House Show Results from Houston, TX, October 18th

• WCW made its first visit to Houston in many moons last night. (Remember, Houston is the home of the late Paul Boesch, who WAS professional wrestling in Southeast Texas for several decades. He brought NWA stars in here on a regular basis.) I figured you might be interested in the goings on considering the appearance of a special, unannounced WCW star.
• WCW appeared live at the Astroarena in Houston, TX, on Oct. 18, marking their first visit in over a year. Unfortunately, the ancient Astroarena has a public address system that makes everyone sound like Jim Lovell talking to Mission Control from the dark side of the moon. (Houston, we have a SERIOUS problem.) Therefore, because I don't read lips, I am unable to report anything the wrestlers said. Also, the arena's weird layout (great for livestock shows, terrible for wrestling) made every wrestler's entrance Glacieresque in length.
• Ultimo Dragon over Juventud Guerrera via the dragon sleeper.
  • Dragon got a great pop. Guerrera was roundly booed. Considering the large Mexican-American population at the match, I gather Juventud was a heel in the Mexican feds. Just a guess.
• Alex Wright beat Hector Garza with the German suplex.
  • I will gladly stand and applaud whoever decided to make Alex a heel. He is great in that role. (He drew the most heel heat of the night.)
  • Is it just me, or does Garza look like Bret Hart's long-lost twin brother?
• Chris Benoit and Steve "Mongo" McMichael defeated Scott Norton and Vincent when Benoit pinned the nWo flunky formerly known as Virgil.
  • Joining Vince and Norton was Konnan. Joining Benoit and McMichael was...Arn Anderson!!! Can you say "mark out," boys and girls? I can. So much for a complete dissolution of the Horsemen.
  • Big-time pop for Mongo. I guess people still remember his days as a Longhorn.
  • Konnan spent much of the match giving the Horsemen the business. At the end, as Nick Patrick was distracted, Benoit whipped Vincent into the ropes, where Arn delivered a wicked elbow to the noggin. Curtains for the nWo.
• Eddie Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko with his feet on the ropes.
  • Eddie gave the "Hook 'em, Horns" sign on the way to the ring. As close as that is to the nWo "kliq" sign, that's a good way to start tongues wagging.
  • Another great war between these two, highlighted by one of Malenko's vicious, sky-high powerbombs.
• Rey Misterio, Jr., beat Konnan with a springboard hurricarana (sp?).
  • Konnan spent a great deal of the match trying to remove Rey's mask. He finally did, revealing another mask.
  • Konnan did his soda-kicked-out-of-his-hand shtick. I expected it but still thought it was funny.
• Lex Luger beat Scott Hall with the torture rack.
  • Curt Hennig accompanied Hall to the ring. Yes, he ran in to keep Luger from racking Hall. He was met with a rack of his own. Kudos go to elcid, who pointed ou that refs never DQ the match when Luger gets double- (or triple- or quadruple-) teamed. Hall comes back in, Luger drops Hennig, then racks Hall for the win.
• Harlem Heat beat Public Enemy with a heatseeker on Johnny Grunge.
  • Being from Houston, the Heat (sans Jackie) were the faces, and acted as such. PE acted the heel with aplomb. In fact, they were so good at being heels that two fans got to ringside and put their hands on PE. That's a no-no.
  • PE's new outfits look like they were designed by the Taco Bell marketing team. I didn't know whether to boo or ask for more hot sauce.
• Highlights of the evening:
  • Arn, of course.
  • Three guys dressed up like Ric Flair getting together at intermission for a Fargo Strut-off.
  • The smell from last March's rodeo is finally gone.
• Folks, here's one word of warning. Every time you throw something at a wrestler, you're telling WCW that you don't want them to come back to your town again. It's childish and dangerous. So please, don't do it, even though it goes unpunished (heck, it used to be encouraged) on Nitro. And that's all I've got to say about that.
• Well, Bill, I hope it's something you can use. It was certainly a lot of fun, and it blew the August WWF show at The Summit out of the water, IMHO. I just hope those numbskulls that threw stuff won't be held against us in the future. Even the ring announcer got drenched. Pathetic.
• BTW, Goode Co. rocks my world. Give my a chipped beef sandwich, a slice of pecan pie and a big glass of iced tea, and I'm in heaven. I was raised in Texas, so I know good BBQ. Goode Co. makes good BBQ!

• This is the first time WCW has come to Texas since... since... since a really long time.  In a Prodigy chat late last year, Bischoff was asked about possible events in Texas.  He replyed basically saying that he was toying with the idea of testing the waters.  He either has decided to do that, or let the WWF do that for him since they've been down here several times this year including one PPV and another to come in Feb.
• This is my first live wrestling event and I guess I was lucky in my timing to buy tickets.  I'm sitting in sec 11, row 2.  IOW, I'm looking toward the corner of the ring, but it's still a great seat as far as I'm concerned. :)  The event is also sold out ahead of time.
• The wrestlers path to the ring is through the lobby.  There's some room just above the lobby that has tinted windows looking out into the arena.  A couple times during the evening we could tell a couple wrestlers and refs by their shirts.  Before the event started, they are playing some easy listening stuff instead of the wrestler's entrance music I've heard they sometimes play.
• Our ring announcer tonight is some big bushy bearded guy (no, not Dillinger, but he was there too).  The refs are Mickey Jay and Nick Patrick (who is wearing his zebra outfit from when he was NWO.  BTW, he was booed as he came to the ring the first time.
• The event starts and the DJ to some country station in Houston comes into the ring to blab.  He was booed before he even made it to the ring.  This is where we learned the sound system is very touchy, it only liked the ring annoucncer.  Anytime someone else used the mic, it would fritz out.
• The announcer does the speech about having the kids stand up and for the fans not to throw anything.  It really didn't work.
• Appearing tonight will be Public Enemy, Lex Luger, "Houston Natives" Harlem Heat, Scott 'Flash' Norton, Rey Mysterio Jr, and Scott Hall.

• Ultimo Dragon beats Juventud Gurrera with the dragon sleeper.
• Dragon was over with the crowed.
• Dragon went for the standing on his head thing.  Juvy still hasn't learned to counter it and got kicked for his troubles.
• Dragon Sleeper was applied after Ultimo Dragon made a hurricanrana from the top turnbuckle.
• Alex Wight over Hector Garza with the German Suplex
• Hector comes out first to mixed reactions.  Alex then comes out and gets booed real bad.
• Chants of USA, like Bill has said, guess they were cheering for the ref.
• Crowd mid-match finally gets solidly behind Garza and Alex starts walking out.
• Horsemen over Norton & Vincent.
• You read that right, the Horsemen were here.  Mongo and Benoit were the tag team with Arn Anderson for support.
• The nWo came out first to lots of cheering, but all that reversed when the Horsemen appeared.
• Konnan came to the ring with Norton and Vincent and did more work than either of them in and out of the ring, which is conveniently ignored by Nick Patrick.
• Lots of ice is getting thrown at Konnan the few times he stood still by the ring.
• Nick was distracted by the nWo as Mongo threw Vincent into the ropes.  Arn gave his support by giving Vincent a nice pat on the back. :)  Vincent stumbles forward into a tombstone by Mongo.
• Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero pins Dean Malenko using the ropes.
• Houston was definitely NOT behind the Texas boy.
• Dean is really getting after Eddie using his foot to choke him.  Dean even shoves the ref out of the way to keep going.  So much for the 'Iceman'.
• Eddie offers to shake hands, and Dean begins to but decides to punch Eddie instead.  Eddie begins walking out as a result, but Dean goes after him.
• Eddie is heavily working over Dean's left leg for a good portion of the match.
• Dean finally regains control and heads for the top turnbuckle.  He's met up there by Eddie, Dean sends Eddie down to straddle the top rope and takes him for a ride.

• Intermission, another DJ, more boos and yells of "Sit down!"

• Rey Misterio, Jr. beats Konnan with his hurricarana over the top rope.
• Rey pounds Konnan, and Konnan escapes outside.  Rey then taunts Konnan by doing the karate chop to the crotch thingy.
• Konnan is slowly attempting to take Rey's mask off.
• Konnan grabs someone's coke from ringside and gets on the ring apron and as he's drinking it Rey dropkicks him in the side of the head.
• Rey is on the ring apron, Konnan comes over and rips Rey's mask off and turns around to show it off to the crowd.  He didn't notice Rey was wearing a second mask, and when Konnan turned around Rey was over the top rope and hit him with the hurricanrana.
• Konnan, just a little bit mad, gives Misterio a tequila sunrise.
• Scott Hall submits to Lex Luger's torture rack.
• Scott Hall came to the ring with Curt Hennig to a song by the Fuji(sp?)s.  Like the Horsemen match, nWo was cheered as they came down, but the place erupted with Lex Luger.
• The match started slow with Hall pulling back on Lex's arms, and applying the sleeper to Luger.  Some interference by Curt.
• Lex Luger comes back, and hits Hall with several reverse atomic drops.  As Hall goes hopping for the side of the ring Curt comes in for the save only to get a reverse atomic drop and then get racked much to the approval of the fans.  Luger turns around in time to see Hall getting back in the ring and dumps Curt, and places Hall in the tourture rack.  The crowd is going absolutely nuts as Hall submits.
• Luger leaves, and Hall & Henning recover.  They grab the mic and do the "Houston is nWo country" while taking a shower in coke.
• Main Event: Harlem Heat over Public Enemy.
• Public Enemy is definitely playing the heels tonight.  They keep telling the fans they are number one ;) and getting into it with the ringside fans.
• After Booker T. double dropkicks Public Enemy they roll out and get on the mic and blab.  Then Booker T. grabs the mic and blabs.
• Throughout the match Public Enemy keeps trying to have arguing fans ejected.  Though eventually one fan went a bit too far.  He took off his shirt showing that he definitely works out and heads for the ring.  Dillinger's Houston-Keystone cops take the guy down before he got across the guard rails.  A few minutes later the guy somehow made it back to ringside and had to be showed out again.  Needless to say, not too many people were watching the match in the ring at this point.
• Heat finally give Rocco the Big Apple (or whatever Harlem Heat's finisher is called).
• That was it, no Sting, no Giant, but still pretty satisfying.  Afterwards, Konnan and Juvy were in the lobby signing autographs.  Contrary to what Mike Tenay says about the mask being the wrestler's persona, Juvy is very capable at signing autographs without his mask on.

• Did you know that Nick Patrick actually has his own ENTRANCE MUSIC? We were all wondering who was coming out, and here came Nick.
• Ultimo Dragon v Juventud Guerrera - Ultimo was way over and noone liked Juvy. Lots of missed spots in this match, but Ultimo won with the Dragon Sleeper.
  • Why do they call it a sleeper if you have to tap out of it?
• Alex Wright v Hector Garza. Alex got a lot of heat and Hector got a little support. No corkscrew plancha by Hector because there was only about 5 ft between the ring and the security barriers. Chants of "FAGGOT" began just as soon Alex was visible to the masses. Alex won with a German Suplex.
• Mongo/Benoit w/Arn Andersen vs. Norton/Vincent w/Konnan - this was supposed to be the co-main event. But now with Bagwell hurt and Syxx not wanting to do house shows, we get stuck with these two guys. Arn got the loudest pop of the night. Houston is definitely Horsemen Country.
  Great action from Benoit, what in intense little man this guy is. The Horsemen won when Benoit distracted the ref and Mongo threw Vincent into the ropes and Arn elbowed him in the head and Mogno Tombstoned him for the pin.
• Eddie Guerrero v Dean Malenko for the Cruiserweight Title. Eddie drew some MAJOR heat tonight. This match got kinda boring at the beginning, but picked up after a couple a minutes. Super powerbomb and reverse powerbomb by Malenko. Eddie won with the Froggie Splash.
• Konnan v Rey Misterio Jr.- Man, Rey is REALLY tiny. His shoulders barely get above the top rope. Konnan tried to say something into the mic, but the sound really sucks in the AstroArena. Konnan got a Rey in a move that Mike Tenay probably wouldn't know, but I called the Porch Swing. It starts out like a Boston Crab, but Konnan reached back and grabbed Rey's arms and lifted him off the ground and swung him back and forth. The guys next to me proclaimed, "The human body isn't supposed to bend that way." Rey won the match with his Hurricarana.
• Lex Luger v Scott Hall w/ Curt Hennig. With Hennig in the corner we expected a Ric Flair sighting, but alas, no. Hall did the usual nWo speecha and here came Lugar. Very finely worked match with plenty of strength moves by both. Hall gets thrown out of the ring and here comes Hennig. He gets beat upon and Torture Racked and as Hall came back into the ring, Hennig got dropped and Hall got Torture Racked and submitted.
• Harlem Heat v Public Enemy - This match was a surprise to most in attendence. Found out that Harlem Heat were originally from Houston. Cool. PE drew a major amount of heat tonight. I didn't know at house shows they were bad guys. At one time they left the ring, and Booker T got the mic and said, "Why don't you two suckas get back in the ring and get so you can get a good ol' Texas ASS WHOOPIN!!!!!!" And that's exactly what happened. HH won the match with the Harlem Sidekick on Rocco Rock.
• All in all a great house show. Although no STING, I guess besause WCW didn't think that the show would draw at all. Tiger Conway Jr, was seen by many people in the arena and kinda looks outa shape, but he's still pretty cool.
• One guy got tossed from the arena because he took his shirt off and tried to get into the ring. VERY DUMB idea. One guy with about a sixth row seat, would calmly go to the ring, SCREAM his head off, and calmly returned to his seat. He did this about every five minutes. Great fan reaction, and I think that WCW will be having a Nitro in Houston next year.

• It looks like you received pretty good house reports from others so it looks like you will not need another report. I will add that my seats were right next to rail where the wrestlers passed to go to the ring. I must say that most of the wrestlers looked smaller than they do on television, including Rey Mysterio, Jr. Strangely, though, AA looks much bigger in person.
• During the Mysterio-Konnan match, one smart mark kept shouting out different excerpts from classic Misterio interviews/matches. (e.g. "Five more minutes...", "Kevin Nash, you think you're so tough....") Pretty funny.
• Doug Dellinger was seriously pissed at the amount of trash thrown in the ring and at the wrestlers. I saw him berate several members of the AstroArena security after the Luger-Hall match.
• I think that the WCW needs to bring Hogan or Sting to headline a show in order to justify holding it at the Summit. They could easily sell out the Summit and win back some fans if they only tried. While the WCW has done a pretty good job marketing, they have also wasted great talent (i.e. Benoit, The Giant). I think that you put a few of the "marquee" wrestlers on a bill with the luchadores and you will get a good cross section of wrestling fans.

After reading all the reports on the Houston show, I noticed that nobody mentioned the "good luck" sign that Arn Anderson gave to the nWo fans in the crowd after the Horsemen match was over. I was in the 3rd row on the side he was facing so I got a pretty good view of the action. Arn was not the only one showing off his middle finger either. Johnny Grunge mounted the turnbuckle before the match and made sure everyone saw both of his birds and I believe Eddie showed his appreciation of the Houston crowd in the same manner.
All in all it was a good show and hopefully Bischoff will learn that the fans here are worthy of having real shows come to the area. For pictures of the Houston show, check out my friend's web page:
http://hart-205.resnet.tamu.edu/wrestling/wcw/index.html