[2000-06-05-WCW-Nitro] Goldberg vs Tank Abbott

[soup23]

A long and uninteresting promo from Bischoff and Russo start us off. Everyone sucks and no has the balls as them blah blah blah. Out comes Goldberg mercifully after 10 minutes and even though this is a hometown Atlanta crowd, the dude is still mega over. He cleans house and the segment just ends. We get the big built to Tank vs Goldberg match now. Goldberg hits the side kick right away and they are even mentioning that legit put Hart out of action. After 30 seconds, here comes Rick Steiner in for the attack. “This was Goldberg’s big moment” Yeah, this is a fuck you Tony commentary. Why did Goldberg always get beat up so bad in his hometown? Here comes Nash through the fans as a man of the people and he makes the save for Goldberg. Goldberg is able to hit a spear on Tank and the Jackhammer puts him away to a huge pop. I guess that sort of salvages the segment somewhat but what a waste overall. ½*

[PeteF3]

They may have had a shred of intrigue for this match had Tank not challenged David Arquette for the WCW title and lost.

[GSR]

Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo head to the ring accompanied by R&B Security, while the commentators speculate on what this announcement “that will change sports entertainment” is, that they’ll have at the Great American Bash. A longwinded promo sees Bischoff run down some of the matches they’ve got lined up for tonight’s show, before Russo goes the cheap heat route and says how these last eight months have been the worst eight months of his life because he had to move from New York to Atlanta. Inspired by Russo facing Ric Flair in a cage tonight, Bischoff decides he’s going to become the Hardcore champion and will take on Terry Funk for that belt. He then turns his attention to Mr Goldberg, says how he’s never had anything against him, but last week he screwed up their plans to take Kevin Nash out. He’s willing to forget that though, just as long as Goldberg is prepared to take care of his business with Tank Abbott and then pack his bags and go back to wherever he lives. Lo and behold, as ‘Easy E’ is saying this, Goldberg happens to arrive at the arena and stumble upon a monitor backstage. Bischoff continues to play it nice “nothing personal, just business”, but promises to suspend him if he makes a save for anyone tonight, least of all Kevin Nash. Russo is not so tactful and despite Bischoff’s protestations, tells Goldberg if he shows up tonight he’ll get in his face. You know what’s happening next! Goldberg comes out and Bischoff and Russo hide behind their security. He takes the security out one by one, but in the meantime the two of them scarper to the back.

 

There’s a real aura about Goldberg as he makes his entrance for the match against Tank Abbott. He ducks a right and drops Tank with this great looking standing side kick to the head. Front chancery takedown and Goldberg’s primed for a spear when Rick Steiner comes sprinting down the rampway and clocks him in the back with a chair. Tank and Steiner team up on him, and according to Tony Schiavone the official is letting it go because of those “relaxed rules”. Kevin Nash makes his way through the crowd to ringside, Goldberg ducks a double clothesline and as the heels rebound off the ropes, Nash hooks Steiner’s ankle and Goldberg spears Tank. ‘Jackhammer’ and this one is over.

 

Goldberg comes across as the one major star that WCW has, although I wish they wouldn’t pipe in those chants when you can clearly see no-one in the audience actually chanting! Not much to say about the match other than it served it’s purpose, while the Russo and Bischoff opening segment was longer than it needed to be.