- BFPisBuff comments:
Hey, I don't know if you noticed it on Nitro tonight or not, but during Konnan's little backstage speech, he was wearing so many hoop earrings that his earlobe was literally dangling 2-3 inches lower than a normal one does. Get a photo of it if you can.
- Dan H. rags on the Nitro production crew:
Did you notice that the production department missed the start of TWO matches? We saw Awesome, I think, walking in the back and the match had already started by time they got back from commercial.
Then, Dustin took the cameras and Schiavone by surprise by his speedy entry into the ring.
Also, the first time the camera came around the corner of the entry way aisle to film the fans, no one had warmed up the crowd. They just sat their until they saw the camera and figured out it was on. It was actually a classic moment, seeing the guy with the black robe and all the beads right at the very beginning of the shot just standing there looking bored until he did a double take after a few seconds and started mugging for the camera.
Just what kind of idiocy is that, to have no one going before camera films the crowd to get them up and yelling?
Hey, it beats seeing Elizabeth crack a smile after her promo and then cutting to the camera crew celebrating over another "successful" segment taped.
- Robin writes:
OK, I still haven't seen the show yet (its taped — I'll see it later), but from your report, it looks pretty good. A whole show with only one "boring" match? Cool.
I'm actually a bit of a O' Haire mark ever since he was shackled with Jindrak. Good to see him get a bit of a push (putting him over Kanyon... I can almost hear all the Kanyon marks screaming in indignation — not that I don't think Kanyon is bad, he's better than most of the main eventers)
Speaking of which, I think you did rate a four spice match — wasn't it the Booker vs Lance Storm match a while back????
I actually find it a bit disconcerting that they have a four spice match on TV and their PPV main event was more like the opening of WCW worldwide. I truly wonder if WCW will be innovative enough to have a cruiserweight main event in the near future. One can only hope.
Actually, the Booker v. Storm match in question got ***½ from me. It was an awesome match, but definitely compressed for TV time (around 5 minutes or so). Also, there was one other match that DDT Digest gave **** to, but not by me. Rather, our own Bill did the deed for a Booker T. vs. Scott Steiner match at WCW Mayhem 2000.
- Rick goes into a spiel about how Booker T wasn't anything without his brother.
- Rick goes into his catchphrases, but adds a "Shut Up" in between each one.
- On a side note, you can tell how empty the Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center is tonight. During Rick's speech, if you looked closely, you could see that pretty much every seat on the upper tier was empty.
- Booker T walks out and says he's going to the ring for two reasons:
- The fans; and
- He wants to kick Rick's ass.
- Booker calls for a referee because he wants a U. S. Title shot NOW.
- Booker rips Rick to shreds before the bell.
- They get into the ring 30 seconds in, and Rick takes over after a kick to the nads.
- Rick smashes Booker head-first to the turnbuckle.
- Now, Schiavone is saying this is a non-title match, despite Booker saying he's taking a title shot now. E-yeah.
- Anyway, Rick goes to the chinlock.
- Rick whips Booker and gives him a Steinerline for two.
- Rick sends Booker to the corner after a right.
- Cross-corner whip, but Rick runs into an elbow.
- Booker pounds away on the opposite corner.
- Crowd chants for Booker's punches. Yep, he's still over.
- Some forearms from Booker followed by a cross-corner whip.
- Booker runs into a boot, and now Rick sends his opponent to the other corner.
- Booker tries a go-behind, but gets met with a belly-to-belly suplex.
- Booker gets a crossbody for two, but Rick comes back with a Steinerline.
- Rick with a double-underhook sit-out powerbomb for two.
- Rick goes up top, but Booker wakes up from his nap and crotches him.
- Booker heads up top and applies a superplex for one.
- Booker goes into his finishing sequence.
- Rick elbows out of the Book-end.
- Rick sends Booker into the ropes and tries the DVD, but Booker falls on top of Rick. This was supposed to lead to an immediate cover, but Booker blew the spot.
- Anyway, Booker tries his finisher again and Scott Steiner runs in for the DQ.
- YOUR WINNER: Booker T via DQ in 5:25.
- DDP makes the save, and in the defining moment of this farce, when DDP tries to send Scott over the top rope, Scott blows it and throws himself through the middle ropes instead.
- * sigh *
- DDP then cuts a promo on Scott Steiner and challenges the Brothers Steiner to a tag match.
- Scott tries to get into the ring but crack security prevents him.
- The setup for the main was fine, but the match and the run-in... hoo boy.
- Hudson also talks about Jeff Jarrett wrestling Dusty Rhodes, despite the fact that the latter is without a contract.
- We see clips of the two Cruiserweight tag title tournament matches from last year.
- Styles and Paris get a theme song that was recently used in the Sega Dreamcast game Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX.
- Elix Skipper has a mystery partner, which we will see after the break.
- The "Party Up" knockoff brings out Elix.
- In case you didn't know, Elix built this house.
- I like this guy, but I still can't get over Bill's first comment about the guy to me: "This Elix Skipper guy looks like a video game animation."
- Anyway, Elix introduces his partner: Kid Romeo.
- Romeo comes out blowing off the fans, in case we didn't know we were supposed to boo him.
- Your referee is "Slick" Mark Johnson.
- Romeo armdrags one of the rookies (A. J. Styles, wearing short tights) and does the Rick Martel jumping jacks.
- A. J. does the same.
- Romeo chops away in the corner.
- A. J. sends Romeo outside and tries a baseball slide, but Romeo counters.
- We go to a trainwreck sequence from here.
- Styles misses a Lionsault from the rail on Skipper.
- Styles puts Skipper in a Boston Crab-type move, and Air Paris (wearing the singlet) shows his namesake by dropkicking him in the face!
- Back in, the rookies whip Romeo into a forward flapjack for two.
- Skipper comes in and gets legswept by the rookies.
- Nice doubleteam (drop toehold into a somersault senton) gets two.
- Paris floats over Skipper near the ropes and dropkicks him as Scott Hudson talks about NWA Wildside (where the face duo came from).
- Styles gets tagged in and we go back to '85 for some Rock N Roll Express-ish double dropkicks.
- Then we take it back to 2001 for a dive to Romeo outside by Paris.
- Another trainwreck sequence to the outside.
- Back in, it's Styles and Skipper.
- Styles nails a dropkick and measures his opponent.
- Styles goes to the ropes but Romeo pulls the ropes, sending Styles outside.
- Romeo whips Styles into the stairs.
- Air Paris takes issue, but Romeo holds him on the apron for a Skipper springboard dropkick.
- Romeo catches Paris after the dropkick and hits a powerslam!
- Chavo Guerrero, Jr. hits the entryway to watch.
- Skipper pounces on Styles outside with a bodypress.
- In the ring, a disoriented Air Paris is met by Elix's missile dropkick and a Juvidriver from Romeo for the win!
- YOUR WINNERS: Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo via bodyslam piledriver in 5:30.
- Some nice doubleteams here. Oh yeah, Skipper and Romeo advance, duh.
- I guess we're supposed to forget that Luger wanted to be referred to as "The Total Package" only.
- Out comes O' Haire.
- We start it off with Luger controlling via the usual.
- Hudson says Lex Luger has a ten-year experience edge on O' Haire. More than that; I remember Luger working the Florida territory circa 1985.
- O' Haire makes a comeback but Luger answers with a jawbreaker, an atomic drop and a clothesline for two. No real motivation by the veteran so far.
- Luger slooooowly goes to the ropes but misses the elbowdrop. He must be jobbing here, considering how badly he's phoning this in.
- O' Haire comes back with an open-palm clothesline and some rights in the corner.
- O' Haire chokes Luger in the corner.
- Cross-corner whip leads to a charge into a boot.
- Luger with a right forearm and a pose.
- Luger covers for two.
- They do another corner whip sequence, and as O' Haire moonsaults from the top rope to avoid a charge, he buggers up his knee on the landing.
- O' Haire holds his knee to sell this as a "shoot injury" but it's revealed otherwise when Luger kicks away on the knee.
- Chuck Palumbo runs out to deal with Luger, and Buff runs in to chair O' Haire. Hey, I made a rhyme.
- Anyway, the referee tries to deal with Palumbo on the outside through all of this, neglecting to see a Totally Buff doubleteam.
- O' Haire gets in an inside cradle for two, but Buff goes up top to continue the doubleteam.
- Said doubleteam goes awry when Buff mistakenly gives his teammate the Blockbuster.
- O' Haire goes up top and hits the Sean-Ton Bomb for the win as Palumbo pulls Buff outside.
- YOUR WINNER: Sean O' Haire via Sean-Ton Bomb in 6:07.
- For you nit-pickers, it's almost too easy to see when Luger is going to job in a match.
- Post-match, Buff hits the Blockbuster on O' Haire.
- That was one big mess.
- Jarrett hits the ring and tells "The American Dream" to come on down.
- Schiavone tries to sell this as a big moment when Dusty walks on down, which is the international sign of a ruse.
- And, sure enough, someone in a bad mask and body padding walks out in jeans, a shirt and boots. You could tell even before he came out because they used Dustin Rhodes' music, and not Dusty's.
- They're putting this shit against the start of RAW?
- Anyway, the match...
- This is pretty much a joke match, ending with Dusty's Bionic Elbow finisher.
- YOUR WINNER: Jeff Jarrett via pinfall in 0:53.
- Jarrett says "The Dream" is going to kiss his ass.
- Dustin Rhodes runs out and destroys Jarrett, probably because the skit sucked worse than a hooker in Times Square.
- "Dusty" reveals himself as Ric Flair, and totally misses a punch on Rhodes.
- The heels gain control, nevertheless, and stomp the hell out of Rhodes.
- Jarrett goes outside to grab a chair, and beans Rhodes with it.
- We get Dusty's theme, and Dusty walks out.
- Dusty throws his hat at Ric, and I'm surprised he wasn't forced to sell it.
- If you've seen one Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair encounter, you know how it ends — with Ric running like a coward.
- Ric wonders what Dusty is doing in his building.
- Dusty cuts a rambling promo as remotes click to TNN, unless they already did so during the match earlier.
- Dusty gets excited over calling Ric "fat boy." Pot, kettle, black.
- Dusty uses a Hollywood metaphor to call Ric an extra.
- The heels rush the ring, and if you can't guess the result, you may as well click the "back" button on your browser right now.
- Ric says if Dusty wants to work for WCW, they have to agree to a tag match at Greed.
- The Rhodes clan agrees.
- The announcers have an orgasm, despite the fact that Dusty Rhodes returned to help his son with Flair and Jarrett weeks ago.
- This may have been good live (the crowd ate this up with a spoon), but this did NOT translate well on television.
- No rating.
- We see some sneak attacks on Shane Helms by Chavo.
- Oh, this is another non-title match.
- Shane Helms gets a new entrance, complete with some Nitro Girls dancing on the entryway.
- So, WCW cans their working females, yet keeps the dancers?
- Anyway...
- Chavo charges Helms at the opening bell and hits a backdrop suplex.
- Chavo comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
- Helms returns fire with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a clothesline over the top rope.
- Helms goes up top and hits a bodypress.
- Chavo gets into the ring first, allowing Helms some headbutts to the chest on the apron.
- As Helms sets up for a springboard, Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo trip him.
- ¿Que?
- Chavo with a slingshot bodypress to the outside.
- In the ring, Chavo stomps on Helms' face.
- Chavo whips Helms into a running clothesline.
- Helms fights back as Skipper and Romeo look on.
- Helms gets distracted, allowing Chavo to grapple him.
- Helms turns it into a backslide for two.
- Chavo kicks Helm between the shoulderblades.
- Chavo whips Helms cross-corner but eats boot.
- Chavo hits a jawbreaker.
- Helms gets a Sugar Smack out of desperation.
- Chavo reverses a whip and eats a front kick.
- Helms goes to the ropes and dives onto Skipper and Romeo outside.
- Helms takes care of the extracurriculars and hits the apron.
- Helms yanks Chavo's head on the apron.
- Helms with a top rope bodypress, but Skipper runs in to break the pin.
- Romeo distracts the referee (Charles Robinson), allowing Skipper to bearhug Helms while Chavo hits a flying clothesline.
- Chavo finishes with the brainbuster.
- YOUR WINNER: Chavo Guerrero, Jr. via brainbuster in 4:56.
- Okay, so Scott Steiner causes his brother to get DQ'd in the opening match, but Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper are allowed to cheat at will? Consistency, people.
- Morrus tries to pull Awesome out of the ring to start, but Awesome has none of it.
- Morrus with a side headlock and he tries a shoulderblock, but Awesome no-sells.
- Awesome knocks Morrus' headband off.
- As Awesome pounds away on his opponent, Schiavone talks about how Kanyon got someone to film the attack on Ms. Jones. He then says that "it looks like the Cat got the videotape at the end."
- Well, if we can assume that the cameraman was working for Kanyon, then HOW THE F*** DID WE SEE THE TAPE?!? This is atrocious booking, bordering on Vince Russo logic.
- Oh yeah, there's a match, duh.
- They go outside, and Awesome charges at Morrus but gets bodydropped over the rail.
- Awesome hops on the rail and hits a flying clothesline.
- Awesome brings Morrus inside and hits a slingshot splash for two.
- Morrus reverses a whip, but Awesome gets in a sit-out powerbomb for two.
- Awesome goes up top, Morrus tries to intercept but gets caught with a flying clothesline for two.
- Awesome whips Morrus, the latter of which getting in a German release suplex.
- With Awesome in the corner, Morrus charges but hits nothing but post.
- Awesome tries the Awesomebomb, but Morrus gets in a backbody drop.
- Lance Storm (in street clothes) runs out and drags Morrus out of the ring.
- Morrus clotheslines Storm and re-enters the ring.
- Awesome surprises Morrus with a flying shoulderblock (despite Morrus seeing Awesome on the apron two seconds before).
- Awesome goes up top but misses the frog splash.
- Morrus stuns Awesome with a quick DDT and looks to the crowd.
- Morrus goes up top and overshoots his moonsault a little, but gets the win anyway!
- YOUR WINNER: Hugh Morrus via moonsault in ~6:00.
- Post-match, Storm puts Morrus in the Canadian Mapleleaf.
- Konnan makes the save for his former Dungeon of Doom teammate.
- The heels come out to separate entrances, with DDP's theme getting mixed with Scott Steiner's theme for a few seconds.
- Rick Steiner cuts a promo on Booker and challenges him to a PPV match. I assume this is for the U. S. title.
- Scott Steiner says DDP talks out of his ass.
- Scott calls the crowd white trash.
- Scott says that finding DDP in the crowd is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
- The faces walk to the ring, but not before a commercial.
- We come back for DDP's entrance.
- We see clips of last week's excellent six-man tag team match.
- Booker gets the final entrance and accepts Rick's challenge on the condition that it's for the U. S. Title.
- The faces charge the ring and get routed.
- No, wait, Scott Steiner gets sent out of the ring after an inverted atomic drop.
- Rick gets dumped as DDP hits a bodypress on Scott outside.
- Back inside, DDP with a flying crossbody from the top rope.
- Scott pummels DDP near the ropes and drives his back into the turnbuckle.
- Scott stomps away as DDP is hanging upside down.
- Scott goes outside and works on the neck.
- Now, Rick takes over.
- DDP reverses a whip and tries a kick, but Rick blocks.
- DDP spins around and hits a lariat, and both men do the 20-minute sell about two minutes in.
- Tag to Booker, who runs over the opposition with clotheslines.
- Booker suplexes Scott for two.
- Booker whips Rick, who stops short of the ropes.
- Rick ducks a clothesline, and Scott pulls the ropes, sending Booker outside.
- Scott hammers Booker with a chair as DDP has Mickey Jay distracted.
- Back in, Rick covers for two.
- Rick whips Booker into a Steinerline.
- Rick taunts DDP, allowing an illegal switch.
- Scott gets in a belly-to-belly suplex for two.
- DDP gets riled up again, but nothing comes out of it.
- Scott goes into his clothesline/elbowdrop/push-up sequence.
- Scott dumps Booker and distracts Mickey so Rick can capitalize.
- Rick with a short-arm left clothesline.
- Rick rolls Booker back in.
- Scott with a leg-assisted surfboard.
- Booker blocks a headsmash to the corner and makes a comeback, but ducks as Scott comes off the ropes to usual results.
- T-bone suplex gets two.
- Scott brings Booker to the heel corner and tags Rick.
- Rick drops an elbow for two.
- Rick whips Booker, who ducks a clothesline, comes off the ropes and hits a flying forearm.
- Both men are down, and Mickey begins counting.
- Booker crawls to his corner and tags DDP.
- DDP obliterates both Steiners.
- Rick hits low, but DDP gets in a DDT. Scott breaks up the pin.
- Scott applies a belly-to-belly suplex on DDP.
- Scott goes outside and gets sent to the rail by Booker.
- Rick Steinerlines DDP as Booker and Scott head to the entrance area.
- DDP rises from the ashes and brings Rick to the corner as Booker and Scott head to the back.
- In the ring, Rick hits the shitty bulldog from atop for two as Booker gets the crap beat out of him by four guys.
- Rick with a release German suplex.
- Rick does the Diamond Cutter symbol and tries the DVD, but DDP blocks.
- A series of counters leads to the Diamond Cutter for the win!
- YOUR WINNERS: Diamond Dallas Page and Booker T. via Diamond Cutter in 9:02.
- Post-match, DDP flees to the crowd and says "I'm still..." but gets popped by Scott before he can finish his phrase.
- Scott beats on DDP as we fade.
