Brian Pillman Memorial Show
Schmidt Field House
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH
5-25-00

WCW Announcer David Penzer is your Ring Announcer

- "Rapid Delivery" Rory Fox and "The Future" Logan Caine defeated Jeremy Lopez and Jett Jaguar

- WWF Developmental Talent Showdown
B.J. Payne (w/G.Q. Masters III) defeated Rico Constantino after interference by G.Q.

- WCW Power Plant Matchup
"The Main Event" Chuck Palumbo defeated Sean O'Haire with a Torture Rack

This is a WCW focused site so a brief scouting report. Chuck Palumbo came out to Lex Luger's music and wore Luger's tights and used Lex Luger's moveset. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of Lex's charisma. Sean O' Haire had a Muay Thai-esque build and used a quasi-shoot/power repertoire ... lots of kicks, knees, and power moves. Charles Robinson reffed this match and got a bunch of Lil' Naitch heat.

- Scotty Sabre defeated Reckless Youth with a sunset-flip/powerbomb off the top rope.

- HWA Tag Team Titles
"Surfer" Cody Hawk and "Mad Anthony" The Taxi Driver McMurphy defeated Flash Flanagan and Matt Stryker (w/ Hellena Heavenly)

-Notable tidbits from the first intermission

Les Thatcher gave us our opening words, Ricky Steamboat was super classy

WCW World heavyweight champion Kevin Nash was sober (this was not to last)

DDP shared a Pillman story

Missy Hyatt and Torrie Wilson are both brought out to push items they have on the block for auction

Melanie Pillman and her children (Brian and Britney) were introduced and Melanie gave us a few words.

Brian Hildebrand's widow (I believe, Pam) was introduced and was too overcome to speak.

The 10 Bell Salute was dedicated not only to Brian Pillman, but also to Owen Hart, Brian Hildebrand, Rick Rude, Bobby Duncum, and others.

We were told that David Arquette is donating the money that he made from his WCW stint to The Brian Pillman Memorial foundation, the Mark Curtis foundation, and to help with Darren Drozdov's recovery. Arquette's name drew a very cold reception, but the announcement of the donation was well received. DDP put Arquette over.

-HWA Cruiserweight Title
Shark Boy defeated Jamie San (w/Tony Marinara) with a top rope stunner to retain his title

Shark Boy is as good as I had heard. A well worked, fast paced match. Tony Marinara got involved and took a couple of bumps. Shark Boy has a wicked finisher. Post match, Jamie San took out Marinara.

-HWA Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals
Race Steele defeated Chip Fairway (w/ local DJ Mark Amazon) to win the HWA Title

Pre-match, D-Lo Brown was brought ringside and cut a promo saying that he never lost the HWA title (which he held four years ago) and that he was there to make sure one of these two guys won it fairly.

A good match between the two with Race Steele the very popular babyface. The end came when Fairway's manager attempted to brain Steele with a golf club (I think a driver), only to be thwarted by D-Lo. Steele took advantage of the confusion to score the pin. Post match, the HWA babyfaces went out to join Steele in celebrating.

-"Mad Anthony" The Taxi Driver McMurphy defeated Cody Michaels

-"White Lightning" Tim Horner (w/Missy Hyatt) defeated Dr. Tom Pritchard

Missy Hyatt cut a promo saying she was with Horner because Pritchard was a big loser ... to the point. Finish happens when Missy distracts Pritchard with her breasts ... again, simple and to the point.

- Tidbits from the second intermission

D-Lo came out and told us that the $190 bid on his WrestleMania 2000 outfit "Absolutely sucks!" Bidding was started and ended at over $300, which D-Lo matched.

Torrie Wilson came out to model the nighty which she put up for auction (over her body suit). The winner was also allowed the privilege of removing the lingerie. But the real winners were the fans.

And now things got a little ugly...

Kevin Nash ... very, very drunk ... says he will donate $5,000 if any of the women in the ring (Hyatt, Torrie, or Hellena Heavenly) will strip to bra and panties. $20,000 if any one gets naked. This, of course, gets tremendous face heat for the champ. After some very anxious moments, Missy Hyatt reminds Nash and the audience that this is a family show. Nash says he will donate the money any way, but reminds Missy that the Raddison at which he is staying is not a family show and he'll be waiting there. I've never seen someone as simultaneously classy and sleazy as Kevin Nash. He gives Ty Cobb a run for his money.

Nash's "shirt off his back" is sold for $250... the recipient is given the option of getting it in the back or at the Raddison.

Back to wrestling

- The Harris Twins defeated Disco Inferno and Billy Kidman (w/ Torrie Wilson) after Kidman turned on Disco

Ron or Don still had the old nWo shirt on. Kidman was in full cocky heel mode with a touch of jealous heel mode thrown in. Disco Inferno is tremendous with the little things that he did, taunting the Harrises, flirting with Torrie. Funny stuff. Eventually it became too much for Kidman who turned on him, the Harrises H-bomb him, match over.

- Vampiro defeated (sigh) Captain Rection with the Vampiro Spike

Both Vamp and (sigh) Rection got face heat. The match ended up in the crowd, involved tables, jumping off ledges, and had a few "ECW" chants which is odd because to the best of my knowledge, neither competitor ever worked for ECW. I guess "dub see dub" is too hard to chant. Ending comes when (sigh) Rection misses the (sob) Raging Climax moonsault and Vamp hits the Spike.

- Chris Benoit defeated Steve Regal with the Crippler Crossface (non-title)

To keep it short, this is the best match I have ever seen live, and one of the best I have ever seen period. Steve Regal looks really good, muscular, and he's lost about fifty pounds. Mat wrestling started it with Benoit holding onto a wristlock for about five minutes with Regal trying everything to break it. Eventually it's reversed and Benoit tries everything else. Somewhere in here there was a double headbutt spot which causes Regal to bleed hardway ... only to be further aggravated by a super stiff Benoit enziguri. Then they fight over pins. Both Regal and Benoit are drawing insane face heat, both names are chanted, both are as intense as I have ever seen them. When Benoit went up the first time for the headbutt the room was a little upset over the possibility that the match might end. The crowd popped when Regal put Benoit in a surfboard submission, popped again when he hooks the head for a modified Dragon sleeper, and pops again when Benoit escapes with a stiff elbow. Everything in this match worked. Benoit even hit my favorite move, the dragon suplex. Benoit eventually lands the Crossface and Regal instantly taps.

Match of the Year Candidate. Absolutely breath taking. The crowd was counting falls and helping the ref with the double KO spots. After the match, Benoit tells Regal that he's been gone a long time but the boys and the fans are ready to welcome him back. Even Benoit's post match promo was excellent. There's a reason why so many people think of Benoit as the best in the ring and he showed it tonight, but Regal was every bit as good.

- DDP defeated Shane Douglas with the Diamond Cutter

Shane Douglas entered and cut a major anti-Flair promo which evolved into an anti-Millionaire's club rant, which caused DDP to come out and lay him out. I have a feeling the anti-Flair part of Douglas' promo was more a tribute to Pillman's promos than an actual continuation of the Flair angle.

- ECW World Heavyweight Title Match
Justin Credible defeated Raven after two "That's incredible" Piledrivers

Wild brawl which saw extensive use of a chair. Best spot was when Raven took Credible out into the crowd and threw him into the seats, destroying a whole section of folding chairs. And then he did it again ... ha! Credible kicked out of Raven's DDT and Raven kicked out of the first piledriver which caused me to wonder if Raven was going to turn this into a shoot. But he did his job. If the rumors of Raven's release are true, this may end up being his last ECW match.

- "Latino Heat" Eddy Guerrero (w/ Dmitri Young) went to a no contest with D-Lo Brown (w/ Danny Graves) (non-title)

Eddy comes out and says the only thing he doesn't like about working at his new place of employment is that someone there is using his move without permission so he calls out D-Lo. D-Lo says when you're 105 pounds, it's a frog splash. When you're 275 pounds it's the devastating finisher known as the Lo-Down. The match doesn't go long before Saturn and Dean Malenko run in. Eddy and D-Lo fight them off. Eddy tells D-Lo he has "Brother Heat" and they challenge "Mr. Clean and Stinko Malenko" to a tag match. So we get...

"Latin Heat" Eddy Guerrero and "Brother Heat" D-Lo Brown defeated "Mr. Clean" Perry Saturn and Dean "Stinko" Malenko

By this time we had been there for about 6 hours so people are tired but the crowd was still feebly responsive. Match ends with D-Lo hitting the Lo-Down which actually does look pretty devastating.

No Shows: Terry Taylor (injured), Ric Flair (health), David Flair, Road Dogg, and Chris Candido (no reason)

Observations:

Ricky Steamboat signed autographs ... he looks in tremendous shape.

The crowd only appeared to be between 1000 and 2000 people.

The event raised about $33,000... sans Nash's 20,000... he shouldn't make $20,000 promises with that many witnesses.

I drove eight hours to get there.... Benoit v. Regal was worth every mile, everything else was icing on the cake.