Souled Out '99

And let us delve once more into the entity that used to be known as........WcW.  It was only a couple years ago, so it shouldn't really be that far gone in your minds, but since we know some of you are doing your best Jake Roberts impersonation, I am here to be your guide through this show.  This was the point where WCW still could have saved the ship.....yes, they were going downhill fast, but there were some positive things happening, and with the right booking, no ego problems, and clean jobs, WCW could have still challenged the WWF in terms of power and influence.  Alas, it was not to be, as shortly after this the beast would slowly degenerate into a pile of worthless crap, with the top stars desperately searching for why they were not over anymore, when the answer was pretty obvious to anyone who gave a damn to look at the big picture.  Well, let us not bore you further, and get on to YOUR matchlist.......
 
 

Christ Benoit vs.  Mike Enos
Norman Smiley  vs.  Chavo Guerrero
Bam Bam Bigelow  vs.  Wrath
Konnan  vs.  Lex Luger
Saturn  vs. Chris Jericho
Kidman  vs.  Rey Mysterio Jr.  vs.  Psychosis  vs.  Juventud Guerrera   Cruiserweight Title Match
Curt Hennig and Barry Windham  vs.  Ric and David Flair
Scott Hall vs.  Goldberg   Ladder Match

We get a special "State of WCW"  address from Ric Flair, where he declares that WCW is back in control, and that they are the strongest organization on the planet.......uh huh.

Coming to you from CHARLESTON (Almost Heaven)  West Virginia  with Tony, Mike, and Bobby, 1/17/99.   Now let me just make one thing clear right now, damn it.  This crowd is totally SUPERJACKED to start the show, as all the crowds in West Virginia are.  I swear to God, if anybody even remotely affiliated with WWF reads this, you CANNOT go wrong with coming to Charleston or Morgantown, because the crowd will be superhot for just about anything......as long as you don't do totally stupid shit to kill the crowd heat.
 

Chris Benoit  vs.  Mike Enos

Benoit comes out to an absolute mega-pop, and I am not fuckin kidding when I say that the pop he gets was in Stone Cold/Rock territory......I shit you not.   Were you LISTENING, wcw?  I guess not.  Staredown to start, and they lockup to get control, neither does.  Benoit backs Enos in the corner, and just unleashes monsterous killer chops on Enos.  Enos comes back, to HUGE boos.  For God's sake, even Mike frickin Enos is getting huge crowd reaction.  WWF, come to West Virginia, NOW!!!!!  Enos with forearms and eyerakes, but Benoit floats over on a suplex attempt, and unloads with more chops.  Absolutely kicking the shit out of Enos now in the corner.  Dragon screw, and more HUGE chops.  Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH!!!!!  Chris goes for the Crossface, but Enos somehow reverses into a tilt a whirl backbreaker for 2.  Big powerslam for 2, then Enos goes into a bearhug.  DAMN IT!!!!  This is not the time to go for a bearhug Mike, the crowd is ready to lick the sweat off your balls they are so hot right now.   Shoulderthrusts, but Benoit fights back, then Enos gets.....something.....for 2.  Atomic drop, but Benoit gets a victory roll for 2.  Enos slows it down by wrenching the neck.  Enos goes for a legdrop, then right back to the bearhug.  I can't emphasize it enough how pissed off this makes me.....the crowd is JACKED, and you're killing them.  Benoit elbows out,  but takes a knee to the midsection.  Vertical suplex for 2.  Enos slaps the back of Benoit's head then goes for a suplex, but he reverses for 2.  Benoit off the ropes, ducks a boot, and hits Double Germans.  Diving headbutt, but both are down.  Enos up first (why?) and Benoit tastes some elbow on a charge.  Clothesline by Enos, but Benoit doesn't do anything.  Then he goes down.  I think Enos was supposed to go for something else there.  Enos picks Chris up, but he reverses and gets the Crossface for the submission.  ***  This coulda been better, but Enos just started hitting bearhugs at the wrong time.....I understand the need for restholds and such, but they had no place in the match at all, the crowd was already hot so they didnt need to build them up.  And you gotta wonder if Chris pissed somebody off to draw this assignment on the PPV.
 

Norman Smiley  vs.  Chavo Guerrero

Now let me establish something here.....I like Norman.  With little support, he proceeded to get himself over.  From the big wiggle dance (aka the smack my bitch up dance) and his subtle little movements in the ring, the crowds were totally into him.  Then......the bigwigs at Turner decided that the big wiggle dance was too risque (despite other, worse, things being perpetrated by the upper card).  Then he was put into the stupid hardcore division and had to resort to cheap pops with hometeam jerseys every week.  From real heat to cheap heat......a shame.   Anyway.....

Norman is introduced, and he comes out with the "remains" of Pepe.  You see, Chavo had taken to acting slightly crazy, and he rode this little wooden horse called Pepe.  After Chavo gave Pepe a birthday celebration, Norman stole Pepe, Chavo gave chase, and right before Chavo could catch Norman and rescue Pepe, Norman tossed him sawdust machine, thus "killing" Pepe.   Norman taunts Chavo by mimicking Chavo's "riding Pepe" routine.  Chavo is pissed, and gets a dropkick and clothesline to send Norman out.  Chavo gives chase, which lets Norman gets some kicks when they get back in.  Chavo is quickly back, clothesline outside, and follows up with a pescado.  Back in, Chavo with a bulldog.  Norman fires back, corner whip, but Chavo gets a crossbody.  Back up, drop toe hold, then pounding Norman in the corner again.  Whip, but Norman dumps Chavo into the turnbuckle, then bitchslaps him.  Cover for 1, back up, and he gets a headscissors.  Into the chinlock, but Chavo gets a rollup for 2.  Chavo blocks a rollup attempt, goes for a slingshot splash, but Norman gets the knees up.  He hangs Chavo on the top rope and gets 2.  Worked before, so let's do it once more.  Norman with a unique submission (would have to see it to understand), into a Mexican stretch, into a bodyscissors, back to the stretch, finally getting a 2 count.  Nice sequence there.  Both up, and Chavo gets a BIG clothesline.  Swinging neckbreaker for 2, then into a weird leglock, reversed by Norman into his own.    Norman into a front facelock, and Chavo gets a quick rollup.

Back elbow by Norman for 2, with his knee across the throat during the pin.  Chavo kicking back, but Norman comes back with the stiffness.  Norman with ANOTHER weird stretch.....they are just busting some shit out here.  Superplex by Norman puts both men down.  Norman gets a back elbow for 2, then he goes into a hammerlock/side headlock combo.  Sleeper by Chavo, but Norman reverses into a back suplex.  Back body drop gets 2.    Norman with the Gory Special, into the wheelbarrel suplex position (Ocean Cyclone, if you prefer), and after teasing it the whole match, Norman gets the dance.  Series of reversals lead to Chavo getting the Gory Special, and a rollup for 2..  Chavo flips out of a back suplex, but Norman reverses again and hooks in the Norman Conquest (crossface chickenwing).  Chavo gets out, tornado DDT attempt, but Norman blocks.  Norman with the urn, and he tosses sawdust......er, Pepe's remains, into Chavo's face (although the ref is looking RIGHT AT IT!!!), which lets him get the Norman Conquest for the submission.  ***1/4   Good match, although it dragged in the middle portion a bit......I thought it was about 3 or 4 minutes too long.
 

Next, we're supposed to see Fit Finlay vs. Van Hammer, but I must have blinked or something because I don't see it.  Oh well, nothing lost really.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs.  Wrath

Here is another guy in Wrath that was completely shut down by no fault of his own.  In late 98, Wrath went on a long winning streak and had the fans firmly behind him, mostly because he was big and when he did the Meltdown, it ruled the frickin world because he was so strong.  This wasn't the Test weakass meltdown where he barely gets them on his shoulder......Wrath would get the guy up without even flinching, then absolutely DRIVE the guy into the mat.  Then they put him up against Nash (a babyface Nash) and played it up as two big heavyweights squaring off.....then Nash basically squashed Wrath to make him look like a more legitimate contender to Goldberg.  Anyway.....

They do punchy/kicky to start, and Wrath pounds Bam Bam in the corner.  BB comes back and gets an avalanche in the corner.  Wrath back with a middle rope clothesline that gets 2.  I must say, Wrath doesnt look terribly motivated tonite.  BB ducks a clothesline and chokes Wrath in the ropes.  Worked before, so let's do it once more.  Snapmare, chinlock.  After seemingly forever, BB gets a slam and headbutt, then he varies his astounding offense by going to a side headlock this time.   Wrath powers out, but BB hits a back elbow, then misses an avalanche.  Dropkick and shoulderblock by Wrath, BB back with a powerslam. DDT gets 2.  Double clothesline, both men down.  Wrath up first, gets punches and an avalanche, but misses a second, and BB hits Greetings From Asbury Park (Rikishi Driver) for 3.  *  Neither guy seemed incredibly motivated, with Wrath basically going through the motions.
 

D-Kawg vs.  Lex Luger

This was set up by Konnan getting kicked out of the Red and Black NWO because he wasn't A-Team material.  And Luger was?  Konnan says his usual stuff.  Lex comes out to talk, and Konnan mercifully shuts him and pounds him.  HUGE pop for that, the crowd must be thinking the same thing I was.  Atomic drop and clothesline by Konnan, then punches and kicks.  Back elbow, and Lex rolls outside.  Konnan follows him out to continue the assault.  Back in, Konnan kicks field goals on Luger, and we get a Luger Flop.  Konnan with no mercy here, and chokes him down.  Whip, but Konnan misses the dropkick when Luger holds the ropes.  Luger with kicks and elbows, drawing big boos.  Forearms to the back, and Konnan goes outside.  Back in, and Luger goes right to the bearhug.  Sigh.  Clothesline and slam, and Konnan back outside again.  Back in, and corner whip meets boot, but a crossbody only gets 1.  Rolling clothesline by Konnan.  Horrible snapmare, but he redeems it with a dropkick right in the face.  Konnan with the Tequila Sunrise, but Liz comes out (nearly out of her shirt those implants are so big) and sprays black paint in Konnan's eyes, and Luger gets the Torture Rack for the submission.  *1/2  Nothing special, but there was a little bit of action.
 

Saturn vs.  Chris Jericho  w/Ralphus

The stip in this match is that the loser must wear a dress for 90 days.  Just to show you how much Jericho ruled the world at this point, he got over a big fat goofy guy.  BTW, Scott Dickinson is the ref, which is important because he has issues with Saturn and could possibly be in alliance with Jericho.  Lockup, and Saturn slaps the taste right out of Jericho.  Side headlock by Chris, Saturn tries to roll out, but Jericho holds on, BSing the whole time.  Saturn finally reverses, but Jericho chops the hell outta him.  Saturn ducks a clothesline and hits a back elbow.  Chinlock, and Jericho counters with a jawbreaker.  Spin kick, but Saturn sends him Bret-first in the corner.  Saturn completely whiffs on a kick, but Jericho sells it anyway.  Slam and springboard legdrop get 2, then we miss stuff as they show Ralphus modeling the dress for us.  We cut back in time to see Jericho hit the springboard dropkick, and Saturn hits the rail.  Pescado, and then a front suplex on the outside.  Stalling vertical suplex to bring Saturn back in, but the "Come on, baby" pin only gets 1.  Saturn reverses a suplex, but Jericho reverses back and hits a backsplash.  Rear chinlock to take a breather.  Slam and legdrop, but he's not Hogan so it only gets 2.  Saturn with the brief comeback, but Jericho clotheslines him down.  Lionsault, but it misses, and Saturn capitalizes with an NICE overhead T-bone for, then a sidewalk slam for 2.  Suplex attempt, but Jericho reverses into a backbreaker.  Saturn comes back again, and slingshots Jericho outside, then hits a baseball slide.  Back in eventually, and Jericho gets a top rope splash for 2.  Pinfall sequence, with Jericho getting a bridged German for 2.  Corner whip, reversed, and Saturn goes for a super back drop, but Jericho gets out.  Clothesline, Liontamer, but Saturn blocks.  Both up again, nice pinfall sequence, ending with Saturn getting a small package, but Scott Dickinson the EVIL ref pushes Saturn over, and counts the 3 for Jericho.  ***1/4  Postmatch, Jericho makes Saturn put on the dress, and Chris, Scott, and Ralphus all get a good laugh.  Tough match to rate, lots of good stuff, but some slow stuff too.
 

Kidman vs. Rey vs. Psicosis vs. Juvy    Cruiserweight Title

They jump around and do some stuff, and Psicosis gets the win after a big boot, leg drop, and top rope elbow drop.  -*****.

Nah, I was just messin with you.  This is 4 way match with two guys in the ring and the other two guys on the outside.  Any bets how long THAT setup is going to last?  Anybody can tag in anybody else.  Kidman and Rey start because they won the pre-match coin flips.  Some moving around to start, and Rey gets a headscissors, but Kidman comes right back with one of his own.  More moving around, and they knock each other out when they each go for a cross body.  See, that's SO much better than the double clothesline.  Juvy and Psych immediately take advantage.  Rey tags in Psych, and Kidman slaps Juvy on the back to tag him in, despite his protests.  They trade chops and a pinfall sequence, then try to tag out, but Kidman and Rey refuse, because they are faces and Juvy and Psych are both heels.  When they turn around, Kidman and Rey jump them, with Psych taking a backbreaker and Juvy a powerbomb.  Official tag to Kidman, and a crossbody gets 2.  Whip, and Juvy trips Kidman up, which allows Psych to get a suplex.  PSYCH---"Thank you, Juvy"  Haha.  Juvy up top for a flying headscissors on Kidman, and Psych clotheslines him outside.  Rey is in, and Psych whips Rey towards Juvy, who in turn back body drops him outside onto Rey.  Nice spot.

All 4 outside, and Juvy and Psych argue over who is going to get an Asai moonsault on both men, but Kidman and Rey get up deliver stereo powerbombs off the apron.  OUCH!!!  Kidman gets Juvy in the electric chair, and Rey springboards in for the Doomsday Device.  Psych and Rey battle on the apron, and Rey monkey flips him over the turnbuckle to the floor.  Holy shit.   Juvy tries something on Rey, but Kidman yanks his hair to pull him down.  Kidman to the top (after moving the cameraman out of the way), and hits a somersault splash on Psych.  Meanwhile, Rey tries a slingshot, but Juvy dropkicks him on the way in.  Rey down, and Juvy uses him as a step to hit a somersault tope on both Kidman and Psych.  Damn.  Charles Robinson leaning through the ropes for the count, and Rey vaults right over him to hit Kidman with a somersault tope of his own.  This match has officially become a clusterfuck.  Announcers freely admit that they have no clue who the legal men are (if you are wondering, or are resourceful enough to reread this, YOUR legal men are Rey and Psych).  Sluggin it out, and Rey and Juvy are back in.  Rey springboards into a pinning position, but Juvy quickly reverses for 2.  Juvy Driver out of nowhere, but Psych breaks it up with a NASTY missile dropkick right in the back of the head.  All 3 guys down.  Psych gets Juvy up top for a victory roll, but Kidman breaks it up at 2.  Psych powerbomb attempt, but Kidman reverses into an X-Factor.  Rey breaks it up this time and gets a bulldog, which Juvy breaks it up.

Brawling, and Psych clothesline both Juvy and Kidman out, then tosses Rey out like a bitch.  Juvy slams Kid beside Rey, drops the leg on both guys, then orders Psych to hit a suicide dive.  Which he does, and a nasty one at that.  Juvy (smartly) immediately picks up Kidman and rolls him in, then hits a missile dropkick.........for 2, as Psych barely breaks it up.  Then Psych hits a baseball slide on Rey, presumably just for the hell of it.  Psych tries to follow up with a slingshot somersault, but hits nothing but floor.  That was just disgusting, and did NOT sound good.  Anyway....Juvy flips out of German attempt, right into a Juvy Driver, but Kidman reverses THAT into a reverse DDT as Rey clips the back of his knee, which actually causes him to hit it.  Rey,  again, for no reason in particular, hits a springboard rana on Psych outside, which gives Kidman just enough time to hit the Shooting Star Press before Rey can break it up and get the 3.  ****  This is just one of those matches that make star ratings seem stupid.  On one hand, there were a ton of great spots and holy shit bumps.  On the other hand, there was a few lapses in moves, neither of the two guys involved in the finish were the legal men, and match setup itself was pointless as it quickly degenerated into a clusterfuck of each guy hitting spots.  Still, they were damn good spots, despite the lack of transition moves.  So what I leave you with is a * for each guy's work, they busted ass.
 

Booker is talking on WCW Live with Madden, before Jericho comes in to challenge "Mr. T" (I forgot about that one before I saw this) to match on Nitro.

Curt Hennig/Barry Windham  vs.  Ric Flair/David Flair

Everyone stares at everyone to start, and Windham is taunting David to start the match.  David wants to, but Ric doesn't wanna let him.  Ric finally concedes.  David does some bad amateur stuff, which doesn't get much response at all, despite our superhot Charleston crowd.  BUT......Ric is in, struts his stuff, and the crowd is immediately up to 150 decibels again.   Windham suckers David into a test of strength, but David surprises him with chops.  Stalling by Windham, before he gets a quick slam.  Tag to Ric, and he destroys both Hennig and Windham.  Tag out to Hennig, and Curt gets chops and then some verbal abuse for both Flairs.  Ric fires right back with chops, almost separating his chest from the rest of his body.  Curt kicks back, snapmare, and the Perfect snap......then he bitchslaps David, who is daydreaming on the apron.  Whip and Flair Flip in the corner.  Outside, Barry puts Ric into the railing.  Back in, Hennig gets 2.  Back elbow by Flair, but he tries to go up top.....take a wild guess after that.  Heels double team Ric as ref pushes David away.  Superplex gets 2 for Barry.  10 punch attempt by Barry, but Ric counters with an atomic drop.  Hennig back in, and he goes right to a spinning toe hold.  Ric taking a beating in the heel corner, Flair Flop.  Curt goes to the figure 4, with Barry adding extra leverage like good heels.  Barry back in, he wants the figure 4, but Flair gets a surprise rollup for 2.  Comeback attempt, but Barry chops him down.  Choking, and both heels work Ric over.  Whip, Ric ducks a double clothesline attempt, which allows the MUTHAFUCKIN ENFORCER to pull Curt out and beat the shit out of him while inside Ric gets the figure 4.  Windham screaming, but Curt finally gets away to break it up.  Heels double team Ric again, but David finally becomes useful as he nails Curt with the Greco-Roman ballshot.  But now Curt is pissed and he drags him into the ring for the Perfect Plex, but Arn is in and knocks Curt out with the tire iron, and David gets the pin.  ***   Postmatch, the NWO comes out and cuffs Flair to the ropes while Hogan whips David with the weight belt and spray paints him.  Crowd chants for Goldberg and Sting, but they don't come.  I mean, geez, ANY face could have come out.  They would have gotten immediately elevated by such a show of courage, but nobody comes out.  The Horsemen come out, but we all know the NWO isnt gonna let the Horsemen do anything so they get beat down immediately.

NOW......David's participation can be seen in two ways here.  (1)  he's a loser and he shouldn't be in wrestling, and by God is he a shitty wrestling, what the fuck is he doing in a ring, or (2)  the very fact that he is an inexpierenced wrestler makes the match more powerful.   He is inexpierenced, and yet the NWO picks on HIM instead of Ric.....Hogan is such a man that he beats the non-wrestler.  Yeah, WCW has done some stupid things, but David's participation in this match, at the time it was wrestled, made absolute sense.  Ric was baited into the trap by the bullies of the NWO, but it backfired on Hennig/Windham, and they got beat by a non-wrestler.....now, should David have stuck around.  Hell no......a couple months at the latest and he should have been gone.  I just ask for some of you to see the match in perspective, thats all.
 

Scott Hall  vs.  Greenberg        Ladder Match

This was set up by end of Goldberg's winning streak and loss of the title to Kevin Nash at Starrcade, when Hall stunned Goldberg with tazer.  In the weeks leading up to this, Hall had a bunch of very good promos, including a line about "You wanna be in a ladder match?  Well maybe you should head down to Blockbuster to check my previous work."   Hall gets another great pre-match promo.  The official rules are that to win the match you have to be the first person to USE the tazer, not just get it.  Well doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of even having a ladder match.  The challenge is supposed to be getting the item hanging from the ceiling.....anyway.

Goldberg shoves Hall around to start.  Slams and shoulderblocks until Hall goes to the knee, then slams it against the post.  Going for the ladder, but Goldberg puts him into the railing.  Back in, and Hall baseball slides Goldberg as he's carrying the ladder in.  Hall cordially invites Goldberg to visit the stairs, and Goldberg does just that, and he blades.  Punches, Hall up the ladder, but he changes his mind and drops an elbow from about the 5th step.  Nice.  Back up, but Goldberg belly to backs him off the ladder.  Hall up first, and we get a few minutes of them fighting over the ladder, with each getting a few shots in.  Then we have a couple more minutes of them pushing the ladder over on the other.  Hall is making Goldberg damn good here.   Hall crotches himself on the top, Goldberg climbs, but Disco is out to push it over (Disco was Hall's lackey at this time, ala Louie Spicolli).  Hall back up, and he gets the tazer.  Hall going for the zap, but Goldberg ducks and gets a crescent kick.  The tazer rolls outside, and Goldberg looks around for it, when a helpful woman in the front row screams OVER HERE to help him out.  Both go for it, and Hall begs off when Goldberg gets there first.  Staredown, and we wait as Goldberg teases Hall.  Then, in what I personally thought was a cool moment, Goldberg tosses the tazer in the air, and when Hall jumps for he promptly spears him into next week.  Jackhammer, and Goldberg waits forever to stun Hall with the tazer as we cut to the entrance......except there is nobody there, as Bam Bam has apparently missed his cue to interfere.  Now, your one purpose in this match is to interfere, you would think that you would remember your cue......apparently I am wrong.  Goldberg stuns Hall to win the match.  ***  Postmatch, Hall stuns both Goldberg and Bam Bam.  Haha.   Despite the ***, this might have been the least satisfying ladder match I've ever seen.  The basic premise of the match was flawed, Goldberg seemed a little lost at times, and Bam Bam missing his cue is just inexcusable, although I havent penalized the match because of that.  And Scott Hall.....well.....frankly I applaud his effort in the match, as he really did try to give this that something extra to be special, but Goldberg is simply not HBK.  When I said "well" you thought I was going for an alcohol joke, didnt ya?  Another time maybe, but not tonite.
 
 

Official Grade-- C+.  Pretty entertaining show overall , but there wasn't anything that was really...special...about it, if you know what I mean. Solid show, good matches, pretty entertaining......just nothing standout-ish.  The cruiser match is worth a good look, as is the ladder match.  On any other show, a *** match would get a mention here too, but Benoit turns those out at will and a *** match with Mike Enos is just another notch in his belt.  The show is worth the watch, don't mistake my opinion about that, but just don't expect greatness.