WCW Souled Out 1997 Results and Review

Poster From The Event - Pretty Cool For 1997, Honestly

In 1997 big changes hit the professional wrestling world. In the WWF at the time, Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin were getting ready to switch places. The Undertaker, Vader, and several others were caught up in the main event scene, with Wrestlemania 13 going to be a big one that was set up by a lot of frustrating booking. Meanwhile, WCW had been booming with the introduction of the New World Order. The NWO was so big, that they decided to throw Souled Out in January, and the first edition was all New World Order themed. Everything from the mat, the lighting, to the structure of the matches were in favor of the NWO and it was great in my view.

This event took place on January 25, 1997 and it had an attendance of 5,120. If you look at the PPV, the venue was absolutely packed, and it was a very cool building to have a show. The crowd went nuts from time to time, but it wasn’t as hectic as some other events that would come through in 1997 from WCW< but it still had a good crowd. With that in mind, let’s consider the matches, and a review of this big event.

WCW Souled Out 1997 Results

Masahiro Chono defeated Chris Jericho
Big Bubba Rogers defeated Hugh Morris in a Mexican Death Match
Jeff Jarrett defeated Mr. Wallstreet
Buff Bagwell defeated Scotty Riggs
Scott Norton defeated Diamond Dallas Page via Countout
The Steiner Brothers defeated The Outsiders for the WCW World Tag Team Championship
Eddie Guerrero defeated Syxx in a ladder match for the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship
Hollywood Hogan fought The Giant to a no contest in the WCW World Championship Match

WCW Souled Out 1997 Review

Masahiro Chono defeated Chris Jericho

At the time, WCW had a partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling. They had talent come through to face off against their homegrown talent, and this was one of those matches. Jericho was fighting against Chono’s strong style, and it was definitely stiff. There were a few moments where you could tell Jericho and Chono had a language gap, and you could feel the pain that Jericho was getting into for this one. A decent opener, but Chono got the big win for NWO Japan.

Big Bubba Rogers defeated Hugh Morris in a Mexican Death Match

I’m always surprised by how athletic Big Bubba was. Not only that, Hugh Morris had one of the best moonsaults in the industry. This match was fun, under 10 minutes, hard hitting, fast moving, and interesting to watch, but nothing too grand on the line.

Jeff Jarrett defeated Mr. Wallstreet

This was a boring point in the night. The fans didn’t care for either one of these guys, and honestly, neither did I. A standard wrestling match, with nothing too grand to report here.

Buff Bagwell defeated Scotty Riggs

This is a significant match because Riggs and Bagwell were separating. The American Males were no longer and the two were feuding as a result. Buff joined the New World Order and Riggs wouldn’t get much of a push until he got involved in a feud with Raven towards November of 1997. Riggs would be a glorified jobber on WCW television until then. Oh, this match was cool, hard hitting, and back and forth, but in the end Riggs would lose to Buff.

Scott Norton defeated Diamond Dallas Page via Countout

Norton was a beast. This match was hard hitting, and DDP did his best to entertain the crowd, but Norton wasn’t selling nearly as much, and well, he would eventually win.

A Note On The Miss NWO Contest

Throughout the show there was a showcase of middle-age women that were going to be Miss New World Order. This was lame, and everyone involved said it was lame in shoot interviews. This was stupid, and really broke up the flow of the show.

The Steiner Brothers defeated The Outsiders for the WCW World Tag Team Championship

The Steiner Brothers were getting a bit older here, and it showed. Scott was going to turn into Big Poppa Pump soon, but before that, the Steiners put on a nice match with The Outsiders. Hall and Nash were not really working hard in their matches in WCW, at least not every single time they tagged together. This was evident in this match. There were a few good spots, but overall, the Steiners had little to work with out of Hall and Nash. That didn’t matter, the match got the crowd going, and the title change was a great option, even if it was only one night.

Eddie Guerrero defeated Syxx in a ladder match for the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship

Guerrero and Syxx put on a showcase of some serious talent. This is a five star classic if you ask me. I know it’s not as high flying as some of the more recent ladder matches, but for 1997, this was an incredible match, with a lot of pain involved. Syxx’s heel kick from the top of the ladder is worth the price of admission alone. Guerrero taking bumps like crazy was interesting, and overall this match was absolutely a show stopper.

Hollywood Hogan fought The Giant to a no contest in the WCW World Championship Match

Hogan fought the Giant to a really cool match. I suggest watching all of the matches that The Giant had in WCW because he works very differently than when he was in WWE. Remember, the WWE forced him to not only change his style, but also retrain in OVW after his stellar year in 2000. Whatever the case may be, this match was entertaining, and the crowd ate it up. The end came when the ref, aligned with the NWO, wouldn’t count the 3 and Giant got mad and beat him up. The whole New World Order would come out and get choke slammed one by one for their trouble, and this match just ended in a no contest. The crowd kept chanting for Sting, and he never showed up. The New World Order would get the last laugh as they beat up the Giant, pulled his pants down and wrote NWO across his back. No joke.

Final Thoughts on NWO Souled Out 1997

This was a cool match, I love it. I think that above all else, the ladder match was incredible. Syxx gets a lot of crap for who he was and is, but if you watch this match, you’ll realize that the guy could really wrestle. He put on a show with Guerrero, and the two really did a fine job with the ladder. Not a lot of spots like today, but more psychology and movement, great stuff.

The VHS copies of this event are rare, so you’ll have to look into picking it up on the WWE network, sorry folks.

WWF Wrestlemania X7 Results and Review Stone Cold Turns Super Heel

The Astrodome played home for the biggest event of 2001. This was the biggest Wrestlemania in my memory. In 2001, the WWF was riding all time high attendance, and ratings. WCW was no competition, and no one could hold a candle to what the WWF was doing with the Attitude Era. This event went live on April 1, 2001 and I watched it live with my friends Lump and Carlo Moss. I’m sure they are out there somewhere. What’s up guys?!

This had some hits and misses, like any other event, but the big main event really had things going over the top. The gross ticket sales amounted to 3.4 million dollars, and nearly 70,000 people saw this live. I would’ve gone, had I been able to, that’s for sure. If you’re a fan of Limp Bizkit, then you’ll love that the show kept playing “My Way”. Anyways, here is how it all went down and my thoughts about the matches.

WWF Wrestlemania X7 Results

Chris Jericho defeated William Regal (Intercontinental Championship Match)
Tazz and the APA defeated Right To Censor
Kane defeated Raven and The Big Show (Hardcore Title Match)
Eddie Guerrero defeated Test (European Title Match)
Kurt Angle defeated Chris Benoit
Chyna defeated Ivory (Women’s Title Match)
Shane McMahon defeated Mr. McMahon in a Street Fight (with Mick Foley as referee)
Edge and Christian defeated The Dudleys, and The Hardys
The Iron Sheik won a gimmick Battle Royal
The Undertaker defeated Triple H
Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock (WWF Title)

WWF Wrestlemania X7 Review

NOTE: There was a dark match for Sunday Night Heat, but they didn’t show it for the full event, and on the network, sorry.

Chris Jericho defeated William Regal (Intercontinental Championship Match)

This was an odd choice to open the show, if you ask me. The two men are great at what they do, but this was less than exciting. It was more mat based than anything, even though Jericho was doing some of his normal flying through the air. Regal was definitely doing his hard style English wrestling, so that was interesting against Jericho’s flights. Jericho would get the win and Regal would lose another shot at the IC Title.

Tazz and the APA defeated Right To Censor

This 4 minue match was fun, and should’ve been the opener if you ask me. When Tazz came out the crowd went ballistic, alongside the APA. Right To Censor died a death here, and all members got beat down by Tazz and the APA. Bradshaw’s clotheslines are scary, he probably would’ve knocked me the hell out. Fast paced, to the point, only 4 minutes of action, but well worth it.

Kane defeated Raven and The Big Show (Hardcore Title Match)

My favorite wrestler growing up was Raven. Well, my teenage years anyways. This match was fun. A brawl that went through the back. Watch out for Raven getting thrown through a window, Big Show getting thrown through a wall, and Kane jumping off the stage for the win. This was a wild brawl that was a testament to the Hardcore Title back in the day.

Eddie Guerrero defeated Test (European Title Match)

This was not a great match. Test did an ok job with Guerrero, but this felt really forced. I didn’t really like it that match, and if you remember the storylines. Test is lumbering, and Guerrero did his best, but this match didn’t feel that great, and the crowd wasn’t as over. Guerrero had better matches in WWF, this wasn’t one of them.

Kurt Angle defeated Chris Benoit

This was a stellar mat wrestling match. This was two wrestlers in their primes, and they traded suplexes, slams, and more. Kurt Angle would get the win, but not without Benoit going down swinging. This was no doubt one of the better matches on the card.

Chyna defeated Ivory (Women’s Title Match)

A burial. This went a little over than 2 minutes and it was bad.

Shane McMahon defeated Mr. McMahon in a Street Fight (with Mick Foley as referee)

In only 15 minutes, Shane McMahon and Vince put on a street fight for the ages. This was so great, and the two basically got out all of their aggression. It was absolutely insane. You have to see this match. Shane and Vince busted wide open, Foley trying to control things. Linda McMahon crotch shots, so much more. This was pure hell, and just insane. Great stuff here.

Edge and Christian defeated The Dudleys, and The Hardys

If the Street Fight wasn’t enough, this match won you over in about 16 minutes. These three teams went toe to toe in a TLC match. Every hit here had to hurt, and every fall was insane. The guys threw themselves around so much, I had no idea how they were still standing afterwards. Triple table breaks, ladder shots, and falls that were just too much. Edge and Christian got a little help, and won, but wow, what a match.

The Iron Sheik won a gimmick Battle Royal

There were 18 people that came down for this match including Repo Man, Earthquake, The Goon, Kamala, Brother Love, Jim Cornette, and so many others. Sheik won by eliminating Hillbilly Jim, and this was just filler but fun no doubt.

The Undertaker defeated Triple H

This was not a good match. The Undertaker and Triple H put on a slow moving, boring match if you ask me. It was a brawl, it went into the crowd, Triple H used the sledgehammer, but it was far from their battles that would come down the line for retirement. Undertaker was great here, Triple H was carrying too much weight if you ask me.

Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock (WWF Title)

Holy crap. 30 minutes of pure good wrestling. Austin couldn’t put away The Rock, he just couldn’t do it. So he eventually had the help of Vince McMahon. Jim Ross called it best, “Steve Austin is shaking hands with Satan himself!”. Whatever the case was, the crowd went absolutely nuts for the near falls in this match, and the end, holy crap, holy crap. When Austin won, even with Vince’s help, the crowd went ballistic, and just so much fun.

Final Verdict

WWF Wrestlemania X7 is by far one of the best events that the WWF has ever put together. I loved it. It was absolutely fun. If you find this on dvd, you have to get it. The edits from the network are dumb, and they don’t give you the Sunday Night Heat match. Great overall event though, man this was fun. I’d watch it again, no doubt.

Pick up WWF Wrestlemania Unedited DVD by clicking HERE

WCW Starrcade 1996 Results and Review

WCW Starrcade 1996

Here we go, another review that I can guarantee is better on VHS than on the WWE Network. Regardless, here is my take on the event as it was. Today, we’re talking about WCW Starrcade 1996, and all of the ups and downs that occurred.

The event took place on December 29, 1996. I tweeted at Eric Bischoff about this event, and he tweeted me back, because I mentioned how great the opening match was. The attendance on this show was 9,030 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. This was the last PPV event for the 1996 year, and over on the WWF side, they had a crappy In Your House. Now, let’s see how well this event came through, with a few notes of interest.

WCW Starrcade 1996 Results

Ultimo Dragon defated Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight and J-Crown Championship
Akira Hokuto defeated Madusa for the WCW Women’s Championship
Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Rey Mysterio Jr.
Jeff Jarrett defeated Chris Benoit in a NO DQ Match
The Outsiders defeted The Faces of Fear in the WCW World Tag Team Championship match
Eddie Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW United States Title
Lex Luger defeated The Giant
Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan

WCW Starrcade 1996 Review

Ultimo Dragon defeated Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight and J-Crown Championship

This match was a great example of how to turn on the heat in a Cruiserweight title match. Dragon was flying around the ring and Malenko was trying to stop him. Overall, he wasn’t able to get the Japanese and Lucha star to go down, and in the end, after around 20 minutes, this match was in the books with Dragon being the new champion.

Akira Hokuto defeated Madusa for the WCW Women’s Championship

Madusa was awesome, and didn’t get her dues, I think. Hokuto put on a show here, putting the boots to Madusa, and eventually getting the win. Madusa looked to be legit hurt in this match.

Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Rey Mysterio Jr.

Talk about another classic, Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. in their prime! This was a 15 minute match that was very much back and forth. There was a little confusion on the finish, but overall, this is an instant classic. This is a great example of how to throw down a cruiserweight match, just because. The crowd got into it with the escalation of moves.

Jeff Jarrett defeated Chris Benoit in a NO DQ Match

Not a great match. Didn’t really care for this one, but hey it was ok, I guess.

The Outsiders defeated The Faces of Fear in the WCW World Tag Team Championship match

The Outsiders put the boots to the Faces of Fear, and won this match in about 15 minutes. It wasn’t that good. Hall and Nash were not putting in a lot of work in these matches, and well it showed. There were a few moments of interest, but overall, this wasn’t a great showing for the tag titles.

Eddie Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW United States Title

You would think that these two guys would have more chemistry, but it wasn’t to be had, yet. This was a boring affair, with Eddie Guerrero getting the big win. I didn’t really think that these guys hit their stride until 1998, but hey, that’s just my two cents. \

Lex Luger defeated The Giant

No, Luger didn’t rack the Giant. This is the BIG SHOW, by the way, and he’s awesome. The Giant was awesome back then, and this match shows. Luger and Giant put on a good match, with Giant even getting a top rope move in. Great stuff from Luger, selling for Giant, and well, this was a fun match to watch.

Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan

The crowd went nuts for this match. It’s what you would expect from two 40 something year old men. Overall, a good brawl, but after about 15 minutes, Hogan was put to sleep. This wasn’t for the title, but the crowd went ballistic when Piper won by submission.

Overall, WCW Starrcade 1996 wasn’t a great PPV, but it had some solid performances. The cruiserweight matches are well worth watching, and the last two matches are a lot of fun overall. Sting was in the rafters, and well, that ended WCW’s 1996. A good year if you ask me, and this PPV was better than a lot of the WWF stuff that was going on, although it would flip.

I recommend buying WCW Starrcade 1996 on VHS here, instead of the WWE Network, as the Network has butchered the music, and edited the fans signs, and more.

A Better VHS Experience: WCW World War 3 1997 Results and Review

World War 3 - 1997 Results and Review - A Better VHS Experience

The Palace of Auburn Hills was the home for this event in 1997. The big jump that WCW was gaining in popularity was evident here. This venue was coming from Auburn Hills, Michigan, and there were 17,128 people jam packed in the building for this event. This had a total of 9 matches, and it really showcased how powerful the WCW brand started to get.

I used to have the VHS edition of WCW World War 3 1997, and the original recording from the PPV. I can tell you that there are a lot of musical edits, as well as sign edits that the WWE has put on the Network. If you want to see the unedited version of this, you should buy the VHS tape here.

Here are the quick results, and then I’ll go into the review of the wrestling.

WCW World War 3 1997 Results

The Faces of Fear defeated Glacier and Ernest Miller
Perry Saturn defeated Disco Inferno (WCW Television Title Match)
Yuji Nagata defeated Ultimo Dragon
The Steiner Brothers defeated The Blue Bloods (WCW Tag Team Title Match)
Raven defeated Scotty Riggs (Raven’s Rules Match)
Steve McMichael defeated Alex Wright
Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match)
Curt Hennig defeated Ric Flair (NO DQ WCW U.S. Title Match)
Scott Hall won World War 3 after eliminating The Giant

WCW World War 3 Review

Here we go, the event was one of the highlights of WCW’s 1997 year. Of course, on the opposite side of wrestling, you had the WWF putting on a show known as Survivor Series in which they completely screwed over Bret Hart, but hey, that’s their thing, and this is the WCW version. Let’s talk WCW and this event that went down.

The Faces of Fear defeated Glacier and Ernest Miller

I may be one of the only idiots that liked Glacier. Yes, he was a gimmick that was ripped from Mortal Kombat, but that wasn’t a bad thing. He had some stellar wrestling moves, and was far better than Ernest Miller. The Faces of Fear were always grand in my book, and Meng was still in his prime before getting injured by Bill Goldberg. The Barbarian was slowing down, but overall this wasn’t a bad match. There was a lot of power moves and eventually the Faces of Fear got the big win.

Match Rating: 2 out of 5

Perry Saturn defeated Disco Inferno (WCW Television Title Match)

Perry Saturn was a very unique wrestler and it showed here with Disco Inferno. Disco is always a character, but he did put on some good matches here and there. This was a good one, but it was Perry Saturn’s unique offense that got the win. Saturn won with the rings of Saturn from what I remember, but overall, this match was well timed, and on the button. Saturn and Disco’s timing was great here, and I definitely enjoyed the match.

Match Rating: 3 out of 5

Yuji Nagata defeated Ultimo Dragon

If you’re not a pure wrestling fan, then you aren’t going to like this match. At the time Ultimo Dragon was feuding with his manager Sony Onoo and Nagata was taking Ultimo’s place in the Asian wrestling stable that was in WCW. Yuji Nagata was the heel, and Dragon was playing off of his strong style. Dragon was great here, and Nagata’s strong style, mixed with some clever counters made this match really strong. The fans didn’t get it at first, but over time they started to get into it and the ending was a shocker, with Ultimo falling short thanks to Sonny Onoo’s constant nagging outside.

Match Rating: 3 out of 5

The Steiner Brothers defeated The Blue Bloods (WCW Tag Team Title Match)

This was a hard-hitting match, with The Steiner Brothers working very stiff with Regal and Taylor. I liked it, the fans seemed to get a kick out of the Steiners, and the match was not too long. You’re not going to get a technical masterpiece here, but The Blue Bloods do have enough heat to make you invest a little bit of your attention into this match up. The Steiners were definitely a great team at one point, so don’t just judge them by their solo runs.

Check out WCW World War 3 1997 VHS Tape, by purchasing it here!

Match Rating: 2 out of 5

Raven defeated Scotty Riggs (Raven’s Rules Match)

JJ Dillon came out and announced that Raven had to decide whether or not he was going to sign a WCW contract. He hadn’t yet, in story line. Well this match featured some nice hits, and Riggs was definitely a good foil for Raven. The match was hard hitting as it was No DQ and it eventually saw Riggs get beat down to the point where he was knocked out solid. I loved the drop toe hold to a steel chair, and the fact that Riggs sold the gimmick by wearing an eye patch. At the end of the match, the flock picked up Riggs and went out of the arena through the crowd. I loved Raven’s WCW Run.

Match Rating: 3 out of 5

Steve McMichael defeated Alex Wright

I miss Alex Wright. I liked the stupid dance, and then Kaz, and the other dancing idiots. This wasn’t much of a match. McMichael was underrated if you ask me, and he won this without a ton of action. It was a fun in between.

Match Rating: 2 out of 5

Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match)

People always cite the original match, but this is one is my personal favorite. Rey Mysterio and Eddy (as I read it) put on another great match. This time around, Eddie was wrestling a hard style on this one. Instead of flying around, Mysterio was grounded, and Guerrero was attacking ribs, legs, and grounding the little guy. There were a few moments that showed Mysterio selling injuries from Nitro and previous matches. If you liked the Halloween Havoc match, then you will like this one for sure. Without Eddie trying to break Mysterio’s mask, this match really took on a whole new world. Again, people like to cite the Halloween Havoc match as their best, but this was definitely a great sequel to a great match. More people should mention this one, especially with Eddie’s psychology focusing on body parts of Mysterio rather than just trying to do the same thing he did at Halloween Havoc. Great moments, that led to a false finish, and eventual win by Eddie Guerrero! Great match, and one of the best in the cruiserweight division ever! Killer frog splash for the win, and the constant Eddie Sucks chants, great stuff here. Mysterio put on a valiant effort, but man, Eddie was on fire here.

Match Rating: 5 out of 5

Curt Hennig defeated Ric Flair (NO DQ WCW U.S. Title Match)

Two guys that are legends in wrestling faced off over the United States title on this show. How could these guys follow up a stellar cruiserweight match? Well, psychology my dear friends, some great overall booking in this match up. Hennig and Flair put on a show of chops, reversals, suplexes, and a great overall ending. In the end, Ric Flair slapped on the Figure Four and looked to be winning the title, but Hennig used the belt, which was in the ring to knock his old ass out, and then get the win. This had the crowd going crazy, and for me, this was a great booking decision, a desperation move that made this rad.

Match Rating: 4 out of 5

Scott Hall won World War 3 after eliminating The Giant

This was a great one. Scott Hall was getting beat down, and a lot of different wrestlers were part of the last 10, 6, and 4 and then it was The Giant and Scott Hall! The crowd erupted, and then Sting came down from the rafters, going absolutely ape, only to find out that it was KEVIN NASH! Oh man, great ending to a good overall show. For those that aren’t familiar with World War 3, it’s a 60 man battle royal.

Match Rating: 3 out of 5

As far as WCW shows are concerned, World War 3 is a great example of a great show amidst a bad show versus the WWF. Yes, the Montreal Screw Job occurred in WWF in the same month, but this show was better all around. I loved it. I didn’t like the screw job, and didn’t think that show had a lot to it, but this one, had a lot of wrestling, great moments, and overall stellar match ups in the final 3 matches.

My recommendation is that you purchase the VHS tape of this, and NOT watch it on the WWE Network. You will find that there are subtle edits, changes in the music, and a lot of cuts that weren’t supposed to be there. But hey, that’s just my two cents.

WCW Fall Brawl 97 Results and Review A Better VHS Experience

A sellout crowd in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for WCW’s Fall Brawl on September 14, 1997. This was an instant classic, even if you haven’t seen it, the card looked amazing, which is why I had to watch this play out. I didn’t see it live, but had the VHS tape. I revisit this today to see whether or not it still worth owning, and whether or not the matches are fun to watch. So here we go, a breakdown of WCW Fall Brawl 97.

WCW Fall Brawl 1997 Results and Review

Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Jericho for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship

These are two wrestlers in their prime, and opening up the card. This went roughly 17 minutes, and it was a fun back and forth contest. These two went back and forth, but it was Guerrero that would pick up the win, and Jericho left better off for it. This was a competitive, fast paced, great match that makes this a great PPV to start with, but that doesn’t mean greatness throughout.

The Steiner Brothers defeated Harlem Heat

This was a hard hitting tag match, and it was fun to watch, but the Steiners looked tired after a while. Harlem Heat worked stiff, only to get the loss. Lots of clotheslines here, lots of big bumps, and even a Harlem Hangover attempt. It was fun, but nothing grand.

Alex Wright defeated Ultimo Dragon

This surprised me. Ultimo is an incredible talent, but Wright won this match after around 18 minutes, and it was some of Wright’s best work. Ultimo Dragon was absolutely great, and his offense is second to none. What you should look for in this match is the stiff kicks of Dragon. He doesn’t slap his leg to make a noise, he literally kicks you as hard as he can and it resonates on camera. You can hear it, and Wright’s chest was turning red. Wright wins after a hard battle, and it was fun.

Jeff Jarrett defeated Dean Malenko

I never liked Jeff Jarrett, and Dean Malenko is no captain charisma. This match was not grand, but there were a few moments in which the crowd made this worth watching. It was a bit slow, but it’s to be expected.

Wrath and Mortis defeated The Faces of Fear

A hard hitting big man match. Meng and The Barbarian were absolutely stiff here, dropping people on their heads, and just throwing the young guys around. They’d lose this one, but wow, what a hard hitting bout.

The Giant defeated Scott Norton

Norton was buried here, simple as that. The Giant wins.

Lex Luger and DDP defeated Scott Hall and Randy Savage (NO DQ)

This was mostly DDP fighting Hall and Savage, but Luger got the hot tag and racked everyone for the win. Not a bad match, lots of action, and Savage worked hard and heavy on DDP which set up their match for Halloween Havoc, in a sudden death match.

The NWO defeated The Four Horseman

While the horseman weren’t my favorite in this incarnation, they did manage to beat the snot out of Nash, Bagwell, Syxx, and Konnan. However, it was Curt Hennig that ran in to betray the Horseman with hadncuffs that made this. He tied up the Horseman than slammed a gate into Ric Flair’s head to end the night and the match. What a war. No blood, but wow, lots of stiff shots on Syxx, and Bagwell.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

While there was some good wrestling, it wasn’t grand. The card fell flat in the middle before picking up in the end. There was no major fall out after this, and seeing Flair get a door slammed into his head is a tough watch. Other than that, this was above average, but only for 3 matches tops.

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WCW Superbrawl 1997 Results and Review A Better VHS Experience

This show starts with Roddy Piper running away from Alcatraz, like a crazy person. He runs out of jail, and onto a boat, and that’s how we start Superbrawl VII. This show was live from the Cow Palace in San Francisco with 13,000 plus fans live in 1999. Once again, it’s best to get the VHS version to see the unedited event, but of course it’s on the WWE network. Here goes my review and the results of WCW Superbrawl VII from 1997.

Where were you in 1997? I was living in West Los Angeles, learning to skateboard, and trying to just be a normal kid. Meanwhile, WWF was pushing Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and others. The Attitude era, I think was in full effect, or at least it was coming. But the WCW product is definitely worth noting.

WCW Superbrawl 1997 Results and Review

Syxx defeated Dean Malenko

This was a really good match, and for all the crap X-Pac gets, he could really go. Here he showcased great work with Dean Malenko. The match, however, involved Eddy Guerrero getting involved, causing Malenko to win the match.

Konnan, La Parka and Villano IV defeated Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, and Ciclope

In under 12 minutes, the lucha libre stars shined. Wow, what a match. If you haven’t seen this one, check it out. Look for the graceful flight of La Parka, who is absolutely brilliant for being such a big guy. It gives us bigger guys hope, I guess. Overall, lots of action, and a good amount of time to showcase the raw talent of these guys.

Prince Iuakea defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Television Championship)

Stephen Regal interfered at the end, but before that, Prince Iuakea and Rey put on a decent match. It was cut short, but the guys put in some great offense, and reversals. Mysterio didn’t get the pop I expected, but really shined in this match up.

DDP defeated Buff Bagwell via disqualification

Buff didn’t do much for this match to be watchable. In under 10 minutes, this was a dud, and even DDP can’t save it.

Eddy Guerrero defeated Chris Jericho (WCW United States Championship)

This was a great match, with Jericho really showing off what he learned in Mexico. Eddy (not Eddie, as you may know), looked smaller than you’d expect, and thereby being faster. He was fast and matched up great with Jericho. Jericho put on a showcase here, and the two work so well together, making this an instant classic. (just saying, they kept it as Eddy in this one, but they changed it later)

The Public Enemy defeated Harlem Heat and The Faces of Fear

This was a short triple threat match, and it ended somewhat abruptly. Public Enemy brought a table down, but that wasn’t used until later. This match was not half bad, but it wasn’t great either. It was a bit fast too, but hey, it had some good moments, including Public Enemy selling like HBK at times.

Jeff Jarrett defeated Mongo McMichael

This was a throwaway match in which we saw Debra turn on Mongo. Overall, an ok match, but nothing to really write home about.

Chris Benoit defeated The Taskmaster Kevin Sullivan in a San Francisco Death Match

This was epic. Jacquelyn was tied to Woman with a leather strap and the two were throwing haymakers at each other. They were straight up shooting, and also were getting in the way of Benoit and Sullivan. The finish of this one, holy crap. Jacquelyn and Sullivan are on top of a table and Chris Benoit dives off the top rope onto both of them, erupting the crowd into an insane cheering roar. This alone was well worth it! Although, afterwards, everyone involved was taking out in ambulances. Not sure if that was kayfabe or not, but this match was one hell of a match up.

Lex Luger and The Giant defeated The Outsiders (WCW World Tag Team Championship)

The Giant battled the Outsiders alone for the most of this match, but after a while out came Luger with a broken arm, and a cast. He would eventually get in and torture rack Kevin Nash for the win. Not a bad match, but not a great one either.

Hollywood Hogan defeated Roddy Piper

This introduced Macho Man as part of the NWO. Not a great match, in fact, not even that fun to watch. Piper was still a bit ripped at this point, and Hogan, well he played the cowardly heel. After much interference, and a false finish, Piper gets beat down and several elbow drops, and leg drops. That’s the end of this PPV, and well, it wasn’t grand.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

The best match of this one was the San Francisco Death Match. The women threw some hay makers at each other, and Benoit versus Sullivan always delivers. This was insane, with an even more insane ending. The last bump, holy crap, you have to see it to believe it. Other than that, a good under card, but nothing too spectacular in the main event spot. There's a lot of nice spots overall, and this is a good effort, but not marvelous.

You can pick up the unedited VHS edition of WCW Superbrawl VII here. It features the original music, and commentary, unedited! 

4 Major Reasons I Don't Hate Roman Reigns Right Now

John Cena vs. Roman Reigns - SRC wwe.com 

Right now there are a lot of pundits that absolutely hate Roman Reigns. They are booing the crap out of him, they are absolutely hating WWE and all the booking decisions, and it’s starting to get annoying. Every podcast seems to have something snarky to say, and they don’t see the good. So this time around, when Raw came on Hulu, I paid attention to the booking, and took a second glance at the FELLA! Bad joke, I’m sorry. There are no less than 4 major reasons why I don’t hate Roman Reigns right now, and you may be shocked. I wasn’t a fan of his when he got the snot kicked out of him at WrestleMania. But now? I’ve had a change of heart, or should I say, hart?

Vastly Improved Arsenal

When he first came out and started to wrestle as a single man, he had a limited arsenal. He had bad timing, and was figuring out the ring a bit. He was trying too hard at times, didn’t sell anything all that well and it seemed force. However, right now, as of December 2015, he has improved a great deal. His timing is better, he has ring awareness, he sells a bit better, and he knows how to capitalize on the hot tags, and work with in ring psychology. I know, shocking. After watching his performance on Raw, however, I can say that he’s way better than he was at WrestleMania, even.

Taking Beatings Left and Right

No matter how you see it, no matter what you think, Roman Reigns is taking beatings. Sure, this is professional wrestling, but he is taking on a herculean task out there of trying to get over with a crowd that absolutely doesn’t want him. I know how that was in the past, because you saw the same thing happen with Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Ring Master? Really? What about Stunning Steve Austin? He didn’t come out to major heat or major praise until he proved himself. A different time, yes, but still, sometimes you have to just take beatings and keep going.

The Roman Empire Gimmick

I love the notion of the Roman Empire gimmick at this point. It’s a good point of reference, and it works against The League of Nations stable. In keeping with the notion of an empire, look out for Roman Reigns to possibly get a stable of his own going, and eventually win a title with help. Remember, Eddie Guerrero beating Brock Lesnar at “Now Way Out”? Well, look for that to happen with Roman Reigns next year, possibly in February, if they book things the way I think they will.

Die Rocky Die Sign - SRC WWE.com

They Can’t Have Roman Reigns Die A Slow Death Because of the Fans

Remember “Die Rocky Die”? I was one of those guys that was booing the crap out of the curly haired, smiley faced Intercontinental Champion. Then out of the blue, he became a serious leader. The Nation of Domination lead by the Rock really did a huge jump after Faarooq left. I’m not saying Roman Reigns is going to go the same route, but eventually they will turn him or the fans will jump on board.

Mikey Whipwreck vs. Kidman WCW Uncensored - SRC wwe.com 

I’m on board. Roman Reigns has taken enough abuse. He got the crap kicked out of him hard style against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. He took some serious bumps at Money In The Bank. He has taken out Big Show a million times, has taken down the Wyatt Family, and you know what? Why not give him a shot at the glory, only after Dean Ambrose gives him a fighting chance. If you don’t believe that Roman Reigns can possibly get a big win. Just remember Mikey Whipwreck. He lost every match for years, then out of the blue, BOOOM he wins a match and the place goes nuts. Then he shows up in WCW and puts on a showcase against Kidman, but maybe I’m just old.

Simply put. I don’t hate Roman Reigns. He’s got an upside, you just wait and see.

Rare Wrestling Finds: WCW Starrcade 1997 VHS

You might not know that there are rare pro wrestling vhs tapes found on amazon and ebay, but there are a lot. Some of them are not too expensive while others can be really high in price. Here's one of the tapes that you'll want to add to your collection that is available today on amazon online, and it's relatively rare, the tape is WCW Starrcade 1997, without a doubt the biggest Starrcade ever.

WCW Starrcade 1997

The event was held on December 28, 1997 and was completely sold out at the MCI Center in Washington D.C. with 17,500 fans cramming into the arena for what was building for several years.

WCW STARRCADE 1997 Card

Eddie Guerrero defeated Dean Malenko (Cruiserweight Title Match)

Scott Norton, Vincent, and Randy Savage W/ Miss Elizabeth defeated The Steiner Brothers, and Ray Traylor w/ Ted Dibiase Sr.

Bill Goldberg defeated Steve "Mongo" McMichael

Saturn defeated Chris Benoit in a Raven's Rules Match

Buff Bagwell defeated Lex Luger

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Curt Henning (United States Title Match)

Larry Zbysko defeated Eric Bischoff by Disqualification

Sting defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan w/ Bret Hart as special guest Referee (world title match)

Where to Buy the VHS Tape

There are only a few ways to obtain a real edition of the Time Warner Released video tape. I originally bought mine on ebay for around $9.99 when it first came out and WCW vhs tapes were readily available at Suncoast Video. If you're lucky you can find one with the original event without edits. The WWE has not released this on dvd, and any dvd you find is a pirated version.

If you want the real thing you can find it online here. Yes, you can buy Starrcade 1999 VHS tape on amazon. The going rate is as high as $69.99 last I checked, but it's well worth the money. The title match alone was epic, but the DDP vs Henning match is a rare gem of a match.

Eric Bischoff Lies

On Thursday Night Eric Bischoff said he hadn't seen anything worst than the EV2 beat down...oh really?

Here's some examples that you guys can take to the bank!

NWO vs. Four Horseman War Games 1997

1 Year after Sting left WCW or rather decided to be "The Crow" and still get paid. The Four Horseman reunited to fight off the invasion of the NWO and they gave the Enforcer spot to Curt Hennig (although I remember him as Henning, but whatever). Well, he turned on the Horseman and this nasty shot was cleverly produced...and well...I know wrestling is "fake" but then again? This is worst than the EV2 beat down, take a look:



Goldberg vs. Scott Hall Ladder Match (part 3)

Ok, so maybe this isn't that bad, but come on...Hall gets electrified...literally...or figuratively...I dunno.



Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero & Billy Kidman vs. The Insane Clown Posse & Vampiro

Once again, Bischoff saw this...all I need to say is "INSANE CLOWN POSSE"!





Then there's this:

The Outsiders come in and it looks bad, looks like Eric himself takes a stiff shot to the gut, "YOU DON'T JACK US AROUND!"



These things are interesting, and I'm sure you guys can think of other things Bischoff has seen that are worst than that beat down. I know, the examples above are just not big...but the first one was. I was tired...give me a break.

I recall Vampiro being set on fire.
Hak vs Raven vs Bam Bam Bigelo
Hak vs Bigelow
Villano IV's neck being broken
Raven vs DDP on mtv live

So many other instances worst...but I guess no one remembers.

Chavo Pulls A Shocker

img src - wwe.com

In a truly shocking turn of events, Chavo Guerrero took the ECW Championship title off of C.M Punk in classic heel fashion.

I kid you not, last night, I drank a bunch of coffee and stayed up to see the ECW World Title change hands in a NO DQ match!

I know, you’re thinking that this is not a possibility, but for whatever reason the WWE thought they owed Chavo for not getting him the Cruiserweight championship title back from Finlay’s little friend, so they gave him the ECW Title.

I did not see this one coming, and for once, I was actually shocked by the title change on national television. They usually reserve these things for bigger events like ppv, but not this time.

Can Chavo really fill the seats though?

Do you really want to see Punk chase the title?

I’m not really sure. On one hand I like Chavo Guerrero’s style of wrestling, but on the other hand he lacks the charisma that carried him through the rank so the tag team division; that charisma being 90% Eddie Guerrero.

The WWE is talking about how this is a “Family” of sorts with Vickie & Edge right there to help out Chavo.

This is definitely going to set up a major movement for one…Rey Mysterio Jr.

I’m going to go out on a limb, but it seems as though they are going to have Mysterio Jr. lose at the Rumble, have him face Chavo to get to Edge then get at Edge’s title at either Wrestlemania, Smackdown, or the following ppv, only to lose again by a small margin.

Of course that is just my opinion, it could go either way and the bigger news here is not what the plans hold of Edge but more importantly what in the world is Chavo doing with the ECW title?

Heat CW is more like it as we now crowned a new champion. ECW just hooked me.

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Eddie Guerrero Spins In Grave

I don't know about you guys, but when I saw this recap last night, things finally clicked.

Eddie Guerrero is spinning in his grave! Seriously, this is bad. Who grenlighted this?

Why didn't Chavo Guerrero jump in and say NO! This is disgusting, but this is getting people talking, so maybe WWE knows what their doing...it's sick though, really sick.

Lita at least looked somewhat good, and she is a wild cat! Vickie? I don't know...I just don't know what to think, this is bad.

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WWE 24/7 The Monday Night Wars Review

On WWE 24/7 they have a program running where they show WWE Raw & Nitro back to back! That’s about 5 hours of wrestling, but they shorten it, because they don’t show the commercials, which on Nitro was A TON!

The only major matches that were featured, in a good light were:

Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero (Us Title Match)

This was a classic and the two have so much chemistry together, too bad Syxx ruined the match with a run in and causing a count out! Of all things…thanks Syxx.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Lord Steven Regal

Wow! What a match up. Regal really deflated Mysterio’s high flying attack working on the right arm for most of the match, but around the 9 minute mark Rey Mysterio was poised to win the match and the T.V Title, but fell short in the closing moments when the time ran out! That’s right, there was a time limit draw! Wow! The match was great though.

The Outsiders vs. Extreme

This was a squash match, but what a great one! The Outsiders had such charisma man, it was so good, and to set up their match at Superbrawl VII and insult their future opponents: The Giant & Lex Luger they did the finishing maneuvers of their rivals! It was great. Hall gave one member of the other team a stiff chokeslam that I’m sure knocked the wind out of the poor sap.

That’s about all that was good from the WCW 97’ Nitro.

The WWE Raw show didn’t have anything that I remember. It featured the “I lost my smile” speech, and that’s about all I can recall from the event.

No wonder Nitro was winning the war.

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