[2000-09-13-WCW-Thunder] Sting vs Jeff Jarrett (2/3 falls)

[soup23]

I was excited for this match seeing it was 2/3 falls and the time of the video. Charles pulled a fast one as most of the first portion is a long promo involving Nash, Steiner, Jarrett and Cat that was no interest of me. Cat points to Sting in the audience and we get the match proper. But first, we have to have another promo between Sting and Jarrett. When they finally lock up, it’s a pretty good match although in the garbage style that Jarrett has devolved into. The pace is good and the finish with the Stroke was clever for the first fall. The second fall finish was less successful as we get a ref bump and then Sting doing a Stinger splash to Slick Johnson. Sting is tapping out Jarrett’s hand in the Scorpion when he is DQ’d. **1/4

[GSR]

Thunder opens with Jeff Jarrett dragging Ms. Jones to ringside while he’s flanked by Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner. ‘Big Sexy’ believes that with Booker T beaten to a pulp and demoralised, he’ll be easy pickings come Fall Brawl. He adds that the match will also now be contested inside a steel cage to stop any of Booker’s friends from interfering. ‘Sir Pumpalot’ then warns Goldberg that in four days he’ll prove to both he and all this white trash out here that he’s (Goldberg) a boy, while he’s (Steiner) a man! Jarrett threatens Ms. Jones with a guitar shot, when Booker T and ‘the Cat’ arrive just in time. Booker promises to get his title back at Fall Brawl, before ‘Commissioner Cat’ sets up a couple of matches for later in the show; Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner will face himself and Booker T in a match where the World title will be on the line, whilst Jeff Jarrett will take on Sting. The lights in the arena go off and a solitary spotlight shines towards the back where Sting is. Ms Jones sees her chance and jumps out of the ring, but Jarrett grabs Dave Penzer who was up on the apron and breaks a guitar over his head.

 

Jarrett and Sting disagree over who will get the World title match on the Nitro after Fall Brawl. It would appear Sting now has the ability to play matchmaker, as he tells Jeff that whoever wins their 2/3 falls match tonight will get the shot, no matter whom the champion is. After the opening feeling out process, Sting with a high hip toss before clotheslining ‘Double J’ over the top rope and to the outside. He slams his head into the commentary table and then oddly empties a bottle over water over him. ‘The Stinger’ drags ‘Double J’ up onto the metal ramp way where he suplexes him. Back inside, Jarrett avoids the ‘Stinger splash’ however Sting puts on the breaks and prevents himself from going flying into the turnbuckles. A pair of clotheslines followed by a further one off the top. Top rope splash, but Jarrett is able to get a shoulder up at the last split second. Sting looks for the ‘Scorpion Death Drop’ and Jeff grabs hold of referee Mickey Jay, who in turn grabs hold of the ropes. The moment he lets go though, ‘Double J’ pulls him towards them and he crashes into Sting. As ‘the Stinger’ checks on him, Jarrett with a low blow, ‘the Stroke’ and he’s one fall up. ‘Double J’ is immediately back on Sting after the ten second break and now he’s the one ramming his opponent’s head into the announcer’s table. Jarrett returns to the ring and he instructs Jay to count ‘the Stinger’ out. He doesn’t get very far though before Sting is up and on the apron. Shoulder charge to the mid-section and a sunset flip back into the ring. ‘Double J’ thinks he’s blocked it when he drills Sting with a right, but he quickly regains his bearings to complete the move, catching Jeff off guard in the process to tie the match at one fall apiece. Jarrett escapes the sleeper hold and applies one of his own. The arm drops twice, but not for the third time. Sting forces the escape and an accidental clash of heads sees both men go down, although when Sting falls to the canvas he headbutts ‘Double J’ in the groin at the same time. ‘The Stinger’ blocks having his head rammed into the turnbuckle and starts to unload on his opponent. ‘Stinger splash’, but Jarrett pulls Mickey Jay in front, whilst he steps out the way, and Jay gets taken out. Slick Johnson sprints out to replace him and a second ‘Stinger splash’ that hits its intended target. He goes for another but Jarrett has now pulled Johnson in front of him. ‘The Stinger’ asks the crowd what he should do and despite Johnson trying to tell him no, it doesn’t do him any good. ‘Scorpion Deathlock’ but there’s no referee. Where’s Charles Robinson when you need him? Jarrett taps before passing out from the pain. ‘The Stinger’ lifts ‘Double J’s’ arm three times, it falls to the mat on each occasion and he then calls for the timekeeper to ring the bell. Tony Schiavone proclaims that Sting won it and will get the title shot, although Mike Tenay is the voice of reason saying there was no referee as the segment ends. Somehow I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this...

 

These two have good chemistry, and despite only getting eleven minutes for a three fall match, have a good fast paced bout together, building on what we saw from them at the War Games. Sting’s equalizing fall was rushed mind, and although I like how they pulled it off, with Jarrett thinking he’d blocked the move only for Sting to surprise him, I wish they would’ve stretched things out a bit more before it happened. Considering there’s been no shortage of officials it was also a bit suspect how there was no one around after Slick Johnson had been bumped. That finish has screw job and Sting being swerved out of the title shot written all over it.

[AstroBoy]

The first fall here is pretty standard stuff with a clear face/heel dynamic which, amongst all this other WCW shit, is like a Godsend. Mickey Jay takes one of the worst ref "bumps" ever to allow Jarrett a shot at a low blow. The Stroke is legitimately one of the dumbest moves in wrestling history both in concept and execution and it looks terrible here to end the first fall.

 

Sting is able to get a quick flash pin in the second fall that felt pretty rushed.

 

For some reason this Jarrett sleeper spot just feels so dismal and soul-killing. This is a sprint of a 2/3 falls match and he can't do anything more dynamic than a sleeper? Sting starts to hulk up after having his head driven into the turnbuckle. Now ANOTHER ref bump. All logic flies out the window as Jarrett knees a referee in the stomach and then Sting decides to splash both of them in the corner. Jesus. Sting declares HIMSELF the winner and the bell rings. Um. The work was decent. The outcome is remarkably trash.

 

*1/2