Nickrj’s rant for Starrcade 1998
I picked up three WCW videos when it was in its very bad period during the late 90’s. Let’s see how bad they are huh?
This event aired on December 27th 1998 at the MCI Center in Washington D.C.
Your hosts are Tony Schavione, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan. A trio Scott Keith refers to as “The Usual Idiots.” They go thru 55 minutes of talking before the opening match followed by a QVC ad and Gene Okerlund says The Four Horseman are not in attendance tonight as they are barred from ringside from the Flair/Bischoff match. He plus in the WCW hotline.
Triangle Cruiserweight Title Match: Kidman VS Juventud
Guerrera VS Rey Mysterio Jr.
Juv tries to intimidate his opponents and the others go to town on him. Rey hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker but runs into a boot. Kidman hits a dropkick and Rey hits a bronco buster. Rey inadventaly hammers Kidman and they brawl before nailing Juv and fight again. I guess they don’t want Juv involved in this match. Juv misses a Doomsday Device splash and Kidman face slams Rey into Juv for 2. Juv hits a double bulldog but can’t cover. He talks to the camera instead and tries to cover both men. Idiot. Juv chops both men. Juv gets nailed by a clothesline and Rey hits the X factor for 2. Kidman is clotheslined out and Rey is backdropped out onto Kidman. Juv hits a springboard double clothesline! Back in Juv gets double dropkicked from coming from the top rope. Kidman catches Rey and Juv hits a springboard hurrcurana for 2. Juv comes out of a suplex and hits a bulldog. Kidman hits a sidewalk slam and misses a top rope splash as Juv catches him. Rey hits a backflip for 2. Rey hits hurricurana on the apron to the outside on Juv. Kidman suplexes Rey back in and hits a Guillotine legdrop for 2. Kidman hits a power bomb on Juv for 2. Rey hits a reverse bulldog for 2. Juv hits a shoulder back breaker for 2. Juv is thrown out by Kidman. Kidman goes flying to the outside after missing something on Rey. Rey hits a top rope Asai moonsault on both opponents. Awesome! Rey then hits a top rope hurrcurana on Juv. Juv hits a hoovydriver and gets nailed by Kidman. Rey hits a top rope hurrcurana on Kidman for 2. Kidman hits a powerbomb on Juv for 2. Rey takes Juv outside with another hurrcurana. Kidman hits a shooting star press on both opponents. Maybe WCW isn’t as bad as it should be. Eddie Guererro comes out to distract the ref. Juv clotheslines Kidman on the top rope and hits a sunset flip but Kidman sits down on Juv. The ref lets Eddie goes in and he puts Juv on top and Rey reverses it and Kidman gets the pin at 14:54. I don’t understand why the ref would let Eddie in the ring. Oh well bad ending aside this was a terrific opener. ***3/4 Afterwards Eddie argues with Juv not seeing that Rey dropkicked Juv and to Rey that he couldn’t beat Kidman. Boy is he pissed. He issues a title match for Kidman’s title. Kidman accepts but he says that he wants to fight now. This leads to…
Crusierweight Title Match: Kidman VS Eddie Guererro
Eddie starts kicking Kidman repeatedly. He hits a power bomb for 2. Inside cradle gets another 2. Belly first slam by Eddie. He hooks an ab stretch and tries to get help from Juv but Rey shoves him off. Eddie goes outside and shoves off Juv. Back in Kidman gets an ankle hook but gets nailed by an uppercut. He hits a dropkick and pounds on Eddie. Eddie clips the knee. He does a death lock. He hits another uppercut. Rey pulls Kidman out. Eddie is rammed into the rail but a double team occurs with Kidman rammed into the post. Back in Kidman hits a sloppy bulldog to take advantage and pounds on Eddie. He hooks the sleeper but takes a jawbreaker. Kidman pounds Eddie in the corner again. Eddie has a boot and hits Kidman with it for 2. Eddie hits a brain buster and goes to the top for his frog splash but gets caught and Kidman hits a superplex for 2. Eddie hits a dropkick at the knees and goes on the right leg with a submission hold but Rey breaks up the extra leverage. Juv and Rey go at it outside the ring. Eddie holds the arm and does a top rope flying head scissors. Kidman comes out of a powerbomb and kicks away on Eddie. Eddie hits a slam and a guillotine legdrop for 2. He misses a top rope hurrcurana and Eddie gets shoved off the top and Kidman goes to the top but Juv pulls him off. The ref tries to send the N.W.O bodyguard out as Rey shoves Eddie off the top. Kidman hits the shooting star press for the pin at 10:47. Two wins for Kidman! **1/2
They tie up and Prince gets a quick roll up. Norman slaps Prince who oversells it. Prince grabs the leg and twists it and hits a dropkick sending Prince outside. Prince hits a sloppy cannonball outside. Back in Prince hits a snap suplex for 2. Norman works on Prince and hits an armdrag. He goes to work on the arm of Prince with a deathlock as the announcers just talk about Flair and Bischoff match. Prince gets up and pounds away in the corner. Norman drapes Prince on the top rope. Smiley hits a twilt a whirl bodyslam for 2. He goes to a figure four chin lock. Prince fails a sunset flip but gets it on the 2nd try. Smiley with a snap mare as a BORING chant starts. Smiley hits a double stomp. He does a shoulder hook type move. Prince gets back up and hits a clothesline in the corner but Smiley reverse a suplex and dances on his butt. Norman hits a double underhook powerbomb for 2. He goes back to the cross arm breaker. Prince fights back again but Norman with a drop toe hold. He starts that dance again but Prince hits a german suplex for 2. And Norman goes back to the chicken wing on the ground. He holds the arm and leg of Prince. Norman hits another double stomp. Prince fights back again as the crowd is just dying. Norman to the outside and favors his groin. Back in Norman gets an eyerake and dances once again. Prince misses a charge but recovers. He hits a top rope bodypress but Norman reverses for 2. Norman tries the chicken wing and gets it for the submission at 11:31. Way too long here ½*
Scott Hall comes out waking up the crowd. He comes in the ring and says that 1998 hasn’t been the best year for himself. He talks about Kevin Nash in the main event tonight and that 1999 will be his year.
Cat gives Perry 5 seconds to leave but Perry doesn’t. Instead he gets nailed at the count of 5. Cat stalls outside the ring. He gets back in and plays dead allowing Perry to pummel him. Cat escapes out of the corner and outside again for some more stalling. Back in he wants a handshake but Perry takes an eyerake and Cat starts choking. He kicks Perry and chokes him out the ropes. Cat chokes him with his foot again and covers him for 2. Perry goes for a reverse pin for 2. Perry tries several other pin types for 2. Cat gets out and stalls some more. Perry takes a savat kick. They slug each other. Perry turns a kick into a back suplex. Cat runs into a boot and Perry hits a belly to belly for 2. Perry hits a swinging neck breaker. He goes to the top lands on his feet and takes a kick. Cat covers Perry for 2. Cat hits a jaw kick. Is this all this guy does? Sonny comes in and inadverntanly kicks Cat. Cat shoves Sonny and Perry hits the Death Valley driver for the pin at 7:07. Total crap -*
We get a long look at the Flair/Bischoff feud.
Tony announces that the Goldberg/Nash title match will be No DQ. Adams and Finlay start it off. Adams hits a boot and a clothesline in the corner. Finlay comes back with a clothesline for 2. Fit hits a couple of uppercuts and a butt bomb but rams his shoulder in the post. Norton comes in and clotheslines and they trade slaps and Norton hits a power slam. Norton runs thru a double clothesline and hits one of his own. Flynn hits a flying karate kick in the corner.Flynn chops Adams down and Adams hits a tilt a whirl backbraker for 2. Finlay comes in and hits a clothesline. A flying chop gets 2. He goes to the chinlock followed by an elbow. Adams hits a piledriver and the announcers stray away from this match again. Norton comes in and hits a poor DDT and does the head vice followed by a Rude Awakning for 2. He pounds on Finlay on both corners. Adams gets a cheap shot from the outside. Back in Norton hits a clothesline and chops Finlay down. Norton hits an inverse shoulderbreaker for 2. Adams comes back in and he hits an elbow. Finlay hits a jawbreaker and a DDT for 2. He flies into a boot and Adams hits a press slam on his knee. Finlay brings the knees up on Adams. Norton and Flynn comes in and Flynn hits an enzguri. They knock Adams out. But Norton hits a powerbomb on Flynn for the pin at 8:55. Pretty dumb finish ¼*
Chris Jericho’s music sounds like Pearl Jam’s Evenflow. He steals Billy Graham’s interview line “I’m the man of the hour…” They tie up and Konnan gets a right hand. They both run for a bit before Konnan is kicked. Chris with a fameasser and misses a top rope bodypress and Konnan knocks him to the outside. Konnan is shoved into the rail. Jericho takes out the steps and is thrown into the rail but takes a boot and is thrown into the post. Chris hits a suplex for 2. He goes to a chinlock. Chris hits a knee in the gut. He hits a couple of chops and a foot to the throat. Chris slams Konnan and goes to the top and takes a foot. Konnan comes back with a clothesline. He does a nice rollup for 2. Clothesline by Chris and a flying sault gets 2. Jericho does a 2nd rope bodypress into the steps outside. Konnan hits a low kick but Jericho takes him down and hits a slingshot into the ropes but misses a charge. Konnan hits the ref and Chris hits Konnan with the TV title belt but Konnan kicks out. Konnan hits an X Factor and does the Tequila Sunrise for the submission at 7:28 to retain. Okay title match *1/2
There are no horsemen in the building. Flair beats up Eric outside the ring. In the ring Flair pounds on Eric in the corner and pulls on his mouth. Flair hits a flying kneedrop that looks like he missed it completely. Flair kicks Bischoff in the corner. Eric sells a knee injury and Flair goes after the leg. Eric kicks Flair in the back of the head. Ric is rammed into the rail. Back in Eric kicks Bischoff. Flair blades and takes another kick. Flair hits a low blow. He hits another one. Jeez why doesn’t the ref DQ him? Flair takes off the shirt of Eric and hits some chops and also the ref. Flair kicks Eric in the leg and hits a back suplex. Flair hits a vertical suplex. Flair locks the Figure Four. Curt Henning comes in the ring and hands Bichoff some knucks and KO’s flair with it and pins Flair at 7:09. Boy oh BOY! Why did they need to put Uncle Eric over? That’s total BS -***1/2
They spit at each other to start. DDP with some jabs at the big man and clotheslines him out. Giant outside clotheslines Page and hits a headbutt that sends him over the rail and into the crowd. Page uses a trash can for defense and nails Giant with it. Giant throws DDP into the steel steps. He rams Page’s arm into the post. He does it again. Giant press slams Page back in the ring. Giant elbows the right leg of Page. He slowly works on the right leg of Page. Page chokes Giant out of it. Giant continues to pound over DDP. He hits a headbutt. Giant throws Page up and into a bearhug. As I’m falling asleep here. Page hits an elbow but hits a power slam but Giant doesn’t want the cover. C’mon Giant just end this crap. Giant does another high bear hug. Page bites him to break out of it. Page tries a sunset flip but Giant does a chokeslam into a backbreaker. Giant still doesn’t want to end it. I want it to end! Page hits a Bulldog for 2 and Page in thrown on top of the ref. Bret Hart comes in and inadvertanly hits DDP with a chair and is nailed with a low blow on Bret. But it STILL doesn’t end! Page hits a flying clothesline from the top. He hits another one. He signals the Diamond Cutter but goes to the top and gets caught. Giant shakes off a low kick and chokeslams him off the top but DDP hits the Diamond Cutter from the top for the pin at 12:45. Hot ending saves this match somewhat but that’s saying little. -**
Goldberg has a 173-0 undefeated streak on the line here tonight as well as the title. Personal note: Ring Announcer Michael Buffer looks like Vince McMahon. Nash gets a pretty big pop. Both men get pretty big pops inside the ring. They tie up and do nothing. Nash gets a sideheadlock and Goldberg hits a side suplex sending Nash outside. He gets back in and starts pounding. He beats up Goldberg forever in the corner until Gold gets out and starts choking Nash. Goldberg does an ankle lock but Nash makes the ropes. Goldberg continues pounding on Nash but is shoved into the 2nd turnbuckle. Nash with a boot to the throat. Goldberg hits a spear and tries his finisher but Nash with a low blow. Nash hits a sidewalk slam for 2. Crowd’s really into this one. Nash hits an elbow for 2. Nash hits a sitting butt splash for 2. He gets kicked in the gut but hits an elbow and a clothesline for 2. Goldberg hits a neckbreaker and a take over suplex for 2. He gets a standing side kick. He powerslams Goldberg for 2. Goldberg with a spinning dropkick but Disco Inferno comes in and gets nailed. Bam Bam Bigelow comes in and also gets wrecked. But Scott Hall pokes Goldberg with a tazer gun. Nash finished with the jackknife at 11:19 ending the streak and Nash is the new World’s Champ! Match was nothing but the heat kept it from negatives. ½*
Summary: Well this show pretty much reeked a monkey’s
foot. Three matches at negative stars and two matches that had the wrong guy
won. No real reason to see this STRONG RECOMMENDATION TO AVOID