to the ropes as the nWo gives David the business.
- David is held down as Hogan whips him with his weight belt!!
- The nWoers take off David's shirt and paint EZE on his back!!!!
- Good Stuff!
- The crowd, apparently about a year behind the storylines, chants, "We want Sting".
- Hogan mugs for the camera, says, "I love you, Eric" and whips David again. His belt has "Hollywood President" printed on it.
- In a funny moment, Tony asks, "Who the hell is in charge here?"
- We see a Zapruder-like video montage of the nWo's attack on Goldberg
- MATCH NINE: Goldberg vs. Scott Hall in a Ladder/Stun Gun Match
- Michael Buffer is here! He explains the rules: No pinfall, no submission, no DQ. The only way to win is to zap your opponent with the stun gun.
- Scott Hall comes in and announces that there will be no match, due to Goldberg's knee injury.
- Buffer actually apologizes for Hall's false announcement and introduces Goldberg.
- Music, Sparks, Steam, Goldberg is out and the match is on.
- They fight for awhile, with neither contestant making any move towards the ladder which is outside the ring near the entranceway. After some time Hall goes for the ladder, with Goldberg following him.
- Goldberg is moving slowly, favoring his "bad" knee. At one point, Goldberg is thrown into the steel steps and is busted open!!! The camera instantly switches to wrestler is bleeding distance camera angle mode, and we don't see a close up of Goldberg again.
- The ladder makes it way into the ring and Hall takes a few nice spills. There are the usual ladder match shenanigans: slow climbing, ladder as weapon, etc.
- Goldberg eventually gains control and climbs the ladder
- Out comes Disco Inferno, who pushes the ladder and sends Goldberg's neck across the top rope!
- Hall recovers and climbs the ladder and gets the stun gun!
- He lunges for Goldberg and misses, they struggle with the gun for a while.
- Goldberg kicks Hall in the head and the gun flies out of the ring!
- Goldberg finds it and is back in the ring with Hall, who is begging for mercy.
- Goldberg throws the zapper into the air and spears Hall.
- Jackhammer and Zap! Goldberg wins.
- In comes Bam Bam Bigelow to attack Goldberg.
- As they fight, Hall recovers and stuns both Goldberg and Bigelow several times as we go to...
- A promo for SuperBrawl....