was! It all started off with a match that was most likely to steal
the show.
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Too Cold Scorpio vs Chris Benoit
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The show started off with Too Cold Scorpio going up against Chris
Benoit. These two put on a great matchup. It ended when Dean Malenko
came out to try and interfere on Benoit's behalf, but out came Frank
Shamrock of all people! Shamrock stopped Malenko's attack and started
fighting with him. Meanwhile Benoit looked on in shock until he was
put out of the match by a Scorpio enzuguiri to the back of his head.
Benoit fell like a sack of bricks and in perfect position for the 450
Splash. Scorpio walks away with the win and helps Frank dispose of
Malenko before both walk back to the locker rooms.
Later, after both Malenko and Benoit woke up, Malenko got on the mic
and said that they would deliver a GIANT surprise tonight and they
would get their revenge in the Rumble.
Too Cold Scorpio pinned Chris Benoit with the 450 Splash in 0:13:13.
Rating: *** 1/4
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Ace Darling and Devon Storm vs Steve Strong and Steve Corino
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The next match was suppose to be The Untouchables versus Ace Darling
and Devon Storm for the tag titles. However, The Barbarian no-showed.
This pissed Commissioner Cooper off and he came out and said that The
Barbarian was fired! Huge news! Steve Strong looked on in shock...he
then composed himself and announced his newest Untouchable tag
partner...Steve Corino!!! Corino came out looking very arrogant. He
entered the ring and hugged Strong. It looks like we have a new team
of Untouchables and they are even more cocky then the first version.
However, Darling and Storm kept their tag titles when The
Gangstanators ran out and attacked The Untouchables with a cheese
grater! They then left the ring allowing Ace Darling to hit a flying
headbutt and get the pinfall on Corino. Afterwards New Jack and Kronus
re-entered the ring and beat the crap out of Storm and Darling before
leaving both teams a bloody mess.
Ace Darling and Devon Storm defeated Steve Strong and Steve Corino
when Darling pinned Corino after a flying headbutt in 0:10:44.
Rating: * 3/4
(The Barbarian no-showed.)
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Owen Hart vs Ken Shamrock
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The next match had Ken Shamrock going up against Owen Hart. Neither
man could seem to get the upper hand and it finally ended in a draw.
After the match D-Lo Brown ran out and blasted Shamrock with a chair
and he and Owen laid the boots to Shamrock. Ken Shamrock was beaten
within an inch of his life before The Gladiator walked out! The
Gladiator stepped over the top rope, picked Shamrock up, and dropped
him with the Awesome Bomb! The Gladiator, Owen, and D-Lo continued to
beat on Shamrock for several minutes until security finally got them
off.
Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart battled to a draw in 0:30:00.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Owen Hart retained the WWA Television Title.)
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Jyushin Lyger and Bill Goldberg vs Destruction and The Gladiator
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The Gladiator simply stayed in the ring and awaited his partner,
Destruction. Destruction came down and brought the Jackyl along with
him!!! The Jackyl is managing Destruction!?! Lyger and Goldberg came
out together and the match was on. The Gladiator paired off with Lyger
while Goldberg and Destruction exchanged power moves. It eventually
led to Goldberg and Destruction brawling around the arena while Lyger
and The Gladiator were left in the ring. Owen Hart and D-Lo came out
as soon as Goldberg was out of the ring. D-Lo distracted the referee
while Owen Hart entered the ring and blasted Lyger with his TV Title.
Lyger fell right into the arms of The Gladiator who simply picked him
up and planted him with the Awesome Bomb to get the victory. Meanwhile
Destruction and Goldberg brawled all the way back to the locker rooms.
The Nation celebrated over the fallen body until Ken Shamrock ran out
with a chair and cleared the ring.
The Gladiator and Destruction defeated Jyushin Lyger and Bill Goldberg
when Gladiator pinned Lyger with the Awesome Bomb in 0:22:06.
Rating: ** 1/2
It was then time for the huge 25 man Raging Rumble!
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25 Man Royal Rumble for the World title
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There were many favorites to win the Rumble. Guys like The Gladiator,
Golbderg, Destruction, Lyger, Ken Shamrock, Owen Hart...People were
in deep shock when Chris Benoit threw out not only Too Cold Scorpio
but Destruction and The Gladiator as well. Benoit just dominated
until he was eventually eliminated by Robert Thompson. The final 5
eventually ended up being Goldberg, Dean Malenko, Devon Storm, Robert
Thompson and Kid Guzman. People pretty much figured Guzman wasn't going
to win it which left us with 4 possible new champions. The heavy favorite
was obviously Goldberg. However, as Malenko paired off with Goldberg and
Storm with Guzman, the lights went out! THE GIANT IS IN THE RING! The
Giant had Goldberg and Thompson by their necks and Choke Slammed them
to the mat. Devon Storm and Kid Guzman decided to team up and tried
to nail The Giant with a double dropkick, but The Giant simply
swatted them away like flies. Then as Storm and Guzman got up they
were hooked by their necks as well and dropped with a double Choke
Slam. The Giant then stepped over the top rope and left while Malenko
was laughing his ass off. Malenko simply picked up each man and
dumped him over the top and thus became the new Heavyweight Champion
of the World!
No-Countout-No-DQ-25-Man Royal Rumble:
Dean Malenko won a 25-man Royal Rumble:
x New Jack and D. Taylor started out.
x Head Hunter #2 entered at 0:02:00
x Bob Holly entered at 0:04:00
x D. Taylor threw out Holly in 0:04:20
x Head Hunter #2 threw out New Jack in 0:04:44
x Steve Strong entered at 0:06:00
x D. Taylor threw out Steve Strong after a vertical suplex in
0:06:21
x Ken Shamrock entered at 0:08:00
x Shamrock threw out Head Hunter #2 after the Ankle Lock Submission
in 0:08:32
x D. Taylor threw out Shamrock in 0:08:52
x D-Lo Brown entered at 0:10:00
x D. Taylor threw out D-Lo in 0:10:11
x Ace Darling entered at 0:12:00
x Darling threw out D. Taylor after a Frankensteiner in
0:12:38
x Chris Benoit entered at 0:14:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Darling after a rana in 0:15:04
x Cobra entered at 0:16:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Cobra in 0:16:06
x Head Hunter #1 entered at 0:18:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Head Hunter #1 in 0:18:29
x Too Cold Scorpio entered at 0:20:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Scorpio in 0:20:07
x Steve Corino entered at 0:22:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Corino after a chop in 0:23:51
x Destruction entered at 0:24:00
x The Gladiator entered at 0:26:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Destruction in 0:26:18
x Chris Benoit threw out Gladiator after a duck-down move in
0:27:20
x Billy Kidman entered at 0:28:00
x Chris Benoit threw out Kidman after flying headscissors in
0:29:10
x Robert Thompson entered at 0:30:00
x R. Thompson threw out Chris Benoit after a small package in
0:30:25
x Jyushin Lyger entered at 0:32:00
x Pablo Marquez entered at 0:34:00
x R. Thompson threw out Lyger in 0:34:42
x Owen Hart entered at 0:36:00
x R. Thompson threw out Marquez after a backdrop in
0:37:53
x John Kronus entered at 0:38:00
x O. Hart threw out Kronus after a swinging neckbreaker in
0:38:35
x Bill Goldberg entered at 0:40:00
x R. Thompson threw out O. Hart after a front slam in 0:41:52
x Dean Malenko entered at 0:42:00
x Devon Storm entered at 0:44:00
x Kid Guzman entered at 0:46:00
x D. Malenko threw out Goldberg in 0:42:36
x D. Malenko threw out R. Thompson in 0:42:56
x D. Malenko threw out Guzman in 0:43:00
x D. Malenko threw out D. Storm after a kneebreaker in 0:43:10
Rating: **
(The Barbarian no-showed.)
DEAN MALENKO IS THE WWA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!! I can't believe it.
However, Malenko won't have an easy ride as champion as he must face
Goldberg tomorrow for the Heavyweight title.