Nickrj’s rant for WCW Hog Wild 1996
An outdoor show live from Sturgis, South Dakota on August 11th 1996. The site of the world famous biker rally. Or in other words a DOA convention. J
Your hosts are Tony Schavonie, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan
Mike Tenay is doing commentary for this opening match. Mysterio won the title from Dean Malenko on July 8th. He looks like Spiderman here tonight. They go thru a leg lock sequence as well as a waist lock and Dragon controls an armbar. Rey comes out of it with a nice twist. Rey with a leglock submission. Dragon comes out and they go thru a chinlock sequence. Dragon hits a spin kick on Rey. Rey blocks a roll up and they trade somersaults and quick maneuvers on each other. Dragon hits some quick kicks and a dropkick to take control. Handspring elbow by Dragon. He hits a running powerbomb. He locks the Figure Four. Rey reaches the ropes however. Dragon hooks a torture rack and hits a backbreaker. Surfboard grapevine now but Rey falls on top for two. Dragon misses a handspring and Rey hits a missle dropkick to the neck and a baseball slide sends him to the ground outside the ring floor and a springboard plancha 10 feet on the air! Back in, Rey goes to the top and hits a flying head scissors. Handspring to the outside and a springboard but Dragon catches him with a dropkick and Dragon slingshots himself onto Rey outside. Back in Dragon with a German suplex for 2. Springboard moonsault but doesn’t cover him. He hits a top rope moonsault for 2 ½. Running powerbomb is reversed by a hurricurana by Rey. Rey sets Dragon on the top and it takes 2 times to hit a top rope hurricurana for the pin at 11:35. Good match for an opener. ***1/2
Train’s elbow and shoulder is wrapped up here. They circle around and slug it out. Norton goes after the injured shoulder of Train. He throws Train outside and throws his shoulder to the post. Norton continues to work on the injured shoulder but Train gets a slam. Norton goes back to work on the shoulder though. He drives his knee into the shoulder. Train comes back with some shots and hits a clothesline. Norton with his knee into the shoulder again and a legdrop. Train gets a powerslam though for 2. Train with some clotheslines but Norton takes him down by the injured shoulder. He puts his weight on it and the ref stops the match at 5:05. Suckfest here. DUD
The winner of the match gets to destroy the losers bike. Nakano hits Madusa with her nunchucks and pulls her by the hair twice. Nakano starts to pound on Madusa now. She slams Madusa and covers her for 2 but Madusa gets a face slam and some clotheslines for 2. Nakano hooks a Cloverleaf type maneuver. She gets a DDT on the ropes for 2. Snap mare followed by a chinlock. Madusa comes back with some kicks and hits a hurricurana for 2. Spin kick and she is nailed by a clothesline for 2. Madusa gets a German suplex for 2. Nakano hits a German suplex but Madusa gets her shoulder up. Sunset flip by Madusa for 2. Nakano gets a backsuplex but Madusa gets her shoulder up for 3 at 4:59. Sonny Ono starts destroying Madusa bike but Madusa takes the sledgehammer and destroys Nakano’s match as she has won the match. Match was kinda short to be anything *1/4
Dean Malenko (with Jimmy Hart) VS Chris Benoit (with
Woman and Elizabeth)
This should be a great one. They pound on each other to start. Benoit gets some chops but Malenko comes back with some kicks. Benoit hits a knee in the gut. Malenko hits a vertical suplex for 2. Neckbreaker by Malenko followed by an elbow for 2. Chinlock now by Dean. Benoit gets out and hammers on Malenko now. Legdrop for 2. Chris hits some chops and gets a clothesline for 2. Roll up type maneuver which is reversed several times. They trade more roll ups and Malenko gets a backslide for 2. Hip toss by Malenko into a body scissors. Benoit gets up and back slams Malenko for 2. Snap suplex by Benoit for 2. Ab stretch now. Dean comes out with an arm drag. Benoit to the chinlock. Dean comes out and they trade cross bodys. Chris blocks a top rope double ax and hits a snap suplex and the top rope flying headbutt for 2. Dean reverses and hits a tombstone piledriver for a series of 2 counts. Malenko kicks him in the face and Benoit rolls up Malenko on a Cloverleaf attempt for 2. Dean gets a crossbody that sends both men outside. Chris is rammed into the post. Back in Dean goes to the top but is caught. Chris hits a superplex but hits the back of his head. Chris slams Malenko for 2. Dean hits a huge waistlock takedown for 2. Benoit gets a roll up for 2. Chris hits a short clothesline for 2. Dean hits a clothesline for 2. Dean hits a Belly To Belly for 2. Chris hits one of his own for 2. German Suplex for another 2. Slam by Chris followed by a Walls of Jericho type move. Chris hits a clothesline and hits a slingshot plancha on Malenko on the outside. Back in Chris gets a sit back cover for 2. Dean rolls up Chris for 2. Backslide by Malenko for 2. Malenko with another roll up for 2. Benoit hits a power bomb for 2 ½. Benoit slams Malenko and he goes to the top and is caught by Dean. Dean hits a superplex for 2. Dean gets an Oklahoma roll for 2. Powerbomb by Dean for 2 and the bell rings at 20:00. However the ref allows a 5 minute over time. Benoit hits a back suplex for 2. Tilt A Whirl Backbreaker for another 2. Benoit hooks the Texas Cloverleaf. He releases the hold and Dean hits an enzuguri. They collide in the corner. Benoit kicks Dean around and hooks a leglock. Chris works on the right leg now of Dean and goes back to the leglock Dean gets a small package for 2 and the bell rings again at 25:00. We go to another overtime. Crowd doesn’t like that call. Chris gets a backdrop and Dean gets a legtwist. Dean goes to work on the right leg but Chris gets a dragon suplex for 2. Chris blocks a roll up for 2. He misses a dropkick and Dean hooks the Texas Cloverleaf and then to a crossface but Woman jumps on the apron and allows Benoit to roll up and pin Malenko at 26:56. Terrific matchup non stop for 27 minutes! ****1/2
Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat (with Sister Sherri and Col. Parker) VS The Steiner Brothers
The crowd really doesn’t like the Heat. Scott starts with Booker T and the Bikers here in Sturgis are revving their motors trying to distract the heat. Scott hammers on T to the outside. Scott hits a double underhook suplex and a 4 man brawl erupts with the Steiner’s winning it. Scott continues with T and Steiner hits a press slam. Scott does the 10 punch count followed by a big hip toss. Stevie Ray gets the tag and he gets a shove and takes control. Scott hits a suplex and tags in Rick. Rick gets a snap mare takeover into the chinlock. He runs into a boot however but gets a clothesline for 2. Scott is back in and hits a low headbutt. T gets the tag back in and hits a sidewalk slam. T runs into a boot and takes a belly to belly for 2. Rick is back in and hammers on T and hits a suplex for 2. Rick is nailed from behind by Ray. Ray hits some elbows and puts his knee on Rick. Ray goes to the chinlock. T gets the tag again and Rick gets a power slam for 2. Scott comes back in and hits a dropkick followed by a crossface. Rick comes in and goes to the chinlock. Rick is sent to the outside with help from T. T misses a high knee and is nailed to the outside. Ray comes in though and covers Rick for 2. Ray goes back to the chinlock. Rick comes out but takes a backdrop as the sun begins to set. T comes back in and covers Rick for 2. T goes back to the chinlock. Rick gets up and takes a slam. T misses an elbow but hits a high side kick. Ray is back in and he hits a lame backbreaker followed by a suplex for 2. Ray is back to the neck lock and he slams Rick. T comes in again and misses a 2nd rope kneedrop. Scott gets the hot tag and he hammers on both Heat. He hits a belly to belly on T for 2. Ray saves with a legdrop. 4 man brawl erupts as Parker inadvertanly throws powder in the eyes of T. Sherri hits Scott with more powder and is nailed by a cane and T gets the pin at 17:52. Decent enough match but too much resting **
Eddie gets a slap before the match begins. They tie up and they get into a shove fest and slap fest. They tie up again and Flair gets a shoulderblock and Eddie drops Flair down on his own shoulder. They get into a chopfest now. Flair stalls some more outside. Side headlock into a turnbuckle takeover. Flair gets a couple of roll ups for 2. Eddie starts chopping away and he gets a backdrop. Flair gets an eye rake and a chop. He pounds on Eddie in the corner. More chopping by Flair. Eddie starts fighting back and does the 10 punch count. Eddie gets a dropkick on Flair on the apron. Eddie with a backdrop and a clothesline. Eddie with some chop action in the corner and Flair does a flop. Flair hits a low blow. Eddie gets a cross body for 2 and a clothesline for another 2. Top rope sunset flip and Flair misses a punch. Drop toe hold by Eddie followed by a Figure Four. Flair gets to the ropes and Eddie hits a head scissors using the ropes for 2. Eddie hits a top rope bulldog for 2. He misses a charge though and Flair goes to the top but is caught and slammed for 2. Eddie is pulled to the outside. Sunset flip by Eddie and he pulls the tights of Flair for 2. Eddie with an eyepoke and snapmare takeover. Eddie goes to the top and hits a frog splash but hurts his knee. Flair blocks a rollup and hits a clothesline and hooks the Figure Four and uses the ropes for leverage as well as Woman. Flair gets the pin at 14:16. The match started off slow but picked up towards the end ***1/4
Scott Hall starts off the match with Luger. They power around in the corner. Hall gets an armbar and a hammerlock and he takes down Luger. Hall continues to work on the right arm. Hall gets some chops and Luger blocks and reverses a hip toss. He gets a knee lift and a slam. Kevin Nash gets the tag and comes in. He just stalls and spits on Sting on the apron. Sting gets the tag and he and Nash stare down. Nash nails him as a result. Sting comes back with a right hand. Nash blocks a slam and nails Sting. Sting starts hammering away and pokes Nash and slams him. He nails Hall as well. Nash catches Sting and drops him on the top rope and is clotheslined. Hall kicks away on Sting. Nash gets the tag and hammers on Sting some more. He hits a short clothesline. Hall gets in again and catches Sting and backslams him for 2. He hits a clothesline in the corner. Nash gets the tag again and he chokes out Sting in the corner with his foot. Sting starts to fight back but is caught. Nash connects with a big boot that misses and they collide and Sting hits a low headbutt. Hall gets the tag and catches Sting. Hall hammers on Sting and pins him for 2. Nash comes in and nails a big boot. Hall comes in again and sets up the Razor’s Edge but is backdropped. Luger gets the hot tag and he hammers on both Outsiders. 4 man brawl erupts with Sting hitting a splash on Nash. Luger knocks down Hall and he hits a lame powerslam. Outside Sting has the Scorpion on Nash. Luger picks up Nash for the Rack and hits ref Nick Patrick in the eye. Patrick trips up Luger and Nash gets the pin at 14:36. What the hell was that? The match sucked anyway 1/2*
Michael Buffer is the ring announcer here. Hogan just stalls outside the ring acting like a coward. Hogan just tries to leave the ring and he finally goes back in. Giant misses an ax and Hogan starts to punch and goes outside and stalls some more. Back in Giant knocks down Hogan and he goes outside again. C’mon Hogan quit being a coward and wrestle already? Back in Giant hits a back suplex and Hogan rolls outside again, which has been his favorite maneuver thus far. Giant catches Hogan back in but the ref separates them. Hogan continues to stall and he backs up from a lockup. Hogan goes to a lockup and Giant wins a test of strength. Hogan kicks him and starts winning it now. This is going on forever. Giant gets up and overpowers Hogan now and gets a wristlock. Hogan takes down Giant and goes to an armbar. Hogan hammers on the Giant and this match has just been nothing but stalling and restholds. Giant gets up but is taken down again. Giant powers up and takes down Hogan now. He hits 3 headbutts sending Hogan outside. Hogan pulls Giant outside and hammers on him and throws him to the ring post. Hogan rakes the back and Giant blocks the throw to the post and rams Hogan himself in it. Back inside Giant hits 2 boots and a backbreaker for 2. Finally a wrestling move in this match. Giant slams Hogan and misses an elbow. Hogan hammers on Giant now but Giant now sells and he starts Hulking up. He points the finger in the face and starts chopping Hogan and hits the big boot. Hall jumps on the top rope and is choke slammed. Nash comes out with Hart’s megaphone and he’s chokeslammed as well. Hogan KO’s Giant with the Title belt and wins the match and the title at 14:55. Match really sucked -**1/2 Afterwards the N.W.O celebrates and Brutus Beefcake brings out a birthday cake for Hogan as it’s his birthday. Beefcake congratulates Hogan on being the new champ. Hogan says that he’s gonna take down Ric Flair at Clash and he says he never mixes business with friendship and they beat up Beefcake and KO him with the title. Then they spraypaint the N.W.O letters on the title.
Summary: Well this show was kinda weird. On one hand you had some very good matchups and on the other hand you had a sucky title match and a sucky crowd. I’m going to go with MILDLY RECOMMENDED here as I’m really more of a fan of WWF than NWA/WCW