[2000-10-30-WCW-Nitro] Scott Steiner vs Booker T vs Mike Awesome

[soup23]

I don’t know why both Nitro and Raw loaded the shows up this week but it is one of the better 2 shows in 1 night stretches we may get as we enter the waning days of Nitro. Booker after my burial of the Havoc match looks more stiff and intense here and him and Steiner potato each other before Awesome runs down. Awesome’s gimmick is dreadful and doesn’t fit at all. The three way action was good and continued to put over Steiner as the biggest thing going in the main event scene. Steiner has Awesome in a Steiner Recliner when Booker hits the spinning kick and then gets a quick Bookend on Mike for the pin. Steiner goes nuts on security after the match and the vendetta with him and Booker is far from over. **3/4

 

[GSR]

This is the start of a determined effort to try and write less (i.e. cut back on the detailed play by play stuff) as I want to try and finish 2000 as soon as.  I’m currently at over 340,000 words written for the year and every chance that will surpass half a million with ease the way things are going (especially if I continue to write 1,500 word reviews of some stuff like I have previously!).  It probably won’t last but we’ll see how I get on.

Mike Awesome thinks Pamela Paulshock is looking as “groovy as ever!”  He’s so unconvincing and uncomfortable doing this 70’s gimmick.  That title shot he earned after winning ‘Countdown to Armageddon’ is now a triple threat match with Scott Steiner having bullied his way into it.  Awesome informs Steiner that he and Booker are going to team up to eliminate him and then will face each other one on one for the gold.

Oddly Steiner and Booker are the first two men out and the bell rings to get us underway before Awesome has even arrived.  Booker with a stiff clothesline before just pounding away on ‘Big Poppa Pump’.  He telegraphs a backdrop though and gets planted with a double underhook suplex.  Steiner goes for the middle rope Samoan drop and, finally, here comes Mike Awesome.  This doesn’t look good as Steiner is clearly waiting for him to arrive for the next spot.  ‘Electric chair’ by Awesome dumping Steiner backwards to the mat.  So much for he and Booker planning to work together here, that lasts all of ten seconds!  Steiner only gets a two count following a belly to belly and is in the face of Charles Robinson trying to intimidate him.  He’d then rather do push ups than wrestle and gets caught with a flying clothesline off the top.  As Awesome has him set for the ‘Awesome Bomb’, Booker with the ‘Harlem sidekick’ for the save.  ‘Big Poppa Pump’ resorts to low blowing everyone and hits the middle rope Samoan drop only for Booker to break up the pin.  Steiner really does throw Awesome around with consummate ease.  As he has him locked in ‘the recliner’, Booker superkicks Scotty in the face spending him sprawling through the ropes to the floor.  ‘Book End’ and the champ steals the win to retain the gold.  Post-match Steiner attacks security until he’s ushered out of there by Doug Dillinger.  Booker helps Awesome to his feet before telling Steiner to get his ass back out here, however just as he does the show goes off the air.

Good Nitro match.  I don’t know why they persist in trying to give Mike Awesome a gimmick as whether it’s ‘the fat chick thriller’ or ‘the 70s guy’ he needs neither.  The only reason seems to be to try and give him a bit of personality on interviews and vignettes as there is nothing in his work that is remotely ‘fat chick’ or ‘70s’ related.  He even ditched the 70s clothing for his entrance here!  Well booked with everyone looking strong, Booker snatching the pin and an angry Steiner taking his frustrations out on security post-match.  Looks like we’ll have another month of him chasing Booker for the World title.