Boulder

He used to date Danielle Fishel, which made me jealous in 1999.

Glad to see this returning. My predictions were all right, which would mean something if anyone else had done so....but that's besides the point, of course.

Disco pulling a blade? And I thought Russo was gone!

Nash back in the hunt should be good, could even bring up some dissention among the ranks.

Still kinda sad to see Mark Madden on commentary. You do him too well, he's just as annoying here as he was in real life.

The only things really missing from the show from my standpoint were the two matches that aren't there; Steiner vs Goldberg and Skipper vs Loco.

Thanks very much for the feedback. Yes, your predictions were quite accurate- kinda startled me, hehe. About the two missing matches, they should be up now. I'm a moron with this sort of formatting stuff.

WCW Monday Nitro Preview- October 30, 2000

After weeks of competition and carnage, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament came to a conclusion at Halloween Havoc- and in the end, it was none other than Bill Goldberg who regained the gold that had eluded him for so long. By defeating Scott Steiner and Lance Storm in the same night, “Da Man” could not be denied. For the first time in almost two years, Goldberg is back in the driver’s seat of WCW!

The fallout from Halloween Havoc will be unavoidable at Monday Nitro, especially when it comes to Kevin Nash. The coach of the Natural Born Thrillers promised last night that he would unleash a wave of destruction upon World Championship Wrestling, and that it would begin on Nitro. His promise to start leading the Thrillers by example does not bode well for the WCW roster, as all are familiar with the chaos Nash can cause when he is motivated to do so.

Only one night after Juventud Guerrera defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. to win their best of five series, the two Filthy Animalz will team up to take on the World Tag Team Champions, Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire. Though the titles are not on the line, if Juvi and Rey win they will be granted a shot at the belts at Mayhem. Will the champions be able to dominate their opponents, as they did with Kronik last night? Or will the pure expertise of the Filthy Animalz be too much for O’Haire and Jindrak to withstand?

Only twenty-four hours after Halloween Havoc, WCW Monday Nitro is sure to be as wild as ever. Make sure to be there, 8:00 PM/7:00 PM CDT, only on TNT

-www.wcw.com

Tony Schiavone: Goldberg wins! Goldberg goes on to the finals!

Scott Hudson: For the first time in too damned long, Goldberg is getting a fair shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Title!

Mark Madden: He… well…

Tony Schiavone: Speechless, Madden?

Mark Madden: No! Goldberg won it, good for him! Now he’s bloodied, beaten, and he’ll face Lance Storm in the finals!

Scott Hudson: He’s got a point there.

Tony Schiavone: Well, he does, I’ll admit it. Let’s take a look at the brackets as this tournament is one step away from concluding.

Super Freak

The camera pans to the stage area, where the set for Mike Awesome’s Lava Lamp Lounge has been erected. Awesome, dressed in his finest powder-blue leisure suit, sits comfortably on his couch.

Mike Awesome: Hello, ladies and gentlemen of Sin City! I’m “That 70s Guy” Mike Awesome here with the Lava Lamp Lounge! Now, it’s been one swingin’ night, that’s for sure, but we’ve still got some of the best stuff to come! Right now, I’m gonna bring out a guy who a lot of people have a lot of questions for. He’s one hell of a party animal, we know that, but this cat has been on the rampage lately! Folks, here he is right now, DISQO!

DISQO makes his way out to the stage as his music hits the loudspeakers. He has an inscrutable expression on his face and seems to be carefully considering each and every movement. DISQO heads over to Awesome.

Tony Schiavone: DISQO has just been so far gone over the past few weeks, hopefully, we can get some sort of information out of him.

Mike Awesome: Come on, man, this ain’t a big thing. Pull up a bean bag and take a load off.

DISQO complies, slowly and carefully taking a seat.

Mike Awesome: Man, when it comes to you, everybody’s been all about the questions lately. First, we saw what you did with Smooth and that limo door, then it was Alex Wright and the coffee- man, you’ve been a real wild child lately. No one’s ever seen this side of you before- this is like a whole new cat.

Scott Hudson: That’s cutting to the heart of the matter! Let’s see what DISQO has to say for himself!

DISQO says nothing. He remains seated, looking disassociated from the proceedings.

Mike Awesome: I mean, hey, man, this isn’t like you. You’re a fun guy, you know how to shake your groove thing. Not to get all peace and love on ya, but there’s enough guys in this company looking to start trouble that we can use the party animals that we got, dig?

DISQO looks towards Awesome, then to the crowd. Still, he doesn’t say a word.

Mike Awesome: Come on, don’t you got something to say? DISQO? DISQO!

DISQO snaps out of his trance and furiously pulls a microphone off of the table.

DISQO: Don’t you ever call me that again. Don’t ever call me that again! My name isn’t DISQO, with a “Q.” It’s Disco Inferno. Disco Inferno!

Mike Awesome: Okay, alright, Disco Inferno, I can dig it, man.

DISQO, now once again Disco Inferno, rises to his feet.

Disco Inferno: This isn’t about digging it! You don’t know what any of this is about! Look at you, with your freakin’ suit, the sunglasses, the shag carpeting…

Mike Awesome looks off to the side, slightly bemused at Disco’s line of speech.

Disco Inferno: Look at me when I talk to you!

Disco slaps Awesome across the face, knocking his sunglasses off of his head. Awesome gets to his feet and stares down into Disco’s face.

Scott Hudson: Uh oh! I’d say Disco Inferno made a mistake!

Mike Awesome: This is the second time in a row that a guest on the Lounge slapped me, and this time-

Disco Inferno: Don’t call it the Lounge! Look what you did to me! I’m Disco Inferno, and you walk around like you are! This should be my show, the Disco Ball! Don’t try and steal who I am, don’t you ever try to steal the Disco Inferno!

Tony Schiavone: I’m not sure this is going someplace good…

Mike Awesome: Watch yourself, you whacked-out-

Disco Inferno: No, you watch yourself, asshole!

Mike Awesome takes off his jacket, but to the shock of the entire crowd, Disco Inferno reaches into his pants and pulls out a switchblade!

Mark Madden: WHAT THE HELL?!?

Tony Schiavone: We need security out here, security right now! Somebody!

Scott Hudson: Oh, my…

Awesome takes a step back. Before Disco can flip the blade, the stage fills with security guards. Doug Dellinger, head of security, gets face to face with Disco and speaks to him inaudibly. While Dellinger has Disco’s attention, half a dozen guards tackle him to the floor. The knife goes sliding across the stage, and the guards put handcuffs on Disco Inferno.

Tony Schiavone: This is… this… fans, I apologize.

Scott Hudson: Do they have him?

The guards pull Disco to his feet and drag him to the back. As he is being pulled, he tries to kick at a very shaken up Mike Awesome.

Mark Madden: I… I even don’t know what to say!

Overall: 73.1%

Scott Hudson: Wow.

Tony Schiavone: As I said, fans, I apologize. Not just for my company, but for… you know, let’s not even mention it again. It was taken care of, that’s it. It’s over. We’ve still got a great night of wrestling ahead, and let’s focus on that.

Juventud Guerrera versus Rey Mysterio, Jr.

Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Juventud Guerrera slapped hands to start the match, then immediately began to circle one another, their guards up. They both charged at the same time and locked up in a collar-and-elbow grapple. Rey wrapped both of his hands around Juvi’s left wrist, then twisted it over his head, applying a wristlock. Juvi grabbed Rey’s hand, turned out of the wristlock, and applied a top wristlock of his own. Rey fell to the mat and took Juventud down with a drop toe hold, then applied a headlock. “The Juice” got to his feet and shoved Rey off towards the ropes. Rey rebounded, but Juvi leapfrogged over him. Rey hit the opposite set of ropes and bounced back once more, but Juvi dropped down to his back and flung Rey over with his legs. Rey flew across the ring, hitting the ropes and landing on his upper back. Juvi got to his feet and pumped his fists as the crowd cheered his athleticism.

Rey got up to his feet and clapped for Juvi respectfully. He raised a gloved hand in the air, indicating that he wanted a test of strength from his friend. “The Juice” complied, first locking his left hand with Rey’s right, then doing the same with his right and Rey’s left. The former World Tag Team Champions got chest to chest, each trying to exert enough force to bend the other back. Rey managed to hook his heel behind Juvi’s leg, and that gave him the base that he needed to drive Guerrera back. Rey bent Juvi back, pushing his wrists down to the canvas despite the fact that his back and shoulders remained bridged up. Rey leapt up in the air and brought his shins down on Guerrera’s shoulders, driving them against the mat. Referee Mickey Jay made a two count, but Juvi kicked out before the three. Mysterio then released his grip on Juventud’s hands, hopped up, and dropped his backside down on “The Juice’s” chest. Once again, this created a pinning predicament, but once again, Juvi kicked out at two.

Rey jumped up in the air and landed a senton across the chest of Juventud Guerrera. He laid across Juvi for the pinfall, but “The Juice” cradled Rey’s arm in between his legs at two and rolled him back into a cover, scoring a two count. Both men got to their feet, with Juvi grabbing Rey by the arm and whipping him towards the ropes. However, Mysterio cartwheeled, stopping the momentum of the whip. Noticing this, Guerrera charged at him and threw a clothesline. Rey ducked the clothesline and caught Juvi in the lower back with a front dropkick. Juvi fell forward, landing on his chest against the middle rope. Rey took the opportunity to spring over to the apron and land down on Guerrera’s head with a legdrop, guillotining him over the rope. Rey bounced down to the arena floor, then scurried onto the apron as Guerrera snapped back to the canvas. Rey raised his arm to the audience, then waited for Juvi to stir. When “The Juice” got to his hands and knees, Rey used a slingshot to fling himself back into the ring. As he flew over, he grabbed Juventud around the head and legs with an Oklahoma Roll. Mickey Jay dove to the mat to make the cover, but Guerrera kicked out after two.

Rey Mysterio backed off and let his partner reach a standing base. When Juvi got to his feet, though, Rey kicked him in the gut and grabbed him by the head. Rey attempted to take “The Juice” over with a suplex, but Juvi planted his feet and refused to be lifted. Instead, he hoisted Rey up in the air and suplexed him onto the ropes gut-first. With Rey dangling precariously, Juvi ran to the ropes and came back with a flying dropkick. He caught Mysterio in the head, knocking both devil horns off with the single blow. Rey fell back into the ring, where Juvi began to utilize his strategy. Harkening back to the match on Nitro in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament, Juventud Guerrera went to work on the back of Rey Mysterio, first by applying a Camel Clutch. He wrenched the hold back, but Mysterio was able to hook his feet around the bottom rope. Juvi broke cleanly and promptly, allowing Rey to reach his feet at his own pace.

Juvi grabbed Rey by the arm and whipped him to the ropes. When Mysterio returned, Guerrera caught him and nailed him with a picture-perfect tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. “The Juice” flipped Rey onto his stomach, drove a knee into his back, and applied a rear chinlock. He kept Mysterio locked in for a few seconds before breaking the hold, getting to his feet, and stomping away at Rey’s back. Juvi then hooked his feet under his opponent’s armpits and rolled to the side, turning Rey onto his shoulders. Mickey Jay made the count, stopping after two when Mysterio kicked out. Rey rolled through on the kickout, reaching his feet and nailing Guerrera in the face with a quick dropkick. He then bounded to the ropes and sprang off with a quebrada. Mysterio hit the move, but the pressure of the landing further damaged his back. After a brief delay, he covered Guerrera- however, “The Juice” was able to kick out.

Rey picked Juvi up and backed him into the corner with forearm shots. He then climbed to the second turnbuckle and began to punch Guerrera as the crowd counted along. After nine punches, though, Juvi grabbed Rey around the legs, turned around, and dumped him over the top rope in a grisly manner. Mysterio tumbled to the arena floor, landing on his lower back and causing it pain once again. The crowd began a “Let’s go Rey” chant, but the legendary cruiserweight remained on the floor, clutching his back. Juventud Guerrera, meanwhile, climbed his way to the top turnbuckle and perched himself there patiently. When Rey finally got to his feet, Juvi jumped off, flying at Rey with his arms outstretched. “The Juice” found his target, crashing onto Rey-Rey and squashing him against the guardrail. Both men hit the canvas, though Juvi managed to flash a disturbing smile towards the cameraman when he came by for a close-up.

Not surprisingly, Guerrera was first to his feet. He pulled Rey up by the waist of his pants and flung him back into the ring. Juvi slowly crawled under the bottom rope and back inside before hooking Rey’s near leg for a cover. Mickey Jay hit the mat three times, though Rey kicked out right before the third slap. While Jay motioned for the timekeeper to refrain from ringing the bell, Juvi grabbed Rey’s far leg and hooked it for another pinfall attempt. Jay made the count, but Rey refused to stay down for three. Juventud got to his feet, then pulled Rey up by the back of the head. He grabbed Rey’s arms from behind, and with Mysterio helpless, kicked him repeatedly in the lower back. Mysterio fell down to a knee, causing Juvi to pause briefly. Rey took advantage of his opportunity by hopping back to his feet, leaping up, and throwing his legs out behind him. He kicked “The Juice” square in the chest with both feet, sending him flying backwards. Rey flipped over and once again landed on his back, causing damage to himself, as well.

Both men remained motionless on the canvas, so Mickey Jay began to institute a standing ten count. At four, Mysterio began to stir, getting to his hands and knees in order to crawl towards the ropes. He reached the bottom rope at seven, exactly the time that Guerrera began to get to his feet. At nine, both men reached standing positions and Jay discontinued the count. Juventud Guerrera charged at Rey, throwing a spinning heel kick and hitting the smaller man in the face. Rey was knocked back down, but Juvi quickly pulled him to his feet. As the crowd looked on, Juvi cradled Rey between the legs and picked him up for a Juvi Driver. He connected with the move, slamming Mysterio down on his back yet again. Mysterio shouted in pain, but Juvi wasted no time in reaching across Mysterio’s body and grabbing a leg for the cover. Jay made the count, but stopped after two when he discovered that Mysterio had grabbed the bottom rope.

Frustrated, Juventud Guerrera got up to his feet and attempted to pull Rey away from the ropes by his boot. Rey, however, maintained his grasp on the bottom rope, so Juvi merely dropped him back down to the canvas. Juvi flipped Rey onto his stomach and stood on his hamstrings, attempting to apply the Mexican Surfboard that caused so much damage in match four of the series. However, Rey had the move scouted; not only did he keep his grip on the rope, but he grabbed the rope with his other hand, as well. Guerrera was forced to step off of Mysterio. Cursing under his breath, he backed off and waited for Rey-Rey to get to his feet.

Rey rose to a standing position, at which point “The Juice” charged at him once more. This time, though, Rey met Juvi head-on with an elbow. With Juvi staggered, Rey began striking him in the legs and sides with a series of kicks, drawing cheers from the fans in attendance. Juvi fought back with a solid punch, grabbed Rey by the neck, and flung him out between the top and middle ropes. However, Mysterio grabbed the ropes, swung himself around, and landed back in the ring. Rey rolled a surprised Guerrera up from behind, scoring a long two count. Rey got to his feet and whipped Juvi into the corner, then followed. He grabbed Guerrera around the waist and tried to hoist him up, but it was impossible with Mysterio’s damaged back. Juvi kicked Rey back to the canvas, but Rey rolled through, got to his feet, and charged at “The Juice,” clotheslining him in the corner.

Mysterio pulled Juvi out of the corner and attempted to shoot him to the ropes with a whip. However, Guerrera reversed the whip and sent Rey to the ropes. Mysterio rebounded back towards a waiting Juventud, but Rey dove down to the canvas, planted his hands, and wrapped his legs around Juvi’s waist. Before he could pop up into a bulldog, though, Juvi began hammering his lower back. He then hooked Rey’s feet behind his arms, reached forward, and grabbed Mysterio’s wrist. It was complete: Juvi had reversed Rey’s maneuver and had placed him in the Campana hold. Rey dangled for several seconds, doing his best to hold on. Finally, the pain in his back became too great to withstand. Rey had no choice but to submit. Guerrera released the hold, letting Rey fall to the canvas. “The Juice” waited in the ring as Mickey Jay attended to Rey Mysterio. When Rey finally managed to climb to his feet, Guerrera got face to face with him. Juvi extended his right hand, which Rey took. They shook hands, then embraced as the crowd clapped.

Winner: Juventud Guerrera via submission

Time: 18:38

Crowd: 69.0

Match: 92.0%

Overall: 81.2%

Mark Madden: Now THAT was simply one of the best matches I’ve seen in a long, long time!

Tony Schiavone: Absolutely, Madden. Two best friends go at it, one scores a straight-up win, and we get a handshake to settle things. Juventud Guerrera wins the best of five series over Rey Mysterio, some might even call that an upset.

Scott Hudson: Some might, Tony, and you have to realize that this win really elevates Juvi’s stock in the Cruiserweight rankings.

Tony Schiavone: Oh, without question, Scott. What a match!

Scott Hudson: And from one big match to another- up next, Sting gets his hands on Jeff Jarrett!

Mark Madden: So? You guys know just fine that Sting is coming into this thing on one leg!

Tony Schiavone: I’m not so sure, Madden! It’s been almost two weeks since we’ve seen Sting live, and I hate to burst your bubble, but he could be pretty well recovered!

Mark Madden: Yeah, after Jeff Jarrett and Lance Storm each put the hurt on him? Keep dreaming, Tony!

Sting versus Jeff Jarrett

Jeff Jarrett tried to charge Sting from the beginning, but the ever-ready Stinger caught “The Chosen One” with a chop to the chest. He followed up with a barrage of chops and strikes, backing Jeff Jarrett into a corner. Sting grabbed the middle rope and used his formerly-injured right leg to fire off a series of kicks into the gut of Jarrett. With “The Chosen One” incapacitated, Sting climbed the ropes and began a mounted ten punch. He howled to the crowd after nine, then hit the tenth and jumped down. Jarrett staggered out of the corner and fell on his face.

Sting picked Jeff Jarrett up and put him in a wristlock. Jarrett winced in pain, but managed to catch Sting in the face with a hard right hand. Sting yanked Jarrett by the arm and whipped him to the ropes. He lowered his head as “The Chosen One” came back, but Jarrett had the presence of mind to charge in with a knee. He connected with the forehead of his opponent, flooring The Stinger. Sting fell to the canvas, then got back up to his feet. Jarrett hooked Sting’s head under his arm and tried to take him over for a suplex, but The Stinger held his ground. Jarrett hit a few knees to the ribs of his opponent, then shoved him down to the canvas. Sting got back to his feet in time for Jarrett to whip him to the corner. Jarrett charged in with a clothesline, slamming against Sting’s chest. He followed up with two rights to Sting’s face, then a series of chops across his chest. Sting glared at Jarrett, stepped out of the corner, roared, and flexed.

Jarrett was taken aback, but he continued to strike away at Sting with all his might. The Stinger simply absorbed the blows, then roared again and pounded at his chest. He caught Jeff Jarrett with a hard chop of his own, knocking “The Chosen One” down to the mat. Jarrett tumbled back up to his knees and held his hands up to his opponent, begging Sting for a respite. Instead, Sting pulled Jarrett up by his head, stuck it under his own arm, and suplexed Double J up and over. Jarrett landed on his back, which he grabbed in pain. Sting pulled Jarrett up once more, grabbed him from the side, and drove him onto his knee with a powerful backbreaker. Sting covered “The Chosen One” but Jarrett kicked out after two.

Sting got back to his feet and waited for Jeff Jarrett to do the same. When Jarrett arose, Sting grabbed him and whipped him to the ropes once more. This time, though, Jarrett had the presence of mind to grab the top rope and prevent himself from rebounding. This did little to stop Sting, though, who charged at “The Chosen One” and clotheslined him over the top rope. Jarrett flipped over and out, landing on his feet but stumbling back and falling on his rear. Angered by the indignity he suffered, Jarrett quickly and furiously got to his feet. Sting wasted no time, however- he launched himself over the top rope with a pescado. However, Jarrett avoided the move and Sting crashed to the arena floor.

Sensing an opportunity, Jeff Jarrett took advantage of the situation. He lifted Sting up, grabbed him by the tights, and ran him into the arena steps at full force. Sting hit the steel with a thud, then fell back down to the floor. As the crowd booed Jarrett, “The Chosen One” began to strut around ringside. He grabbed Sting by the tights, pulled him up, and flung him back into the ring. Jarrett walked up the steps and headed in between the ropes, shouted at Charles Robinson, fell to his knees, and covered Sting. Robinson slapped the mat twice, but Sting kicked out before a three count could be registered. Jarrett stayed focused, taking a knee and nailing Sting in the forehead with several cradled right hands.

Jarrett got to his feet, ran to the ropes, and came back with a kneedrop across Sting’s face. He pulled Sting up by the hair, ducked a wild blow by the Stinger, then picked him up for a powerslam. Rather than deposit Sting on the mat, though, Jarrett walked him over to the corner and hung him up in a Tree of Woe. Jarrett then climbed to the second rope and began kicking away at Sting’s right leg. Charles Robinson began to count at Jarrett, but “The Chosen One” simply placed his hand on the referee’s face and shoved him away. He went back to his assault of Sting’s leg, jumping down from the ropes and driving repeated elbows into the knee. Finally, he pulled Sting down from the ropes and covered him, hooking the left leg. Charles Robinson reluctantly made the count, but Sting kicked out before the three.

Jarrett stood up and got in Robinson’s face, incorrectly arguing that the count should have been a three. Sting, meanwhile, got to a knee and grabbed Jarrett around the waist. Using “The Chosen One” for support, Sting quickly got to his feet and threw Jarrett over his head with a release German Suplex. Sting scurried over to Jarrett and made the cover, but Double J was able to kick out at two. Sting got back to his feet and rubbed his leg, trying to clear away some of the pain inflicted by Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett, meanwhile, also got to his feet.

Jarrett shot for Sting’s leg. He caught it, then took Sting over with a Dragon Screw Legwhip. With Sting on the canvas, Jarrett held his leg and twirled his finger in the air. He attempted to apply a Figure Four Leglock, but Sting pushed Jarrett off with his left foot. Sting got to his knees and tackled Jarrett down as “The Chosen One” reapproached. He grabbed Jarrett by the legs, got up with a bit of difficulty, and attempted to step through into a Scorpion Deathlock. Jarrett, however, grabbed the right leg Sting used to step forward and yanked on it, taking Sting down in a wave of pain. Jarrett got to his feet and, after taking a second to collect himself, pulled Sting up as well.

Jarrett shoved Sting into the corner one more time, then unleashed all the punches, chops, and kicks he could muster. No part of The Stinger was safe, least of all his damaged leg. Sensing victory, Jarrett stopped his attack, grabbed Sting around the waist, and sat him up on the top turnbuckle. He grabbed Sting’s right leg, but before he could do anything, Sting kicked him off with his left foot. Jarrett ran back towards the corner, but Sting threw himself off. As he landed, he grabbed Jarrett by the head and drove him down with a Scorpion Death Drop. An astonished Charles Robinson hit the mat as Sting made the cover. Three counts later, the match was over.

Robinson helped Sting to his feet and raised The Stinger’s hand in victory. Sting did his best to climb the four turnbuckles and howl for the fans who supported him. However, as he carefully stepped down from the last post, he was met by a recovered Jeff Jarrett, who used Sting’s own baseball bat to clip him in the leg. Sting collapsed to his knee, at which point Jarrett slammed him in the head with the bat. Sting fell to the mat, allowing Jarrett to place him in the Figure Four without any difficulty. Only when several referees and road agents came out from the back to try and separate the men did Jarrett break his hold.

Winner: Sting via pinfall

Time: 11:40

Crowd: 78.8%

Match: 78.2%

Overall: 81.9%

Scott Hudson: What the hell is that? Sting wins, and Jarrett goes and breaks his leg, for all we know!

Mark Madden: Sting stole the victory, Scott! Sting is a thief, a no-good crook, and Jeff Jarrett put him in his place! Next time, and there will be a next time, things won’t go so well for The Stinger!

Tony Schiavone: Go well? Does it look like things are going well for him?

Mark Madden: Oh, Jeff Jarrett stopped way earlier than he could have, trust me!

An Unscheduled Interlude

As the announcers speculate regarding the condition of Sting, the familiar music of the nWo Wolfpac begins to play over the loudspeakers. Sure enough, Kevin Nash makes his way out onto the stage. He raises his hands to a mixed reaction, then heads down into the ring with a microphone in tow.

Tony Schiavone: Kevin Nash? This isn’t on my itinerary for the night!

Mark Madden: Maybe the Coach will start to set things straight around here!

Scott Hudson: That’ll be the day!

Kevin Nash: It’s “Big Sexy” back in the house! Y’know, ordinarily, when I’m not booked, I take the opportunity to immerse myself in the local culture. I mean, last time I was in Vegas, I was down at the Bellagio rolling craps all night- losing two grand here, winning five there- the chicks really dig the high rollers. I mean, there was this one rat who had an eye for “Big Sexy.” Long story short, she saw what I was packin’, gave me a group discount, and I got to “poker” all night long.

Scott Hudson: Oh, brother!

Mark Madden: Shup up, Scott!

Scott Hudson: Why, taking notes?

Kevin Nash: But that’s not the point I’m here to make, if you’ll forgive me for letting my mind wander. I’m hear to talk about the Natural Born Thrillers. Now I’m damn proud of my boys, even though they didn’t do so well in the tournament. There’s always the next title vacancy, guys! But I do know that they’re not gonna let me down again, and I know that in just a few minutes O’Haire and Jindrak are gonna wipe the floor with Crush and Adam. But the big news is that tomorrow night, phase two of the Natural Born Thrillers’ education begins.

Tony Schiavone: Phase two?

Kevin Nash: That’s right, phase two. And phase two is hands on, if you get my drift. Phase two is “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash leading by example, being his wildest and most destructive, and showing his boys how to take what you want in this business. So for everybody in the back, enjoy the rest of the night, because starting tomorrow this is Kevin Nash’s world, and you’re just wrestling in it!

Nash smiles to the crowd and waves before heading backstage.

Mark Madden: Finally, things are starting to go right around here!

Tony Schiavone: Nash on the warpath? We’d all better watch ourselves!

Mark Madden: Not me, though, ‘cause we’re tight.

Overall: 81.8

Scott Hudson: Just what we need around here, more chaos!

Mark Madden: It’s a focused chaos, Scott. I think it’ll do everyone a world of good.

Tony Schiavone: Do you even listen to yourself, Madden?

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire © versus Kronik

Brian Adams made a beeline for Mark Jindrak as the opening bell rang, crushing him in the corner with a clothesline, then punching away at his face. Referee Mark Johnson warned Adams to stop, so he simply pulled Jindrak out of the corner, whipped him to the ropes, and caught him with a massive shoulder as he rebounded. Jindrak hit the mat, but managed to scurry over to his corner and make the tag to Sean O’Haire. O’Haire hopped in place and shouted at Brian Adams, then leapt up onto the top rope and sprang into the ring. However, Adams caught O’Haire with a vicious clothesline as he came over, sending the Natural Born Thriller straight down to the canvas. Adams wasted no time in continuing the assault. He grabbed O’Haire by the head, pulled him back up, and put him back down with a scoop slam.

Adams took a knee and cradled O’Haire’s head, but before he could inflict any damage, Mark Jindrak spat on him from the apron. A furious Brian Adams got to his feet and grabbed Jindrak by the throat, but O’Haire seized the opportunity to nail a low blow from behind. As Johnson admonished O’Haire, he got to his feet and made the tag back to Jindrak. Mark Jindrak entered the ring and began stomping away on the prone Adams. He continued to take advantage of the situation by burying his boot into the challenger’s chest, holding the ropes for support. After applying the pressure for several seconds, Jindrak hit the mat and covered Adams. Adams kicked out after one, proving that he was far from incapacitated.

Mark Jindrak pulled Brian Adams to his feet, then whipped him to the ropes. When Adams bounced back, Jindrak caught him in the chest with a dropkick. The World Tag Team Champion sprung to his feet, then wiped his forehead and flicked the sweat onto his opponent. Jindrak then made the tag to O’Haire, who entered the ring far more gingerly this time around. O’Haire pulled Adams closer to the champions’ corner, causing an angry Bryan Clarke to smack the turnbuckle. O’Haire lifted Clarke to a standing base, then tossed him into the corner. He threw a spinning side kick, catching the larger man in the stomach. Adams groaned as O’Haire threw a front kick. This time, though, Brian Adams caught O’Haire by the foot. Adams took a step out of the corner as O’Haire, in a dangerous position, was forced to hop back. However, Mark Jindrak put the match back in the favor of the Natural Born Thrillers by reaching over the ropes, grabbing Adams’s hair, and yanking him down to the mat.

A furious Bryan Clarke charged the ring, attempting to give the World Tag Team Champions a taste of their own medicine in terms of double teaming. However, Mark Johnson intercepted him halfway across the ring, not wishing to allow things to break down any further. Unfortunately, this distraction allowed Jindrak to enter the ring and help O’Haire attack Adams. After some stomping, the champions lifted Adams up. They placed his throat across the top rope and his legs on O’Haire’s shoulders. With Brian Adams in this position, Jindrak jumped to the apron, grabbed Adams’s head, and guillotined him across the rope. Johnson finished arguing with Clarke and turned around in time to see O’Haire make the cover. “Slick” made the count, but Adams kicked out after two.

O’Haire tagged out to Jindrak, who took his time in entering the ring. Adams was attempting to crawl to Clarke, who had his hand outstretched over the rope. However, Jindrak stopped Adams’s progress with an elbow drop. He pulled Brian Adams to his feet and whipped him to the ropes, but Adams came back with a thunderous clothesline. Both men were out on the mat as Johnson began a ten count. However, Sean O’Haire took this opportunity to leap up to the top turnbuckle and come off with a Seanton Bomb across the back of Brian Adams! He then charged at Clarke and knocked him off of the apron with a running forearm. Jindrak got to his feet, and as he did so, Clarke grabbed O’Haire’s foot and yanked him out of the ring. This did little for the challengers, though, as Jindrak headed out to the apron, waited for Adams to get up, and came back in with a Springboard Crossbody. Adams went down to the mat and Johnson made the three count.

Winners: Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire via pinfall

Time: 7:28

Crowd: 63.6%

Match: 60.6%

Overall: 67.1%

Mark Madden: I love it! The champs never even let Clarke tag in! Coach Nash is a genius! He’s turned great into greater, gold into platinum, rubies into diamonds!

Scott Hudson: Well, slowing down a bit, that was a very sound strategy from Jindrak and O’Haire, and I have little doubt Kevin Nash helped them conceive of the idea.

Tony Schiavone: The champions retain their tag titles, but speaking of titles, it’s time for our main event. We started with sixteen men, and we’re now down to two. Lance Storm and Bill Goldberg lock up, and one of these men will be the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

Walking with Purpose

The camera cuts backstage, where Doug Dellinger is standing before Bill Goldberg’s locker room door. Dellinger knocks twice, and the door swings open. Goldberg heads out of the room as the crowd roars. He walks past Dellinger, down through a row of security guards. The guards flank Goldberg as he makes his way down the corridor. “Da Man’s” theme began to blast over the public address system, adding to the frenzy as Goldberg entered the arena.

Overall: 88.8%

Tony Schiavone: Lordy, this place is electric for Goldberg!

Scott Hudson: You said it, Tony!

Mark Madden: Then I guess they’ll all just be in for a giant disappointment, won’t they?

WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Bill Goldberg versus Lance Storm

Lance Storm and Bill Goldberg stretched in opposite corners of the right, then came towards the center as referee Nick Patrick beckoned them. Patrick quickly explained the rules of the contest, then called for the bell. As soon as it sounded, Storm hit a vicious low dropkick on the shin of Goldberg. Goldberg fell to his knee, at which point Storm drilled him in the head with a roundhouse kick. “Da Man” fell down to his hands and knees, allowing Storm to pounce on his back and tear at the bandage that had been affixed to his forehead. Goldberg got to his feet, grabbed Storm by the head, and flung him over and off, but not before Storm removed said bandage. Goldberg lifted Storm back to his feet, but Storm managed to drill him in the forehead with a headbutt.

With blood starting to flow from his open wound, Goldberg exploded. He grabbed Storm by the throat and ran him into the corner, then grabbed him under the arms and flung him out. Storm went flying, flipping over and landing on his back in the center of the ring. Storm scurried up to his feet in time to take a running kick from the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Storm fell to the mat, allowing Goldberg a quick cover. The United States Champion kicked out after two, raking Goldberg’s face with his fingers for good measure. “Da Man” grabbed his face, allowing a shaken-up Storm to grab Goldberg’s ankle. Storm wrapped his own legs around Goldberg’s left leg and pulled with all of his might, attempting to apply a grapevine. Despite the strength of the hold, though, Goldberg maintained his standing position. In an astounding feat of strength, Goldberg actually walked to the ropes with Storm still holding on. Upon Goldberg’s grabbing the top rope, the leader of Team Canada was forced to break his hold.

Storm got up to his feet and raked Goldberg’s forehead once more. The blood was flowing freely from the wound, and by this time, it had a notable effect on the vision of “Da Man.” He threw a wild kick with his right foot, but Storm ducked it and landed another dropkick to his left leg. This time, Goldberg collapsed to the canvas. Storm grabbed Goldberg’s leg and dragged him to the center of the ring, then applied a Spinning Toe Hold. After a few twists and wrenches, Storm stopped, holding Goldberg’s leg between his knees. He then leaned forward and began punching away at the forehead of the former World Heavyweight Champion. The innovative Storm continued to abuse Goldberg’s leg and head in this manner until referee Nick Patrick demanded he stop the punching. Storm complied, getting back to a standing position and dropping down to his knees, crushing the leg of Goldberg.

The fans began to cheer for their hero as he got to his feet. Storm ran straight at “Da Man,” but Goldberg managed to catch him by the throat. After a few seconds of hesitation, Goldberg yanked Storm up in the air and drove him down with a chokeslam. Goldberg fell to his knees and covered Lance Storm, but the United States Champion kicked out at two. Goldberg stumbled up again, then crouched in the corner with assistance from the ropes. He waited for Storm to rise to his feet, then charged out with a mighty Spear. However, things did not go as Goldberg had planned. Storm hit the mat, tripped him down with a drop toe hold, then quickly applied the Canadian Maple Leaf! Goldberg shouted in pain as Storm pulled back on the hold. Storm kept it locked on in the center of the ring, hoping to be the first man to make Goldberg submit. Goldberg, however, had other ideas. He planted his palms on the mat, pushed himself up, and managed to extend his leg, flipping Storm off of him. Lance Storm got up to his feet and stared at Goldberg, shocked by the strength of the former champion. Goldberg, meanwhile, pulled himself up by the ropes, balanced himself on his right leg, and through a crimson mask, dared Storm to come get some.

Storm complied, running at Goldberg and nailing him in the chest with a dropkick. Goldberg was knocked back, but caught the ropes and maintained his balance. Storm grabbed Goldberg by the arm and attempted to shoot him to the ropes with a whip, but Goldberg held on to the top rope and prevented any movement. Goldberg pulled back with all of his might and flipped Storm over the top rope. The United States Champion landed gracefully on the apron, then caught Goldberg in the back of the head with a forearm. Goldberg stumbled back into the center of the ring as Storm grabbed the top rope with both hands. Lance Storm leapt up onto the top rope and sprung off, coming into the ring with a missile dropkick. Goldberg, however, turned around, sidestepped the kick, and caught Storm in the chest with a vicious headbutt as he fell. Goldberg was taken down himself, but he managed to hook Storm’s leg for a cover. The leader of Team Canada kicked out after a long two.

Goldberg got up to his feet and pulled Storm up by the arm as he did so. In a horrific visual, Storm’s chest was covered with a large circle of blood from Goldberg’s head. Still limited to the use of a single leg, Goldberg kept his offense relatively stationary by whipping Storm to the ropes. As Storm rebounded, Goldberg lifted him up with a Gorilla Press Slam. As he held Storm above his head, though, Goldberg’s left leg went out from under him. He collapsed to the mat, and Storm landed across “Da Man’s” chest. Storm reached out and hooked Goldberg’s leg as Nick Patrick made the count. After a long two, Goldberg managed to kick out. Undeterred, Storm went back to his bread and butter. He got up, grabbed Goldberg’s left leg, and turned him over into the Canadian Maple Leaf.

The crowd shouted their support for Goldberg, but it seemed to do little. Storm had the hold wrenched in as tightly as he could manage while the bloody Goldberg writhed in pain for one of the few times in his career. Sweat poured down Lance Storm’s forehead and face, washing the blood off of his chest as he uncharacteristically shouted for Goldberg to tap out. Goldberg clawed at the canvas, doing his best to pull himself to the end of the ring. He began to gain traction and make progress, and with one final lunge, Goldberg grabbed the bottom rope.

Storm broke the hold angrily and began to kick the fallen Goldberg. He grabbed “Da Man” by the arm and yanked him up. Storm threw a stiff punch, doing more damage to Goldberg’s open wound. He went for a second, but Goldberg grabbed his hand. With all of his might, Goldberg flung Storm towards the perpendicular set of ropes. As Storm rebounded, Goldberg pounced on him, taking him to the mat with a Spear. The crowd erupted, finally seeing Goldberg make a comeback. He slowly got to his feet, pulled Storm up by the head, and through a mess of blood, smiled at the crowd and pointed upwards. Goldberg hooked Storm’s head under his arm and pulled him straight up in the air. The sight of Goldberg balancing his weight on one leg and holding Storm straight up in the air drew innumerable photographs from the fans in attendance. With one fluid motion, Goldberg swung Storm down, Jackhammering him into the mat. Goldberg hooked Storm’s leg and made the cover. Nick Patrick slid to the mat and slapped it three times.

Winner: Bill Goldberg via pinfall

Time: 12:56

Crowd: 81.4%

Match: 75.8%

Overall: 84.3%

Tony Schiavone: HE DID IT!

Scott Hudson: HE DID! GOLDBERG WON IT!

Tony Schiavone: Goldberg is the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion! After all this time, “Da Man” is back on top!

Mark Madden: He did it! He did! I can’t believe it!

A Final Word From the Champ

Tony Schiavone: What a night! This is just- wait, Goldberg is calling for a microphone!

A stagehand answers the World Heavyweight Champion’s request, handing Goldberg a microphone.

Bill Goldberg: You know, the first time I won this belt, it meant a hell of a lot to me. And after getting it stolen, and getting cheated and screwed over for two years… getting it back this time means even more! So I’ve got a message to anyone who’s looking for a shot: I don’t care if your name is Booker T, Scott Steiner, Sting, or Lance Storm… if you get in my way… YOU’RE NEXT!

Goldberg’s music begins to blare once more as he celebrates with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Overall: 65.7

Tony Schiavone: What a night that was, fans! The WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament concludes with one hell of a bang!

Scott Hudson: Goldberg is back in the driver’s seat! I can’t wait for Nitro tomorrow!

Mark Madden: I can’t wait for Lance Storm to get his revenge!

Tony Schiavone: Can it, lamebrain! This is Tony Schiavone for Scott Hudson and Mark Madden, and we’ll see you tomorrow night! Thanks for joining us!

Overall Rating: 76.4

WCW Halloween Havoc

October 29, 2000

MGM Grand- Las Vegas, Nevada

“Victory belongs to the most preserving.”

-Napoleon Bonaparte

Tony Schiavone: Hello, fans, and welcome to WCW Halloween Havoc! Weeks of anticipation will come to a head here at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand arena! I’m Tony Schiavone, and beside me are Scott Hudson and “The Best Looking Big Man on TV” Mark Madden.

Mark Madden: Or “The Best Looking Big Man on Pay-Per-View,” Schiavone. It’s really all good.

Scott Hudson: Tony, you are not kidding about our huge lineup, and at the center of it all is the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament. Tonight, we will have a new champion, and it will be one of four men: Booker T, Lance Storm, Scott Steiner, or Goldberg.

Tony Schiavone: Nearly a month after the title was first vacated, and after sixteen of World Championship Wrestling’s top athletes first entered the tournament, we will finally have a new World Heavyweight Champion.

Mark Madden: We sure will, and at long last, a deserving champion will reach the mountaintop! Steiner and Storm each have a fair shot at the belt, and you’d better believe they’ll make the most of it! I just hope those two don’t hurt each other too badly in the finals!

Scott Hudson: I think you’re getting ahead of yourself, Madden!

Tony Schiavone: Especially since we have a whole night of action before we get to the finals! Let’s go to the ring for our first encounter of the night, a semifinal tournament match!

Lance Storm versus Booker T

As the bell rang, Lance Storm cast an inscrutable glance at Booker T. Booker, meanwhile, stretched his arms out using the ropes. Both men convened at the center of the ring and eyed each other, then locked up. Booker grabbed a wristlock to start the match, but Storm immediately rolled to the floor and took the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion down with a drop toe hold. He pounced on Booker T’s leg, but Booker managed to scurry to the bottom rope. Lance Storm released his hold and stepped back, allowing Booker to get to his feet. After a bit of circling, both men went in for a grapple. This time, Booker surprised Storm by dodging his advance and grabbing a waistlock. Booker slammed Storm to the canvas, then slid around to his head and applied a front facelock. The United States Champion tried to fight back, but Booker kept his body at a distance. Booker used his free hand to land overhand blows on his opponent’s back. He then got to his feet, pulled Storm up, hooked his arm, and took him over with a suplex. Booker floated over into a cover, but Lance Storm kicked out after a one count.

Booker lifted Storm up and whipped him to the ropes. He lowered his head as Storm returned, but the leader of Team Canada had the presence of mind to jump over Booker and take him down with a sunset flip. Rather than roll him up with a pin, though, Storm quickly got to his feet and grabbed Booker’s right leg. Storm then hooked Booker’s leg between his knees and drove it to the mat. Booker shouted in pain as Storm grabbed Booker’s leg yet again. This time, however, Booker was able to kick him away with his left foot. Booker got to his feet in time to catch Storm with a chop across the chest. He followed up with this brand of assault, alternating slaps and chops to back Storm into the corner. Booker shouted to the crowd, then took a step back and let Storm stumble out of the corner. When he did, Booker T caught him with a hook kick. Storm hit the mat, and Booker took the opportunity to rub his leg a bit. He then dove to the canvas, hooked Storm’s leg, and made the cover for a two count.

Both men got to their feet, though Booker T reached a vertical base first. He tossed Storm back in the corner, then caught him in the chin with a hard back elbow. Booker backed up to the center of the ring, then charged at Storm. He threw a clothesline, but Storm dove out of the way, sending Booker chest-first to the turnbuckle. Storm rolled him up with a schoolboy, but Booker kicked out at two. Booker rolled to his feet and threw a punch, but Storm ducked it, locked his head under Booker’s arm, and took him over with a Northern Lights Suplex. Storm hung on with a bridge, but Booker T kicked out at two once more. Lance Storm got up to his feet, then pulled Booker up. He pushed him into the corner, then kicked him in the right knee. Booker yelled in pain, but that didn’t stop Storm from immediately wrapping his leg around the middle rope and pulling. Referee Mickey Jay began a five count, but of course, Storm didn’t break until four.

Lance Storm backed off as Booker tried to extricate his leg from the ropes. Before he could, though, Storm kicked him in the shin with all of his might. Mickey Jay began admonishing Lance Storm, who barely seemed to hear the distraction. He was fixated on Booker T, who had fallen to the mat and was clutching his leg. Storm slid to the outside of the ring, pulled Booker’s leg so that it hung off the apron, then wrenched down on it. Once more, Mickey Jay began a five count, but it gave Lance Storm four solid seconds to do damage. Storm re-entered the ring and lifted Booker to his feet. He hooked him for a suplex, and took him over with relative ease. Storm floated over into a cover, but Booker kicked out with his good leg. Storm covered again, hooking the healthy left leg, but Booker still managed to get his shoulder up.

Lance Storm got to his feet and, showing more emotion than usual, yelled for Booker to get up. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion slowly got to a vertical base, blocked a punch from Storm, and fired off one of his own. He knocked Storm back, then caught him across the bridge of the nose with a lightning quick spin kick. However, Booker delivered the kick with his damaged right leg, and the pain caused him to collapse to the canvas along with Lance Storm. Both men lay on the mat as Jay began his ten count. Booker got to his knees at four, then dove on Storm and hooked his leg for a cover. Lance Storm kicked out at two. Desperate to keep the match on the mat, Booker grabbed a chinlock. Storm pushed off of the canvas with the flats of his feet, though, rolling himself backwards and out of Booker’s grasp. He jumped in the air and landed on Booker with a senton, then grabbed the far leg and made the cover. Booker kicked out, but it was clear that his brief flurry of momentum had been cut off.

Storm grabbed Booker T by the head and lifted him up to a standing position. With humiliation on his mind, Storm kicked Booker in the gut, ran back to the ropes, and came back with a Scissor Kick! Booker hit the ground, and Storm actually spun back up, finishing on his knees and smiling broadly for the booing crowd. Storm mockingly “raised the roof,” then covered Booker T. The fan favorite kicked out after an extremely close two count. Confident that victory was within his grasp, Storm climbed to the top turnbuckle. He remained perched there for several seconds until Booker managed to stand. Storm leapt off with a Missile Dropkick, but Booker caught him by the leg and let him fall to the mat! As quickly as his injured leg would allow, Booker applied the Canadian Maple Leaf to Lance Storm! Storm was caught completely off guard, and he howled in pain as Booker wrenched the hold.

Booker T pulled all the way back, shouting with intensity as the crowd cheered his offense. Storm struggled in his own hold, grabbing at his own hair and face in desperation. He then reached out as far as he could, but the bottom rope remained out of his grasp. In the grip of pain, Storm managed to plant his hands on the canvas. He pushed with all of his might, raising his body off of the mat. As Booker struggled to keep the hold on, Storm gave one final push up, tucked his head, and rolled forward, pulling himself and Booker over. With the hold broken, Lance Storm immediately grabbed Booker T’s right leg and put him in the Canadian Maple Leaf. Though Storm applied it from a kneeling position, it was as effective as ever. Booker broke the hold, though, by grabbing the bottom rope.

Storm slid out of the ring, nailed Booker in the face with a right hand, and dragged him over to the corner. He reached for Booker’s legs and pulled them out onto the apron, crotching him against the ringpost. Ignoring Mickey Jay’s protests, Storm wrapped the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion’s legs around one another, then hooked his own legs on top, applying a devestating Figure Four Leglock around the ringpost. Booker tapped the canvas in pain, but as the hold was illegal, the submission could not be counted. Instead, Mickey Jay sped up his five count. Storm still managed to release the hold at the four count. He slid back inside as Booker tried to pull himself across the ring by the bottom rope. He attempts at escaping were in vain, though; Storm grabbed Booker by the right leg and dragged him to the center of the ring. Despite his own damaged leg, Storm managed to apply the Canadian Maple Leaf in textbook fashion. Booker T did his best to hang on, but tapped out after several seconds.

Winner: Lance Storm via submission

Time: 14:02

Crowd: 76.7%

Match: 82.9%

Overall: 83.0%

Mark Madden: Storm wins! Storm wins! I told you!

Tony Schiavone: Storm puts the former champion down with the Canadian Maple Leaf! Not only is this the biggest win of Lance Storm’s career, but it puts the U.S. Champion in the World Heavyweight Title match!

Scott Hudson: We’ve got one half of our main event set, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the brackets:

Mark Madden: Sweet victory for Lance Storm! He’d better get to the back as soon as he can and get the rest he needs!

“No”

The unmistakeable music of Three Count fills the arena as Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, and Shane Helms enter, green circles in hand. They boogie their way down to the ring to the sounds of “I Can’t Get You Out of My Heart.”

Mark Madden: And it gets even better! Three Count is debuting their new hit song right now, guys!

Scott Hudson: How can it be a hit if it hasn’t debuted yet?

Mark Madden: With Three Count, it can be!

The members of Three Count place their circles on the mat and take their positions. Evan Karagias brings the microphone to his lips.

Evan Karagias: Ladies and gentlemen- but mostly ladies- Shannon, Shane, and myself promised you the debut of a brand new song from Three Count, and you won’t be disappointed! This one is sure to top the charts in before you can say “Everybody Three Count!” Now, we’re gonna slow it down and get sensitive with “No.”

The lights in the arena go off, save for three strategically placed spotlights in the ring.

Evan Karagias:

You came into my life

When I needed you most.

Set my heart to speedin’

When it was stuck on coast.

I gave myself to you,

Hoped our love could grow,

But you tore my last heartstring

When you told me “no.”

Three Count:

I can’t believe you said “no,” girl.

You couldn’t let our love flow, girl.

Now I’ve just been let go, girl.

All because you said “noooo…”

Shannon Moore:

I’d known you for years,

We were always just friends,

But where one path begins,

Another path ends.

Wished we could take a leap,

Since a time long ago,

But when I opened up,

All I heard was “no.”

Three Count:

I can’t believe you said “no,” girl.

You couldn’t let our love flow, girl.

Now I’ve just been let go, girl.

All because you said “noooo…”

Shane Helms:

They said love at first sight,

It just couldn’t be true.

I believed everyone

Until I found you.

You turned my head upside down,

Made my best feelings show,

But it came to a halt

‘Cause you went and said “no.”

Three Count:

I can’t believe you said “no,” girl.

You couldn’t let our love flow, girl.

Now I’ve just been let go, girl.

All because you said “noooo…”

Want to run from the pain,

But I just can’t escape.

Now a cold, lonely life

Will begin to take shape.

I can’t believe you said “no,” girl.

You couldn’t let our love flow, girl.

Now I’ve just been let go, girl.

All because you said “noooo…”

Shane Helms:

Noooooooooooo.

Shannon Moore:

Noooooo…

Evan Karagias:

No…

Three Count:

All because you said “noooooooooooooo…”

The house lights go back on. The members of the audience who are not currently in the lavatory or at the concession stands are booing unmercifully.

Overall: 59.5%

Scott Hudson: That sucked!

Mark Madden: Who do you think you are, Hudson? These guys are brimming with talent in every which way!

Tony Schiavone: Madden, are you-

Mark Madden: No! It’s just- the pyro- smoke- something in my eye!

Scott Hudson: What pyro?

Mark Madden: Just go back to the ring! The Jung Dragons are headed out!

Three Count versus The Jung Dragons

The Jung Dragons charged the ring to the delight of the fans, ambushing Three Count and soon assaulting them with their green circles. Karagias, Moore, and Helms were knocked from the ring, at which point Yun-Yang climbed to the second turnbuckle and raised his hands repeatedly to get the fans excited. Referee Charles Robinson tried to restore some order, and when things were settled, Hayashi and Jamie-San had headed out to the apron, and Evan Karagias was legal for Three Count. Yang went for a single leg takedown, hooking Karagias and taking him over with a Dragon Screw Legwhip. Karagias popped up, only to get caught with a dropkick. He bounced back against the ropes, then rebounded into a second dropkick from Yang. Karagias hit the canvas, and Yang tagged out to Jamie-San. Jamie climbed to the top rope and came off with a high crossbody, nailing Karagias as he got to his feet. Both men hit the mat, and Jamie-San remained on top of Evan Karagias for a two count.

Jamie-San got to his feet, yanked Karagias up by the arm, and whipped him to the heel corner. Karagias hit the turnbuckle as Jamie-San charged, but Shane Helms pulled the leader of Three Count out of harm’s way. Jamie-San’s attempted dropkick let to him crotching himself on the ringpost. Helms tagged himself in and entered the ring, pulling Jamie-San up and catching him with a hard right hand. Helms then set Jamie up between his legs and took him to the center of the ring with a butterfly suplex. Helms covered, but only scored two. He pulled Jamie-San back up, but Jamie caught him in the face with a forearm. The Jung Dragon attempted to whip Sugar Shane to the face corner, but Helms reversed. Jamie-San managed to put the brakes on before he crashed into the turnbuckle, though, and he made the needed tag to Kaz Hayashi. Hayashi hopped into the ring over the top rope and faced off with Shane Helms.

Helms threw a sweep kick along the mat, but Hayashi jumped over it. He caught Sugar Shane in the side of the head with a Muay Thai-style roundhouse kick, then punctuated it with a standing moonsault into a cover. Hayashi got a two count, but Moore pulled him off before it could extend any longer. Hayashi jumped to his feet and dropkicked Moore down, then took Karagias over with a hurricanrana as he ran it. Yang springboarded into the ring with a legdrop across the throat of Karagias, while Jamie-San ran to the adjacent turnbuckle, climbed up, and came off with a Missile Dropkick on the newly-arisen Moore. Jamie-San pulled Moore up and whipped him to the corner, allowing Yun-Yang to charge in and nail him in the chest with a backflip kick. Hayashi took Moore down with a leg lariat as he stumbled out of the corner. Meanwhile, Evan Karagias rolled out of the ring, grabbed Yang by the ankle, and pulled him out, as well. Noticing the men on the floor, Jamie-San launched himself over the ropes with a pescado. He connected with his own teammate and the Three Count member, taking both down.

Back in the ring, Shane Helms waited patiently for Kaz Hayashi to turn around and face him. When he did, Helms kicked him in the gut, twisted him around, and set him up for the Nightmare from Helms Street. Hayashi tried to fight the manuever, but Shannon Moore lunged out from the corner and grabbed him by the feet. He lifted Kaz’s legs up, providing added impact when Helms drove him to the mat with the move. Helms covered Kaz, but Jamie-San dove in and made the save before the three count could be registered. Moore pulled Jamie-San up and tried to take him over with a hurricanrana, but Jamie-San stumbled back and both men went over the top rope. With only Helms and Hayashi left in the ring, Sugar Shane made the cover once more. However, enough time had passed that Kaz Hayashi was able to kick out after two.

Helms got to his feet and pulled Hayashi up. Helms and Kaz traded punches until Evan Karagias slid into the ring. He caught Kaz Hayashi in the back with a knee, then set him up for a double suplex with help from Sugar Shane. They hoisted Hayashi up in the air, but at that moment, Yun-Yang came in with a springboard dropkick, catching the two members of Three Count in their midsections. Kaz Hayashi tumbled to the mat safely while Karagias and Helms were staggered. Hayashi and Yang then took Karagias and Sugar Shane down with a pair of stereo spinning heel kicks. Charles Robinson interjected himself in the fracas, demanding that Yun-Yang return to the apron. Yang obliged, and Hayashi covered Shane Helms for two. Jamie-San slid into the ring, and with speed and precision, nailed Helms with an enziguri kick. He returned to the apron as Hayashi covered Helms again. This time, Shannon Moore made the save at two.

Kaz Hayashi and Shane Helms were both slow to their feet. They dove to their individual corners and tagged Jamie-San and Shannon Moore, respectively. Moore lunged at Jamie-San, but the Jung Dragon leapfrogged Sensational Shannon. He then caught Moore in the chin with a standing back kick. Jamie followed up with a quick legdrop, then covered for two. He lifted Moore up to a seated position, hooked his arm, and wrapped his legs around Moore’s head. Jamie-San then dropped back, wrenching his opponent with a triangle hold. Moore struggled on the mat, but Jamie-San’s submission expertise ensured that the lock was kept tight. It wasn’t until Evan Karagias ran in and caught Jamie-San with a kneedrop that the hold was broken. Jamie got to his feet and angrily grabbed Karagias by the nape of the neck. He flung him out of the ring, then made the tag to Yun-Yang. Jamie-San charged the ropes and leapt through with a suicide dive, catching Karagias and knocking him down.

The aerial assault was far from over, though. Shannon Moore got to his feet, looked outside of the ring, and launched himself over with a somersault plancha. He took out Jamie-San, but was followed by Yun-Yang. Yang sprang onto the top rope, then launched himself out with a flying crossbody. He crashed down on Karagias, knocking him back to the ground. Shane Helms surveyed the damage from his position on the apron, then slowly climbed up to the top turnbuckle. He waited for the four men to rise back to their feet, then dove backwards with a moonsault press. He took out the group, leaving Kaz Hayashi as the only man in the ring. Kaz ran to the ropes, then rebounded towards the outside. However, Charles Robinson jumped in his path, blocking a dive to the outside. As the fans booed, Hayashi ran back to the opposite set of ropes. He bounced back once more, and, with Robinson transfixed by the damage on the outside, Hayashi sprang off of his back and flipped onto all five men. The crowd cheered as both Three Count and The Jung Dragons laid motionless on the arena floor.

Shannon Moore was the first to his feet. Remembering that Yang was the other legal man, Moore grabbed him by the hair and flung him back in. Sensational Shannon followed and made a cover, but Yang kicked out at two. Suddenly, the crowd stood up as a seventh man ran down the aisle to the ring! Dressed similarly to Three Count, the man climbed up to the top turnbuckle. As Moore held Yang against the mat, the man came off with a perfect 450 Splash, nailing the Jung Dragon. Moore hooked Yang’s leg and made the cover as Charles Robinson counted the three.

Winners: Three Count via pinfall

Time: 13:03

Crowd: 66.2%

Match: 76.0%

Overall: 79.8%

Mark Madden: What a match! Just like I promised!

Tony Schiavone: You want to explain who that was who cost The Jung Dragons the match, Madden?

Mark Madden: I don’t know everything!

Scott Hudson: Only took him this long to admit it!

Tony Schiavone: Well, regardless, Three Count picks up a big win, but not a fair one! The Jung Dragons will not let this rest, I’m sure.

Big Vito versus Johnny the Bull

Big Vito charged the ring with his stickball bat, swinging it wildly and sending his former tag team partner diving out between the ropes. Vito whirled the bat around his head, shouting as the crowd did the same. As Johnny the Bull watched cautiously from the arena floor, Vito threw the bat down and called the Natural Born Thriller back into the ring. Johnny the Bull obliged and charged at Vito with a clothesline, but Big Vito ducked it and immediately caught Johnny with a stiff right hand to the face. He followed up with several more shots, drilling the Bull in the head and face. As Vito backed off and raised his cupped hands to the crowd, a trickle of blood visibly ran down the face of Johnny the Bull. Vito then charged the corner with a clothesline, squashing the Thriller. Johnny the Bull crumbled to the mat, the blood spreading across his face and down his neck.

Vito slid out of the ring, lifted up the ring skirt, and fished around as the crowd buzzed. He pulled out a trash can to a mild reaction. Vito climbed back into the ring and placed the trashcan across the lap of Johnny the Bull, who was laying against the bottom turnbuckle. Vito ran to the opposite side of the ring, then charged back, dropping an elbow on the can an causing pain to himself and his opponent. He managed to pull Johnny out from under the warped can and make the cover, but the Bull kicked out at two. Vito cradled Johnny’s head and fired off more right hands, covering his own knuckles with blood. Big Vito grabbed Johnny the Bull by the head and pulled him up, but the Bull turned the tide with a hard low kick. Big Vito crumbled to his knees, and Johnny the Bull collapsed back down to the mat.

Johnny the Bull was first to his feet. He grabbed the garbage can off of the mat, then threw it down on Vito. The Natural Born Thriller then noticed the stickball bat that Big Vito had brought into the ring, and so he picked that up. He lifted it high over his head and brought it down, but Vito managed to roll out of the way. Big Vito got up to his knees and swept Johnny the Bull’s legs out from under him. Vito pounced back on the Bull and resumed the flow of right hands. Both men rolled around the mat until finally, they went under the ropes and fell out of the ring. Johnny the Bull got the worst of the fall, so Vito got to his feet and picked his bloody opponent up. He slammed Johnny on the announcers’ table, staining it red. Vito grabbed Johnny the Bull by the head one more time, but Johnny grabbed a clipboard off of the table and jammed the metal section into Vito’s face. Big Vito went down to the floor, and Johnny the Bull fired off multiple clipboard shots to his body. The Bull covered Vito as Mark Johnson hit the protective mats and started to register a count. Vito kicked out at a long two, and as he sat up, blood clearly ran down his face.

Sensing that he had the advantage, Johnny the Bull got to his feet and pulled Vito up by the arm. He whipped his former partner into the steel steps with great force, and Vito collided with the metal knees-first. He flipped over onto the arena floor as the bloody Bull flexed his biceps for the crowd. He grabbed a steel chair at ringside and gingerly made his way up the ring steps. With some difficulty, Johnny continued to climb, soon making his way to the top turnbuckle. He wiped his hand across his forehead and flicked the blood down on Vito, then leapt off the buckle with the chair held under his extended leg. Big Vito managed to roll out of the way, though, and Johnny crashed to the floor, much in the same way that he broke his pelvis earlier in the year. Vito slowly covered the prone Bull, but Johnny kicked out at two.

Vito climbed to his feet, then dropped a series of knees on Johnny the Bull. He grabbed the Bull by his hair and yanked him to his feet, shouting “Get up, you stupid gavone!” as he did so. Big Vito tossed Johnny the Bull back into the ring, then pulled a table out from underneath. He slid that under the bottom rope, as well, then re-entered. He cupped his hands once more as Johnny the Bull got to his feet, then caught him square in the jaw with a Mafia Kick. With Johnny floored, Vito took his time to set up the table in the center of the ring. Once finished, he pulled Johnny the Bull back to his feet, and lifted him up for a slam. He tried to place Johnny on the table, but the Bull caught him with a thumb to the eye and escaped his grasp.

Johnny fell out to his knees, but got back up to his feet and nailed Vito in the face with a hard right hand. He continued with the flurry, backing his former partner into the corner. With Vito incapacitated, Johnny the Bull grabbed him under the legs, hoisted him up, and sat him on the top turnbuckle. The Bull caught Vito with a final punch for good measure, then climbed up the buckles himself. He hooked Vito’s head under his arm and attempted to take him over with a superplex, but Big Vito grabbed the top rope to keep his position. Vito nailed Johnny in the ribs with right hands, forcing him to loosen his hold. Vito got up and grabbed Johnny the Bull by the head, hooking it under his own arm. Vito climbed up to the very top turnbuckle, pulling Johnny with him. Cupping his spare hand to the crowd one final time, Big Vito leapt off of the top turnbuckle with the Bull in tow, turning in mid-air and driving him through the table with the Big Vito Special. As both men lay in the wreckage, Vito managed to drape his arm across Johnny’s chest. Mark Johnson dove down and slapped the canvas three times.

Winner: Big Vito via pinfall

Time: 10:32

Crowd: 63.8%

Match: 68.8%

Overall: 67.1%

Scott Hudson: What a move! What a match!

Tony Schiavone: Big Vito gets bloody revenge on his former partner, Johnny the Bull!

Scott Hudson: Vito said he wanted to do it his way, in a hardcore match, and when it came time for it, he stepped up!

Mark Madden: He got lucky! This was Johnny the Bull’s match up until the last second!

Tony Schiavone: Well, there’s no denying that the Bull held in there, but it was Vito who hit that devastating final move.

Psyched

The camera cuts to a backstage area, where General Rection, Lieutenant Loco, and Corporal Cajun (still on crutches) are discussing the events of the night.

General Rection: Tonight is not a busy night for the Misfits in Action, but it is a big night for us. Lieutenant Loco, tonight you take on one Elix Skipper for position of WCW’s World Cruiserweight Championship.

Lieutenant Loco: Damn right!

General Rection: You’ve tasted that gold before, Loco. You know what it’s like to represent World Championship Wrestling as the Cruiserweight Champion… and I can only imagine how you must feel seeing that title dishonored as it is now!

Lieutenant Loco: Damn right!

General Rection: Lieutenant Loco, your mission tonight, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to march into that ring, fight your hardest, and bring the Cruiserweight Title back to WCW!

Lieutenant Loco: DAMN RIGHT!

Loco, nearly foaming at the mouth, charges off camera.

Corporal Cajun: Go get ‘im, mon ami!

General Rection: I almost feel bad for Skipper… almost!

Overall: 65.2%

Scott Hudson: How’d you like to have a guy like the General your corner?

Mark Madden: He won’t be in Lieutenant Loco’s corner, Scott! The Misfits in Action are banned from ringside!

Tony Schiavone: And it’s important to note that Team Canada is banned from ringside, as well.

Mark Madden: So? They’re not the ones who cheat!

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Elix Skipper © versus Lieutenant Loco

Lieutenant Loco clapped his hands as the bell rang, getting the crowd into the match and on his side. Loco and Skipper locked up to start things off, with Loco getting a go-behind and taking Skipper down. Loco got to his feet and backed off as a frustrated Elix Skipper rose to a knee. Elix charged Lieutenant Loco, but the challenger took him down with a drop toe hold and grabbed him in a side headlock. Skipper struggled in the hold, but the more experienced Lieutenant Loco was able to keep in cinched in. Skipper planted his feet on the mat and managed to push himself and Loco up; however, Loco threw him back to the canvas with a headlock takeover, holding him in pinning position for a two count. Loco broke the hold and stood up, allowing Skipper to do the same.

Elix Skipper quickly realized that he would have to use his agility advantage, rather than trade holds with Lieutenant Loco. Skipper faked a lockup, but darted around Loco and rolled him up with a schoolboy for two. As the challenger rolled back to his feet, Skipper caught him in the temple with a strong roundhouse kick. Loco fell back against the ropes, then rebounded into a Skipper dropkick. Lieutenant Loco hit the mat, at which point Elix Skipper nailed him with a flipping legdrop. Skipper hooked Loco’s leg and made the cover, but it was too early to keep him down for three. Undeterred, the Cruiserweight Champion got to his feet and began putting the boots to Lieutenant Loco. Loco got to his feet as best he could, caught Skipper by the leg, and flung him clean out of the ring with a dragon screw leg whip. A surprised Skipper hit the arena floor with a thud as Loco took a moment to survey the situation. As the champion rose to his feet, Loco ran to the opposite set of ropes and rebounded. When he reached the edge of the ring, he leapt through the second and third ropes with a suicide dive. He caught the dazed Skipper head on, knocking him back to the floor. Loco himself was also shaken up at the landing.

Lieutenant Loco reached his feet first, then pulled Skipper up. Loco hooked the champion’s head under his arm, and in a rare show of out-and-out violence, suplexed him on the arena floor. Skipper grabbed his lower back in pain upon landing, the thin mats covering the concrete having offered little protection. As Loco got to his feet, Elix Skipper did the same, desperately sliding into the ring to enter a safer environment. Loco climbed up onto the apron, then made his way to the top turnbuckle. He jumped off with a flying legdrop, but Skipper had the presence of mind to roll out of the way. Loco knocked himself silly on the landing, giving the Team Canada member ample time to reach his feet and regain his bearings. When he did so, Skipper pulled Loco up by the hair, threw him throat-first across the middle rope, and drove a knee into his back, choking him for a four count. Elix backed off when referee Charles Robinson began to warn him. He then nailed Loco in between the shoulderblades with the flat of his boot for good measure.

Elix Skipper grabbed Loco by the hair once more and lifted him up into a standing position. He hooked Loco’s head under his arm, hoisted him for a suplex, then draped him in the corner in Tree of Woe position. Skipper then peppered Loco’s face and chest with numerous short kicks. Lieutenant Loco fell out of the corner and landed on the mat, allowing Skipper to flip him onto his back, leap up to the top turnbuckle, and come down on his opponent with a split-legged moonsault. The Cruiserweight Champion took a second to glare at the booing crowd, then covered Loco. The challenger managed to kick out after a long two count, angering Elix Skipper.

Skipper got up, and waited patiently for Loco to do the same. When he did, Elix Skipper grabbed him around the waist, lifted him up, and sat him down gingerly on the middle of the top rope. Elix then climbed up to the top turnbuckle, and, displaying his unparalleled grace and athleticism, walked across the rope until he reached Lieutenant Loco. He leapt up and wrapped his legs around Loco’s neck, but the challenger was on the defensive. He grabbed Skipper by the back, preventing him from hitting his hurricanrana. Loco then dove off of the rope, smashing the Cruiserweight Champion into the center of the ring with a vicious powerbomb. The surprised audience registered their pleasure with a round of applause as the drained Lieutenant Loco draped an arm over Elix Skipper. Robinson hit the mat and began the count, but somehow, Skipper managed to kick out before the three.

Both men lay on the canvas as Charles Robinson began a standing ten count. Lieutenant Loco reached his feet at the count of four, collapsing in the corner and attempting to recover some energy. Skipper got up at eight and headed for Loco, throwing wild rights and lefts at his opponent. Loco had the presence of mind to deflect the blows, and he caught Skipper with a hard fist to the face. This gave Lieutenant Loco the opportunity to hop up to the second turnbuckle and cradle Elix Skipper’s head under his arm. Loco twirled his finger in the air, then sprang off, attempting his trademark Tornado DDT. However, Skipper threw him off in mid-air, and Loco fell to the canvas chest-first.

Skipper stalked Loco as he reached his feet, and took full advantage of the opportunity when he did. Skipper caught his opponent in the gut with a kick, and with Lieutenant Loco doubled over, Skipper placed his right leg over Loco’s head. He leaned back in preparation for the Overdrive, but Loco slid his head out from under Skipper’s leg and threw a clothesline. The ultra-quick Cruiserweight Champion managed to hook his arm around Loco’s, allowing him to take the challenger to the mat with a Crucifix pinning combination. Loco kicked out at two, and both men rolled back to their feet. Skipper threw a dropkick, but Loco swatted him down and rolled him up with a Magistral cradle. Skipper kicked out at two and got up, only to be taken down into a small package. Once again, the champion kicked out of the challenger’s pinfall attempt at two. Loco lunged at Elix Skipper once more, but Skipper dodged and grabbed him from behind in a full nelson. Loco blocked a Dragon Suplex attempt, then got a standing switch into a waistlock. He released his grip on Elix, then leapt up and hooked his legs under the champion’s arms. Loco rolled backwards, taking Skipper over with a Rolling Prawn hold. The Cruiserweight Champion was surprised and immobilized long enough for Loco to score a three count.

Winner: Lieutenant Loco via pinfall

Time: 11:16

Crowd: 69.2%

Match: 83.6%

Overall: 76.4%

Tony Schiavone: We’ve got a new Cruiserweight Champion!

Mark Madden: No, he cheated! He had the tights!

Scott Hudson: Had the tights? His hands were three feet away from Skipper’s tights!

Mark Madden: He had the tights with his feet!

Scott Hudson: The fact is that Lieutenant Loco, the more experienced grappler, took it to Skipper with constant roll-ups, and Skipper could only kick out for so long!

Tony Schiavone: That’s putting it perfectly, Scott!

He’s Better Than Kanyon!

The announcers are cut off by a familiar tune- the entrance music of Chris Kanyon. It blares over the loudspeakers for several seconds until the man himself appears at the entranceway. His attire is slightly different than it was the last time he appeared in WCW- he is no longer blond or dressed in the style of Diamond Dallas Page. Rather, he is wearing his old outfit, plus a lavish red robe for good measure.

Mark Madden: Here he is! Finally! Finally! Chris Kanyon is back! It’s been too long! He’s been called Champagne, he’s been called “Positively” Kanyon, but really, what’s in a name? Chris Kanyon by any other name would be just as sweet!

Scott Hudson: Very poetic, Mark.

Kanyon makes his way down to the ring, ignoring the heavy boos of the fans as he does so. He slowly climbs up the steel steps and enters the squared circle between the ropes. When he takes his place in the center of the ring, Kanyon produces a microphone from his robe.

Chris Kanyon: Thank you, thank you. It’s been far too long, but good things come to those who wait, and you people have been waiting long enough. Tonight marks my return- the return of a future cornerstone of this company and this sport. I’m not coming back just to participate, no way. Think about this- in the past twelve months, I’ve been in movies, I’ve been tossed off of cages, and I’ve beaten champions… and that ain’t nothing compared to what I’ve got up my sleeve! I am a major player and a superstar in training, and starting right now, WCW is all about me! So to usher in a new era, let’s see if you morons learned anything since I left! Who’s better than Kanyon?

Audience: Everybody!

Chris Kanyon: No, dammit! The answer is “nobody!” We’ll do this until you get it right!

Tony Schiavone: Looks like we’re not going anywhere for a while!

Chris Kanyon: Who’s better than Kanyon?

Audience: Everybody!

Chris Kanyon: Who’s better than Kanyon?

Audience: Everybody!

Chris Kanyon: Who’s better than Kanyon?

The audience does not answer this final time; they are distracted by a man running through the floor level of the seating area. The man hops over the guardrail to the ringside area, and is visible as none other than Diamond Dallas Page!

Scott Hudson: Is that who I think it is?

Tony Schiavone: It’s DDP!

Mark Madden: What the hell?

DDP slides into the ring behind Kanyon and immediately attacks him. Kanyon slams into the ropes and bounces back into Page, who nails him in the face and chest with a barrage of punches. Kanyon falls to the mat, so Page pulls his robe over his head and stomps him repeatedly. Kanyon stumbles to his feet, but is still enveloped in his robe. Diamond Dallas Page catches him with a clothesline, sending him tumbling over the top rope to the outside. Chris Kanyon falls to the arena floor as Page makes the symbol of the Diamond Cutter to the roaring crowd. Kanyon gets to his feet and pulls his robe off of his face. He glares at Page, then runs to the back.

Overall: 78.4%

Scott Hudson: What a surprise attack by Diamond Dallas Page!

Tony Schiavone: We’ve known for weeks that Kanyon was returning, but Page was clear out of the blue! He ruined Kanyon’s big night, for sure!

Mark Madden: This is nonsense! This is so typical of DDMe! Nobody in the office cares enough to give him a clip package, so he’s got to run in an attack a real superstar!

Tony Schiavone: You know as well as anyone that Page has unfinished business with Kanyon, lamebrain!

Mark Madden: Then settle it face to face!

Scott Hudson: Well, be that as it may, DDP put one over on Chris Kanyon as Halloween Havoc continues.

Tony Schiavone: That he did, Scott. Up next, folks, we’ve got a match for which words simply won’t suffice. Two men who have both been on the warpath as of late will lock horns after months of violence. In the second of tonight’s World Heavyweight Championship tournament semifinal matches, Goldberg takes on Scott Steiner! Last month, Steiner beat Goldberg. Will history repeat itself?

Mark Madden: It will, and justice will be served!

Bill Goldberg versus Scott Steiner

The two baddest men in all of World Championship Wrestling stared at each other from opposite corners of the ring as the opening bell was sounded. Both Goldberg and Scott Steiner took slow steps towards the center of the ring, never once breaking eye contact. They stopped only inches apart from one another. Steiner began to trash-talk Goldberg inaudibly, finally punctuating his rant by pie-facing the former World Heavyweight Champion. Goldberg grinned briefly, then drove his shoulder into Steiner’s waist and drove him straight back into the turnbuckle, drawing an early cheer from the crowd. “Da Man” hit repeated shoulders into the gut of Big Poppa Pump, weakening him in the early goings of the contest. Goldberg grabbed Steiner by the arm and shot him across the ring with all of his strength. Scott Steiner hit the opposite turnbuckle chest-first, then shot back to the canvas.

Goldberg cradled Steiner’s head and pulled him up to his feet. He caught Steiner in the jaw with a right haymaker, then floored him with a spinning back kick. Goldberg roared to the crowd and attempted to pick Steiner up once more, but Steiner caught him with a low blow. Goldberg collapsed to the mat, allowing Steiner to sit on his back. Big Poppa Pump pulled Goldberg’s head back and nailed him with several hard crossface shots. He threw Goldberg back down to the canvas, then spat on him. He pulled Goldberg up once more and began to set him up for the Steiner Recliner. However, Goldberg wrapped his arms around Steiner’s legs, rose to his feet with Big Poppa Pump still on top of him, and dropped back to the mat.

Goldberg climbed up to his hands and knees and shook his head a bit before rising to his feet. Steiner, meanwhile, was reaching a standing base of his own. Goldberg grabbed Steiner by the arm and attempted a whip, but Scott Steiner reversed it. He caught Goldberg as he rebounded and drilled him into the mat with a powerslam. Steiner hooked the leg and made the cover, but Goldberg kicked out after a two count. A furious Steiner covered “Da Man” again, this time driving his forearm into Goldberg’s face. Goldberg kicked out after the one count on this attempt. A “Goldberg” chant grew among the audience as their hero tried to fight valiantly.

Steiner yanked Bill Goldberg up by the arm and, still holding his wrist, kicked Goldberg in the ribs several times. When he finally released his grasp, Goldberg crumbled back down to the mat. Steiner grabbed him by the throat and began choking him blatantly. Nick Patrick began a five count, but stopped at four when he realized what the consequences could be for disqualifying the Big Bad Booty Daddy. Patrick grabbed Steiner by the arm and attempted to physically break the hold. This drew the wrath of Steiner, who released Goldberg and glared at the referee. Nick Patrick took several steps back as Steiner grabbed Goldberg by the throat once more and began throttling him harshly. This time, though, Goldberg managed to wrap his legs around the waist of Big Poppa Pump. He squeezed with all of his might, and soon the pain caused Steiner to release his chokehold. Steiner fell to the mat as both men regained their strength.

Goldberg got up to a knee, but Steiner followed suit and caught him in the temple with a wild right. Goldberg followed back with one of his own and Steiner retaliated, the two trading punches from a kneeling position. Goldberg got the better of the exchange, stood up, and caught Steiner in the face with a hard knee. Steiner fell back to the mat, and it was now Goldberg’s turn to inflict some punishment. He mounted Steiner and tore into him with fierce rights and lefts, the crowd cheering every bit of Goldberg’s offense. By the time Goldberg got to his feet, Steiner was knocked loopy. Goldberg yanked him up by the face and with frightening ease, lifted him up into the air with a Gorilla Press Slam. Goldberg released Steiner, but caught him on his shoulder and slammed him back-first into the mat. Goldberg hooked Steiner’s leg and made the cover, but Big Poppa Pump kicked out at two.

Goldberg got to his feet and picked Steiner up once more. Scott Steiner, still aching from the slam, managed to catch Goldberg in the eye with a thumb. He attempted a whip on “Da Man,” but Goldberg reversed it and sent Steiner to the ropes. As Scott Steiner rebounded, Goldberg grabbed him by the head and flung him over the ropes. Goldberg roared as the audience came to their feet and did the same. A furious Steiner reached his feet on the outside and stumbled to over to the timekeeper’s table, where he grabbed a spare chair. He charged back into the ring with the chair tried to swing it at Goldberg, but he ducked. Steiner, however, caught him with a low kick and took the opportunity to slam him in the head with the chair. Goldberg collapsed back to the mat, and a weak Steiner hit the canvas and hooked a leg. Nick Patrick made the count, but Goldberg kicked out right before the three! All of the anger, intensity, and bloodlust left the face of Scott Steiner; in their place was pure shock.

Scott Steiner got to his feet and pulled Goldberg up. By now, the former World Heavyweight Champion was bleeding from the head, the wound Steiner had inflicted weeks before wide open. Steiner hooked Goldberg’s head under his arm and pulled his spare thumb across his throat. He hoisted Goldberg up in the air, holding him in perfect position for a Steiner Screwdriver. As he held Goldberg in place for one of his former finishers, he actually managed to walk over to the steel chair laying on the mat. While thousands of fans worried about Goldberg’s head being driven into the steel, “Da Man” started to thrash his legs. He slipped out of Steiner’s grasp and landed behind him on the mat. Goldberg got up and shoved Steiner to the ropes with all of his might. When Big Poppa Pump rebounded, Goldberg charged and took him down with as powerful a spear as he could muster. The crowd went nuts as Goldberg got back to his feet and signaled for the Jackhammer. He pulled Steiner up, hoisted him up in the air, and twisted him down to the canvas as hundreds of flashes went off in the audience. Goldberg hooked the leg as Nick Patrick made the three count. He had advanced to the finals of the tournament.

Winner: Bill Goldberg

Time: 11:08

Crowd: 88.8%

Match: 76.4%

Overall: 89.3%

My AIM Screen Name is a reference to Boy Meets World.

Never heard of Loony Tune Babies, but Tiny Toon Adventures was kind of cool back in the day.

No argument here, Tiny Toon Adventures was great, with "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" and "Real Kids Don't Eat Broccoli" being standout episodes.

I got up early this morning for some reason, and found they turned all of the Loony Tunes into superheros called the Loony Friends or something like that. Nearly made me sick, none of the voices are the same either.

But I agree with Midget, the Golden Collections are where it's at. I own No. 1 as well.

You think that's bad, I caught an episode of "Looney Tune Babies" a couple of years ago, which is basically what it sounds like- Muppet Babies, but minus the imagination and any other redeeming qualities. Tweety was upset because he thought everybody was ignoring him. Turns out they were planning a surprise part for him.

One of Petty's new songs (can't recall the title, unfortunately) opens up exactly like "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" by George Thorogood. Now that's a disappointment, when you're expecting to hear Thorogood.

I find Season 10 (is that the new one?) to be the weakest of them all. I knew this would happen sooner or later. It's following the same path as the Simpsons. I have a feeling it's still gonna be on television for a long time. And that because it strives on being the most contriversial show on television. And it will go so far just to be contriversial that it misses in the comedy. I'm not even a fan of South Park that much due to it's hatred to Canada.

I know, right? When they rip on Asians, Hispanics, Jews, Scientologists, the handicapped, homosexuals, and Catholics, it seems like they're just playing around, but when they do it to Canadians, it really seems vicious.

So for the past few days, I've been thinking about getting into comic books. I've mostly been considering Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, but I'm definitely open to suggestions. The problem is, I've got no clue where to start. I'm not thrilled with the idea of just buying the latest issue and trying to jump in headfirst, but at the same time, I realize I'm not going to be able to pick up Spiderman #1 and read my way through to today. I guess I'm wondering if there any compilation books out there with many issues, or if there is a particularly good place to start that someone can recommend. Failing that, any sort of books/website that really lays out the history and can give a good backstory, so to speak?

Thanks for the help, because when it comes to comic books my experience is limited to Married with Children, The Undertaker, and one clone saga-era issue of Spiderman.

She actually played a combo of two songs, "Jazzman" and the sax solo from "Baker Street."

As a horror movie aficionado, I feel as though I can't let this discussion go by without throwing in my two cents. It's important to remember the difference between horror movies and slasher movies- I don't think any of us were deeply traumatized by See No Evil (apart from knowing that I spent almost $10 to see it), but we got a good jump at some of the gore. To me, a truly scary written story will always be more frightening than a movie, so for a horror movie to be particularly good, its best bet is to develop a sense of characterization (and often frenzy), rather than go for the direct "ooh, this is scary!"

My favorite horror movie of all time is most likely the original Omen. It's not really the sort of thing that gives you nightmares, but it just made for a hell of a quality film, with Gregory Peck turning from skeptic politician into frantic globetrotter in an attempt to save first his family, then the world. These are the best horror films, to me- the ones where you get inside the head of the main character and follow him as he deal with events, not vice versa. Father Karras in The Exorcist, Naomi Watts in The Ring (which is one of the best horror movies of the past decade, and unfortunately spawned a sea of subpar imitators), these films follow almost a noir quality that puts the viewer in the head of the main character. As the plot builds to the climax, the audience has a personal stake in the action. Even The Mothman Prophecies, which is in no way a classic, harnessed this deep characterization with Richard Gere, and for my money, that made it a good film.

Bottom line is that a horror movie made up of a series of killings is never going to be as memorable as one that functions as an odyssey of a particular character.

Not sure I like the new format as you seemed to have your characters down interview wise and this kind of takes that away, but if it promotes more updates, then I'm all for it.

Agreed. At the end of the day, anything that you prefer is the best choice, and I'll be reading regardless. However, your interviews are so good that I'd love to see at least the more important ones written out word for word. Good storyline development on this show, with the DDP-Benoit feud reaching a real boiling point and Sting-Nash getting even more interesting (I was expecting a cheap staredown ending, but of course, you delivered something better). Can't wait to see how you handle WCW Live.

This is really a superb piece of work, and there's one thing that sets it apart from every other diary I've ever read. It's not the off-screen stuff, which is really terrific, extensive, and a joy to read. It's not the writing, which is as sound as any I've seen and makes the shows work wonderfully. The real jewel in this great diary is the way in which you book the characters. They don't act one-dimensionally like wrestling characters do so often in real life... your wrestlers show different sides to their personalities and demonstrate a variety of emotions. The Sting-Nash stuff is particularly strong in this regard. Their mutual distrust leading up to the PPV was really well written, as neither man came off looking like a heel. Nash's attack on Sting at the Bash at the Beach was done wonderfully. If you made Nash beat Sting down after the match and become a full-fledged heel, it would have been infinitely less interesting.

I love what you've done with Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho. Just one piece of advice- as much as "Lionheart" is one of the top heels of all time (I frequently think of him as the Gorgeous George of the 90s in terms of his innovation), Eddie Guerrero is right up there with him. You're perfect with Jericho's promos, and damn good with Eddie's, so don't let Eddie play a second banana. Keep the partnership equal- you could even have Eddie know that Jericho is using him, and continue to have him play along. That way, he can turn face and feud with Chris Jericho, now or later.

I'm not crazy about the way you write for Flair or Piper. Both are hit and miss- neither seem erratic enough most of the time. Flair comes off as a bit too comfortable with his authority- he seems more like a Vince McMahon than a power-crazed Nature Boy. Piper's just not nuts enough. Having said that, you do some really wonderful subtle things with some guys. Bagwell's skirt/age cracks at Piper were entirely lame and facile, which is exactly how Bagwell would cut a promo. Savage's promos are good, by and large, but the one after the Sid/Kaos match was EXCELLENT. It was both rambling and intimidating, just captured everything about 1999's Macho Man.

The stuff here is great on all levels. It's really innovative, and I can just tell it'll get even better. This should have a huge readership. I don't know if it does, but it's got me.

I'm gonna out myself as old here (as if you didn't know), but the first one I saw was Oliver and Company during its initial release.

Do we really need to put the ending to Rampage in spoiler tags?

Hey, why give it away? If there's any infinitessimally small chance some other sap will waste his time, I'm all for that.

Yeah, but it's an NES-era game, they shouldn't expect anything more than a "THE END" or "CONGRATULATIONS!" All games back then were like that. It's not as if Rampage was a very story-driven game. Not to be a dick, but what exactly would you hope to see in the ending to Rampage?

A text-based ending would've been nice, say something in theme with Raiden's victory epilogue in the original Mortal Kombat game. It's not as if it was out of the ordinary for NES games to throw a little bone in terms of an ending- the Legend of Zelda, for instance, which came out the year before Rampage.

Do we really need to put the ending to Rampage in spoiler tags?

Hey, why give it away? If there's any infinitessimally small chance some other sap will waste his time, I'm all for that.

Fucking Rampage for the NES. Well, the name of the game was just Rampage. Anyway, no save or nothing, so you've got to devote a good five hours to an initially fun, though REALLY repetitive game. When you conquer the whole country as whichever monster you've chosen, they just show a picture of the US with the word "congratulations" on it. Sheesh, give us a text epilogue or something.

Pardon me if it's been covered, but do the unlockable movesets in the game correspond to actual wrestlers?

EDIT: And while I'm asking questions that have already been asked (most likely), is there a way to start on Raw with a CAW in season mode?

Groggy.

Ah, thanks very much. I wasn't sure if it was something I'd be using all the time, or very infrequently.

Alright, I got the PSP version, but I figure this part is probably the same for both. In the create-a-wrestler mode, under rear grapples there's a second set with the letters "GY" next to the moves. Any insight on what this means?

I'm sorry if this has been answered, but I didn't look through the entire thread. Does anybody have the PSP version of the game? How does it compare? I know there's no commentary, but how's the season mode? Is the GM mode present? How are the mini-games? Also, is the season mode ongoing, or is it just one year, a la Day of Reckoning?

“Dirty” Doug Dirtsheet’s Dirty Dirtsheet

October 29, 2000

Hello, hello. The Dirtsheet is in full effect leading up to what could be a pretty decent Halloween Havoc. Personally, I’m looking forward to the event, especially the cruiserweight matches and Storm-Booker. And there’s that whole tournament thing. Say what you will about drawing out the vacancy and doing a big tournament so soon after last year’s, but there’s no doubt that WCW has done a good job of making this Pay-Per-View must-order.

I’ll be watching it, anyway. Now, to the mailbag!

Dear Doug,

I was watching Nitro on Monday and a thought crossed my mind- the Misfits in Action and Team Canada have both been streamlined down to three active members. Take into account that 3 Count and the Jung Dragons each have three guys, and I can’t help but wonder if WCW is gearing us up for a Six-Man Tag division. Heard anything about this? Hell, Sanders or Nash could even team up with The Perfect Event.

Brian D.

I haven’t heard anything about a Six-Man Tag division, nor have I given it any thought, but now that you mention it, it’s really not a bad idea. If nothing else, it gives Three Count and The Jung Dragons something to fight over. It’s also a smart choice if WCW wants to really differ from the WWF- after all, Six-Man Tag Titles are old school to the max. I couldn’t see Nash or Storm getting involved, but who knows. Anyway, sorry to get ahead of myself. It’s really a non-issue as I haven’t heard anything on the matter. Damn, I’m a buzzkill.

Doug-

Seriously, Meng?

Anonymous

Yeah, I hear ya. They were trying to put Awesome over as a tough guy, while at the same time giving a hard-hitting match. They felt Meng was the go-to guy for that, and they brought him back. I see where they were going, and a lot of the stuff looked real stiff (even to the average mark), but the timing of the match was off, and things just didn’t “roll.” Well, at least it was something different, to be sure. Still, this isn’t one we’ll be mentioning alongside Regal-Finlay.

Dear Doug,

I thought that the Steiner-Goldberg angle on Nitro (and the subsequent revenge stuff on Thunder) came off really well. I was wondering if Goldberg had any reservations about taking that bump, as it’s not really something I’ve seen from him before.

Mike S.

No, Big Bill was said to have been okay with it. It was a nastier looking bump than some similar ones we’ve seen in the WWF, just because there was less padding involved. Still, it appeared pretty safe, and Goldberg took it well enough. He’s always been a guy who believes his own hype, so for better or for worse, he’ll come off looking tough.

Doug,

So, do tell, who’s gonna win the tournament at Halloween Havoc?

Bart W.

I hate getting these kinds of questions. Why? Because I don’t know! I don’t like knowing everything that’s going to happen. I ask my contacts “why” questions, not “what” questions! All I could do is guess, just like you.

Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll be back on Tuesday with my multi-promotional monthly roundup. You guys know how big this month has been, so that’ll be a doozy. Catch you on the other side of Halloween Havoc!

-www.dougdirtsheet.com

WCW Halloween Havoc Preview- October 29, 2000

World Championship Wrestling heads back to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for our annual Halloween Havoc spectacular! It is in this Sin City arena where the stakes will be highest as four men complete the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament, with the winner taking the ultimate prize. That is far from all, as seven big non-tournament matches will take place on this grand stage.

WCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal Match

Bill Goldberg versus Scott Steiner

The two most unpredictable and unstoppable men in all of professional wrestling will clash in this semifinal round match. Each man has a victory over the other in the course of the past several weeks, but in this contest, a spot in the championship match is up for grabs. Is Steiner the one man with the sheer force to barrel through Goldberg, or is he simply next?

WCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal Match

Booker T versus Lance Storm

What will surely be a classic exhibition of talent and precision will also be marked by pure hatred and animosity, thanks to Lance Storm’s recent attacks on Booker T. Storm has been on an incredible hot streak as of late, but Booker has had his number in the past. One of the few certainties going into this match is that a world-class wrestler and athlete will be advancing to the finals.

Sting versus Jeff Jarrett

The Man Called Sting has been part of many legendary Halloween Havoc matches (dating back to the very first incarnation of the event in 1989), but has never been at a disadvantage as great as the one he faces now. Recent attacks by Jeff Jarrett and Lance Storm have left Sting’s right leg badly injured, with the opportunistic Jarrett sure to target the appendage. Sting is never one to count out, but he is also a decided underdog.

WCW World Tag Team Championship Match

Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire © versus Kronik

Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire may have outlasted a host of other teams to claim the WCW World Tag Team Championship in a battle royal, but at Halloween Havoc, they will come face to face with the league’s toughest tandem. Kronik has dominated Jindrak and O’Haire physically in every straight-up encounter, but the champions have been successful with hit-and-run tactics and two-on-one attacks. Will this strategy carry on to the title match?

Best of Five Series: Match Five

Rey Mysterio, Jr. versus Juventud Guerrera

Unlike the rest of Halloween Havoc’s matches, there is no ill will between the competitors in this affair. Rather, we will see two best friends (and two of the world’s premiere cruiserweights), go one on one in the name of sportsmanship. Each man has scored two wins apiece in this Best of Five series, but the time has come for a winner to emerge.

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

Elix Skipper © versus Lieutenant Loco

The all-out war between Team Canada and the Misfits in Action has extended to many levels, one of which is the Cruiserweight division. In late-breaking news, WCW.com has learned that The Cat has banned all outside interference from this match. With the certain interference from Jim Duggan taken out of the picture, this bitter fight will at least be a fair one.

Hardcore Match

Big Vito versus Johnny the Bull

Former WCW World Tag Team Champions go head to head in a rivalry so bitter that it could only be settled in an environment with no rules. Since Johnny the Bull’s return and subsequent alliance with the Natural Born Thrillers, these two accomplished fighters have been at each other’s throats. It remains a cold, hard fact that neither man will be satisfied by a simple victory.

Three Count versus The Jung Dragons

Commentator Mark Madden dubbed this rivalry as the feud of the year, and it would be difficult to argue with him. These six men have collided numerous times, and the result is always breathtaking action. Whether Three Count capitalizes on the momentum of unveiling their new single, or The Jung Dragons embarrass their cocky opponents, the fans are definite winners.

Catch these terrific matches and much more, including a very special episode of Mike Awesome’s Lava Lamp Lounge with guest DISQO. Halloween Havoc will certainly be a night to remember, so make sure to be a part of the action, live on Pay-Per-View at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST.

-www.wcw.com

--------------------

That's that until Halloween Havoc. See you guys in six months.

WCW Worldwide

October 29, 2000

Mike Tenay: Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to WCW Worldwide! We’ve got a lot to cover, including a hectic final week before Halloween Havoc.

Scott Hudson: Not to mention a little preview of the event- Kaz Hayashi of The Jung Dragons will take on Shane Helms of Three Count.

Mike Tenay: That’s coming up just a bit later, but first, let’s take a look at the main event of Thunder. On Nitro, Team Canada assaulted Corporal Cajun, preventing him from taking his place in a six man tag team match. Because of that, The Cat forced Storm to defend his U.S. Title in a Steel Cage Match against Cajun on Thunder. Let’s take a look at that encounter.

With neither the Misfits in Action or Team Canada at ringside, U.S. Champion Lance Storm and Corporal Cajun were sealed in the steel cage. Storm caught Cajun with a double leg takedown to start, then immediately grabbed at the tape around the challenger’s ribs. Cajun managed to get his legs underneath Storm, though, and he kicked the champion off and rolled up to his feet. Both men circled each other cautiously, then came together for a lockup. Lance Storm grabbed a headlock, but released it in order to grip Cajun in a waistlock. This allowed Storm to first drive a forearm into Cajun’s ribs, then take him to the mat with an amateur-style takedown. Storm quickly grabbed Corporal Cajun’s right leg, but Cajun slid out, rolled onto his back, and kicked Storm away once more. Storm fell back into the corner and charged out, but Cajun got to his knees and took the U.S. Champion over with an armdrag. Both men got to their feet, but Cajun retained his grip on Lance Storm’s arm. He tried to apply a standing armbar, but the resourceful Canadian caught him in the face with a punch, then took him over with a monkey flip.

Cajun rolled back to his feet, but was taken down with a snapmare. Storm then caught him between the shoulder blades with a low dropkick. Corporal Cajun yelled in pain, then slowly pushed himself back to his feet. He ducked a high roundhouse kick by Lance Storm, then treated him to a taste of his own medicine- a low dropkick, right to the U.S. Champion’s left knee. Storm hit the mat as Corporal Cajun dove down, grabbed his left leg, and began slamming it repeatedly against the canvas. The fans became enthused as they noticed Storm on the receiving end of his patented brand of punishment. Cajun dragged the champion over to the edge of the ring, laid his leg across the bottom rope, leapt up in the air, and slammed his backside down on Storm’s knee. A surprised Storm pulled himself up by the ropes as Cajun shouted to the crowd, but the challenger kicked him in the knee. Corporal Cajun then grabbed Storm’s leg and pulled him to the center of the ring. He raised a first and shouted once more, but Storm took the opportunity to catch his opponent in the temple with an enziguri. Cajun flipped over and landed flat on his back. Storm was on him at once with a cravat hold, not only sapping Cajun’s strength but recovering his own.

The footage cut to later in the match, showing that Cajun dropped a knee across Storm’s face, then began to mount the turnbuckle. Though the damage to his leg prevented a quick ascent, he was still able to reach the top. Rather than leap off on his opponent, though, the challenger turned his attention to the cage and tried to continue climbing. Primarily using the strength in his arms, Cajun managed to snag the top of the cage and pull himself up to a sitting position on the ledge. However, Lance Storm got to his feet and dove to the corner, then climbed up to the top turnbuckle. He reached up and grabbed a dangling piece of Cajun’s medical tape, then jumped back down to the ring. Storm landed on his feet, while Cajun rotated 270 degrees, fell twelve feet, and crashed to the mat chest-first. Storm wasted no time in pointing to door, which Patrick opened up. Storm dragged Cajun over to the door and hung his right leg out of the cage. Patrick yelled at Lance Storm, but Storm disregarded it, grabbed the door, and yanked it shut on Cajun’s leg. The challenger screamed in pain, the bones in his leg possibly shattered. Storm continued by pulling Cajun back into the middle of the ring and applying the Canadian Maple Leaf. Cajun tapped wildly to no avail, Storm made a beckoning gesture to the entranceway. With little delay, Elix Skipper and Jim Duggan ran out from the locker room.

Nick Patrick tried to hold the door closed, but Duggan pushed him aside with ease. The other members of Team Canada then entered the ring and began to stomp away on Cajun as Storm kept the submission maneuver locked in. He finally broke the hold, then instructed Elix to lift Cajun up. He did so, pinning the challenger’s arms behind his body. Duggan got down in the three point stance, then charged. Elix released Cajun and jumped to the side just in time to avoid Duggan’s attack. Cajun was knocked for a loop, but the audience began to cheer as General Rection and Lieutenant Loco made their way out from the backstage area. They ran down to the ring, and Nick Patrick was more than happy to allow them entrance to the cage.

Elix Skipper charged at Lieutenant Loco, but was taken over with a backdrop. General Rection backed Jim Duggan into a corner and began unloading on him with face and body shots. Loco hammered away on Skipper until Lance Storm grabbed him by the hair and pulled him off. Loco threw a punch, but Storm ducked it and felled him with a neckbreaker. The spent U.S. Champion then got to his feet and came face to face with the one man left standing amidst the carnage: General Rection. Storm made a beeline for the door, pushed it open, and attempted to dive through the second and third ropes, but Rection caught him by the tights and pulled him back in. The leader of the Misfits in Action took Storm over with a back suplex, then pointed to the top turnbuckle. As he did so, though, a wave of surprise spread across the crowd. “The Total Package” Lex Luger was making his way through the fans, and he hopped over the guardrail as Rection ascended the turnbuckle. Luger decked Nick Patrick, and in an eerie feat of strength, ripped the cage door off of its hinges. Luger entered the ring before Rection could administer The Raging Climax, grabbed him off the top from behind, and locked him in the Torture Rack. As Rection yelled in pain, Lance Storm dragged himself across the sea of bodies and reached the cage door. Slowly but surely, he pulled himself out onto the ring steps, then rolled down to the arena floor as the timekeeper rang the bell.

Scott Hudson: As you can see, a wild night, and a bad night for the Misfits in Action.

Mike Tenay: The Misfits will have an opportunity for revenge at Halloween Havoc, in the form of the Lieutenant Loco versus Elix Skipper Cruiserweight Title match. Whether or not the competitors’ respective factions will get involved remains to be seen.

Scott Hudson: It’s now time for our first contest of the show, but first, some WCW trivia from the one and only Booker T!

Booker T Presents: WCW Trivia- The Question

The camera cuts to a pre-recorded segment featuring Booker T. Booker is standing in front of a brick wall, ready to speak.

Booker T: This is Booker T, bringing you a two-part, two-part WCW Trivia for this week. Let’s go back to 1998, when the Book was first starting to get into singles competition. I wrestled a best of seven series with Chris Benoit, and the winner got a shot at the TV Title. The question I’m gonna ask this week is, who won the series, and how many matches did it take?

----------

Mike Tenay: A good question, and it brings to mind one of the premiere rivalries in recent WCW history. Booker T will be back with the answer right after Kaz Hayashi takes on Shane Helms.

Kaz Hayashi versus Shane Helms

Hayashi and Helms circled each other to start, then locked up with a tight grapple. Kaz Hayashi grabbed a headlock, then took Shane Helms down to the mat. Helms grabbed Kaz's head with his legs and pulled him off, but Kaz easily flipped onto Helms with a cover for one. Both men rolled to their feet, and Shane Helms threw a clothesline. Kaz ducked and pulled Helms down into a backslide, scoring a two count this time. “Sugar” Shane popped up and threw a dropkick, catching Kaz Hayashi in the chest. Kaz went down, but rolled back to his feet. Helms then grabbed him by the head and took him over with a snapmare. Continuing the motion, Helms landed a low dropkick to the back of Hayashi’s neck. He then flipped over Kaz, grabbing his head and snapping the neck as he jumped.

Helms twirled his arms around, smiled for the crowd, and headed up to the top rope. Kaz Hayashi go to his feet, though, and caught Shane with a punch. With the Three Count member immobilized, Kaz grabbed him and hurled him from the top. Helms crashed to the mat and immediately took an elbow drop from Hayashi. Kaz made the cover, but Shane Helms kicked out at two. Kaz grabbed Shane by the head and pulled him to his feet, then walked him over to the ropes. Still holding “Sugar” Shane’s head, Hayashi jumped out to the apron. He then shouted to the crowd and jumped back into the ring, attempting to hit his trademark Hayashi DDT. However, Shane hooked his arm over the top rope, stopping Kaz’s momentum from taking him down and sending the Jung Dragon to the mat. Helms quickly made the cover (with his own feet on the ropes for added leverage), but Hayashi kicked out at two. Frustrated, Helms got to his feet, grabbed the top rope for support, and began to fire away on Hayashi with stomps. Kaz tried to pull himself up via the ropes, but Shane Helms caught him in the ribs with a powerful kick. Kaz Hayashi tried to catch his breath as referee Mickey Jay admonished Helms.

“Sugar” Shane climbed up to the top rope and waited patiently for Kaz Hayashi to stand. When he did, Helms dove off with a high crossbody. He connected with the move, but Kaz Hayashi rolled over as he hit the mat, turning the maneuver against Helms. Kaz held on for the cover, but Shane Helms kicked out after a long two count. Hayashi got to his feet and pulled Helms up, but “Sugar” Shane threw a wild punch. Kaz caught Helms’s hand and hooked it under his arm. Shane threw a punch with his other hand, but Kaz caught it, as well. With a mighty heave, Hayashi threw Helms over in a Reverse Tiger Suplex. As the stunned crowd clapped, Hayashi climbed back out onto the apron. He signaled for Helms to get up, and Shane soon complied. Hayashi launched himself over the top, grabbed “Sugar” Shane’s head, and drove it to the mat, executing the Hayashi DDT perfectly. Kaz Hayashi hooked the leg and made the cover, scoring the three count.

Winner: Kaz Hayashi

Time: 5:21

Crowd: 68.1%

Match: 82.2%

Overall: 83.4%

Scott Hudson: Shannon Moore beat Jamie-San on Thunder, but Kaz Hayashi takes this important victory in the final show before Halloween Havoc!

Mike Tenay: That’s right, Scott. Things between Three Count and The Jung Dragons are pretty even going into what is sure to be a classic encounter!

Booker T Presents: WCW Trivia- The Answer

Once again, the camera focuses on Booker T.

Booker T: That’s all the time you get! The winner of the series was none other than Booker T, and I took it in eight matches. Maybe it was a trick question, but don’t cry to me! Save the drama for your mama! Catch you guys at Halloween Havoc!

----------

Mike Tenay: A great series of matches that was so competitive and so sportsmanlike that match seven was redone because it ended with outside interference.

Scott Hudson: Booker won the series, won the TV Title, and the rest is history.

Mike Tenay: And speaking of classic encounters, we’ll be taking a look at a great one right now. WCW’s Classic Match this week is one that took place almost exactly two years ago. We’re in a Halloween Havoc mood, so let’s see Goldberg defend the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Diamond Dallas Page in a match from the 1998 show!

WCW’s Classic Match: WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Goldberg © versus Diamond Dallas Page- WCW Halloween Havoc, October 25, 1998

Both men stretch in their corners, then get face to face in the center. Page does some trash-talking. Lockup, and Goldberg shoves Page back. Two more, the same thing happens. Page takes his time, and they lockup again. Page gets an armdrag and acts cocky, so Goldberg gets in a grapple and they both tumble out of the ring. Mickey Jay breaks up the fight on the outside. Both men re-enter and lock up again. Page gets a headlock, Goldberg flips him down with a top wristlock. Page goes for a leg sweep, but Golderbg does a backflip. Goldberg hits a couple of kicks, then a fireman’s carry slam into a cross armbar. Page gets the rope, forcing a break. Page hits a jawbreaker, then a punch and shoulder rams. Page gets the cravat, but Goldberg pushes him clean out of the ring. Page gets back in over the top, and another lockup. Goldberg gets a hammerlock, then turns it into a wristlock. Page rolls down and gets a drop toe hold, then gets his own hammerlock. Page with a headlock, but Goldberg shoves him off, catches him with a shoulder, and sends him outside.

Page climbs up to the apron and guillotines Goldberg, then gets a spinning neckbreaker. He whips Goldberg into the corner, then gets a Russian Legsweep for two. Page applies a front facelock, keeping Goldberg on the mat for a bit. Goldberg gets up and breaks it with a Roll-the-Dice type move, putting DDP down. Goldberg hits a forearm when he gets up, then dodges a pucnh and catches Page in the lower back. Goldberg hits his hiptoss slam, then whips Page and catches him with a side slam. Goldberg makes a weird cover for a long two. Goldberg grabs Page’s arm and rolls into a cross armbar, but Page gets the ropes again. Goldberg whips and goes for another side slam, but Page takes him down with a headscissors. Goldberg pops up and knocks Page to the corner with a standing sidekick, but Page hoists himself up to dodge the ensuing charge. Goldberg’s shoulder hits the post, and he goes all the way to the outside. Page recovers on the apron while Goldberg gets to his feet.

Goldberg rolls back into the ring, while Page goes up top and hits a diving clothesline for two. Page kicks Goldberg in the back, then goes for a whip. Goldberg reverses, but Page comes back with a floating DDP. Page gets up and signals for the Diamond Cutter, but gets Speared. Goldberg is favoring his shoulder and is slow to his feet, but he gets up first and picks up Page. Goldberg tries for the Jackhammer, but can’t lift DDP. He tries again, but Page floats over and hits the Diamond Cutter. Page makes the cover after a long delay, but Goldberg kicks out at two. Both men get up, and Page tries for a suplex. Goldberg reverses, lifts Page up, and hits the Jackhammer for the win.

----------

Mike Tenay: Thanks to that great match, Goldberg’s legendary undefeated streak became 155-0. Truly a terrific, all-out performance from both men!

Scott Hudson: And if you think the battle over the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, was heated at that Halloween Havoc, just wait until this one! We saw some of those incredible tensions come to head this week, and the results proved to be outrageous.

Lance Storm assumes his usual position in the ring, then procures a microphone from his tights.

Lance Storm: If I can be serious for a minute… tonight, I enter a steel cage with Corporal Cajun of the Misfits in Action. This is a pre-emptive warning- if you want to be surprised by the match, be surprised. If you want to be disturbed, be disturbed. But if you want to place blame, place it where it belongs: on the shoulders of The Cat. He made this match, just like he made me wrestle Sting- and we all saw how that turned out.

Mark Madden: He’s right! Cajun will end up just like Sting!

Lance Storm: But that’s not why I’m out here tonight! I’m out here because of one man- Booker T. Last week on Thunder, you interrupted and insulted me, and you paid for it! But you still got off easy! So Booker, if you have the guts to come down here and face me man to man when I’m expecting it, get out here now!

Stevie Ray: Does Lance Storm know who he’s talking to? Booker T is a two-time WCW Champion!

Booker T’s music hits, and the most decorated man in WCW history makes his way out to the ring in his street clothes. Though the crowd is firmly behind Booker, he has a very angry expression on his face.

Booker T: Let me tell you something, Storm. You wanted me out here, you only had to say two words: Booker T. That’s enough to bring me out, sucka. Now, I ain’t in the mood for games, so if you’re gonna say something, say it, and if you’re gonna do something, do it!

Lance Storm stares a hole through Booker. All of a sudden, Jim Duggan and Elix Skipper run out from under the ring and slide in. Booker turns to attack Duggan, beating him into the corner with right hands. However, Skipper catches him from behind with a low blow and Booker crumbles to the mat. All three members of Team Canada stomp away on Booker until Lance Storm motions for his cronies to lift him up. Skipper pulls Booker up and pins his arms behind him. Jim Duggan takes a few steps back and gets in a three point stance. Duggan charges as Skipper releases Booker, and nails him with a hard clothesline.

Tony Schiavone: It was all a setup!

Stevie Ray: I don’t believe this!

Mark Madden: Believe it or not, Team Canada goes where Lance Storm goes!

Storm raises his fists in the air as Duggan and Skipper continue putting the boots to Booker T.

Scott Steiner: And Bill Goldberg, everybody says you’re tough… you weren’t so tough last month when I whipped your ass! You call yourself “Da Man?” You weren’t even a man, crying like a bitch when I had you in Steiner Recliner! You see, the largest arms in the world put you down, just like they put down Mike Awesome and General Rection, and just like they’re gonna do again at Halloween Havoc!

Bill Goldberg’s music begins to play, angering Steiner, who pulls off his chainmail. He spins around to face the entranceway as Goldberg heads out onto the stage. The rabid booing of the fans turns to loud cheers. Goldberg gets face to face with Steiner, then takes the microphone out of his hand.

Bill Goldberg: You know something, Steiner- I remember Fall Brawl. I remember when you made me pass out to the Steiner Recliner. But I also remember when you had your little punk ass buddy Vince Russo run interference for you! You put him in the hospital, so I guess if you’re gonna beat me at Halloween Havoc, you need to make some friends pretty damn quick!

Steiner mutters something at Goldberg, then catches him in the side of the head with a fist- with his chainmail wrapped around his hand. Goldberg falls down to a knee, and Steiner cradles his head before punching it several more times.

Scott Hudson: No!

Tony Schiavone: He just sucker punched the man! Scott Steiner is using that chainmail to punch Goldberg!

Steiner continues to pound away on Goldberg, soon sending him down to the floor. He then lifts Goldberg up and holds him in a standing position. After a few tense seconds, Steiner begins to run with Goldberg. He takes him over to the edge of the stage, then throws him off. Goldberg crashes through a table set up next to the crowd.

Tony Schiavone: OH MY GOD!

Scott Hudson: No! I don’t believe this!

Steiner smiles, flexes his arms, then heads back to the locker room. A host of road agents and referees run out from the backstage area to check on Goldberg.

Scott Hudson: This is… Scott Steiner is a monster!

Medical trainers head out from beyond the stage with a stretcher. A bloody Goldberg manages to roll onto his hands and knees, and ignoring the trainers, begins to crawl back around the stage. The agents attempt to offer him help, but he continuously fights off their assistance. Eventually, he drags himself out of view of the crowd.

As Crowbar lay motionless on the floor, Steiner climbed up to the second turnbuckle, flexed his biceps, and shouted insults to the audience. He then hopped back down to the ring, dove to the canvas, and did a few more pushups as the crowd jeered. Their reaction soon turned to furious applause, though, as Goldberg ran out from the entranceway and into the ring. “Da Man” crouched in the corner as “Big Poppa Pump” got to his feet, then charged in with a Spear as Steiner turned around. Referee Mickey Jay shouted in protest, but Goldberg took no notice; instead, he lifted Steiner up and drove him down into the mat with the Jackhammer. He then mounted Scott Steiner, cradled his head, and began punching him in the face repeatedly. With no recourse, Jay called the match in favor of Scott Steiner. This did little to dissuade Goldberg, who continued to lace into Steiner until he had drawn blood.

Scott Hudson: Lance Storm lures Booker T into a Team Canada sneak attack, Steiner takes out Goldberg, Goldberg takes out Steiner… just a wild week!

Mike Tenay: And it will all come to a head at Halloween Havoc! If you haven’t already, call your local cable operator and order the show. You won’t regret it!

Scott Hudson: Absolutely not! We’re running out of time here, but before we leave, we’ve got one more hot match! Mike Sanders versus Alex Wright!

Mike Sanders versus Alex Wright

Sanders extended a hand to start, and was simply eyed by a suspicious Alex Wright. Wearing his most sincere of faces, “Above Average” Mike Sanders stretched his hand out further. Giving in, Wright reached out to shake it. Before he could take it, though, Sanders pulled it out of the way and laughed. Wright smiled, then rushed Sanders, backing him into the corner with right hands. “Das Wunderkind” whipped Sanders across the ring, then charged in and clotheslined him in the opposite corner. Wright climbed up to the second turnbuckle, and as the crowd counted, began to hit mounted punches. At seven, Sanders lifted Wright by the legs and threw him over the ropes. However, Wright landed on the apron and caught Sanders with a forearm. The former Television Champion climbed up to the top turnbuckle and came off with a double axe handle, catching Sanders on the head and flooring him. Wright posed on one knee to a modest, yet positive reaction from the crowd.

With Sanders down, Wright hoisted himself to the second rope. He leapt off with a legdrop, but Sanders rolled out of the way. Wright crashed to the canvas, and both men slowly got to their feet. Mike Sanders threw a punch, but Wright blocked it and grabbed a headlock. He wrenched on the hold, going down to a knee. However, Sanders maintained his standing base, pulled Alex Wright up, and took him down with a belly to back suplex. Sanders got to his feet, waited for Wright to sit up, and slapped the back of his head. As Wright grimaced in pain, Mike Sanders pushed him to the mat and began to rake at his face. Mark Johnson began a five count, but Sanders broke at four, avoiding a disqualification. He then got up and landed a kneedrop across Wright’s face. Sanders kept his knee driven into his opponent’s face for another four count. Mike Sanders then got to his feet and began to strut to the amusement of nobody but himself.

Sanders finished his antics and turned around to face a standing Alex Wright. Sanders charged at him, but Wright took him over with a backdrop. Sanders got to his feet, and Wright whipped him to the ropes. As he rebounded, Alex Wright flipped him over with a hiptoss. Wright hooked Sanders’s leg and made the cover, but the leader of the Natural Born Thrillers kicked out. Wright got to his feet, pulled Sanders up, and sent him back to the canvas with a bodyslam. He then ran to the ropes and came back with an elbow drop. Wright stood up and raised his fist, then set Sanders up between his legs. “Das Wunderkind” tried to lift Mike Sanders up for a Piledriver, but Sanders pulled back and caught him with a low blow. Sanders got to his feet and took Wright down with a DDT. Both men lay motionless for a few moments, until “Above Average” Mike Sanders rolled over and made the cover. Alex Wright managed to kick out after a long two count, surprising Sanders. He got to his feet and pulled Wright up, then kicked him in the stomach. This time, it was Mike Sanders who set his opponent up between his legs. Sanders hoisted Wright up for a Powerbomb, but Wright slid out and landed behind him. Alex Wright grabbed Mike Sanders for a neckbreaker, but Sanders caught him with an elbow shot. He then grabbed Wright’s head from behind and took him down with the 3.0. The cover and the three count followed.

Winner: Mike Sanders

Time: 5:58

Crowd: 64.2%

Match: 60.8%

Overall: 62.6%

Mike Tenay: A big win for the leader of the Natural Born Thrillers! Will the WCW World Tag Team Champions be as lucky? The only way to see that match, the finish of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament, and much, much more is to order Halloween Havoc!

Scott Hudson: I’ll be there! Will you?

Overall Rating: 38.9%