Post by DTP. on Jul 14, 2008 12:19:36 GMT -5
Sunday 28th December 1997
A cold, winter's night in the MCI Centre, in America's capitol, Washington D.C., This looked to be one appealing night in sports entertainment, a night that could become a turning point in World Championship Wrestling's history and ways of living. With eight solid matches lined up for the 'WrestleMania' of WCW pay-per-view events, this was scheduled to be a fantastic show, and what would possibly give the number one promotion alot of credit and respect for. Another boost in the hype for this event was that seven weeks prior to this event, was WWF's Survivor Series, held on November 9th in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Having boasted matches such as Bret Hart challenging Shawn Michaels for the World Wrestling Federation Championship in what was supposed to be one of Hart's last matches in the WWF before leaving for WCW upon his contract expiring. Hart refused to drop the WWF Championship in Montreal and even planned to make the match end as a result of disqualification following interference from D-Generation X. But Shawn Michaels, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Vince McMahon thought otherwise. They planned for McMahon to be seated at ringside during the match, and one of the planned spots for the main event match was scheduled to be involving the American Shawn Michaels applying Bret Hart's Sharpshooter on him, while in Hart's home country. Michaels locked it in and McMahon mysteriously rang for the bell as Hart was reversing the move. Michaels immediately left the arena with D-Generation X and was almost rioted on in his hotel. Hart got revenge in the back as he knocked out Vince with a big punch.
Back to Starrcade, this prestigious show was set to feature skill from around all areas from high-flying to brawling, and from technical to slugging it out. The show started with Dean Malenko facing Eddie Guerrero with Guerrero's WCW Cruiserweight Championship at stake. After almost fifteen minutes of acrobatic skill and technical mat-based wrestling, Eddie stole and retained the Cruiserweight gold after defeating Malenko with a Frog Splash. It sure did set the tone for the evening. In some sort of unique contest, the Steiner Brothers, Rick and Scott teamed with Ray Traylor to take on Vincent, Scott Norton and Randy Savage of the New World Order. And though Savage was substituting for Konnan it was still weird that he was wrestling in the second match of a massive card. After eleven minutes of brawling, Savage put Scott Steiner down to rest with the Diving Elbow Drop.
In a short match that was meant to of been a good match came out sluggish and used slightly as a filler. Though it boosted Bill Goldberg's winning streak, it didn't help Steve 'Mongo' McMichael out one bit. Goldberg easily defeated McMichaels with his trademark spear and finishing Jackhammer in nearly six minutes of action. The following match was simply a build-up for the feud between Raven and Chris Benoit as fellow Flock member, Saturn took on former Super J Cup Winner, Chris Benoit under Raven's Rules [also known as being 'In Raven's Rules, there is no rules']. The two traded technical skill throughout ten minutes until it was brutally cut short after Raven slid into the ring, hit his signature move, the Raven Effect DDT on Benoit and passed out from the Rings of Saturn.
Next was another bonafide classic, set between the nWo's Buff Bagwell and WCW's Lex Luger in what ended up being a true battle of the titans...only the titans in there were in fact simply heavyweights wanting to settle the score. Luger and Bagwell seemed pretty even until the number of New Word Order wrestlers took out Lex Luger whenever they could, first Vincent taking Luger off his game. Randy Savage later came in but Luger shook him off only to get struck with a weapon from Scott Norton. And so, Buff Bagwell won. The next match was scheduled to be another good match as Diamond Dallas Page of World Championship Wrestling challenged the New World Order's, Curt Hennig for the US Heavyweight Championship. After ten hard-hitting minutes of wrestling, Diamond Dallas Page, or DDP for short, finished Hennig off with a Diamond Cutter to win the US Heavyweight Championship.
The next and seventh match of the night was about who was to have control of WCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show and self-proclaimed hottest Monday night show in the world today. It was between long-time WCW member, Larry Zybysko taking on an authority figure in the nWo, Eric Bischoff. And with Bret Hart recently joining WCW, he wanted in and so he became the special guest referee. This also determined whose side Bret Hart was on. Zybysko won after disqualification when Bischoff used a steel plate on the WCW employee. Finally, it was time for the main attraction. In what was fifteen months in the making, beginning on September 23rd 1996, Sting, known as the America-loving colorful fan favourite suddenly turned on everybody and everything and went into exile. He was seen in the rafters at countless shows in black, in a trenchcoat wearing white facepaint and carrying a baseball bat with him. He was hyped for countless months while Hollywood Hogan led supreme as WCW Heavyweight Champion. Tonight, the two would finally meet. The match didn't go down exceptionally well as Sting appeared to have not been training for the match and had alot of ring rust in him. But after a long time in the ring, Hogan hit the Legdrop on Sting and nWo official Nick Patrick - who was supposed to count fast leading to a restart of the match - didn't count fast and thus it sparked criticism from the fans and the match's restarting occured despite there being no physical problem with Hogan winning to a normal count. Hart came out, unprecedented and restarted the match with Hart himself as the referee. Sting won the gold, but the match was very screwed up.
This sparked yet more controversy on the next night when JJ Dillon, the WCW President, put the WCW World Heavyweight Championship up as 'vacant' and announced that he would make a final decision at the next pay-per-view, Souled Out. Meanwhile, Sting and Hollywood Hogan fought once again on Monday Nitro on December 29th.
Starts on January 1st 1998
A cold, winter's night in the MCI Centre, in America's capitol, Washington D.C., This looked to be one appealing night in sports entertainment, a night that could become a turning point in World Championship Wrestling's history and ways of living. With eight solid matches lined up for the 'WrestleMania' of WCW pay-per-view events, this was scheduled to be a fantastic show, and what would possibly give the number one promotion alot of credit and respect for. Another boost in the hype for this event was that seven weeks prior to this event, was WWF's Survivor Series, held on November 9th in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Having boasted matches such as Bret Hart challenging Shawn Michaels for the World Wrestling Federation Championship in what was supposed to be one of Hart's last matches in the WWF before leaving for WCW upon his contract expiring. Hart refused to drop the WWF Championship in Montreal and even planned to make the match end as a result of disqualification following interference from D-Generation X. But Shawn Michaels, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Vince McMahon thought otherwise. They planned for McMahon to be seated at ringside during the match, and one of the planned spots for the main event match was scheduled to be involving the American Shawn Michaels applying Bret Hart's Sharpshooter on him, while in Hart's home country. Michaels locked it in and McMahon mysteriously rang for the bell as Hart was reversing the move. Michaels immediately left the arena with D-Generation X and was almost rioted on in his hotel. Hart got revenge in the back as he knocked out Vince with a big punch.
Back to Starrcade, this prestigious show was set to feature skill from around all areas from high-flying to brawling, and from technical to slugging it out. The show started with Dean Malenko facing Eddie Guerrero with Guerrero's WCW Cruiserweight Championship at stake. After almost fifteen minutes of acrobatic skill and technical mat-based wrestling, Eddie stole and retained the Cruiserweight gold after defeating Malenko with a Frog Splash. It sure did set the tone for the evening. In some sort of unique contest, the Steiner Brothers, Rick and Scott teamed with Ray Traylor to take on Vincent, Scott Norton and Randy Savage of the New World Order. And though Savage was substituting for Konnan it was still weird that he was wrestling in the second match of a massive card. After eleven minutes of brawling, Savage put Scott Steiner down to rest with the Diving Elbow Drop.
In a short match that was meant to of been a good match came out sluggish and used slightly as a filler. Though it boosted Bill Goldberg's winning streak, it didn't help Steve 'Mongo' McMichael out one bit. Goldberg easily defeated McMichaels with his trademark spear and finishing Jackhammer in nearly six minutes of action. The following match was simply a build-up for the feud between Raven and Chris Benoit as fellow Flock member, Saturn took on former Super J Cup Winner, Chris Benoit under Raven's Rules [also known as being 'In Raven's Rules, there is no rules']. The two traded technical skill throughout ten minutes until it was brutally cut short after Raven slid into the ring, hit his signature move, the Raven Effect DDT on Benoit and passed out from the Rings of Saturn.
Next was another bonafide classic, set between the nWo's Buff Bagwell and WCW's Lex Luger in what ended up being a true battle of the titans...only the titans in there were in fact simply heavyweights wanting to settle the score. Luger and Bagwell seemed pretty even until the number of New Word Order wrestlers took out Lex Luger whenever they could, first Vincent taking Luger off his game. Randy Savage later came in but Luger shook him off only to get struck with a weapon from Scott Norton. And so, Buff Bagwell won. The next match was scheduled to be another good match as Diamond Dallas Page of World Championship Wrestling challenged the New World Order's, Curt Hennig for the US Heavyweight Championship. After ten hard-hitting minutes of wrestling, Diamond Dallas Page, or DDP for short, finished Hennig off with a Diamond Cutter to win the US Heavyweight Championship.
The next and seventh match of the night was about who was to have control of WCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show and self-proclaimed hottest Monday night show in the world today. It was between long-time WCW member, Larry Zybysko taking on an authority figure in the nWo, Eric Bischoff. And with Bret Hart recently joining WCW, he wanted in and so he became the special guest referee. This also determined whose side Bret Hart was on. Zybysko won after disqualification when Bischoff used a steel plate on the WCW employee. Finally, it was time for the main attraction. In what was fifteen months in the making, beginning on September 23rd 1996, Sting, known as the America-loving colorful fan favourite suddenly turned on everybody and everything and went into exile. He was seen in the rafters at countless shows in black, in a trenchcoat wearing white facepaint and carrying a baseball bat with him. He was hyped for countless months while Hollywood Hogan led supreme as WCW Heavyweight Champion. Tonight, the two would finally meet. The match didn't go down exceptionally well as Sting appeared to have not been training for the match and had alot of ring rust in him. But after a long time in the ring, Hogan hit the Legdrop on Sting and nWo official Nick Patrick - who was supposed to count fast leading to a restart of the match - didn't count fast and thus it sparked criticism from the fans and the match's restarting occured despite there being no physical problem with Hogan winning to a normal count. Hart came out, unprecedented and restarted the match with Hart himself as the referee. Sting won the gold, but the match was very screwed up.
This sparked yet more controversy on the next night when JJ Dillon, the WCW President, put the WCW World Heavyweight Championship up as 'vacant' and announced that he would make a final decision at the next pay-per-view, Souled Out. Meanwhile, Sting and Hollywood Hogan fought once again on Monday Nitro on December 29th.
Starts on January 1st 1998
