- After the Big Vito/Crowbar match last week, I asked who gets a pin by an elbowdrop. Many of you replied with the obvious answer: The Rock. While this is true, he usually does The Rock Bottom first. This is to keep his opponent down long enough for The People's Elbow. But, you didn't need me to tell you that.
In the case of last week, the finish was set up by Crowbar being pushed from a platform onto the top of a car two feet below at best. That is why I felt a need to question the sanity of the booking. :-)
- By the end of this week, my current e-mail address will be inactive. I recently switched to a new provider, but decided to keep the old e-mail account since I'm paid for the month.
To answer your mail, I have decided to switch to a Hotmail account in case I decide to be indecisive and switch again. In any case, please e-mail me at aldod2112@hotmail.com. To make things easier, Bill has changed the e-mail links all over the website, including this page.
Please do not e-mail me at my mpinet.net account as I am getting rid of it.
- In the spirit of David Letterman's return to television, here is Adam R. with his own top ten list:
Top Ten Signs WCW's New Talent Will Not Win Over the Crowd
10. Forms a partnership with Warrior, Lanny Poffo, and Barry Horowitz.
9. Uses a stomp to the chest as his finisher.
8. Bought the book "101 Viagra Jokes."
7. Tells the fans to turn the channel to the Westminster Dog Show.
6. Sacrifices a goat and two pigeons every week to the Demon.
5. Eats "Fruit Booties" for breakfast.
4. Thinks an atomic drop is something you put in your mouth.
3. He bears a strange resemblance to Mr. Belvedere.
2. Invites David Hasselhoff to sing on Nitro.
1. Rants that WCW can't compete without the great ring work of Swoll.Here's one more sign: "The talent phones in their matches 1-800-CALL-ATT with Jimmy Barron."
- Fellow Floridian Elsizuzu speaks about WCW's attempts at selling tickets for shows:
I work near a store in Orlando with Ticketmaster. Whenever anything goes on sale -- concerts, Tampa Bay Bucs games, etc. -- there are at least some people there before 10:00 A. M. for tickets.
When WWF Smackdown at the TD Waterhouse Center (Recapper's Note: The Center was known as the Orlando Arena at the time.) went on sale for their show that happened in early January (and eventually sold out), there was a large crowd. On Friday when tickets went on sale for the upcoming WCW Thunder at the Center there was no one waiting for tickets. Not a good sign.
If you listen to the Monsters of the Midday radio show on 104.1 FM, The Sexy Savannah (Savannah is one of the hosts of the show mentioned who also appeared at the May 10th RAW Is War in Orlando) was at the Center doing a remote. Kidman and Torrie Wilson were there. At one point, when things were getting boring, Russ (another host) commented that he thought there would be more people there. They also spoke to Kidman for a little while and he did not have many positive things to say about the current WCW.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy your ratings system, especially the duds. But mostly, thanks for watching Thunder so I don't have to.
That's sad to hear, considering that on June 29, 1998, WCW sold out a Nitro at The Ice Palace in Tampa, which can seat well over 20,000 people.
However, I have been to arena shows for both major promotions and there is one major difference between the two. Whereas WCW ends the show once the cameras go off the air, the WWF will usually add something special to the fans in the house that television viewers do not get to see.
For instance, at the RAW Is War show I described above, the main event was a six-man tag match between The Rock, Steve Austin and Vince McMahon vs. Undertaker, Triple-H and Shane McMahon. The match ended after a Stunner on Shane. After the cameras went off, Austin followed with more Stunners on the heels. Austin kicked Shane out of the ring and acted as if he was going to share a Steveweiser with the beaten Triple-H. It was a ruse to two more Stunners. :-)
I mention this because while it may not seem like much, that extra touch of booking is just a small way for a promotion to thank the audience for taking the time and spending the money to attend its events. WCW could benefit in the same way by having a top level face come to after an inevitable nWo beatdown and get his revenge with a few chair shots or powerbombs. You want to send the crowd home happy, not dejected. Otherwise, you end up killing towns and winding up in situations as described above.
- Three Count and some plunder are already in the ring.
- Some lip-synching follows.
- Fit Finlay's entrance music interrupts Three Count's routine.
- Finlay forearms Evan, who bails outside.
- Finlay charges Evan into the apron.
- Shannon and Shane try a double-team to no effect.
- Finlay with a sleeper on Evan, but Shannon comes back with a chair.
- Finlay puts Evan in a fireman's carry and drops him to the carpet.
- Finlay sends Evan inside.
- Evan threatens Finlay with a chair.
- Finlay decks Evan with a trash can lid.
- Evan continues to beg off.
- They fight over a chair but Shane rams Finlay from behind with a green circle.
- Evan grabs a trash can, goes up top and comes off with it, but Finlay raises his legs.
- As Finlay gets up, he is met by a dropkick from the ropes by Shannon.
- Shannon holds Finlay so Shane can get a trash can shot in. Guess what happens.
- Finlay cleans house and hits the Tombstone on Evan for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Fit Finlay via Tombstone Piledriver in 2:38.
- Gene speaks to Jeff Jarrett.
- Jarrett says that Uncensored 2000 will be the end of the Sid Vicious Era.
- For those wishing that Gene would eat a guitar shot, sorry. It didn't happen.
- Flair says he's been to some nothing-happening cities in his lifetime and refers to Reno, NV as such.
- Flair works in a "fat boy" and "Space Mountain."
- Flair puts The Total Package over as the fans chant for Hogan. I weep for the future.
- Flair tells another fat boy to shut up.
- Flair talks about taking Hulk's belt off after the Nitro match and whipping his California ass.
- Flair's getting some decent heel heat here.
- Flair says he's got the belt, and Hogan has nothing.
- Flair says TP is going to knock down Sid Vicious tonight.
- Flair asks why he can't find a man to wrestle tonight.
- Flair challenges a couple members of tonight's audience.
- Vampiro walks out.
- Vampiro says he has a lot of respect for Flair.
- Vampiro says he's a big man and that Flair is stuck with him.
- Flair asks Vamp if he wants to wrestle him.
- Vamp: "I don't want to wrestle you. In fifteen minutes, I'm gonna' kick your ass."
- La Parka "speaks" about how's he is back and what not. Overdubbed, of course.
- At the end of the interview, Gene says, "Not this crap again!" Nice.
- Man, did it get cold in here or what? Oh, it's just Berlyn coming out.
- Berlyn's lost ALL of his heat since he quit the Dancing Fools gimmick.
- Berlyn says some stuff in German.
- Berlyn then says he is from Germany.
- Berlyn says he's been in Reno for one day and he already hates it.
- His opponent: La Parka!
- We see Parka chairing a meeting with Oklahoma from Nitro.
- Berlyn dropkicks Parka from his chair.
- The crowd chants "U. S. A." Sigh.
- Berlyn gets a two count.
- Berlyn mounts Parka on the corner, but Parka tries a DDT.
- Berlyn blocks the DDT, but gets caught in a Russian Legsweep.
- Parka goes up top and hits a corkscrew bodyblock for the win!
- YOUR WINNER: La Parka via corkscrew bodyblock in 0:59.
- Tenay has the balls to call Berlyn a "top WCW opponent." Whatever.
- Tank brags about wearing the jacket.
- TAFKA Shane/Curly Bill/Vincent interrupts Tank and says he "could f***ing kill him."
- Okay, just kidding. But a challenge was offered.
- TAFKA Shane calls himself by his real name, Mike Jones.
- Nothing is mentioned about Tank pulling a knife on Big Al, though.
- As Buff makes his way out, we see him defeating The Maestro from Nitro.
- David and his chick come out.
- Oh, this is going to be scary.
- David hands Daffney the crowbar and tells her to shut up.
- Buff points to David and laughs.
- Lock-up, David gets in a scoop slam and poses for the fans.
- David turns around and gets punched a couple times.
- Buff whips David into a hip toss.
- Buff with a running clothesline.
- Buff whips David, who tries a sunset flip but Buff poses and lands a right.
- Buff rips off David's shirt, thus blinding me.
- That's it. No more commentary. I can't see a damn thing.
- Anyway, Buff tries to get David to pose, but David's trick knee act up.
- The Maestro and Symphony make their way out.
- Daffney threatens the two non-participants on the apron.
- David gets whipped into Daffney, hitting his head on the crowbar, and Daffney lands on Maestro.
- This allows Buff to hit an inverted DDT for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Buff Bagwell via inverted DDT in 2:25.
- Post-match, Maestro runs in for the beatdown.
- Buff recovers and back bodydrops Maestro from the ring.
- Hey. Tank. I still don't care about you. Go away.
- Mike Jones comes out.
- They charge each other upon the bell.
- The two go outside and punch each other some more.
- Back inside, Jones tries to fight out of a front facelock.
- Jones gets a sucker punch and Tank goes down.
- As Jones celebrates, Tank gets up and hits the KO punch for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Tank Abbott via knockout in 1:00.
- Ok. Vince Russo is not booking. So, why are the matches so damn short?
- Vampiro makes his way out.
- He'll be facing Ric Flair.
- We see Flair whipping Hogan on Nitro.
- Lockup, Flair pushes Vamp to the corner.
- A "Flair Sucks" chant erupts.
- Vamp with a headlock.
- Vamp comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
- Vamp goes to the ropes and applies a roll-through anklelock.
- Flair has words with referee Billy Silverman.
- Flair tries to give Vamp a backdrop suplex, but Vamp flips out and gives him a clothesline.
- Vamp whips Flair to the corner and hits a back bodydrop.
- Flair goes outside to regroup.
- Flair goes to the apron and gets suplexed in.
- Flair begs off in the corner.
- Vamp with a couple of chops.
- Flair takes over with a cheap shot and lands some chops of his own.
- Flair whips Vamp, who comes off the ropes with a spinning heel kick.
- Vamp goes up top and misses the guillotine legdrop.
- Flair clips Vamp's left knee.
- Flair comes off the ropes and kicks the knee again.
- Flair chops Vamp in the corner and works on the knee again.
- Flair takes down Vamp with a chop.
- Flair stomps on the left leg.
- Flair goes for the figure-four, but Vamp does an inside cradle for two.
- TP and Liz make their way out.
- Flair grabs Vamp's leg on a kick attempt but Vamp gets an enziguri in.
- Vamp continues his advantage and goes up top, but TP gets a bat shot to the leg from the apron.
- Flair then locks on the figure-four for the submission victory! Wow, I haven't seen someone submit to that in a while!
- YOUR WINNER: Ric Flair via figure-four leglock in 5:41.
- Post-match, Flair and TP stomp on Vamp and lash him with Hulk's belt.
- Dustin tells a fan in the crowd to shut up or he will run his fist down his throat.
- Dustin says that people were asking him why he turned on Funk.
- Dustin says the fans should have asked why he didn't get in the ambulance, put it in reverse and run over Funk's ass.
- Dustin says this is his time.
- Dustin gives the typical "I was born into this business" speech.
- Dustin makes reference to "gold costumes."
- I wonder if Dustin is going to mention getting fired after Uncensored '95.
- Dustin says if the fans don't like it, they can [f***] off.
- Dustin tells the cameraman to do a close-up.
- Dustin refers to his scars and mocks Funk's assertions of being a hardcore legend.
- Dustin talks about Funk putting his old man in the hospital, but he got up.
- Dustin says Funk has to deal with him.
- Dustin says Funk doesn't want to be standing in front of him because he will kill him.
- Dustin says he's heard boos for twelve years and that he doesn't give a damn what the fans think.
- Dustin says once he's done with Funk, he's going to light a cigar and snuff it on his old ass.
- Terry Funk appears on the video monitor.
- Funk says he's going to put his foot so far up Dustin's boot that an appendectomy will be needed to get the damn thing out.
- Funk calls Dustin and his father big piles of horsecrap.
- Dustin exits the ring and beats up some WCW crew members. Yeah, now we care.
- Well, at least he looks motivated.
- Iaukea comes out and maybe two fans care.
- Paisley spouts her verbal diarrhea on the mic.
- Oh, please let Crowbar beat the shit out of this fool.
- Crowbar charges the ring and places his crowbar in the ring corner.
- Iaukea with an open-hand slap.
- Crowbar takes some pratfalls to the mat.
- Iaukea with some punches, a whip and a kick.
- Iaukea sends Crowbar outside, but he hangs on.
- Iaukea goes toward Crowbar and gets headscissored out of the ring. Not bad.
- Crowbar then hits a splash on Iaukea outside.
- Crowbar brings the pipe in the ring, but Charles Robinson grabs it.
- Iaukea attacks from behind with punches.
- Iaukea with a dragonscrew legwhip.
- Iaukea attempts his jumping DDT but Crowbar gets a Northern Lights suplex for two.
- Crowbar with a back elbow and a bodydrop off the ropes.
- Crowbar goes up top but Iaukea meets him there.
- Crowbar faceslams Iaukea from the top.
- Daffney makes her way to the ring and flirts with Iaukea.
- As Paisley comes onto Crowbar, she notes Daffney's antics and takes her wig off.
- Paisley throws Daffney down.
- A catfight then erupts.
- Crowbar charges at Iaukea in the corner but meets a side kick.
- Iaukea then goes up top and hits a horribly sloppy jumping DDT for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: TAFKA Prince Iaukea via jumping DDT.
- I enjoyed this. But, Iaukea's punch-and-kick offense DOES NOT WORK FOR THIS TITLE.
- Hey. Wall. I don't care about you, either.
- And neither do the fans.
- Lane and Idol jump the 'Lukes backstage.
- Disco walks cockily to the ring.
- Upon hitting the ring, Disco realizes he is all alone. :-)
- Disco gets the mic and says to hold on.
- Healthy "Disco Sucks" chant erupts.
- Disco says that he is a manager and not a wrestler.
- Disco says that he offered a handicap title match to The Wall but since they're not around the two have the night off.
- Wall whips Disco into a Yakuza Kick.
- Wall picks up Disco and slams him down.
- Wall with a press slam.
- Wall whips Disco to the corner but misses the charge.
- Disco with a clothesline for one.
- Disco punches away in the corner.
- Disco tries a corner whip but Wall decks him.
- Disco with a boot to the gut.
- Disco comes off the ropes with a neckbreaker.
- Disco goes to the ropes and hits an elbowdrop for two.
- Wall reverses a whip and nails the chokeslam for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: The Wall via chokeslam in 1:40.
- Kidman and Torrie get the first entrances.
- Booker comes out WITHOUT the Leave It to Beaver music. That sucks, the music was kind of funny, if not demeaning.
- Their opponents: two bald guys who are having the push of a lifetime.
- I'll call the Harrises #1 and #2 as usual.
- #1 beats up Kidman to start.
- #1 whips Kidman, who gets in a dropkick.
- Kidman with armdrags and his tornado bulldog.
- Kidman charges at #1 but gets sent outside.
- #2 sends Kidman chest-first to the rail.
- Kidman gets brought back inside.
- #1 with a side slam.
- #1 with a scoop slam.
- Tag to #2.
- Kidman gets whipped to the corner.
- Kidman gets whipped to the other corner.
- Tag to #1.
- Double-whip lead to a pair of back elbows.
- #1 tries a slam but Kidman reverses with a sloppy scissor takedown.
- Tag to Booker.
- Booker applies a backdrop suplex on a Harris.
- Booker hits a urinage on the other Harris.
- Axe kick on a Harris.
- Booker whips the other Harris into a sidewalk slam but can't get the pin due to interference.
- We see Kidman laid out on the floor.
- Booker with a Russian Legsweep, but the heels make the save.
- The Harrises whip Booker into the H-Bomb for the win.
- YOUR WINNERS: The Harris Brothers via H-Bomb in 3:26.
- Why is Booker being mercilessly buried?
- I'm sure these two guys worked a PPV or two together back when Luger was motivated and a good wrestler.
- Unfortunately, this is 2000, so tonight's match is destined to suck.
- The nWo watch the broadcast on their monitor.
- TP attacks Sid from behind with some knees.
- Sid gets a slam and a legdrop in.
- Sid hurls TP into the corner.
- Sid mounts the corner and hits ten punches.
- Sid lands a running clothesline.
- TP bails outside.
- Sid heads outside and sneaks up behind TP.
- Sid with a right.
- Sid sends TP into the stairs.
- Sid brings TP back inside.
- Sid re-enters but TP gets the advantage.
- TP with a devastating wristlock.
- Sid stands up and TP looks like he's doing the pee-pee dance.
- Sid with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline.
- Sid whips TP into the big boot.
- Sid sets up for the chokeslam, kicks TP in the gut and sets up for the chokeslam again.
- Ric Flair charges the ring but Sid shrugs him off.
- Flair with more offense but Sid no-sells.
- Sid clotheslines the hell out of Flair and TP.
- Sid chokeslams TP.
- As Sid tends to Flair, Liz hands TP the bat.
- Sid readies Flair for a powerbomb, but TP clips Sid with bat, sounding the bell.
- YOUR WINNER: Sid Vicious via DQ in 3:39.
- The heels stomp away on Sid.
- Flair decks the former "Little Naitch."
- The nWo watch the action on their monitor and decide to head ringside.
- Jarrett and the Harrises confront security backstage.
- Mickey Jay tells the nWo not to head to ringside and gets a guitar to the head.
- With that we fade...