GSR

McGregor's whole act is taken from pro wrestling and has been the case since he pretty much debuted in the UFC.

Last man standing match with no DQ, no time limit, where pinfalls and submissions don’t count and the only way to win is by knocking your opponent down for a twenty count. In addition, as was finalised at the end of the Taipei Death match last month, Carmine Desperito and Dave Prazak are both handcuffed to members of the audience to prevent them from interfering. Lock up and the two of them are jockeying around the ring trying to gain position and an advantage. This hasn’t even gone twenty seconds and some mug in the crowd is shouting “boring” at them. They continue to trade holds (top wristlock, hammerlock reversal, drop toe hold) until Corp breaks the STF with a back elbow to the head. Great looking punches from Ian to Corp’s ribs followed by some of the stiffest sounding chops you’ll see from both. The stiffness continues with a Rotten clothesline. He slaps on a ‘Tazzmission’ trying to wear Corp down, and those “boring” chants are back, along with someone yelling to “put him through a table”. Ian picks the leg and traps it, and I really like the way he’s throwing punches to the knee of that trapped leg at the same time. A fight breaks out in the audience and the MC tells the crowd to stay sat in their seat and respect the wrestlers in the ring. This crowd? Not a chance, they’re watching the fight! Rotten sees what’s happening so grabs a front chancery (that Corps escapes from and transitions to a crossface) and they pretty much just lay there waiting for everything on the outside to die down. A suplex/brainbuster by Ian and he then picks up his barbed wire baseball bat (which should silence this bunch). A couple of shots to Corp’s back before he heads backstage to collect some light tubes which he lays between two chairs on the outside. Corp gets in first with a shot to the mid-section, then reverse DDT’s Ian through the set up. That’s cut the back of his head/neck pretty badly. Corp picks up the barbed wire baseball bat, grinds it into the cut and you can see a little girl in the front row covering her eyes from this while her dad looks nonplussed! Robinson collects some more light tubes and a facebuster onto them. As he’s choking Ian over the ropes, Rotten with a back kick low blow. Barbed wire baseball bat shot to the head! Ian then picks up one of the broken light tubes and slices Corp’s forehead and back with it. Brutal chairshot, with the chair getting stuck over Corp’s head and Ian telling the official to “count”. He looks done for, but at the count of nineteen Robinson just about gets back to his feet. Eye poke and Corp returns the favour with the chairshot, although clearly not to the crowd’s satisfaction as they yell “swing it” and “again” at him. He delivers three in total, but none as vicious as the one Ian gave him. ‘Bootcamp’ Russian legsweep onto the remnants of the light tubes. The two start swinging for the fences, both drop to their knees still swinging at each other and we get a double knockdown (Ian’s a right bloody mess at this point). As these two are putting together a compelling match and laid out after all those punches, someone is now shouting “get the barbed wire”. DDT by Corp and both are showing the effects of the battle. Ian takes a tumble through the ropes to the floor and Corp follows him out where he unloads with some more punches. The action is taking place on the opposite side to the one camera filming this and Ian does something to turn the tide back in his favour. Nasty lariat on the floor and you can see Desperito throwing water on Corp trying to revive him. Back inside and Ian with a powerbomb onto the final remaining shards of the light tubes. ‘Rikishi Driver’ and then Ian slugs someone who had gotten up on the apron. Thirty minute announcement by the timekeeper but they’ve shaved a few minutes off that. Ian goes for a suplex, and now someone else is in there and takes his legs out from under him. More people are getting involved and they’re killing this match. Double armed DDT by Rotten, but he then gets clocked in the head with a beer bottle by the guy who a matter of seconds ago looked to be helping him. That bottle shot was the difference as Ian can’t beat the twenty count and Corp wins to regain the MAW Heavyweight title. It looks like the interferees are part of Desperito’s stable, and they beat on Ian some more and leave him bloodied and handcuffed to the ropes. This crowd were hideous, every bit as bad as the lowest dregs we’ve witnesses on some of those ECW Fancams. Not bothered at all by wrestling and just interested in barbed wire and breaking tables. Seriously, to start a “boring” chant after less than twenty seconds? Someone should’ve just chucked that person out the building right then and made an example out of them. That might’ve made the rest of them think about their behaviour a bit. Personally, I really enjoyed the wrestling and wish we’d actually seen more of Corp and Ian trading holds and counters. The best thing about this was how the match escalated; we started with the wrestling, the stiff offense and it built to the violence, the nastiness, the hatred you want from a ‘last man standing’ match. Ian was a bloody mess and that reverse DDT cut the back of him up something chronic. Folk should also study these two on how to throw a convincing and effective looking punch. As excellently as this was laid out and built, that finish left a sour taste in my mouth. To go thirty minutes and have that? You’re left feeling why did I bother investing in this? I have to rate this below Ki/Mack for the month, but if it lost five minutes (as it did drag towards the end) and had a more satisfying finish that wouldn’t be the case.

This will be something else and we open with a history package of what led to it. After Brisco had pinned Crash for the Hardcore title he and Patterson were celebrating in the back. Patterson then double crossed him, broke a champage bottle over his head and covered him to win the belt. Later on Brisco is looking for Pat and Finkel the snitch tells him he’s hiding out in the women’s dressing room. This leads to Brisco dragging up so he can get in there himself. Inside the two of them start fighting and it spills out of the dressing room, when, who happens to walk past and see them rolling around in dresses on the floor, Mr McMahon. Not impressed by what he’s seen he orders a Hardcore Evening Gown match for King of the Ring. Brisco is out first to ‘Real American’ and he’s even got some make up on. Patterson follows, pushing a trolley whilst some stripper music plays. JR quips about Patterson doing some ‘rear end work’ at the Bodyshop (knew that one was coming!), before he plants a smacker on Finkel (bet he didn’t know that was coming!). Patterson offers to lay down and let Brisco cover him if he wants the title so badly, and therefore not give the people what they want to see, them fighting. It’s all a rouse though as when they hug to cement the deal, Patterson knees him in the groin. Pat gets a banana from somewhere and shoves it in Brisco’s mouth and a sanitary pad is next. He pulls up his dress ready for a stinkface but Brisco avoids that with a low blow. The crowd are booing this bad. Brisco with a bronco buster, and as he’s unloading on Pat in the corner here’s Crash Holly rushing to the ring. He strips them both out of their dresses leaving them in women’s underwear, nails Patterson over the head with a garbage can and covers him to regain the Hardcore title. Brisco jumps Patterson in the aisle on the way back to the dressing room and they roll about a bit more until some officials and Sgt. Slaughter separate them. I’m sure Vince McMahon found all of this hilarious!

Pre-match video package which has clips of Show imitating various wrestlers (Venis, Godfather) and saying how he likes to have some fun out there. This should’ve been an indicator of what we might get. Hulk Hogan’s music plays and Show walks out doing a full on Hogan parody complete with ‘Showster’ T-shirt, dyed blonde moustache and bald cap wig. Angle attacks him when the ‘Showster’ has his back turned, but he’s no selling it and ‘Hulking up’. Three huge rights, big boot, leg drop and Angle kicks out at the last second with Jerry Lawler commentating how nobody ever kicks out of the leg drop! Show whips him into the ropes, Angle ducks a clothesline and a shoulder tackle to Show’s legs takes him off his feet. Angle starts to work over the leg in an attempt to ground his larger opponent. Figure Four, but Show kicks Angle off before he can fully apply it. He takes off the Hogan weightlifting belt, rips off the wig and gets serious as Ross says ‘the fun and games are over’. He unloads on Angle in the corner, gives him one stiff sounding clothesline and a chokeslam later it’s all over. The Hogan parody was entertaining and fun, but there’s not really much to this. With how the match was booked they could’ve put anyone in the roster in Angle’s position and a match like this does him no favours and portrays him as some comedy act as opposed to a serious, credible threat to the World title, which is what an Olympic gold medallist should be portrayed as.

Recap of Monday night, before Ric heads to ringside accompanied by Reid and Beth. He says that it took a great wrestler in Jeff Jarrett, a baseball bat, a snake like Vince Russo and his son to beat him for the World title; hes not crying though, it happens, its business. This is the first time in his career though that hes had his family in the ring with him, and thats because Russo embarrassed him the other night as Beth told him how could he let a punk like him get the better of you? He tells David that he had a chance to be something in this business, but now hes got to wrestle him at the Great American Bash and hes going to kick his ass like he shouldve ten tears ago. Ric then challenges Russo to face him tonight and hes got his family so they can watch from close by. Iron Man kicks in and Russo, David and R&B Security make their way out to join them in the ring. Flair keeps making a beeline for Russo but hes hiding behind his security. Russo tries to push Rics buttons, but he tells him that hes just a mark for him and too leave him alone (you wanted a match with him thirty seconds ago?), before calling him a chicken shit who has to have ten guys with him because hes got no balls. He then turns his attention to Beth and accuses her of only marrying Ric for his money, and whats she going to do after the Great American Bash when hes forced to retire and only has his social security cheque? Flair is on him again and wonders if he wants to wrestle or just run his mouth? Russo says that they are going to wrestle, but theyll do things his way, he and David versus Ric and Reid (or father and son versus father and son). Ric checks with Reid and hes more than happy to team with his old man. R&B Security then grab the Flairs and hold the Nature Boy so Russo and David can both get some shots in on him while Reid is forced to watch. Ric and David get us underway, and a knife edge chop that David takes this unnatural looking flat back bump off, before Ric tears his shirt and chops him some more. He makes a dart for Russo on a couple of occasions, but each time he sees him coming and jumps down off the apron and out the way. Ric grabs the mic and says that hes sure Russo couldnt beat him, in fact hes sure he couldnt beat Reid either. He then promises to stay out of the ring for three minutes and Reid will wear his skinny little ass out! Russo fancies his chances against a twelve year old and calls him on. Double leg takedown by Reid and Russo removes his jacket, no more clowning around from this New York bad ass! Reid with a single leg takedown, a spear and Ric is back in the action and not bothering about that three minutes. David spots an opportunity and jumps his real Dad. Suplex, and David with the knife edge chops and even a Flair strut! The most unimpressive double bicep pose you will ever see, and as he poses it gives Ric a chance to regain his senses. The Naitch lights David up with more chops, including one that sends him tumbling backwards over the top rope and to the floor. Ric follows him outside where Russo hits him over the head with a Statue of Liberty figurine KOing him. Back inside and David stomps Rics body as Reid repeatedly tries to get him to stop. David continually shrugs him off, before whipping him into the ropes where Russo trips him from the outside. Figure Four on Reid by David, and at the same time Russo covers him for the win. Yup, it took two men to beat a twelve year old boy! Russo and David celebrate like theyve won the World title whilst Tony Schiavone calls it sick. We then cut to a quick backstage interview where Flair tells Russo that theyre going to finish this Monday on Nitro. He wants him in a cage and hes going to get him, even if he had to go to Ted Turner himself to get it. The old adage was that Ric Flair could have a good match with a broomstick, well he cant have a good match with three broomsticks! That might be a bit harsh to call Reid a broomstick, but this was like amateur hour in there. The kid is twelve years old and should be nowhere near a ring, while David continues to be awkward, ungainly and show no aptitude whatsoever for professional wrestling. Russo didnt do much and what he does do he doesnt do well, and his promo at the start was desperate. Flair was restricted to just throwing chops and the sooner hes away from feuding with Vinnie Ru the better.

Ric Flair is out and they replay clips from Nitro of him winning the World title. The crowd chants “15 times” at him, before Flair puts over Jeff Jarrett as a great wrestler, a great champion and says that he just got lucky. Jeff Jarrett comes from the old school, he respects that, but right now he doesn’t have the World title. He says that now he’s got to get his home life back together because he’s got a son that’s confused and been brainwashed by Vince Russo. Flair tells a tale of how when Russo was a child he saw the ‘Nature Boy’ on cable and from that moment on he wanted to be him (even referencing Bruno Sammartino in this). He never could though, because he was just a skinny kid. He got older, got power, got a cheque book, but he still could never be Ric Flair. He couldn’t control Sting, Lex Luger and Hulk Hogan, and he doesn’t even have the World title anymore, the old generation have it! Now Vince Russo is trying to live his life vicariously through his son and he tells him that isn’t going to happen. Jarrett’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring while Tony Schiavone says that Russo isn’t here tonight. ‘Double J’ has heard enough, claims Flair is a notorious dead beat Dad, that he has his stolen property and he’s going to step into this ring and pull it out of his ass! The two of them go at it until David Flair and Crowbar are out to help Jeff and the three of them triple team the Naitch. Arn Anderson, carrying a lead pipe, jogs out for the save and the three of them exit the ring. Arn tells them that it’s not that easy and they’re going to clear a few things up. He’s old school too and Vince Russo took an old sleeping dog and woke him up last week. He was considered retired, he even though so, and was content to walk around the back and help out where he could because he still wanted to be around the business. The reality is though that he’s a wrestler, that’s not what he does. He says to David that if he ever wants to be a wrestler he’s got to quit letting that snake up in New York City control him, before telling Jarrett that later tonight he’s getting a dose of Anderson and Flair, Horseman style! Ric is out first and tape plays on the big screen of David and Crowbar assaulting Arn while Daffney cheers them on. Flair heads backstage to help out, only to be jumped by Jeff Jarrett before he gets there. The Naitch starts to fire back but very quickly David and Crowbar are out to make it three on one, whilst a bell also rings to signify the start (?) of the match. David puts the Figure Four on his dad, although it looks like Ric has to help him apply it. Kevin Nash’s music plays and he has a slow walk to the ring. In the meantime Ric cradles Daffney (whilst still locked in the Figure Four) and gets the three count on her. Nash takes care of Crowbar and David and Ric puts the Figure Four on Daffney. Jarrett clocks Nash over the head with a chair, which he doesn’t sell, and quickly hightails it out of there with Nash in pursuit. Flair then collapses on the rampway and it looks like they’re doing a heart attack angle. Jarrett escapes to the ‘New Blood’ bus, but Nash has some back up and the Millionaire’s Club and M.I.A. tip it over just as Goldberg’s monster truck speeds by. I wondered why I had no recollection of Arn Anderson wrestling in 2000, it’s because it never happened. Despite the bell ringing and the pinfall, this is primarily one long angle highlighted by two great promos from Flair and Double A. Quick note for Daffney who I’m warming to in what we’ve seen, with all her enthusiasm and energy when she’s with David and Crowbar.

Juvi is ripping off The Rock with “finally the Juice has come back to…” and Christ does it make him look cheap. Disco attacks LaRoux from behind whilst he’s doing his catchphrase and puts the boots to his mid-section. Lash reverses the Irish whip to the turnbuckles and every member of the M.I.A. takes it in turns to splash him in the corner. Major Gunns enters the ring (and from the wrong side as the Filty Animals have to move out the way for her), but the camera cuts to a shot of the crowd so we don’t see what she does. Disco with an eye rake to Van Hammer and he tags in Juvi who dropkicks his leg ‘to try and bring him down to size.’ Hammer actually looks like a giant compared to the rest of the Animals and M.I.A., he’s so much bigger than everyone else. Top rope frankensteiner by ‘the Juice’, but he plays to the crowd instead of following up. That gives Hammer the chance to regain his senses and he hits this awesome delayed superplex. Hugh Morrus misses an elbow and tag to Rey. He unloads on Hugh in the corner, bronco buster, however ‘the Captain’ catches him. Rey’s on his shoulders and raining down blows while Hugh is staggering around. Eventually he’s able to drop him, but Hugh falls face first to the canvas powerbombing Rey in the process. Shawn Stasiak is out and lurking on the rampway and when Chavo hits the ropes, he pulls them down, Chavo flys over and the Filthy Animals are DQ’d. Yes, a DQ! Stasiak DDT’s Chavo on the rampway as the Animals attack the M.I.A. Booker T makes the save, singlehandedly cleaning house and Major Gunns gives Chavo mouth to mouth ‘to revive him’. Major Gunns is one of my least favourite women in wrestling ever. I don’t find her attractive in the slightest so she doesn’t work in the sex symbol role that she’s meant to be, plus she seems completely clueless. Like why on earth did she enter the ring from the Filthy Animals’ corner? After everything we’ve witnessed these past couple of months, we then get a DQ for someone pulling down the top rope. What did Mark Madden say about “no phony DQ’s here”? If the Animals were DQ’d for Stasiak’s involvement, why weren’t the M.I.A. DQ’d when Major Gunns’ interfered? Best thing about this was Van Hammer’s awesome delayed superplex on Juvi. And that’s probably the only time you’ll say he was involved in the best part of the match when Rey, Juvi, Chavo and Lash are in the same one.

Mike Awesome is now going by the ‘career killer’ moniker after Slamboree and Monday night, while the object of this match is to have your opponent taken away in the ambulance. He jumps Sting the moment he enters the ring, whip to the corner and a big splash. Awesome immediately heads outside to collect a table from under the ring, but faffs about on the rampway with it. He picks the table up, however Sting dropkicks it into him as he’s carrying it. The Stinger then props the table against the ropes, Awesome charges and he backdrops him through it. The two of them fight up the rampway to where the ambulance is and both end up on top of the vehicle. Sting escapes the powerbomb attempt and hits a ‘Scorpion Death Drop’. He gets down and opens the ambulance doors, but Vampiro is inside and blows the red liquid into his face. Vamp drags Sting inside with him and the ambulance drives away with Awesome still laid out on the roof. Far too rushed. This was the last match on this episode of Thunder and it felt like parts of the show had run long and they were having this match whatever. It only goes three and a half minutes before the unsatisfactory finish and probably needed three times as long as that. Nice table breaking bump from Awesome but that’s pretty much it.

Eric Bischoff says that Hulk Hogan and Horace forced them into this and assure Kidman, the future of Sports Entertainment, that if Hulk Hogan steps one foot in the ring before the bell sounds, Horace will be fired. Fast paced, all action opening with Horace throwing Kidman around and going to town on him. Kidman clotheslines referee Charles Robinson as he doesn’t want any more of this, only for Bischoff to change the rules to a ‘no DQ’ match, which doesn’t go down well with him at all. Horace clotheslines him over the top rope to the floor and then nails him in the back with a chair. He goes over to say something to Bischoff, but when he turns around Kidman dropkicks the chair into his face. Kidman’s struggling to lift the big guy up and get him back in the ring so Bischoff makes it ‘falls count anywhere’, however Horace is able to kick out of the pin. Back inside and a slingshot guillotine legdrop by Kidman. Horace reverses the Irish whip and a boot to the chest. He unloads with punches to his downed opponent until ‘Easy E’ changes those rules again, this time to a ‘handicap’ match. That makes it four one one with the Filthy Animals (Rey, Konan, Juvi and Kidman) all against Horace. Those odds are too much and Kidman with an elbow off the top for a two. The other three Animals leave him to carry on alone, however after Kidman ducks a lariat, Horace hits a Death Valley Driver for the win. Or so he thought… This is now a ‘Texas Death’ match, and Kidman has a ten count to get back to his feet. He’s up at nine, but Bichoff is in the ring and cracks him in the back with a chair. With him laid out, Bischoff says how that if Horace lost this match they were going to fire him, but he’s got a better idea. After all the heart he showed tonight he’s too valuable to lose, so they are giving him the opportunity to join the ‘New Blood’. Horace spits in his face, and under Bischoff’s orders the Filthy Animals all pile on Horace and cover him for the win. Match over and here’s Uncle Hulk for the save. He clears the ring of the Filthy Animals (great bump from Kidman onto the rampway) and as he tends to Horace, Bischoff is back with that chair and hits Hulk with it to no effect. Hogan chases Bischoff to the back, but that leaves Horace at the mercy of the Filthy Animals again. This time it’s Kevin Nash with the save and I don’t think he fancied working tonight as the Animals just scarper from the ring on seeing him. Vince Russo shows up at the entrance way and talks about Vinnie Vegas, Oz and takes credit for ‘Big Daddy Cool’ and says he’ll make Kevin Nash cool again, at which point the blood like liquid falls from the ceiling covering him. The work between these two was again really good, but the constant changing of the stipulations was overkill. It doesn’t make Kidman look strong at all, which is pretty much the story of his month. He continues to be one of the best bumpers around, and special note for Charles Robinson and that bump he takes off the clothesline.

‘The Main Event’ Chuck Palumbo is doing a full on Lex Luger rip off complete with same attire, entrance music and posing in the spotlight. He goes out to meet Funk on the rampway, but the Funker with a spear-come-takedown. Palumbo quickly reverses position and nails Funk with a series of chairshots to the head and back before clotheslining him over the top rope and back into the ring. He grabs a table which he sets up in the corner and whips Funk through it. The Funker rolls to the outside and Palumbo with a double axe handle off the apron. Funk starts to fire back, and I like him grabbing Palumbo’s hair with one hand whilst punching with the other to stop him from getting away. They end up in the crowd, head backstage and eventually out the building, hitting each other with weapons along the way. Palumbo is about to throw Funk over the railings when Lex Luger shows up to help out. He rams Chuck’s head into the wall a couple of times and then tosses him into a dumpster. Funk hurls a garbage can at him and then covers him in the dumpster for the win. Luger attacks Palumbo some more after, wanting to know where Elizabeth is, until R&B Security arrive and mace and cuff the ‘Total Package’. This was actually Palumbo’s first match on the ‘A’ shows after ‘debuting’ at Slamboree. He physically looks fantastic and if wins and losses actually meant something in this company, jobbing him out on his opening night wouldn’t be the way I would have gone about things. Your stereotypical ‘hardcore’ match with chairshots, table breaking, hitting each other with weapons and brawling backstage. Below average match.

The action begins before Crowbar has stepped through the ropes with Candido trying to get an early advantage that doesn’t really pay off. Headscissors variation by Crowbar and Candido goes for the eyes. DDT for two. Crowbar ducks a clothesline and catches Candido with a Death Valley Driver followed by a somersault guillotine legdrop. Tammy’s up on the apron, Crowbar grabs her, however the distraction allows Candido to nail him from behind. He picks him up for a belly to back suplex, but instead just dumps Crowbar backwards over the top rope to the floor. Pescado before tossing his opponent back inside. Tammy passes Candido a chair, he kisses her as a thank you but this lack of urgency allows Crowbar to level him with a baseball slide dropkick. Splash from the apron to the floor. Crowbar then sits Candido in a chair on the outside and comes off the apron again, this time with a flying clothesline. Now he’s the one showing no urgency though, and Candido suplexes him onto the rampway. Big hiptoss back inside. Crowbar blocks a suplex and responds with a face first one of his own. He sits Candido on the top turnbuckles, but ‘Hard Knox’ counters the huracanrana with a superbomb. He heads back up and now Daffney’s involving herself. A shot to the mid-section causes him to lose his balance and she lands the top rope frankensteiner that Crowbar couldn’t. Tammy spears Daffney and the women roll around on the floor until Candido separates them. Rikishi Driver on Crowbar, diving headbutt and Candido retains the Cruiserweight title. Good opening match for Thunder with both working hard, taking some big bumps and putting plenty of effort in. My lone criticism is that I could’ve done without the women interjecting themselves into this, but then it wouldn’t be a match in the Vince Russo era without some sort of outside interference!

The New Blood make their way to the ring, each carrying a weapon and with Ernest Miller brandishing a lethal slip on red shoe! Eric Bischoff says how they tried to do things the right way, be sportsmen, but that wasn’t good enough for the Millionaire’s Club, and tells them that if they want guerilla warfare they’ve got it! Ric Flair’s music plays and he’s leading the Millionaire’s Club (including the likes of Curt Hennig, Hugh Morrus, Chris Kanyon and Horace Hogan). He says that they’ve got nothing left to prove tonight, but if they want to go one more time, they can have an ‘over the top rope’ Battle Royale where the last man standing gets a shot at the World title at the Great American Bash. That’s good enough for Bischoff, and the Millionaire’s Club make their way down the aisle and into the ring to get this started. I didn’t count the numbers to check, but the commentators talked about this being 11 vs 11 in terms of New Blood and Millionaire’s Club members. After several minutes Konan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Disco Inferno, Johnny the Bull, Big Vito, Ron & Don Harris, Stevie Ray, Big T (Ahmed Johnson), Teddy Reade, Norman Smiley and Tank Abbott all join the fray, apparently on the orders of Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff to make sure that the New Blood maintain the numerical advantage. The ring is jam packed now! Chavo Guerrero Jr., Lash LaRoux and Van Hammer show up at some point, however the cameras miss their arrival, concentrating on Sting and Vampiro who’re going at it on the arena floor. Asya and Madusa are next to involve themselves, which in turn brings out Mona! At least people are being eliminated but I don’t think this thing will ever end… Jim Duggan (with entrance music!!!) now! ‘Hacksaw’ gets a good reaction from the crowd, eliminates four or five people in double quick time then hops over the top rope eliminating himself. Ridiculous! A limo arrives and we just see a pair of feet walking towards the building as the commentators speculate on who it could be and whose side they are on. Bloody hell, it’s Randy Savage! He goes straight after the New Blood and eliminates Shawn Stasiak, Mike Awesome, The Wall and Chris Candido (who takes a cracking bump, probably made up in the fact that he’s getting to work with Savage). As soon as he arrives though he goes, leaving through the ropes. DDP with a ‘Cactus clothesline’ to eliminate himself and Jeff Jarrett and we’re down to four. Shit, BRET HART!!! The Hitman waffles Hogan in the back with chair (sending him rolling out the ring) and with his work done, he too returns to where he came from. Flair with an Irish whip on Kidman, Hogan pulls down the top rope and he goes flying over it. Figure four on Shane Douglas by the Naitch and here’s Vince ‘bloody’ Russo! He goes to hit Flair with the rubber baseball bat but accidentally nails ‘the Franchise’ instead. Flair picks up the bat, and one swing to Douglas’ chest sends him tumbling backwards over the top rope, giving him the win and the title shot at the Great American Bash. For the vast majority of this it was just too crowded for anything meaningful to happen and you could see the wrestlers standing around doing nothing. It was a sea of bodies in there. I can understand the premise of Russo and Bischoff sending out more wrestlers so that the New Blood maintain the advantage, but the new additions ended up fighting the New Blood and Tank in particular was indiscriminate on who he’d attack, including the women! Talking of which, why were they even there? Then you had someone like Duggan arriving and eliminating himself. When there is a World title shot on the line? Maybe I’m just trying to apply too much logic to this. The appearances of Savage and Hart were ‘holy shit’ moments and this is worth watching from the ‘Macho Man’s’ arrival onwards but you can skip the first twenty minutes.

Tony Schiavone says that this is a ‘New York, no rules, no referee’ fight and Steiner and the girls are out first. He cuts a brief promo talking about Hogan’s ‘spot’, and surprisingly this doesn’t result in a joke about his ‘bald spot’, before the Hulkster joins them. Hogan avoids a right hand and fires back with two of his own. A pair of lariats and Steiner rolls to the outside. Hulk follows him out and throws him over the guardrail into the crowd, where from somewhere, Hugh Morrus has appeared. The two of them double team Steiner and this is now essentially a handicap match, with Mike Tenay saying how it’s another example of the Millionaire’s Club sticking together. WCW must’ve squandered even more money than I imagined if they made Bill Demott a millionaire! Double low blow and a double clothesline from Steiner and he motions for someone from the New Blood to come and help him and even things up. No-one does though and he’s back to being double teamed by Hogan and Morrus. A clothesline from Morrus and that’s enough for Steiner. He rolls out the ring and heads back to the dressing room with the commentators stressing how no-one came to help him out. Hogan’s music plays and apparently he’s won by count out as Hugh counted Steiner out. Huh? I was close to not rating this, but Tony Schiavone said it was a match, albeit a ‘New York, no rules, no referee’ fight, so I am. Scott Steiner vs Hulk Hogan could’ve been a big deal if built right, instead we got this. The action was poor, the finish was shit and it looked more like the start of an angle to get Steiner away from the New Blood with no-one coming to help him. I’m also still at a loss to how Hogan won a match by countout when there was no referee?

Action is joined during a match (?) between The Wall and Lex Luger. Ric Flair is on commentary and climbs over the announcer’s table to go and help Luger, only to be hit in the back with a baseball bat by Vince Russo (also providing commentary). Luger racks The Wall on the floor and Russo then nails him in the stomach with the bat, dropping the Package, but in the process Lex also drops The Wall through a conveniently placed table. Tough guy Russo challenges Flair to “come into my ring, let’s go for five minutes right now”, and the Naitch can’t get in there quick enough. Ric tells him he’s a dead man and Russo drags Elizabeth infront of him and hides behind her. Liz with a back kick low blow, Flair clocks the security and just as he’s about to put Russo in the Figure Four, here’s Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell with the save. Kronik are out soon after and they chase Douglas and Bagwell to the back leaving Flair all alone in the ring. Billy Kidman’s music then plays and he tells Ric that he drew him and if he can get his old body up “tonight he’ll make him famous!” We return from an advert and Flair is unloading on Kidman in the corner. Kidman reverses the whip to the opposite corner and levels Ric with a dropkick. Oh yeah, no referee for this either. Missile dropkick followed by a superplex. Flair takes his bump into the turnbuckle over the top to the outside and does the face first drop on the floor. Inside, and Kidman with a bodyslam and a slingshot legdrop from the apron over the top rope and back into the ring onto the Naitch. He misses a splash off the top and Flair is up and strutting. Flair tears off Kidman’s ‘New Blood’ shirt and a couple of knife edge chops to his bare chest. He backs him up in the corner and here come the troops, Konan and Rey Misterio Jr. from the Filthy Animals. Its triple team time on Flair until Kevin Nash comes to the aid of his fellow Millionaire’s Club member. ‘Jackknife’ on Konan, and Kidman sneaks away back up the rampway only to get blindsided by Hulk Hogan as he’s heading through the curtain. Mike Awesome tries to even up the odds for the New Blood, but he too gets jackknifed as Kidman and the Filthy Animals leave him to fend for himself. No result to this, however Hogan, Flair and Nash all raise each other’s arms as Mike Tenay talks about unity in the Millionaire’s Club. The main take from this is that Kidman and Flair could have a great straight up wrestling match if given the chance and there wasn’t all this other nonsense going on. Oh, and if Flair didn’t have to wrestle in trousers and dress shoes! Really enjoyed what we got until the interference and non-finish.

A limo pulls up at the arena when out steps ‘the Nature Boy’ himself. He tells his wife Beth that he knows what he’s doing and to stay in there, however the moment he leaves Vince Russo and R&B Security are out to the parking lot and forcibly remove her and Reid from the vehicle. Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner are in the ring and Nash talks about how Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff said that they were going to eliminate ‘the millionaires’, but they’re all still here and that’s because they’re legends. He then says “if you want a little proof of how hard it is to kill a legend let me show you just that”, at which point out comes Ric Flair to join them. Ric warns his son David that he’s in the building, he hasn’t got Arn Anderson behind him and at the Great American Bash his career is going to come to an end. He then tells Russo that tonight, someway, somehow, he’s going to find him and drag his skinny little New York Ass out here and stomp it through the mat. Nash says that he’s got a present for the Naitch, he never lost the belt and it doesn’t feel right for him being a champion, so until he loses it, he’s the champion and hands it back to him. Jeff Jarrett interrupts proceedings and says he got a message from Vince Russo, and that he’s going to be wrestling Flair for the World title tonight. The Naitch responds that he’s the champion, he’s got to wrestle no-one and he’s going out instead! That statement brings out ‘Iron Man’ Vince Russo and he tells Ric that he will always stay one step of him “isn’t that right David”. David joins the party and he’s got hold of Beth and Reid, and Russo warns Ric if he wants to see them again he’ll give Jeff that title match. Flair sprints down the runway but is cut off by R&B Security, and by the time he, Steiner and Nash have ran through them Russo et al are out of there. Throughout the show Flair continues to look for his wife and son to no avail. He’s giving Jarrett that title match, but after he gets through with him, Vince Russo and David belong to him! Main event time and David Flair is accompanying Jarrett and he’s got a referee’s shirt on so looks like he’s the official for this. Great more shenanigans! Ric seems a bit distracted by David to begin with but he’s still able to get the better of the opening exchanges. About 30 seconds into this Vince Russo walks out with R&B Security (Alan Funk, Mike Sanders and Elix Skipper) who’ve got hold of Beth and Reid. On seeing Russo, Ric immediately charges for him, taking him down on the rampway. ‘Double J’ comes to the rescue and drags the Naitch back to ringside. Chairshot to the head busting Ric open and Jarrett goes to work on that cut. Flair fires back with knife edge chops and with his father getting back into this, David steps out the ring to collect a Statue of Liberty figurine. He’s going to clock Ric with it, but the Naitch gets in first with a boot to the mid-section. David drops the statue, Ric picks it up and wallops him over the head with it. With Flair pre-occupied by his son, it gives Jarrett the chance to recover and a whip to the turnbuckle with Ric taking his bump over them and to the outside, where Russo then nails him with his baseball bat before tossing him back inside. Jarrett with a figure four, but David is still KO’d. Flair has ‘passed out’ from the pain and Charles Robinson is out as replacement referee. Robinson counts Ric’s shoulders to the mat, but at two he raises one of them and the excitement on Robinson’s face is visible for all to see! Russo is leaning through the ropes telling Robinson to “ask him” (if Flair gives up), however Ric drills him with a right and grabs them for the break. Irish whip, Jarrett telegraphs the backdrop and a great inside cradle near fall. Low blow from ‘the dirtiest player in the game’. Double axe handle off the middle and Russo is back up on the apron but again Flair decks him. Figure four attempt from the Naitch, however Jarrett kicks him off and straight into Charles Robinson. R&B Security sense an opportunity, but Ric drops them all in turn with Funk and Skipper taking impressive looking bumps from the apron to the arena floor. Russo strips the referee’s shirt off Robinson and puts it on himself to become the third official we’ve had in the match. On seeing him slither in the ring, Flair forgets about ‘Double J’ and turns his attention to Russo. Knife edge chops, figure four, but in the meantime David has passed Jeff the guitar and he breaks it over Ric’s head before he can fully apply it. Jarrett makes the cover and Russo counts the three for our 9th World title (and Jarrett’s fourth) change in a shade over seven weeks. The crowd pelt the ring with garbage after letting them know what they think of this, although I’m sure Russo thought they were getting ‘great heat’. Heel guest referee, outside interference, replacement officials, copious Vince Russo involvement, lots of bullshit, this shouldn’t have worked, but it did. That near fall off the inside cradle was awesome, and serious just focus on Charles Robinson’s face when Flair gets the shoulder up on the Figure Four, this guy lives it for real! I agree with what Chad says in regard to the hot potatoing of the title as already they’re all blurring into one. Fun match.

I checked out the previous episode (as I was primarily interested in the Rip Rogers interview) as I'd stopped listening to this and thought the Top 10 had gotten worse than I remembered. It just dragged and dragged with a bunch of segments that I didn't find funny. The stuff which I found most interesting was when Brian got to talking about Jim Ross and how he was going to omit Scott Williams' name off his autobiography until Bix, himself and a few others put the pressure on him.

Me and Loss have talked a lot in the prepping stage that Trent is really one of the more tragic figures of the entire PWO2k project (JC Bailey may be another one when we get to him). He was so young here (19) and had so much charisma that if he would have kept his life together, I see no reason he wouldn't have been able to have a successful career to this day. I don't know how much of his stuff you have earmarked for this project (and I only really started to think of him over the past week or so when going through a bunch of Chikara shows that I'll be uploading for Loss), but add Larry Sweeney to this last. Checking through these Chikara shows (some of the early one which have like 20 people in attendance) and Sweeney just oozes charisma and personality. Not the wrestler of Acid or even Bailey, but a bloody fun performer every time out (oh and I sent Loss a match he had against Bill Dundee from 2007 yesterday which will be something to look forward to in around five years time!).

Collar and elbow tie up, Sting backs Kidman up and gives him a boot to the mid-section. Whip to the corner which he takes chest first, but as Sting goes for the belly to back, Kidman flips all the way over and a quick fire bulldog off the turnbuckles. Sting reverses an Irish whip, Kidman counters the hiptoss, but Sting counters again, hiptossing Kidman out of the ring and onto the rampway. He hurls him back inside, then sprints and jumps over the top rope back in himself with a lariat. DDT by Kidman only to miss a splash off the top. ‘Stinger splash’, Scorpion deathlock, but Torrie is up on the apron and distracting the official. Vampiro nails Sting from behind with the blow torch and Kidman makes the cover for the win. They both put the boots to the Stinger until Hulk Hogan, in the red and yellow, makes the save. The two of them pinball for him, and now Eric Bischoff is out and clocks Hogan in the back with a chair. Of course he no sells it and picks the chair up himself, however Ernest Miller had snuck in the ring and kicks it into Hulks’s own face. Horace Hogan makes it 5 on 2 and the New Blood tear off Hulk’s shirt and burn it in a garbage can. Kronik eventually even things up and the New Blood high tail it out of there. Kidman continues to go all out, and fly and bump like a madman, but there’s very little to this before the customary outside interference. Again, just like the Horace match, it doesn’t make him look strong going into the PPV. Kronik seemed a bit confused about what to do on their run-in with the way they attacked Horace.

Classic Wade. Classic Zoo Enthusiast post.

Vince Russo, Jeff Jarrett and David Flair are out, dressed in black with a casket to ‘celebrate’ the death of the career of Ric Flair. They replay a clip of Flair from Thunder and Russo calls it the most pathetic thing he’s ever seen, holding the people responsible because he told them that Ric was too old to wrestle and then in front of everyone he had a ‘brain aneurysm’. Russo strips the Naitch of the World title and gives it back to Jarrett, before saying how he does have a heart, and steps out of the ring to bury Ric’s rolex with his career. In a trick right out of the Undertaker’s playbook, Kevin Nash is now in the casket and grabs Russo by the throat when he opens the lid. A couple of big boots that miss by a mile clean the clocks of Jarrett and Flair, and Nash takes off with the title belt. After an advert break Russo tells Nash that he’s got Jeff Jarrett’s belt and he’s got 45 minutes to give it back, because if he doesn’t he’s going to be facing Jarrett tonight in a ‘No Holds Barred’ match and they’ll take it from him. On to the match, and Russo makes his entrance after the wrestlers flanked by the R&B security who surround the ring. He attacks referee Billy Silverman with a baseball bat before replacing him as the official in the match. Nash reverses a whip to the corner, Jarrett goes for the tip up, however Nash catches him over his shoulder and drops him ‘snake eyes’ across the top turnbuckle. Big sideslam, Nash makes the cover but Russo stops counting at one and gives him the DX crotch chop (he really is obsessed with the WWF). As Nash stalks Russo, it gives Jarrett the chance to get a chair which he clocks ‘Big Sexy’ with. Nash is right back to his feet though and clotheslines Jarrett over the top rope to the outside, at which point Tony Schiavone also informs us that this is ‘falls count anywhere’. A cover on the arena floor and Russo is crotch chopping again instead of counting. Nash goes after Russo for a second time and just as he gets hold of him Jarrett nails him with the title belt. His offense is short lived as Nash cuts him off with a knee to the mid-section and as he goes for the ‘Jackknife’, Russo sprays mace in his face. Jarrett with ‘the Stroke’ and sprinting to the ring, presumably returning the favour from earlier in the show, is Scott Steiner. Russo maces him too and then calls in R&B Security who handcuff him to the bottom rope, crucifix style. Nash is too late to help his buddy but he runs roughshot through the security and finally snatches Russo. He’s about to powerbomb him on the outside when the blood-like liquid falls from the ceiling (although they have to edge back into it as they’re slightly out of position). Jarrett breaks a guitar over Nash’s head and then pins him with one foot on his chest to get the World title back again. Dreadful and this has been one hideous episode of Nitro. What was that you were saying about clusters Mark Madden?

The commentators are still referring to Hulk as Terry Bollea at times during this. Vampiro jumps Hulk before the bell, and a spinning kick backs him up in the corner where he just unloads on him. A knife edge chop sends Hogan through the ropes to the outside, and Vamp with a double axe handle off the apron to the floor. Chair shot to the back followed by a superkick, but Hogan with the eye rake as he starts to fire back. Chair shot across the back of Vampiro before whipping him into the guardrail. He rams him head first into the announcer’s table, turning that over in the process. They return to the ring and Hogan uses his leather belt to whip and choke Vamp with. Scott Hudson says that “this is the new WCW, the referees are letting it go for as long as they can”, to which Madden chimes in ”you might see phoney DQ’s somewhere else, you might see clusters somewhere else, you won’t see them here!” He really is a fool! I’m struggling to remember a match in the Russo/Bischoff era that hasn’t been a cluster! Clothesline in the corner, Vamp falls face first to the canvas and then takes a spin bump off an ‘Axe Bomber’. Big boot, legdrop, but Hulk doesn’t go for the pin, instead getting on top of Vamp and raining down punches on him. Billy Kidman is out and nails Hogan in the back with Vampiro’s blow torch. He drags Vamp over to cover him and Hogan goes down for yet another three. Kidman passes Vampiro the gas can, no doubt with intentions of burning the Hulkster alive, but before such treachery could occur Sting makes the save and they clean house leaving Vamp laying. This was okay, but standards are so low for good matches in this promotion you take what you can get at the moment. A shock seeing Hogan jobbing yet again to someone different, and Mark Madden really needs to engage his brain before opening his mouth.

Midajah and the other girl who is accompanying Steiner are dressed as cheerleaders. Steiner cuts a promo that doesn’t go anywhere, but challenges his brother and Tank Abbott to face him in ‘the Asylum’ (a domed cylindrical cage) where the only way you can leave is by saying ‘I Quit’. Rick answers the challenge and as soon as the action begins ‘the Asylum’ starts to lower from the ceiling. Rick with a belly to belly, before getting on top of his brother and raining down punches on him. Scott blocks having his head rammed into the cage, knee to the mid-section and he rams Rick’s head into it. Overhead belly to belly, ‘Steiner recliner’ when Goldberg’s music plays. It’s not Goldberg though, it’s Tankberg, exiting his dressing room with bolt cutters in hand (look out for Alan Funk and Mike Sanders in R&B security). Tank’s rivalling Sandman when it comes to making a save and when he does get to ringside the bolt cutters aren’t working. He assaults Mickey Jay (who’s got the controls for ‘the Asylum’) and with him down raises the cage so he can get in and help Rick. The two of them double team Scott until Kevin Nash makes the save. Rubbish!

Kidman confronts Eric Bischoff backstage wanting to know where Torrie Wilson is. He tells him that he can play all the games he wants with Page and his wife but he’s not doing it to him. Bischoff says that she’s around the corner and the camera just about catches her coming out of Horace’s dressing room. Kidman goes in to get him, meanwhile Bischoff attacks one of the officials, rips the shirt off him and gives it to Torrie to put on so she can referee the match. Horace and Kidman exit the dressing room and fight each other all the way down to the ring. Kidman with a bulldog on the arena floor and the camera’s are focussed more on Bischoff (who’s now providing commentary) than the match itself. Back elbow from Horace and a boot to the chest. Chokeslam and he heads outside to collect a table. Mark Madden wonders if Torrie Wilson is on the line and the winner gets her, however Bischoff is disgusted with the suggestion and the idea that somebody in the ‘New Blood’ would stoop so low! Horace sets up the table, when out comes Uncle Hulk. Kidman counters a powerbomb into a facebuster and lays Horace on the table. He heads upstairs, but Hulk swipes his legs out from under him. Hogan slams Kidman off the top and through Horace and the table, before putting Kidman on top of his nephew and ordering Torrie to count the pin. Post-match Hogan tells Bischoff he doesn’t care who he’s got as special referee at the PPV as he’s going to kick Kidman’s ass and set himself up for the WCW title. Not a patch on the match they had last month. This whole scenario didn’t make Kidman look good and was like a throwaway segment in between the main storyline of Hogan and Bischoff. The focus on ‘Easy E’ at the commentary desk as opposed to the match and his talk of this guest referee for the PPV seemed to back that up.

Eric Bischoff is backstage with Billy Kidman and Horace Hogan. He says that tonight he’s giving Horace a shot, tells him not to screw it up and to trust him. Hulk Hogan is still in the ring from the previous segment when the three of them head out. Bischoff says he could kick Hulk’s ass, but he’s not gonna. Everyone already knows that Billy did, and tonight, his own nephew is going to kick his ass all over the state because he’s one of them. Horace seems a bit reluctant by all this, but as they walk down the rampway to the ring, Hulk is out to meet them and nails Kidman. Hogan launches Kidman back into the ring with him soaring over the top rope, and the two of them go at it while Horace watches on, not involving himself in any of the action. Kidman tries to encourage him to help him but he wants no part of it. Irish whip, Hulk holds onto the ropes and Kidman dropkicks the air. Hogan then slingshots him out of the ring with Kidman taking a bump on the ramp. They return to the ring and a belly to back suplex where Hogan makes the cover, only to lift him up at the count of one wanting to dish out more punishment. Hulk whips Kidman into the guardrail and then puts him over his shoulder ramming him into the ringpost. Kidman continues to call on Horace for help but to no avail. Low blow and Bischoff (who’s on commentary) calls it a “tremendous uppercut from the Kidster!” Hogan immediately starts to ‘Hulk up’ as Kidman’s shots are having no effect. Another low blow and as Kidman tries to high tail it out of there, Horace grabs him by the pants and throws him back to his uncle. Bischoff leaves the commentary postion and gets up on the apron to find out what Horace is playing at. Easy E slaps him across his face and Horace responds with a right sending him falling to the floor. Horace goes out after him and Tony Schiavone screams about putting him through the announcer’s table! The Filthy Animals run down to help Kidman but Horace passes Hulk a chair and the two of them clean house. Torrie Wilson is out looking all sultry and seductive, Horace sees her and then nails his uncle in the back with a chair. He covers Hulk, Horace gets the three and Bischoff presents him with a New Blood shirt. So the inference is that Torrie Wilson slept/will sleep with Horace if he turns on his uncle and joins the New Blood. Christ! To be fair though the turn has been obvious from day one and I’m just surprised it took so long for it to happen. This was actually a triple threat match as opposed to a handicap match by the way, and that’s pinfall defeats to Billy Kidman, Mike Awesome and now Horace Hogan in the space of a month. Kidman’s bumping and antics made me enjoy this one more than I expected.

The ‘House of Pain’ is a roofed cage with shackles attached to every side of the cage. The object of the match is to handcuff your opponent to those shackles, and then you can do what you want to them. No pinfalls or no submissions here. Vampiro locks the cage door before the Stinger can enter, so he has to climb up on to the roof and force a hold by striking the cage with his baseball bat. As soon as Sting gets in there he just unloads on Vampiro. ‘Stinger splash’ and a facebuster, however Vampiro responds with a kick to the mid-section before launching Sting into the cage. Side belly to back suplex. Clothesline in the corner followed by a snap suplex. Mark Madden then starts talking about how he’s never seen a rivalry more personal and more intense than the one in the cage right now. Yeah, right Mark! Vamp with a knee to the groin and Madden’s back at it “there’s more hate in this ring than I’ve ever seen anywhere”. Mark Madden, a man who’s clearly not watched much wrestling in his life! Great spinning back kick, but Vamp then goes for something off the top (a leaping rana?) which Sting counters into a powerbomb. The Stinger rallies the crowd and a trio of clotheslines with Vamp taking a spin bump off the last of them. Inverted atomic drop and he then hurls Vampiro head first into the ‘House of Pain’. With him dazed, Sting is able to cuff him (face first) to the shackles and get the win. Sting doesn’t give Vampiro much of a post-match beating (so much for that hatred!), just splashing him against the cage and then kicking him against it. As Sting exits and heads back up the aisle, the lights in the arena go down and when they come back on, the cage has been raised and Vampiro is nowhere to be seen. I liked the beginning and the end of this, but Vampiro’s control section in the middle bored me rigid. Then you have all this ridiculous hyperbole from Mark Madden where the action inside doesn’t correlate with what he’s saying. All this talk of ‘hate’, yet no intensity, not much aggression, no weapons, no blood. You would’ve thought a situation like this would be the culmination of the feud, but I think this has got someway to go yet.