PWG All-Star Weekend 11 Night One Review

PWG All-Star Weekend XI Night One
December 11th, 2015 | Reseda, California

Last year, I gave the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles a shot. I enjoyed it but didn’t find it to be the greatest tournament in the history of mankind, which upset some people. Today, I’m taking a look at PWG’s All-Star Weekend XI, which was a two night event. As noted before my last review of PWG, I don’t follow them religiously, but know enough about every competitor on the card that I won’t be lost or unaware.

Chuck Taylor def. Mark Andrews in 9:19
Both guys were very over with the PWG crowd. This was interesting because Chuck Taylor got to play the big man, which I’ve never seen him do before. He had fun with it, as did commentary, who said he was “wrestling like Kevin Nash”. He even did a powerbomb at one point. If you know Taylor, you know to expect some humor in his matches and we got a good chunk of that here. He busted out some surprisingly powerful moves, dominating at times. Andrews countered a suplex into a stunner, which always looks cool. Andrews showed off some of his incredible aerial skills but got caught in Taylor’s Awful Waffle. I found this to be a fun opening contest with just the right blend of comedy and wrestling, without overdoing any of it. Kudos to commentary for adding to the fun of it all. ***¼

Ricochet def. Marty Scurll in 16:36
Ricochet sported his Prince Puma tights and also donned a Santa hat before the bell, which Marty, known as the “Villain”, stomped on. There were some fun games early as Scurll nearly revealed that Ricochet is actually Prince Puma. Right from the start, both guys played to their strengths. Ricochet did his flippy stuff, while Scurll played the heel, doing things like biting Ricochet’s ear. After Ricochet hit the People’s Moonsault, Scurll mocked it but, as he said, he doesn’t do moonsault and instead stomped on him. He’s not just a villain by nickname. Ricochet went for a springboard cutter but Scurll caught him with a mid-air chicken wing that almost made me jump out of my seat. Ricochet escaped the chicken wing twice before winning with the Benadryller. Two for two in strong matches. Their styles are certainly different but they made it work and clicked really well together. ***¾

The Unbreakable F’n Machines def. The American Wolves in 21:58
For those unaware, the Unbreakable F’n Machines consist of Michael Elgin and Brian Cage. Something about them as a team is just cool to me. Elgin and both Wolves are making their returns to PWG. Davey started with Elgin as commentary touched on their storied past. Both teams, as the fans like to chant to Cage, got their shit in. The stuff they all did was good but something about it felt hollow. Like it was missing something but I can’t put my finger on it. Richards was great at busting out various submissions. Elgin and Cage did stereo dead lift superplex variations which was cool. The Unbreakable F’n Machines won after they combined to basically murder Edwards with a ton of moves. I didn’t like how long the match went. Elgin, and Cage for that matter, work better in compact matches rather than overly long ones. Where the last match felt like a swift 16 minutes, these 22 minutes felt like 35. **½

Sami Callihan def. Drew Gulak in 9:44
The reaction for the surprise return of Sami Callihan was pretty fantastic. Gulak was in the ring for something, Callihan showed up and kicked him in the face, kick starting the match and going on a flurry. Despite wrestling a style that I usually kind of like, Gulak has never worked for me. I also wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Callihan, so I honestly didn’t have high expectations for this. The match kind of seemed to be a bit of an extended squash. Gulak did get in his fair share of offense and even had Callihan in a compromising submission predicament but the outcome never really seemed in doubt. It took two Stretch Mufflers to gain Sami a win in his return. He got on the microphone afterwards and said that he was locked in a cage for two years but the “Callihan Death Machine” is back. Fine little match with the awesome moment of Callihan returning but that’s about it. **½

Trevor Lee def. Will Ospreay in 11:07
At first, neither guy stood out to me, but after seeing a few matches from each, they’ve grown on me. Ospreay more so, but Lee had that phenomenal 105 minute match. Lee attacked before the bell, taking after the influence of Super Dragon according to commentary. He was a great heel throughout, badmouthing fans, hitting hard and not doing the things the fans wanted. Ospreay made his babyface comeback and it was fun, but things really picked up for their finishing stretch. It might have been the best ending run of any match I saw in 2015 outside of NJPW. After a bunch of near falls, it seemed like Ospreay was on the verge on winning. Lee caught him in a seamless backflip powerbomb, followed by a small package driver for the win. It was shorter than expected as it seemed like they could have gone a bit longer and done more. However, this was still all kinds of awesome and was the best thing on the show so far. ****¼

Kenny Omega def. Mike Bailey in 20:51
Unlike the guys in the last match, these two have still really yet to grow on me, though Omega has been really good in 2016. The crowd was pumped as it was Omega’s return to PWG. Both guys have a ton of hype right now. They started off with some comedy antics, which I’d normally be against but it really felt like Omega was just having fun in his return. A plastic garbage can came into play and the referee got hit with it before Omega powerbombed Bailey on it. Chuck Taylor was obsessed with talking about Bailey’s bare feet throughout the match. There was an interesting fake chainsaw spot, which the crowd and commentators sold as if it was real. After the shenanigans, Omega focused on the knee with some solid work. The crowd bought into multiple Bailey flash pin near falls but Omega ended him with the One Winged Angel. I thought the comedy bits were gonna be something I hated but they were okay. It’s something you expect with PWG and Omega looked to be having fun. Bailey would be a far better underdog if he sold. Omega attacked the leg and Bailey missed endless knee drops but almost never sold it. That truly hurt the score for me. **¾

PWG Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) def. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in 15:32
Nick Jackson cut a promo before the match, saying they would go “Full Sail” on their opponent’s asses. So, yea Gargano and Ciampa work NXT, but what exactly does that mean? Anyway, they tried two superkicks before the match but had both caught by the challengers, who proceeded to take control in the early stages. It calmed down and saw the Bucks work over Gargano. The issue is that they’re heels but the fans like them a lot, while Gargano and Ciampa didn’t seem to be super popular. Due to that, the fans didn’t seem too invested in a lot of stuff. At one point, Nick had a chair and Gargano was way far away, but still tried to slingshot in right into the chair. He looked like a complete fool. Gargano had Matt in the Gargano Escape but Matt did just that and escaped, rolling through for a pin. This felt like a hollow version of most Young Bucks matches. If you love them, you’ll probably like this more than I did. **¾

PWG Championship: Roderick Strong (c) def. Matt Sydal in 19:58
Roderick Strong entered the match at around the one year mark of his title reign. These guys are very familiar with each other from their Generation Next days. I liked this pairing because I could watch Strong give out backbreakers all day and Sydal is small enough to take those bumps and have them look great. They started slow and built to a bigger finish but there was one glaring problem. The match lacked drama. Considering Strong’s classic with Zack Sabre Jr. earlier in the year and Sabre winning the BOLA, most people pegged him as the guy to dethrone Strong (and they were right). Nobody really bought Sydal as a guy who would win, making this come off more like a solid exhibition. They had some fun exchanges and Strong won after a sick kick and End of Heartache. Solid but unspectacular main event. ***¼

After the match, the Young Bucks hit the ring and superkicked Sydal out. Strong got on the mic and said he’ll face Zack Sabre on his own terms. Mike Bailey, Joey Ryan and Candice LaRae, who would be facing Mount Rushmore 2.0 in a Guerilla Warfare match on night two, hit the ring. They cleaned house until the lights went out. That signaled a Super Dragon arrival. BUT WAIT! He had a microphone and said “suck my dick” before he and the Bucks attacked. He revealed himself to be Adam Cole, making his return to PWG after a year away. He picked up Roddy’s title and handed it to him. Strong said he didn’t trust Cole, but still trusts the Bucks. Cole will be replacing Super Dragon on night two.

Overall: 6.5/10. There was certainly a fair amount to like on this show, but there was also some stuff I didn’t. Starting with the good, Lee/Ospreay is the one thing you should absolutely see on this show. They stole the show. There were other good matches, like the main event, opener and Scurll/Ricochet as well. I came away disappointed in the rest of the card though I thought the reactions for the two returns were great, especially Adam Cole’s. This was an easy watch for the most part and though I admittedly have not seen a ton of PWG, I have seen better from them.

Random Network Reviews: Spring Stampede 2000

Spring Stampede 2000
April 16th, 2000 | United Center in Chicago, Illinois | Attendance: 12,556

The venue that hosts this show, the United Center, is rather large. I always wondered why WWE doesn’t run there, but I’m sure they could have sold it out in 2000. WCW…not so much. Things were going so badly, that Vince Russo, head of creative, decided to hit the reset button. That’s right, every single champion was stripped of their titles and this show featured tournaments to determine new champions. It is a bold move for sure and showed just how desperate the company was getting. Obviously it didn’t really pay off, but let’s see if the show it at least entertaining.

The opening video package shows when Vince Russo announced the reboot. He went off on Ric Flair, calling him a piece of shit. I think the New Blood plan was good on paper, but having them as the heels came off in a bad way. Eric Bischoff turning on Hulk Hogan is also shown, as Bischoff drove a white hummer into a limo that Hogan was in. 

Then, Bischoff is pacing backstage because he’s worried since Hogan checked himself out of the hospital. For some reason, that sends us to a second video package, showing basically the same stuff we saw in the first. I don’t get it. Commentary includes Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson and Mark Madden. They run down the card, which I always hated because it kind of gives the show a slow start instead of going right into a match.

World Tag Team Championship Semi-Final
The Mamalukes w/ Disco Inferno vs. Team Package w/ Elizabeth vs. The Harris Brothers
Team Package is a strange damn name. They consist of Lex Luger and Ric Flair, the latter in street clothes. By street clothes, I mean a dress shirt and slacks. This is supposed to be a straight up tag match but Vince Russo shows up to add the Harris Brothers. He calls the Mamalukes rookies, which is odd since Vito had been working for nearly a decade by this point. Team Package takes a beating, and it’s odd to see the other two teams working together, since I reviewed a show from January where they were feuding. Team Package rallies a bit, but the numbers game hurts them. The two heel teams target Flair and give him a kicking. Flair climbs up top, as Skull hilariously looks at him like “really dude? That never works.” It doesn’t here either. They do the false hot tag spot, but Luger is probably happy he doesn’t have to work just yet. Disco gets in a cheap shot before two random large men take him away. The heel teams turn on each other, allowing the hot tag to Luger. 8-Ball climbs up and takes FOREVER. It’s so long that Luger even shrugs as he stands there, waiting to complete the spot. Luger wins this for his team with a Torture Rack.

Winners: Team Package in 6:16
This was a giant clusterfuck. I get the idea of Team Package being in trouble, but it was kind of a mess, so it actually fits in to WCW in this era. ½*

Mike Awesome gets interviews backstage and is beyond jacked up. It’s kind of irritating. Bam Bam Bigelow interrupts, leading to Awesome attacking him.

Jimmy Hart w/ Hail vs. Mancow w/ His Entourage
Who the hell thought this belonged in wrestling, let alone on a damn Pay-Per-View? The gist of this feud seems to be that Jimmy Hart says Mancow is a knockoff Howard Stern. Both guys talk before the match, but Mancow looks so uncomfortable doing so. He just repeats himself and says Chicago a few times. He attacks from behind, leading to a catfight of sorts. Hart hits a low blow as Mark Madden calls this “utter nonsense”. If Madden is embarrassed by a match, you know it’s dire. Hart actually comes off the top, but Mancow pulls the referee in the way. Hail enters the ring and he’s a big dude. He press slams him into the Entourage. Their names are Terd, Al Roker Jr. and the Brian the Wimpy Boy. Hart sends Hail away like an idiot, allowing Mancow to hit him with a chair and win.

Winner: Mancow in 2:46
The only good thing I can say about this, is that it was short. The fact that it was kept at under three minutes keeps it from being a dud, but just barely. ¼*

Billy Kidman comes out after the match to his awesome theme music. He attacks Jimmy Hart because of his feud with Hulk Hogan. So let me get this straight. Face Hulk Hogan is feuding with heel Billy Kidman, so he attacks heel Jimmy Hart, who is face Hogan’s manager. My head hurts.

WCW United States Championship Tournament Quarter Final
Scott Steiner vs. The Wall
For some reason, Scott Steiner comes out to the awful STEINERLINE theme song. That’s a worse decision than putting Mancow vs. Jimmy Hart on Pay-Per-View. Both guys are members of the New Blood, because seven of the eight guys in this Tournament are from that group. Steiner manhandles him, but Wall gets in some shots. Steiner hits a low blow that doesn’t cause a DQ. At least commentary addressed that earlier, saying that referees were told to be lenient with the rules. It’s not like usual WCW from this era where things happened with no explanation. The battle goes outside, where Wall gets a table. Steiner rakes Wall in the eyes, and puts the referee in front of him. Wall, temporarily blinded, chokeslams the ref through the table. A second ref appears to call for the DQ.

Winner via disqualification: Scott Steiner in 3:37
I get that the disqualification protected your big monster like character, but at this point, I believe Wall had suffered a fair amount of losses. Scott Steiner, who was set to be a World Champion later in the year, should have gone over him cleanly. The match itself was short and didn’t completely suck. *

Mean Gene interviews The Cat, who calls WCW the biggest redneck company in the world. Bigelow appears again to beat him down and take him out.

WCW United States Championship Tournament Quarter Final
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Mike Awesome
Mike Awesome debuted the previous Monday by taking out Kevin Nash, while he was still the ECW World Champion. This is his first official match for WCW. Bigelow runs in to replace Cat, which is somehow official. I guess they figured the impromptu nature would make Awesome feel more comfortable in his transition from ECW. The action starts outside where Awesome nails a pescado. He then gets whipped into the guardrail, and you can hear him tell the fans to move before he backdrops Bigelow into the audience. He then leaps over the guardrail to take him out. They’re doing a fine job showcasing how impressive Awesome really is. Bigelow gets in offense as the Cat appears and kicks him. He grabs a microphone to dance for the fans. This went from a decent match to completely absurd. Awesome stops the dancing with a clothesline. He hits the Awesome Splash to advance.

Winner: Mike Awesome in 3:20
What? So did the Bigelow near falls not really count? Was the Cat legal the whole time? Does anyone in WCW know any of this? Too much extra nonsense. Mike Awesome should have run through Bigelow to showcase how good he was. There was a lot of potential in that guy. *¼

After more worrying from Eric Bischoff in the back, Mean Gene interviews Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas. They put over the New Blood, though I seriously question how Shane Douglas is considered new blood.

World Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Final
Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas vs. Harlem Heat 2K w/ J. Biggs
J. Biggs is apparently Clarence Mason. I had no idea he went to WCW, though I loved him in WWE. Like pretty much every other match on this card, it starts with a brawl. Harlem Heat has the early advantage. Fat Ahmed Johnson hits a spinebuster on Buff and he yells in an extremely high pitched voice. He really needs a shirt. Buff gets two on a Vader Bomb. People need to not use the Mastodon’s move dammit. They do this double hot tag, but it’s been like two minutes only so there’s no build for it. Douglas gets the win for his team.

Winners: Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas in 2:47
These matches are seemingly getting shorter and shorter. Like I’ve been saying, these matches have been too short to get the dud rating, but they still aren’t any good. ½*

Mean Gene, earning checks, conducts another interview. He talks to Booker T, who says that he’s with the New Blood on the hope for opportunity, but he’s not really down with them. In other words, he’s like the only “young” face in the company.

WCW United States Championship Quarter Final
Booker T vs. Sting
With no shenanigans, this has potential to be match of the night. I don’t think either guy should be out in the first round, but it makes sense from the New Blood standpoint of wanting their guys in the finals. Booker shows his power early with a shoulder block but Sting hip tosses him. Sting hits a flurry that sends Booker outside. A cameraman gets taken out from an Irish whip outside. When they go back inside, Booker is in control with a knee drop. He moves to a chinlock to slow things down. Sting gets the fans behind him to rally but Booker stops that with a knee. He hits the Axe Kick but only gets two. The flapjack is followed by the SPINAROONIE. He tries another kick but Sting ducks and goes into a rally. He nails the Stinger Splash but goes to the well too much as the second attempt fails. Sting is able to counter a suplex into the Scorpion Death Drop to advance.

Winner: Sting in 6:35
Easily the match of the night, but I was still slightly disappointed. Both guys could go, but it was kept rather short. I wish they got a bit more time so this could go into the next gear. **¾

Post-match, Sting goes to leave but Booker T pulls him back in the ring to give him a fist bump. Mean Gene interviews Billy Kidman and Eric Bischoff. Bischoff is still worried about Hogan.

WCW United States Championship Quarter Final
Billy Kidman w/ Torrie Wilson vs. Vampiro
Looking at the bracket for the Tournament, the finals should be Sting vs. Billy Kidman with Kidman going over. Instead, it looks like the winner of this faces Sting in the next round. Early on, Vampire tries to powerbomb Kidman so he obviously doesn’t have this man scouted. Kidman counters with a hurricanrana. Kidman goes for ten punches in the corner but Vampiro counters into a powerbomb toss. Well, he shut me up. He tries again, but Kidman counters into the facebuster. Kidman goes into an offensive flurry. The problem is that the fans don’t know what to do because these guys are heels. Vampiro busts out a one handed chokeslam like he’s the Big Show or something for two. In the middle of the match, we see a car pull into the arena and out comes HULK HOGAN! He runs into the match, no selling for Kidman. He throws him outside of the ring and continues to pound on him. Hogan pretty much tries to murder Kidman with steel steps before using them as a platform to chokeslam him onto the announce table. I get that there are relaxed rules, but how is this not a DQ? Madden again states the obvious by asking, “what has this promotion become?” He rolls him inside for Vampiro to pin Kidman.

Winner: Vampiro in 8:24
This was going well until the Hulk Hogan appearance. I think this should have happened in the finals. There was no reason for Vampiro to go over Kidman. Plus the lack of a DQ call was a bit much. **¼

Eric Bischoff is scared as Hulk Hogan searches for him. Vince Russo leaves Bischoff alone to do something about this. Hogan easily finds Eric, but before he can do anything, security or cops come in to stop this. They pull their guns on Hogan to stop him.

WCW Hardcore Championship
Norman Smiley (c) vs. Terry Funk
Terry Taylor tells Terry Funk backstage that Norman Smiley is afraid to face him. Funk goes to catering to find Norman, where everyone stooges him out as being in the bathroom. When Funk finds him, he screams. “Screaming” Norman Smiley is one of the best things WCW ever did. Funk throws him around the catering area, but Smiley uses a trash ca to come back. They use some fun weapons like a Diet Coke and laptop as they fight backstage. Schiavone calls it a “slaptop” because he’s so funny. Smiley hilariously hangs like a bat from the pipes by the ceiling. The fight makes it to the arena. In the ring, Smiley does the Big Wiggle, but Funk whacks him with a chair. Dustin Rhodes appears to take out Funk with a piledriver. He goes to fly from the top but Funk gets the feet up to block it. Funk throws the ladder on top of Smiley and pins him.

Winner and New WCW Hardcore Champion: Terry Funk in 8:40
The hardcore division in WCW never really took off, but anything with “Screaming” Norman Smiley is entertaining. It was just two guys wailing on each other with ridiculous weapons and at the very least, this was fun. **

WCW United States Championship Semi-Final
Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner
There goes that damn STEINERLINE theme again. This should be a good battle of two powerhouses. Steiner dominates the early goings and does some push-ups. Awesome comes back in the ring with the slingshot shoulder block that pops the crowd. He was really athletic. A top rope flying clothesline gets two but Steiner turns the tide with a low blow. Steiner lays in some chops, but Awesome fires up and hits a springboard back elbow. The fans go nuts as Kevin Nash limps out and strikes Awesome in the back with a crutch. Steiner Recliner is applied and Awesome submits.

Winner: Scott Steiner in 3:13
That was way too short to be good. The stuff we got was actually pretty good and I think that with more time, it could have been something interesting. Instead, we get a short match with another pretty cheap finish. **

Backstage, Vince Russo is pissed as Dustin Rhodes for allowing Terry Funk to win the Hardcore Title. Russo fires him and says he was only worth anything as Goldust because it was Russo who created that character. SEE HOW BADASS WE ARE? WE TALK ABOUT THE OTHER COMPANIES! WE SHOOT!

WCW United States Championship Semi-Final
Sting vs. Vampiro
When it comes to WCW 2000, these two are kind of synonymous with each other. Sting charges the ring only to eat an ugly spinning heel kick. Sting no sells some shots and fires up. They brawl outside for a bit before Sting climbs to the top. He hits a pretty impressive splash for two. Sting misses a Stinger Splash into the guardrail. Mark Madden sees a basic kick to the back from Vampiro and calls it like Sweet Chin Music. Vampiro is now in the driver’s seat but Sting is resilient. I think they were going for a spot where Vampiro leaps from the top and Sting catches him in the Scorpion Death Lock but they mess it up and Sting just kind of swats him down. He then hits the Death Drop and makes Vampiro quit in the Death Lock.

Winner: Sting in 5:54
Two guys that would fight a ton in 2000 didn’t seem to have much chemistry. Both guys seemed to kind of mail it in. IT wasn’t really bad, but it wasn’t very good either. *¾

DDP cuts a promo on Jeff Jarrett backstage because Mean Gene needed to keep earning that paycheck. Could you imagine if he got paid by the interview?

Shane Helms and Shannon Moore appear to perform 3 Count’s theme. There is a girl in the crowd who reacts like they are a real boy band. They perform the ENTIRE song and go to do it again before their opponents come out.

WCW World Cruiserweight Championship
Suicide Six Man Match
Chris Candido vs. Crowbar w/ Daffney vs. Lash LeRoux vs. Juventud Guerra vs. The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Iaukea w/ Paisley vs. Shannon Moore w/ Shane Helms
Right off the bat, this seems like a big clusterfuck. They never specify, but I think the title is vacant. Crowbar gets two on a surprisingly nice Northern lights suplex. LeRoux gets to do offense, before Juvi hits the Juvi Driver. Basically, each guy is getting a chance to show off while someone else breaks up the pins. Daffney climbs up top for the Frankenscreamer, but catches Crowbar by mistake. LeRoux takes them out with an ugly dive outside. The Artist does the same, before Juvi does the same. In the coolest spot so far, Shane Helms launches Moore onto everyone. A wild David Flair appears to take out Helms. The Artist goes up top with Candido, who knocks him off and misses a headbutt. Paisley throws in a steel chair, but Tammy Sytch appears to knock the Artist off onto the chair, allowing Candido to win.

Winner and New WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Candido in 5:10
That match gave me a headache. It was just nonstop nonsense. There was no structure or plan as it was just guys getting in offense. Even the dives outside weren’t really that good. Disappointing. *

Mean Gene interviews Jeff Jarrett, complete with Slapnuts guitar. Jarrett threatens to slap Gene’s liver spots off his face, making him my favorite in the main event.

World Tag Team Championship Finals
Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas vs. Team Package w/ Elizabeth
Throughout his entire career, Lex Luger was always miscast as a face, but this gimmick and theme make it EXTRA hard to cheer for him. Buff Bagwell gets worked over early by Luger’s basic offense. Shane Douglas made a career out of throwing verbal jabs at Ric Flair. Even to this day, they dislike each other. Flair gets in some short punches outside, but ends up as the face in peril. When Madden runs down Flair, Tony Schiavone straight up responds “BULLSHIT”. They’re cursing like this is an ECW show. They do the hot tag and Team Package looks like they may be rallying. Russo gets up from commentary to interfere, but Buff turns the tide. He mistakenly hits the Blockbuster on Douglas, leading Russo to pull Nick Patrick out of the ring. They get into a shoving match that just looks so awkward. Kronik runs in through the crowd, making their return, to take out Luger. Russo lays out Patrick, steals the ref shirt and counts the three.

Winners and New WCW World Tag Team Champions: Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas in 8:36
A lackluster effort all around. This is like, the definition of four guys seemingly mailing it in. Of course, it had to end with interference involved too. ¾*

WCW United States Championship Finals
Scott Steiner vs. Sting
Seriously, who thought he should use the STEINERLINE theme? Both guys receive pre-match backstage interviews by Mean Gene, but neither is really anything of note. Sting surprises me out of the gate with a dive outside but his top rope splash looks bad before Steiner gets the knees up. Steiner jaws with a lady at ringside after a gorilla press slam. Is she a freak? Steiner busts out a T-Bone like suplex but wastes time with another fan. Sting blocks a top rope belly-to-belly suplex, going into the comeback. He nails a Stinger Splash but his second sees the referee pulled in the way. He hits a third but when trying the fourth, Vampire comes up through the ring and pulls him down. Did Russo watch Undertaker do this to Diesel before booking this match? Vampiro brings Sting back up and he has blood on his mouth. Steiner applies the Steiner Recliner and the referee calls for the bell since Sting is passed out.

Winner and New WCW United States Champion: Scott Steiner in 5:38
Here’s another match tonight that had a lot of potential but wasn’t any good. Scott Steiner seemed to just want to kill time with the fans until the interference finish. Another match, another disappointment, another shoddy ending. *¾

WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Diamond Dallas Page w/ Kimberly vs. Jeff Jarrett
The “Chosen One” gimmick was actually really good. Both guys get overly long entrances from their locker rooms. Trying to sell how personal this match is, DDP is aggressive from the start. The action spills into the crowd, which is good. This isn’t just about the title, DDP wants revenge for what happened to Kimberly. When they finally make it back to the ring, Jarrett hits a second rope suplex. He gets a steel chair, laying into DDP’s midsection. DDP did have the worst case of injured ribs I’d ever seen. DDP brings out a sitout powerbomb for two as Eric Bischoff walks out. In a super heel move, Jarrett steals DDP’s book from a fan and rips it up. That’s cold. Kimberly gets involved, pulls Jeff by the hair but he shrugs it off. It does allow DDP the breathing room to turn things around. It doesn’t last long though as Jarrett puts him in the Figure Four. Kimberly grabs the guitar, but doesn’t do anything with it. DDP refuses to quit, so Jarrett lets go only to get rolled up a few times. Jarrett leaps from the second rope into a jawbreaker for two. Things slow for a moment when Jarrett applies a sleeper but DDP fights out and goes to a sleeper slam. Bischoff grabs the official as DDP hits the Diamond Cutter. Like a complete moron, he doesn’t pin and instead wants Kimberly to hit her with the guitar. Kimberly waffles DDP with the guitar and the Stroke finishes this.

Winner and New WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Jeff Jarrett in 14:58
Both of these guys are capable workers and this was a perfectly acceptable match. It wasn’t great and of course, it was another “swerve”. Tony Schiavone is terrible at giving those away by saying the exact opposite. “BISCHOFF MUST BE HELPING DDP!” Well he wasn’t. Anyway, not a bad match. **½ 

Overall: 3.5/10; Not Good. Surprisingly, this is the highest score I’ve given WCW in 2000. Nothing on this show is must see at all, but I managed to see a near three star effort. With the exception of the Mancow/Hart match, everything is at the very least watchable. The fact that there are fourteen matches means that things move by rather quickly, which helps. There was potential here, but everything is so overdone by shenanigans that is ends up ruining it. My randomizer has chosen my next “Random Network Review” as Saturday Night’s Main Event from 11/2/85!

Top Ten Thursday: NJPW Performers

Taking a break from my look at WrestleMania topics, I'm looking at my picks for the top performers currently in New Japan Pro Wrestling. I first got into NJPW at the start of 2015 and spent the last year learning as much as I possibly could, watching every show and watching a ton of stuff from the past. Now, had I compiled this list a few months back it would have looked very different. AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kota Ibushi would have all been in the top five, while Karl Anderson would have probably made the list as well. All of those guys are gone, opening the door for lots of other guys to get chances. I've already done the top ten WWE females, NXT and Lucha Underground performers. Expect a WWE, ROH and maybe even an Evolve or NOAH top ten down the line.

10. Tomoaki Honma

If you don’t watch New Japan Pro Wrestling and you just looked at the results, you’d question this selection. Tomoaki Honma has a horrible win/loss record. Why does he make the cut you ask? It all started in 2014. He entered the G1 Climax as a replacement for the injured Kota Ibushi. He proceeded to lose every single one of his matches, finishing in dead last. However, the G1 style worked to his strengths and he became the perfect underdog. He kept losing and losing but the crowd reactions got louder and louder. Honma got a pinfall win in a tag at Wrestle Kingdom 9 to the crowd’s joy before having several match of the year candidates with Tomohiro Ishii. Honma finally beat Ishii to win his first G1 match later in the year and the reaction was insane. Honma has developed into the best underdog in all of wrestling. Not many guys can constantly lose, over and over, and be among the most popular guys on the roster. There’s something about Tomoaki Honma that is just infectious. Earlier this year he finally got to win some gold with partner Togi Makabe and remains a vital part of the NJPW roster. I wonder if he’ll get more than one G1 win this time around.

9. Kenny Omega

Over and over, I’ve mentioned that I’m not a fan of Kenny Omega. For the most part, that remains true. His runs as the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion were pretty lackluster in several ways. He’s also far too much of an over actor. However, 2016 has been a pretty great year for him so far. As part of one of the best angles all year, Omega turned on AJ Styles and became the leader of the Bullet Club shortly after pinning Shinsuke Nakamura. He topped that by besting Hiroshi Tanahashi in a really good match to win the vacant Intercontinental Title. Adding on, he and the Young Bucks, who are my least favorite act in wrestling, won the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles. The man has not only managed to find tons of success in 2016 but it looks like he’s headed for even more. I expected a spirited run in the G1 Climax this year. While I still dislike his tendency to overact and put on strange facial expressions, his in ring work so far this year has been pretty strong. Last year, he wouldn’t have even smelled this list. Now though, he makes it on.

8. Michael Elgin

When Michael Elgin was announced as a participant in the G1 Climax 25, the wrestling world mostly groaned. He had more than worn out his welcome in the United States across most independent promotions. The thing is, Elgin loves Japan and working there had been his lifelong dream. Well, he certainly made the best of it. Elgin won over the Japan crowd with his incredible array of power based offense and brought something different to the table from the rest of the G1 field. It also helped that the G1 style plays to his strength. Instead of having to try and work 30 minute “classics”, he was able to stick to what he’s good at in the compact 10-15 minute window. Since then, he’s entered a fun tag team with Hiroshi Tanahashi and earned himself a multi-year deal with NJPW. It’s literally a dream come true. With several high profile gaijins gone, the door is now open for Elgin to move into the top gaijin spot. I expect to see him get a great showing in the G1 this year and hell, he and Tanahashi could even get a short Tag Team Title run. The fans love him, Gedo loves him and Elgin loves it in Japan. That’s a combination for success.

7. Hirooki Goto 

Hirooki Goto’s booking has been a sore point for plenty of New Japan fans over the past few years. For a very long time, Goto has consistently been one of the best wrestlers and most popular talents in NJPW. Truthfully, he’s done a fair amount. He’s won the G1 Climax in the past, held the Tag Team Titles, the Intercontinental Title and won several New Japan Cup Tournaments. The issue is that Goto has never been given the big one. Goto currently stands at 0-8 in shots at the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Hell, even when he was the Intercontinental Champion last year, they cut him off at the legs. He beat Shinsuke Nakamura twice and even pinned Kazuchika Okada cleanly in the G1. All of that was wasted when he dropped the belt back to Nakamura in September and ended up in the only Wrestle Kingdom match not to be contested for a championship. Despite the lame booking, Goto has indeed remained very popular. He consistently puts on good to great matches with a variety of opponents. There is still some hope that he can win the big one but even if he doesn’t, there aren’t many better in NJPW.

6. Kazuchika Okada 

Here’s where I could see some controversy with this placement. Kazuchika Okada is not only the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, but he’s been handpicked to be the “ace” of New Japan Pro Wrestling going forward. He has put on several fantastic matches, including one at King of Pro Wrestling 2013 that might be the best I’ve ever watched. So why does he only rank sixth? Well for one thing, I personally enjoy the five guys ahead of him more. Also, I have some issues with Okada matches. For example, if he’s leading the way, his matches leave something to be desired. While he’ll have classics with Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi and AJ Styles, it’s usually those guys setting the tone. Take Wrestle Kingdom 10. Some people gave his match with Tanahashi five stars. I found it to be their worst match ever. You could cut the first 15 minutes and not miss anything. His title defense against Goto in February also left a lot to be desired. There are too many times when he sleepwalks through the first half of a match before picking it up in a big way down the stretch. That out of the way, Okada is a prodigy. He’s still very good despite being just 28 years old. Even if I have some issues with him, he’s as good a choice as any to be the top star, seems to be loyal to the company and has a very long future ahead of him.

5. KUSHIDA 

Yes, I put the Jr. Heavyweight Champion above the Heavyweight Champion. Maybe Kazuchika Okada is a better wrestler than KUSHIDA but man, I love me some KUSHIDA. For too long the New Japan Junior divisions have been stale and stagnant. Everyone is kind of similar and since Prince Devitt left and Kota Ibushi became a heavyweight, the title hasn’t seemed very important. Ryusuke Taguchi was a lame choice for champion and Kenny Omega was highly disappointing in the role. KUSHIDA changes all of that. He breaks up the monotony of the division and can have great matches with just about anyone. If he’s wrestling in ROH, he can have awesome matches. If he’s working with heavyweights, he’s great. If he’s in tag matches, he rules. Whatever you give KUSHIDA, he’ll kill it. In my “Top 100 Matches of 2015” last year, KUSHIDA appeared in every junior heavyweight match to make the list along with some others. He’s versatile, consistent and is someone that I truly look forward to seeing each time I watch New Japan. KUSHIDA needs to be the guy they build and fix the division around.

4. Tomohiro Ishii 

The first NJPW, it was for Wrestle Kingdom 9. Tomohiro Ishii had a really good match with Togi Makabe but for some reason, something about him didn’t click for me. For the next few months, I was disinterested in a lot of what he did. That all eventually changed. From watching him in the G1 Climax 25 as well as going back and reviewing the G1 Climax 24, I began to have a fond appreciation for Ishii. It’s actually more than that because his style of wrestling is something I’ve grown to love. Ishii is awesome and, with Nakamura gone, is my favorite member of the Chaos stable. I know that Makabe had a fair amount of success with the NEVER Title, but for me, it was Ishii that kind of put it on the map and really got going with it. Going back and watching things, Ishii has grown from underdog into a very valuable asset for the company even though he’s already in the later stage of his career. Now the reigning ROH Television Champion, Ishii should have more dates in the States, which will only help raise his profile. Some of my favorite matches (namely the G1 Climax 23 bout with Shibata) have involved Ishii. Honestly, there aren’t many better wrestlers in the world right now.

3. Katsuyori Shibata 

I love Katsuyori Shibata. I really, really do. His style isn’t for everyone as, similar to Tomohiro Ishii, I’ve heard complaints about the stiff work and things like the headbutts done in his matches. I understand that, I truly do. It works for me though. I like all kinds of wrestling and lately, the style that speaks to me the most is Shibata’s. Sometimes I just want to watch two guys enter a ring and beat the shit out of each other. When Shibata enters a ring, you truly feel like you’re watching a fight. I don’t want an entire card of those matches, but seeing Shibata is such a nice change from the rest of the NJPW roster, outside of a select few. Shibata has also grown to become one of the more popular guys on the roster and has had big moments at the last two Wrestle Kingdoms (Tag Title win at 9 and NEVER Title win at 10). There is always the worry that he won’t move up any higher due to him walking out of the company back when they needed him, but I could see that changing due to how damn good he’s been. In recent G1 Climaxes and recent shows in general, Shibata has delivered nearly every single time out there. Shibata is the baddest dude in New Japan and it’s glorious.

2. Tetsuya Naito 

Outside of the New Day, I can’t remember a recent heel turn that worked to fix somebody’s career so well. When I first watched New Japan Pro Wrestling, Tetsuya Naito didn’t stand out. He was the whitest of white meat babyfaces. Sure he could do some athletic stuff and have good matches but he felt so hollow and bland. Fast forward a few months, after a tour with CMLL, and heel Tetsuya Naito was born. He teamed with La Sombra while in CMLL and joined the Los Ingobernables stable. Now he had some personality. Naito began to show a severe lack of care towards anything. Even while in the G1 Climax, he just had an attitude that showed nothing mattered to him. He’s managed to take that character and continue to put on good to great matches. There aren’t many characters in wrestling that I enjoy more than Naito. He’s added EVIL and BUSHI to Los Ingobernables de Japon, forming a little stable that has found some success. Naito is currently set to face Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title and, in my opinion, should absolutely win it. He’d be the first man not named Tanahashi, Okada or Styles to hold it since 2010. In terms of pure character work, Naito has no peer in NJPW.

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi 

The years continue to pass, but one thing remains the same. Hiroshi Tanahashi is the best in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He may have finally officially passed the proverbial torch to Kazuchika Okada at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom, but make no mistake; Tanahashi is still the man. There is so much he can do for the company in so many different ways. He’s been IWGP Heavyweight Champion time after time after time and now, he’s moved into a different faze of his illustrious career. When Shinsuke Nakamura left and the company needed someone to put over Kenny Omega and solidify him as a heavyweight star, they turned to Tanahashi, who did a great job. As noted earlier, he and Michael Elgin could give it a run in the tag division and win those titles. With Tanahashi involved, the Tag Titles could rise in prominence and even headline some events. There is nobody better at telling a story in the ring right now than Tanahashi. He almost always has great matches, the fans absolutely adore him and he can do just about anything they’ll need him to do. Until he retires, I can’t see anyone overtaking Tanahashi in this spot.