[2000-04-24-WCW-Nitro] Hulk Hogan vs Billy Kidman & Mike Awesome (Handicap)

[soup23]

Mike Awesome has arrived in WCW as the insurance policy for the New Blood. Hogan comes out to a big pop and has his FUNB gear on now. I liked the promo beforehand where they talk about how many bridges Hogan has burned that no one will partner with him. Huge Hogan chants as he tees off on Awesome. I got to think this is a thrill for Awesome to a degree as a month ago he was facing Spike Dudley regularly. No offense to Spike but he isn’t the Hulkster even in his 2000 form. Handicap matches are tricky especially when you have Hogan as the 1 as he is not going to be beat up completely but all things considered this did a pretty good job of explaining how Hulk is hanging in this match as Kidman stays outside still favoring his injured ribs. Awesome then gets his ass beat by Hogan and they have a pretty good back and forth that again looked like a 1987 Philly Spectrum defense. Kidman hits a chair on Hulk and Hulk gets busted open. Awesome retrieves a table and is able to powerbomb Hogan through a table. We cut to Nash backstage that looks at a monitor and sees what has just happened. Hogan is placed on another table and this time Kidman does a big splash from the top rope sending him through it. Kidman then rips the Hogan shirt he has on and cuffs his ears to the fans. A legdrop by Kidman and Hogan is pinned again cleanly given the rules of this match. Torrie gives Hogan a kiss for good measure. Wolfpac music fires up and here comes Big Sexy ready to wreck Awesome and Kidman. Nash clears house until Torrie hits a low blow and now the NB attack him as well. Still so far so good on the Kidman vs Hogan angle and storyline. **1/2

[Loss]

Well you can't say this didn't go all the way in trying to get new guys over. Hogan bladed, went through a table for Awesome, went through another table for Kidman, then took the pin from a legdrop. Then Nash made the save and he got laid out too. The match itself was pretty good a lot of the time, with Hogan vs Awesome being the bulk of it and Kidman picking his spots and only coming in when Hogan was vulnerable. I still am not crazy about Hogan-Kidman as a visual, but it's far superior to what Hogan was doing before this. ***

[GSR]

Billy Kidman is out with Torrie Wilson and he’s got his ribs taped up after what happened on Monday night. He says how he dared Hulk Hogan to meet him in the parking lot so they could settle it man to man, but Hulk Hogan realised that Billy Kidman is more of a man than he could ever handle and that’s why he tried to run him over with the Hummer. He calls Hogan ‘Terry’ and tells him that tonight he starts it and at Slamboree he finishes it.

 

Backstage interview and Gene Okerlund wonders what Mike Awesome is doing with them. Eric Bischoff says how last week Hulk Hogan tried to kill Billy Kidman, he’s totally out of control, so Mike Awesome is here as his protection. Awesome is going to be in the ring with Billy Kidman and its upto Hulk Hogan to find himself a partner. Bischoff is convinced though that as Hogan has burnt so many bridges in the lockerroom that he won’t find anyone to team up with him. He then goes on to announce himself as the special guest referee for Slamboree.

 

Kidman is wearing a yellow and red ‘Hulkster’ t-shirt whilst Hogan is in all black and his jacket has F.U.N.B on the back. Awesome and Kidman jump Hogan the moment he slides into the ring trying to stomp a mudhole in him. He fires back and a noggin knocker sends Kidman to the floor. Big clothesline from the Hulkster to Awesome before taking off his belt and whipping him with it. Belly to back by Hogan! He heads over to the New Blood corner several times to take a crack at Kidman, but he always jumps down off the apron out of his reach. Hulk starts choking Awesome with the belt, however he manages to wrestle it off him and starts to use it against him. Back kick low blow and Hogan is again on top. Awesome with a shoulderblock to the mid-section, and sensing his opportunity, now Kidman is in and wanting a piece of the Hulkster. Hogan ducks a double clothesline and comes back with one of his own. A couple of rights to Kidman, but this distraction allows Awesome to drop him with a huge right of his own and a big splash for two. He picks up the leather belt and whips Hogan with it getting some retribution for earlier. An eye poke halts him in his tracks, big boot, but Hulk doesn’t make the cover wanting to continue his attack instead. He tosses Awesome to the outside, rams his head into the announcer’s table then the ringpost and whips him into the guardrail, with Tony Schiavone saying how he’s never seen Hulk Hogan like this (even referring to him as Terry Bollea at one point). Awesome with an eye poke and Kidman with a stiff chair shot to the head busting the Hulkster open. Double team time again as Kidman whips Hogan with the belt while Awesome heads out the ring to collect a table. Powerbomb through the table! The camera’s cut to Kevin Nash watching on a monitor backstage and Kidman tells Awesome to get another table. They lay Hulk on it and Kidman with an assisted splash off the top puts Hogan through that one. He tears off his shirt, cups his ear, drops the leg and Kidman gets a clean three! Nash heads out after the match and is getting the better of the two of them until Torrie low blows him. They post Nash and Awesome takes a steel chair to his ankle as the New Blood leaves the Millionaire’s Club laid out in the ring.

 

This was given a surprising long amount of time considering what this company is dishing out at the moment. This feud has been fairly one sided up to now, not the case here! Hogan gets busted open, is put through two tables and jobs clean to a legdrop from Kidman. I really dug Kidman in this match, as the cocky, brash, loudmouth chicken shit hiding behind his big buddy. Picking and choosing his spots and letting Awesome get his hands dirty while he comes in at the end to get the glory. Enjoyable stuff here.