World Championship Wrestling accomplished what they wanted at the Road Wild pay-per-view from the Sturgis biker rally in South Dakota. The mainstream media moved the spotlight on the federation putting them in the public eye and they boosted the mythos surrounding their champion Bill Goldberg.
What they sacrificed in return was the overall credibility of their key talents Hollywood Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page.
A rookie Jay Leno forcing the much stronger and experienced Hogan to the mat with a simple arm bar diminishes the wrestling legend that is Terry Bollea. Likewise, Tonight Show music director Kevin Eubanks executing a Diamond Cutter on Eric Bischoff just as Karl Malone did last month at Bash At The Beach, critically tarnishes Diamond Dallas Page’s unique finishing maneuver as we now assume that anyone can be taught to do it well.
WCW learned from their mistakes at Bash At The Beach where Malone and Rodman’s inexperience led to a match chock full of mind-numbing stalling tactics and rest holds. Diamond Dallas and Hogan ruled much of the special Road Wild tag team match leaving WCW head honcho Eric Bischoff and Jay Leno to chiefly cheer them on from their respective corners.
Using his size and strength to his advantage, Hogan backed DDP into a corner choking and stomping him. Leno and DDP swapped arm bars on Hollywood. At one point, Leno cranked on Hogan’s arm driving the former WCW and WWF champion to one knee. Ah. Yeah. Ok.
Eric Bischoff tagged in laying karate kicks on the working man’s champion. Easy E Irish whipped DDP into the opposite corner but Page put up his foot into Bischoff’s big yap. Bischoff tagged Hogan. DDP tagged Leno.
Looking across the ring at the Tonight Show host, Hogan smiled evilly. Jay bounced around motioning for Hogan to hit him in the chin. Each time Hogan pounced Leno ducked out of harm’s way then finally slapped skin with DDP.
The Disciple handed Hogan a set of brass knuckles which he used to pound on DDP in the corner. The next round of tags saw Leno and Bischoff step into the ring. Leno shouted “I want you, Bischoff,” as he charged Easy E. Bischoff poked Leno in the eye. Leno recovered his sight “low-blowing” Bischoff, punching him twice in the face and ramming his head into one turnbuckle and then another.
Hogan, The Disciple and Bischoff disrupted the post-match celebration sneak attacking their opponents. Goldberg made the save spearing Hogan who had Leno in a chokehold.
As an added bonus, country superstar Travis Tritt performed in a mini concert after the matches were done. According to my wife Julie (the country music fan in the family), this was Tritt’s set list:
- Put Some Drive In Your Country
- I’m Gonna Be Somebody
- Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)
- Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof
- She’s Going Home With Me
- Back Up Against The Wall
- T-R-O-U-B-L-E
- Homesick
Reader Alert: SLAM! Wrestling will have pics and clips of the event on Monday.
The next WCW pay-per-view is Fall Brawl on September 13th featuring a War Games match between nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolf Pac.
WCW Road Wild ’98 Results
The Barbarian Vs Meng
: Meng pins The Barbarian with the Death Grip.
: Hugh Morris, Jimmy Hart and The Barbarian triple-team Meng.
: Cross-eyed…I mean…Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes to the rescue cleaning house with his 2/4. Hooooo!
Winner: Meng at 4 minutes and 48 seconds.
Match Rating: 2 / 10.
Disco Inferno / Alex Wright Vs The Public Enemy
: Everyone brings plunder with them to the ring.
: Halfway through the match, Disco challenges P.E. to make the match a Street Fight bout. They agree as does referee Mark Curtis.
: A beaten Alex Wright leaves Disco to fight alone.
: Three tables are piled on top of each other. Disco is laid out on the top one. Rocco Rock drops a flying elbow off a light fixture on top of Disco sending them crashing through all three tables.
: Tokyo Magnum hits Disco by accident with a splash. Grunge scores the pinfall.
Winners: The Public Enemy at 15 minutes and 27 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Saturn Vs Raven Vs Kanyon (Triple Threat Match)
: At the beginning Raven tricks Saturn and Kanyon into fighting each other as he stays in the ring or sits in the corner.
: They get wise to his plan and both Saturn and Kanyon pummel Raven but stop each other from making the three count.
: The trio fights up and on the concert stage. Saturn stage dives onto Raven and Saturn.
: Kanyon climbs a light fixture missing Raven with a body splash as Lodi pulls Raven to safety.
: Saturn lands the Death Valley Driver on Raven. Lodi pulls Saturn off of pinning Raven. Horace Boulder mistakenly labels Raven with the Stop sign. Saturn German suplexes Boulder and Death Valley Drives Raven again.
Winner: Saturn at 12 minutes and 25 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Psychosis Vs Rey Mysterio Jr.
: Winner gets a shot at the Cruiserweight title. Why should Mysterio have to win this match for a title shot? Doesn’t he deserve one for being stripped of the strap? Oh, well.
: Psychosis misses Mysterio landing awkwardly in the ropes. Mysterio does his fancy-dancy roll-up for the victory.
Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr. at 13 minutes and 35 seconds.
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (challenger) Vs Stevie Ray (champion) (Television Title Match)
: Guerrero brings another phony legal document to the ring claiming it names him as the true Television Champion.
: Guerrero runs away from Stevie Ray the entire match until he lays the Slap Jack on him.
: Uncle Eddie saves Chavo from a post-match beating by Stevie Ray.
Winner: …and still Television Champion…Stevie Ray at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.
Match Rating: 0 / 10.
: Rick Steiner comes to the ring expecting a match. Duh! J.J. Dillon says because of Scott’s shoulder injury there won’t be one but it is rescheduled for Fall Brawl. Bagwell wheels Scott out on a stretcher. Scott is breathing from an oxygen mask and his appears to be in a full body cast. Bagwell says he doesn’t think Scott will be healed in time for Fall Brawl. Dillon replies that if Scott doesn’t wrestle the match he is banned from the fed…for life. Rick runs at the two nWo Hollywood members. A miraculously healed Scott and Buff run for cover.
Brian Adams Vs Mongo
: Mongo hits the Tombstone Piledriver and then says “The Horsemen are coming back!”
Winner: Mongo at 6 minutes and 26 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Juvie Guerrera (challenger) Vs Chris Jericho (champion) (Cruiserweight Title Match)
: Jericho says he drives a Honda motorcycle (Yikes!) and that Harley’s suck to insult the bikers in attendance.
: In a wicked move, Guerrera leaps off the raised platform down onto Jericho.
: Malenko pulls Guerrera off Jericho in the corner. Jericho kicks Malenko in the gut as Guerrera runs full tilt at Malenko. The Ice Man back drops Juvie over his shoulders. Juvie does a mid-air Hurracanrana on Jericho for the pin.
: Malenko and Jericho argue. Malenko pops Jericho in the head.
Winner: …and new Cruiserweight Champion…Juvietud Guerrera at 16 minutes and 22 seconds.
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
nWo Hollywood Vs nWo Wolf Pac Vs Goldberg (Battle Royal)
: Match is used as a push for Goldberg. The other unenthusiastic wrestlers go through the motions in the background giving way to Goldberg.
: Nash eliminates himself to pound on Hall.
: The Giant Chokeslams Goldberg. Goldie sits up doing a Hulk Hogan-like shaking fit as if the move didn’t phase him. Oh, brother. You know the rest. Spear. Jack Hammer. Pin. Yawn.
: Why Goldberg didn’t have to throw The Giant over the top rope to win is a mystery.
Order Of Elimination
- 1. Scott Hall. (1:22).
- 2. Kevin Nash. (1:32).
- 3. Konnan. (4:54).
- 4. Curt Hennig. (6:40).
- 5. / 6. Sting and Scott Norton. (6:54).
- 7. Lex Luger. (7:05).
- 8. The Giant (pinned at 7:56).
Winner: Bill Goldberg at 7 minutes and 56 seconds .
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Hollywood Hogan / Eric Bischoff Vs Diamond Dallas Page / Jay Leno
Winners: Jay Leno / Diamond Dallas Page at 14 minutes and 35 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes (minus the concert).
Overall Event Rating: 4 / 10.