[2001-01-14-WCW-Sin] Konnan & Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr vs Lance Storm & Mike Awesome & Elix Skipper (Penalty Box)

[GSR]

Jim Duggan is the guest referee for this Penalty Box match.  Team Canada arrive in a special Team Canada bus, another example of WCW needlessly wasting money.  Lance Storm requests the fans undivided, respectful attention, saying how tonight they’re going to give the Filthy Animals a taste of Canadian justice, although stumbles over his words in doing so.  Duggan promises to call this down the middle and informs the teams that anyone caught breaking the rules will be sent to the Penalty Box where they will have to wait until the red light goes off, at which point they are welcome to rejoin the match.  We haven’t even gone a minute and Skipper is sent to the Box for entering the ring without being tagged.  Awesome questions the decision, bumps into Duggan and he’s then sent to join his partner in there.  That gives ‘the Animals’ a three-on-one advantage for the next minute and notice we’re told how long they will be in the Box when originally there was no set time, just for as long as the red light is on.  Konnan powerbombs Rey onto the prone Storm.  Springboard splash by Rey and Kidman with a rana.  Lance knees him in the gut and is able to tag out to one of his returning partners.  Awesome is caught interfering and sent to the Box for a second time.  As Lance, on the apron, tells old ‘Hacksaw’ that he can’t do that, he’s sent to keep him company.  K-Dogg ties Skipper up like a pretzel before Rey lands a springboard guillotine legdrop.  Skipper tries his Matrix move but Konnan had it scouted, countering into a reverse DDT for a near fall.  Great spot.  Drop toe hold by Elix who then comes off the top with a missile dropkick, landing on his feet in the process.  Awesome catches Konnan on his running crossbody attempt, dropping him across his knee with a backbreaker.  The women are exchanging words on the floor and Duggan instructs each to get back to their respective corners.  Rey goes for the bronco buster but ‘Hacksaw’ cuts him off, ordering both he and Kidman to the Penalty Box as they were in the ring at the same time.  We didn’t see if a tag was made as the cameras were focussing on the women, although even if there wasn’t, surely only one should be sent to the Box?  Awesome with a running powerslam on Konnan.  Tygress soaks Major Gunns with a water bottle leading to a lame catfight spot.  Duggan has seen enough and now sends both women to the Box.  This is getting ridiculous.  Springboard corkscrew legdrop by Skipper.  With the two man advantage Schiavone questions his use of the rear chinlock, thinking that’s not the right tactics and that they should be using quick tags.  Our impartial referee leads the crowd in a “U-S-A” chant.  Awesome comes off the top with a flying clothesline.  Konnan with a facebuster, he then crawls over to his corner to tag the returning Kidman.  Flying back elbow.  Big backdrop followed by a lovely dropkick.  Lance falls to the floor after being clotheslined across the top rope and then Rey, tagged, assists on the pescado, launching Kidman out onto him.  Skipper is around and levels Kidman and in turn Konnan flattens Elix.  Awesome has himself a pair of scissors and for some reason, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH, tries to cut Kidman’s hair.  Duggan stops him from doing so and he subsequently ends up taking his third visit to the Penalty Box.   Rey with a bronco buster, ‘face full of stuff’ from Tygress and...well you know where she ends up by now.  I think Elix and Konnan also took trips to the Box in there too.  With Lance hung over the middle rope Rey lands a springboard guillotine legdrop.  ‘Kid Crusher’, Awesome out of the Penalty Box for the save in the nick of time.  Duggan immediately sends him back there but this time he’s not listening, giving Rey an awesome looking ‘Awesome bomb’.  Lance ducks the enzuigiri and slaps on the ‘Canadian Maple Leaf’ forcing Kidman to tap, a reluctant Duggan eventually calling for the bell.

The work was strong from everyone, especially the Filthy Animals and Lance Storm; however this would have been significantly better as a regular match without the confusing and random Penalty Box stipulations and without Jim Duggan as the referee.  The women in these camps continue to be a complete waste of time, although that can be said about nigh on every woman in WCW at this point.

[soup23]

 I understand the argument that the stipulation prevented this match from achieving great standards that it might have as a six man, however as a feud device showing the ancillary pieces of these two factions as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each this match was very successful for me. Jim Duggan was not annoying as ref and was fair throughout and it featured some of the best wrestlers still within WCW. Big win for Lance at the end too. ***1/4 (6.7)