WCW: 11 Years Later, Part Two
Welcome back to "WCW: 11 Years Later." Last year, I reviewed the second episode of Nitro from 1995. I also considered doing the second-to-last Nitro at the time, but it was more difficult to find on YouTube. (Again, thank you WWE for allowing WCW footage to remain uploaded.) I did review the Greed main event from the night before. But now I am finally getting around to its aftermath. In all of its glory, here is WCW Monday Nitro from March 19, 2001, a period in which ownership was in limbo and the promotion was draining AOL-Time Warner's bank accounts to the tune of $5 million per week.
-Live from Gainesville, Florida
-Your hosts are Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson
-The show opens with one of the funniest "tribute" videos ever: Scott Steiner's memorial to Diamond Dallas Page, featuring trailer parks. They go without the opening here.
-Speak of the devil, Steiner opens the show. Schiavone announces that Eric Bischoff will be calling in later in the show with a "major announcement." Steiner comes out with Midajah and Ric Flair. How did he and Flair manage to coexist? Steiner cut the "Ric Flair number two, the Nature Boy" shoot promo the year before and Flair still hated him over that. Steiner starts running down DDP, repeatedly using the term "white trash" and comparing him to Sting, Kevin Nash, Sid and Goldberg, in that they are all out of action. Steiner thankfully passes the torch to Flair after about two minutes. Does anyone remember when Flair had short, spiked hair? And went by "The Nature Boss?" He moves on to his and Jeff Jarrett's feud with Dusty and Dustin Rhodes. He says that he should have made Dusty "kiss my Gator ass." At this point Dusty and Dustin appear on the TurnerTron. Dusty actually generates big face pops with his promo about kissing someone's ass. He does err on the side of wrong, calling Dustin a "young lion" before introducing Booker T, who had won the United States Championship from the even less-talented Steiner brother the night before. Booker tells Scott to "shut the hell up," without quite the same enthusiasm Chris Jericho used. Booker tries one of his thousand failed catchphrases, "Save the drama for your mama." Good thing he finally landed on "Can you dig it?" He closes teasing an announcement one hour from now from "the man," and leaves it at that.
-The Magnificent Seven are rambling backstage. Buff Bagwell is still an idiot.
-Jason Jett vs. Disqo. The inferno was mere sparks by this point. Mike Sanders is with Disqo for some reason. Disqo talks before the match about breaking up his team with Alex Wright (He was still employed?) in favor of Sanders. (Interesting note: Several years ago, there were Internet rumors that Sanders married a transsexual named Mary Ellen. We never found out who started it, but it later came out he actually married a natural female by a different name.) Good fast-paced wrestling sequence begins the match. Jett backflips as Disqo catches his foot and hits a sitout hiptoss, which I've never seen before or since. That gets the first near-fall. Sitout powerbomb also gets a near fall. A timely distraction by Sanders allows Disqo to throw Jett outside, and Sanders kicks him and throws him back in. Referee "Scott James," who was actually current WWE official Scott Armstrong, fails to catch this. Disqo hits a pair of neckbreakers and dances like a buffoon. Jett dodges a third one and gets a unique bridge pin for two. Disqo with a HHH facebuster and he gets two. He works the knee, then switches to the back with no rhyme or reason. Russian legsweep is followed by an illegal choke. Sanders runs in, but Jett dodges a kneedrop and clotheslines him back the way he came. Irish whip, Jett comes back with a handspring elbow and springs up like The Rock. Bodyslam and standing moonsault get a long near-fall. Disqo hits a stungun (it looked as if Jett was supposed to land on the apron) and a DDT for another two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Jett and Sanders runs in, but accidentally elbows Disqo. Wrestling logic dictates that since Sanders hit his own partner, it is not a disqualification. Dropkick sends Sanders out and Jett finishes Disqo with the Crash Landing at 5:00. I still recall watching this match live and thinking Jason Jett was the future of the WWF Light Heavyweight division. He never even got a dark match as far as I know. This was a good effort out of a company they knew was dying soon. **½
-More promotion of the Bischoff announcement.
-Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett talk about something related to the Rhodes family.
-Sugar Shane Helms comes out and... cuts a promo? He is the new Cruiserweight Champion, having beaten Chavo Guerrero at Greed. He challenges Kidman (whom he apparently replaced in a match at Superbrawl) to an impromptu match. Kidman comes out to some rap crap and the match begins. A fast-paced sequence ends with a Kidman huricanarana and Helms rolls to the floor. Kidman baseball slides outside, where Helms takes over and follows up with a huge somersault plancha that earns a replay. Helms with a flying cross body for two. Helms counters a Kidman powerbomb (role reversal?), Kidman goes for the Kid Krusher, Helms back suplex countered and Kidman hits one of his own for two. Kidman hits the Sky High (not a Powerbomb, Tony) for two as they promote Spring Break Out the following week. Helms hits the swinging neckbomb for a near-fall. Kidman blocks a suplex and hits an inverted variation for two. Helms counters a charge and hits a neckbreaker, getting two yet again. Kidman actually goes for the Acid Drop, Helms counters that and a clothesline into an out-of-nowhere Vertebreaker for the pin at 3:41. Good showing for so little time. Perhaps it was a WWF audition -- if so, it worked. ** Chavo runs in after the match and Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper join in. Rey Mysterio (unmasked) runs in to even the odds as Kidman joins the faces. They clear the ring of the heels as the commentators again mention Bischoff's announcement.
-Hype video, sponsored by the relatively outdated 1-800-COLLECT, showing Spring Break parties at the University of Florida. I grew up a Florida State fan, so why should I care?
-Bam Bam Bigelow cuts a promo on Shawn Stasiak. Please don't turn this into a match on this show.
-More Magnificent Seven crap.
-Young Stacy Keibler (a full decade before George Clooney) joins us to cut a promo, saying she deserves a bigger ovation. She actually gets it from the college guys. Stacy then introduces us to the Shawn and Stacy Show. Crap, it's a match. And a Stasiak promo. Neither one is worth anything. Shawn even forgets the name of the previous night's event. Here comes Bigelow, and that leads to...
-Shawn Stasiak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow attacks to start, but Stasiak deadweights a German Suplex attempt by grabbing the referee, who releases the hold just as Stasiak hits Bigelow in the Bam Bams. OK, I'll give them points for that. Stasiak hammers away with generic offense as Tony points out that he hates "fat, bald, tattooed guys." Then he would really despise the UFC trend. Bigelow counters the neckbreaker, but Stasiak hits a clothesline. Stacy tries throwing hairspray to Shawn, but Bigelow catches it instead and hits Greetings from Asbury Park for the pin at just 1:43. Good thing they kept it short. Scott Hudson says Bigelow caught the hairspray "even though Stacy throws like Jesse Palmer." Well that actually was accurate -- Stacy threw an interception. Not much worth seeing unless you love Stacy Keibler as fresh meat. DUD
-Post-match, Stasiak accuses Bigelow of "cheating." They set up a rematch for Spring Break Out where if Bigelow wins, he tattoos "that prissy little thing in the ring"... Shawn, not Stacy. Thankfully that was an even shorter match and we were spared the skin alterations.
-Here comes Scott Steiner and company as it's announcement time. Nice try, but most of the audience is switching to USA. A noticeably depressed Bischoff joins us via phone, probably from Middle-of-Nowhere, Wyoming. He announces that March 26 is the last night of wrestling on the Turner networks after 29 years and that there are big changes ahead. He declares the next Nitro "the Night of Champions," headlined by a Steiner-Booker T title vs. title match. Bischoff extends an invitation to "any former World Champion" to show up in Panama City. As far as I know, only Sting accepted. He then brings up his and Flair's "rocky relationship" and says it's best that Flair kiss Dusty Rhodes' ass. That gets the biggest face pop of the segment, though WWF crowds reacted more to Kaientai. Booker T tries to sign the contract before Steiner ambushes him with a lead pipe. Steiner chokeslams (holy crap) a security plant through a table. Booker comes back with the Scissors Kick as the heels bail out. He signs the contract and issues his final threats. Bischoff phoned in phoning it in, but the wrestlers played off of it well.
-Kanyon vs. M.I. Smooth. From that to... this. Who was M.I. Smooth? Google reveals that he was the artist formerly known as Ice Train. Good thing somebody knew. I have no memory of that guy. Kanyon attacks as M.I. Smooth enters the ring. Smooth overpowers him, leapfrogs and hits the powerslam. The commentators put over his combination of strength and agility as the match hits the floor. Clothesline to the floor and Smooth attacks on the outside. Apparently Kanyon turning over his limousine was the backstory behind this match. Kanyon illegally escapes a go-behind as Hudson plays off his nickname by calling him "the innovator of offensive behavior." Now it may be a bit of a stretch to say he innovated it, but "practitioner" would fit the bill. Avalanche (Ice Ho Train?), but Kanyon moves from a second one and hits a Russian legsweep for two. Back body drop and elbowdrops by Kanyon, followed by a Jeff Hardy illegal legdrop for a near fall. Vertical suplex and a slingshot elbowdrop get another near fall. Smooth comes back by throwing Kanyon down and following up with haymakers. Inverted atomic drop, clothesline and a back-breaking powerbomb followed by a standing splash. Kanyon barely gets the shoulder up. Smooth runs himself into the ringpost as Kanyon escapes to grab a chair. Meanwhile, Road Warrior Animal hits the ring for some reason with a DDT. Kanyon gets the pin at 5:09 as the camera crew nearly misses it, catching The Cat running in to even the odds. Not much to see here, unless you really like Ice Train, which I doubt. * The heels get chased out as Cat issues a tag team challenge for Thunder. At least one guy wants people to watch it.
-More Spring Break promos. I bet some of those people look back in shame.
-The Rhodes family speaks again. I tend to forget that Dustin was in WCW in 2001. He resurfaced about ten months later by bringing back Goldust, the only gimmick that really got him over.
-Rick Steiner vs. Konnan. Make it quick. Steiner attacks and sends Konnan to the floor. Back in, Steinerline knocks Konnan down again. Illegal face raking and Steiner says something that gets silenced. He continues the ground-and-pound game here, attacking from the back mount. Konnan counters a charge, only to run into another Steinerline. German Suplex as this turns into a squash. Near-fall is followed up with a sleeper hold. Meanwhile, you just missed Rhyno's WWF debut on RAW. Konnan comes back with his rolling clothesline and facebuster. Another Steinerline barely hits, followed by an elbow. Painful overhead suplex only gets a long two count. Steiner very slowly applies an armbar, then gets up and counters a leapfrog into a back body drop. Shane Douglas appears from the crowd and blasts Steiner with a cast, so the referee calls for the bell at 5:07. Steiner continues the assault on Konnan as Douglas leaves. Hugh Morrus makes the save and throws him out. This match was worth nothing and Steiner nearly killed Konnan a few times. ½*
-Lance Storm and Mike Awesome backstage promo. A match would be a lot better... wait, there is one coming up.
-Lance Storm and Mike Awesome vs. Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire. Here is an exhibition between some of the most underrated wrestlers of their era. (Even though I never liked Awesome being the "Canadian Killer" from Tampa.) Storm starts an "If I can be serious for a minute" promo, but the faces cut it off before the Canadian national anthem. (Random fact: I know that song verbatim.) Palumbo and O'Haire squashed Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell in a huge win for the young guys the night before to win the Tag Team Titles. This match is for a title shot. Palumbo and Storm start as a "USA" chant breaks out. A wrestling sequence begins, Storm floats over and Palumbo decks him with two right hands. Storm elbows him back, Palumbo leapfrogs and hits a dropkick, sending Storm outside. Back to the ring, O'Haire tags in. Storm thinks it over and tags Mike Awesome in. O'Haire shoves Awesome out of a headlock, leapfrogs and hits an elbow to the midsection and knee to the face. Awesome counters a charge in the corner, but O'Haire ducks a clothesline and hits a nice jumping spinkick. Cover, Storm saves and Awesome clotheslines O'Haire to the floor. Storm throws him into the ring steps and everyone regroups. Awesome ambushes O'Haire upon re-entry. Storm tags in and Team Canada hits a double clothesline. They exchange forearm shots as Awesome comes in to give Storm the advantage. Suplex by Storm, tag to Awesome and a slingshot splash gets two. They exchange right hands, which O'Haire wins before a cheapshot by Awesome. Storm comes back in and O'Haire hits a series of punches before Storm hits a jawbreaker. Awesome in yet again with a flying clothesline. Palumbo makes the save this time as another punch exchange breaks out. Storm hits a flying axe handle halfway across the ring to break that up. Palumbo chases Storm out as Team Canada double teams with the referee distracted. O'Haire then catches Storm mid-leapfrog and hits the move that later became the Widowmaker, leading to a big Hoover job from Hudson. Tag finally made to Palumbo, who attacks Storm and counters a cross body into a Fallaway Slam. He also catches a dropkick and turns it into a powerbomb. Flying shoulderblock by Palumbo, but Awesome breaks up the pin. Stereo Irish whips end up in O'Haire clotheslining Storm and Palumbo catching a charging Awesome with a superkick. O'Haire springs up to the top turnbuckle, but Storm throws him all the way out to the guardrail. Palumbo DDTs Awesome as Storm enters with a chair, but Palumbo kicks the chair into his face. Awesome uses a second chair as Schiavone asks "How did the referee not hear that?!" Wow, logic from Tony. Awesome Bomb gets the academic pinfall at 7:54. Unique finishing sequence there capping off a fairly good match. It was littered with a lot of punch-kick business, but there was a good pace and all sorts of innovative counters you don't see everyday. **3/4
-Does anyone remember Jeremy Borash as a co-host on WCW Live? If not, Schiavone reminds us.
-Main event interview: Jeff Jarrett and Ric Flair come out to commence the ass-kissing. Dustin walks out to the ramp, but Flair wants Dusty. On cue, he introduces him. He walks out on the side of the stage... with a donkey. It's an ass! Genius! They kill themselves with laughter. It even has "Dusty's Ass" branded on its back. Dusty tells a panicking Flair to get down there and kiss the donkey's backside. "It had about 300 burritos," Dusty says. Great, now they go with gas jokes. Flair and Jarrett argue over who has to face the ass. Flair "shoves" Jarrett so Jeff can attack Dustin. Flair and Dusty get into a brawl as if it were 1986. Jarrett goes in for the double-team as Dusty hits the guardrail. The Rhodes' take over, however, and force Flair and Jarrett into the donkey in stereo. Flair enjoys it more than he had any right to. Sure, when I was 13 I thought this was hilarious, but the humor is a bit less so now. This could have been done for a good cheap laugh, though not necessarily in the main event segment. Schiavone recovers from laughing long enough to make the final hard sell for March 26, and we are out.
The Bottom Line: This was clearly a dying brand as evidenced by who was booked on this show and where. It was more like a go-home show (more like a stay-home show for the people of Gainesville) than a big show in itself. There are a few good "TV length" matches, but nothing much worth going out of your way to watch. There is even more historical curiosity and excitment on the final Nitro, so watch that one if you have the choice.
R.I.P. World Championship Wrestling.
-Live from Gainesville, Florida
-Your hosts are Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson
-The show opens with one of the funniest "tribute" videos ever: Scott Steiner's memorial to Diamond Dallas Page, featuring trailer parks. They go without the opening here.
-Speak of the devil, Steiner opens the show. Schiavone announces that Eric Bischoff will be calling in later in the show with a "major announcement." Steiner comes out with Midajah and Ric Flair. How did he and Flair manage to coexist? Steiner cut the "Ric Flair number two, the Nature Boy" shoot promo the year before and Flair still hated him over that. Steiner starts running down DDP, repeatedly using the term "white trash" and comparing him to Sting, Kevin Nash, Sid and Goldberg, in that they are all out of action. Steiner thankfully passes the torch to Flair after about two minutes. Does anyone remember when Flair had short, spiked hair? And went by "The Nature Boss?" He moves on to his and Jeff Jarrett's feud with Dusty and Dustin Rhodes. He says that he should have made Dusty "kiss my Gator ass." At this point Dusty and Dustin appear on the TurnerTron. Dusty actually generates big face pops with his promo about kissing someone's ass. He does err on the side of wrong, calling Dustin a "young lion" before introducing Booker T, who had won the United States Championship from the even less-talented Steiner brother the night before. Booker tells Scott to "shut the hell up," without quite the same enthusiasm Chris Jericho used. Booker tries one of his thousand failed catchphrases, "Save the drama for your mama." Good thing he finally landed on "Can you dig it?" He closes teasing an announcement one hour from now from "the man," and leaves it at that.
-The Magnificent Seven are rambling backstage. Buff Bagwell is still an idiot.
-Jason Jett vs. Disqo. The inferno was mere sparks by this point. Mike Sanders is with Disqo for some reason. Disqo talks before the match about breaking up his team with Alex Wright (He was still employed?) in favor of Sanders. (Interesting note: Several years ago, there were Internet rumors that Sanders married a transsexual named Mary Ellen. We never found out who started it, but it later came out he actually married a natural female by a different name.) Good fast-paced wrestling sequence begins the match. Jett backflips as Disqo catches his foot and hits a sitout hiptoss, which I've never seen before or since. That gets the first near-fall. Sitout powerbomb also gets a near fall. A timely distraction by Sanders allows Disqo to throw Jett outside, and Sanders kicks him and throws him back in. Referee "Scott James," who was actually current WWE official Scott Armstrong, fails to catch this. Disqo hits a pair of neckbreakers and dances like a buffoon. Jett dodges a third one and gets a unique bridge pin for two. Disqo with a HHH facebuster and he gets two. He works the knee, then switches to the back with no rhyme or reason. Russian legsweep is followed by an illegal choke. Sanders runs in, but Jett dodges a kneedrop and clotheslines him back the way he came. Irish whip, Jett comes back with a handspring elbow and springs up like The Rock. Bodyslam and standing moonsault get a long near-fall. Disqo hits a stungun (it looked as if Jett was supposed to land on the apron) and a DDT for another two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Jett and Sanders runs in, but accidentally elbows Disqo. Wrestling logic dictates that since Sanders hit his own partner, it is not a disqualification. Dropkick sends Sanders out and Jett finishes Disqo with the Crash Landing at 5:00. I still recall watching this match live and thinking Jason Jett was the future of the WWF Light Heavyweight division. He never even got a dark match as far as I know. This was a good effort out of a company they knew was dying soon. **½
-More promotion of the Bischoff announcement.
-Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett talk about something related to the Rhodes family.
-Sugar Shane Helms comes out and... cuts a promo? He is the new Cruiserweight Champion, having beaten Chavo Guerrero at Greed. He challenges Kidman (whom he apparently replaced in a match at Superbrawl) to an impromptu match. Kidman comes out to some rap crap and the match begins. A fast-paced sequence ends with a Kidman huricanarana and Helms rolls to the floor. Kidman baseball slides outside, where Helms takes over and follows up with a huge somersault plancha that earns a replay. Helms with a flying cross body for two. Helms counters a Kidman powerbomb (role reversal?), Kidman goes for the Kid Krusher, Helms back suplex countered and Kidman hits one of his own for two. Kidman hits the Sky High (not a Powerbomb, Tony) for two as they promote Spring Break Out the following week. Helms hits the swinging neckbomb for a near-fall. Kidman blocks a suplex and hits an inverted variation for two. Helms counters a charge and hits a neckbreaker, getting two yet again. Kidman actually goes for the Acid Drop, Helms counters that and a clothesline into an out-of-nowhere Vertebreaker for the pin at 3:41. Good showing for so little time. Perhaps it was a WWF audition -- if so, it worked. ** Chavo runs in after the match and Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper join in. Rey Mysterio (unmasked) runs in to even the odds as Kidman joins the faces. They clear the ring of the heels as the commentators again mention Bischoff's announcement.
-Hype video, sponsored by the relatively outdated 1-800-COLLECT, showing Spring Break parties at the University of Florida. I grew up a Florida State fan, so why should I care?
-Bam Bam Bigelow cuts a promo on Shawn Stasiak. Please don't turn this into a match on this show.
-More Magnificent Seven crap.
-Young Stacy Keibler (a full decade before George Clooney) joins us to cut a promo, saying she deserves a bigger ovation. She actually gets it from the college guys. Stacy then introduces us to the Shawn and Stacy Show. Crap, it's a match. And a Stasiak promo. Neither one is worth anything. Shawn even forgets the name of the previous night's event. Here comes Bigelow, and that leads to...
-Shawn Stasiak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow attacks to start, but Stasiak deadweights a German Suplex attempt by grabbing the referee, who releases the hold just as Stasiak hits Bigelow in the Bam Bams. OK, I'll give them points for that. Stasiak hammers away with generic offense as Tony points out that he hates "fat, bald, tattooed guys." Then he would really despise the UFC trend. Bigelow counters the neckbreaker, but Stasiak hits a clothesline. Stacy tries throwing hairspray to Shawn, but Bigelow catches it instead and hits Greetings from Asbury Park for the pin at just 1:43. Good thing they kept it short. Scott Hudson says Bigelow caught the hairspray "even though Stacy throws like Jesse Palmer." Well that actually was accurate -- Stacy threw an interception. Not much worth seeing unless you love Stacy Keibler as fresh meat. DUD
-Post-match, Stasiak accuses Bigelow of "cheating." They set up a rematch for Spring Break Out where if Bigelow wins, he tattoos "that prissy little thing in the ring"... Shawn, not Stacy. Thankfully that was an even shorter match and we were spared the skin alterations.
-Here comes Scott Steiner and company as it's announcement time. Nice try, but most of the audience is switching to USA. A noticeably depressed Bischoff joins us via phone, probably from Middle-of-Nowhere, Wyoming. He announces that March 26 is the last night of wrestling on the Turner networks after 29 years and that there are big changes ahead. He declares the next Nitro "the Night of Champions," headlined by a Steiner-Booker T title vs. title match. Bischoff extends an invitation to "any former World Champion" to show up in Panama City. As far as I know, only Sting accepted. He then brings up his and Flair's "rocky relationship" and says it's best that Flair kiss Dusty Rhodes' ass. That gets the biggest face pop of the segment, though WWF crowds reacted more to Kaientai. Booker T tries to sign the contract before Steiner ambushes him with a lead pipe. Steiner chokeslams (holy crap) a security plant through a table. Booker comes back with the Scissors Kick as the heels bail out. He signs the contract and issues his final threats. Bischoff phoned in phoning it in, but the wrestlers played off of it well.
-Kanyon vs. M.I. Smooth. From that to... this. Who was M.I. Smooth? Google reveals that he was the artist formerly known as Ice Train. Good thing somebody knew. I have no memory of that guy. Kanyon attacks as M.I. Smooth enters the ring. Smooth overpowers him, leapfrogs and hits the powerslam. The commentators put over his combination of strength and agility as the match hits the floor. Clothesline to the floor and Smooth attacks on the outside. Apparently Kanyon turning over his limousine was the backstory behind this match. Kanyon illegally escapes a go-behind as Hudson plays off his nickname by calling him "the innovator of offensive behavior." Now it may be a bit of a stretch to say he innovated it, but "practitioner" would fit the bill. Avalanche (Ice Ho Train?), but Kanyon moves from a second one and hits a Russian legsweep for two. Back body drop and elbowdrops by Kanyon, followed by a Jeff Hardy illegal legdrop for a near fall. Vertical suplex and a slingshot elbowdrop get another near fall. Smooth comes back by throwing Kanyon down and following up with haymakers. Inverted atomic drop, clothesline and a back-breaking powerbomb followed by a standing splash. Kanyon barely gets the shoulder up. Smooth runs himself into the ringpost as Kanyon escapes to grab a chair. Meanwhile, Road Warrior Animal hits the ring for some reason with a DDT. Kanyon gets the pin at 5:09 as the camera crew nearly misses it, catching The Cat running in to even the odds. Not much to see here, unless you really like Ice Train, which I doubt. * The heels get chased out as Cat issues a tag team challenge for Thunder. At least one guy wants people to watch it.
-More Spring Break promos. I bet some of those people look back in shame.
-The Rhodes family speaks again. I tend to forget that Dustin was in WCW in 2001. He resurfaced about ten months later by bringing back Goldust, the only gimmick that really got him over.
-Rick Steiner vs. Konnan. Make it quick. Steiner attacks and sends Konnan to the floor. Back in, Steinerline knocks Konnan down again. Illegal face raking and Steiner says something that gets silenced. He continues the ground-and-pound game here, attacking from the back mount. Konnan counters a charge, only to run into another Steinerline. German Suplex as this turns into a squash. Near-fall is followed up with a sleeper hold. Meanwhile, you just missed Rhyno's WWF debut on RAW. Konnan comes back with his rolling clothesline and facebuster. Another Steinerline barely hits, followed by an elbow. Painful overhead suplex only gets a long two count. Steiner very slowly applies an armbar, then gets up and counters a leapfrog into a back body drop. Shane Douglas appears from the crowd and blasts Steiner with a cast, so the referee calls for the bell at 5:07. Steiner continues the assault on Konnan as Douglas leaves. Hugh Morrus makes the save and throws him out. This match was worth nothing and Steiner nearly killed Konnan a few times. ½*
-Lance Storm and Mike Awesome backstage promo. A match would be a lot better... wait, there is one coming up.
-Lance Storm and Mike Awesome vs. Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire. Here is an exhibition between some of the most underrated wrestlers of their era. (Even though I never liked Awesome being the "Canadian Killer" from Tampa.) Storm starts an "If I can be serious for a minute" promo, but the faces cut it off before the Canadian national anthem. (Random fact: I know that song verbatim.) Palumbo and O'Haire squashed Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell in a huge win for the young guys the night before to win the Tag Team Titles. This match is for a title shot. Palumbo and Storm start as a "USA" chant breaks out. A wrestling sequence begins, Storm floats over and Palumbo decks him with two right hands. Storm elbows him back, Palumbo leapfrogs and hits a dropkick, sending Storm outside. Back to the ring, O'Haire tags in. Storm thinks it over and tags Mike Awesome in. O'Haire shoves Awesome out of a headlock, leapfrogs and hits an elbow to the midsection and knee to the face. Awesome counters a charge in the corner, but O'Haire ducks a clothesline and hits a nice jumping spinkick. Cover, Storm saves and Awesome clotheslines O'Haire to the floor. Storm throws him into the ring steps and everyone regroups. Awesome ambushes O'Haire upon re-entry. Storm tags in and Team Canada hits a double clothesline. They exchange forearm shots as Awesome comes in to give Storm the advantage. Suplex by Storm, tag to Awesome and a slingshot splash gets two. They exchange right hands, which O'Haire wins before a cheapshot by Awesome. Storm comes back in and O'Haire hits a series of punches before Storm hits a jawbreaker. Awesome in yet again with a flying clothesline. Palumbo makes the save this time as another punch exchange breaks out. Storm hits a flying axe handle halfway across the ring to break that up. Palumbo chases Storm out as Team Canada double teams with the referee distracted. O'Haire then catches Storm mid-leapfrog and hits the move that later became the Widowmaker, leading to a big Hoover job from Hudson. Tag finally made to Palumbo, who attacks Storm and counters a cross body into a Fallaway Slam. He also catches a dropkick and turns it into a powerbomb. Flying shoulderblock by Palumbo, but Awesome breaks up the pin. Stereo Irish whips end up in O'Haire clotheslining Storm and Palumbo catching a charging Awesome with a superkick. O'Haire springs up to the top turnbuckle, but Storm throws him all the way out to the guardrail. Palumbo DDTs Awesome as Storm enters with a chair, but Palumbo kicks the chair into his face. Awesome uses a second chair as Schiavone asks "How did the referee not hear that?!" Wow, logic from Tony. Awesome Bomb gets the academic pinfall at 7:54. Unique finishing sequence there capping off a fairly good match. It was littered with a lot of punch-kick business, but there was a good pace and all sorts of innovative counters you don't see everyday. **3/4
-Does anyone remember Jeremy Borash as a co-host on WCW Live? If not, Schiavone reminds us.
-Main event interview: Jeff Jarrett and Ric Flair come out to commence the ass-kissing. Dustin walks out to the ramp, but Flair wants Dusty. On cue, he introduces him. He walks out on the side of the stage... with a donkey. It's an ass! Genius! They kill themselves with laughter. It even has "Dusty's Ass" branded on its back. Dusty tells a panicking Flair to get down there and kiss the donkey's backside. "It had about 300 burritos," Dusty says. Great, now they go with gas jokes. Flair and Jarrett argue over who has to face the ass. Flair "shoves" Jarrett so Jeff can attack Dustin. Flair and Dusty get into a brawl as if it were 1986. Jarrett goes in for the double-team as Dusty hits the guardrail. The Rhodes' take over, however, and force Flair and Jarrett into the donkey in stereo. Flair enjoys it more than he had any right to. Sure, when I was 13 I thought this was hilarious, but the humor is a bit less so now. This could have been done for a good cheap laugh, though not necessarily in the main event segment. Schiavone recovers from laughing long enough to make the final hard sell for March 26, and we are out.
The Bottom Line: This was clearly a dying brand as evidenced by who was booked on this show and where. It was more like a go-home show (more like a stay-home show for the people of Gainesville) than a big show in itself. There are a few good "TV length" matches, but nothing much worth going out of your way to watch. There is even more historical curiosity and excitment on the final Nitro, so watch that one if you have the choice.
R.I.P. World Championship Wrestling.