World Championship Wrestling was on the right track. They were improving their ailing organization. “Was” and “were” being the operative words. Excluding a fleeting step in the right direction earlier this year, WCW has slid back into mediocrity. The Nitro ratings show it. The pay-per-view buy-rates show it. Over and over again fans, wrestling journalists and even WCW wrestlers themselves have pointed out the obvious. The absence of intriguing storylines. The indifferent attitude towards Thunder. The fly by night booking practices.
To his credit, head booker – wrestler Kevin Nash bandaged the wounds stabilizing the patient though the bleeding persists. For that alone, maybe he is deserving of the WCW World Heavyweight title reign he scripted for himself at Slamboree.
Diamond Dallas Page, one of the most unpopular champions in WCW history, dropped the belt to Nash at the frequently tedious pay-per-view event held at the TWA Dome in St. Louis, Missouri. Handicapped by video filler hyping talent to an audience already sold on the broadcast, Slamboree served two crucial functions. One, to hand the WCW World Title belt over to a popular wrestler. Two, to initiate Eric Bischoff’s face turn.
Bischoff, the real-life WCW Vice President and former nWo mastermind, altered the course of two important Slamboree matches. He reversed the decision of the Ric Flair – Roddy Piper match awarding the victory and the “WCW presidency” to Hot Rod. He also restarted the Nash – Page title bout negating Macho Man’s interference on Page’s behalf.
DDP mocked Nash after the opening bell doing his “bang!” bit. Nash’s response was a crotch chop and the words “Suck it!”. Nash and DDP locked up. Whipped off the ropes, Page attempted a Diamond Cutter but Nash back-elbowed him out of the ring. Back inside, Page ducked Nash’s clotheslines laying in some haymakers. Nash caught DDP with a knee to the gut. Thrown to the ropes again, Page halted his momentum and stepped through the ropes onto the ring apron. He gave the “bang!” gesture to the crowd. Nash elbowed DDP off the ring apron. Page hit the steel fence.
Big Sexy caught Page coming back in kneeing, punching and elbowing him in the corner. Page reversed punching Nash. Page low-blowed the challenger. As referee Nick Patrick checked on Nash’s condition, DDP went over to the opposite corner and cut the turnbuckle off with bolt cutters exposing the steel underneath. Page directed Patrick’s attention to the missing buckle. When Patrick’s back was turned DDP gave Nash a microphone to the head.
Nash grabbed DDP by the trunks hurling him into the exposed turnbuckle. Nash covered for a two-and-a-half count. A slugfest broke out. Page hauled back clotheslining Nash over the top rope to the floor. A baseball slide drove Nash into the steel guard rail. Patrick admonished Page. DDP said Nash was taking too long to get back in the ring so he deserved it.
Page hit a Diamond Cutter on the concrete floor. Nash was out cold. Instead of doing the wise thing by accepting a count out win, DDP rolled Big Sexy back into the ring. Using the ropes for leverage, Page pinned him. Nash kicked out. Page softened Nash up with a series of elbow drops to the stomach and then dragged him to a corner. DDP wrapped his leg around the steel post three times. On the fourth try, Nash pulled Page into the steel post.
The champion taunted Big Sexy to get up punching him in the head. Nash labeled Page in the gut with a knee and a clothesline. Shades of Vinnie Vegas, Nash Snake-Eyed him on the exposed buckle. Big Foot. Jack Knife Powerbomb. Big Sexy went for the pinfall.
Macho Man stopped the count dropping an elbow on Nash. Patrick called for the bell disqualifying DDP. Savage whacked Nash upside the head with the title belt. Bischoff and Doug Dillinger came to ringside. Bischoff instructed Dillinger to escort Savage out of the building. Macho threatened Bischoff saying…”I remember you. Don’t mess with me!” but he complied with Dillinger’s demands.
Bischoff told Patrick that whether Ted Turner or other WCW officials liked it or not, he was ordering the match to begin again. Page put Nash in a sleeper. He elbowed his way out reversing the submission move. Page countered with a jaw breaker. DDP brought a chair into the ring swinging at Nash. Big Sexy ducked. The chair bounced off the ropes striking DDP in the head. Nash scored a two count. Page went for the chair again however this time Nash kicked it into his face. Jack Knife Powerbomb. Kevin Nash is your new WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
- The next WCW pay-per-view is The Great American Bash on June 13th.
WCW Slamboree ’99 Results
Dean Malenko , Chris Benoit (challengers) Vs Rey Mysterio Jr., Kidman (champions) Vs Raven, Saturn (challengers) (WCW World Tag Team Title Match)
- Someone wearing a Sting mask and a DDP shirt crotches Kidman on the top rope as Malenko has Saturn in the Texas Cloverleaf. Raven Evenflows Kidman off the top rope and pins him. The masked man reveals himself to be Kanyon. Raven, Saturn and Kanyon whoop it up in the middle of the ring.
- Winners: …and new WCW World Tag Team Champions…Raven and Saturn at 17 minutes and 23 seconds.
- Match Rating: 7 / 10.
- A Diamond Dallas Page promo video airs.
Stevie Ray Vs Konnan
- At 5:46, Rey Mysterio Jr. takes out both Vincent and Horace who’ve been interfering in the match. Mysterio leaps off the top rope. Stevie Ray catches him in his arms. Konnan rolls up Ray from behind.
- Winner: Konnan at 6 minutes and 9 seconds.
- Match Rating: 2 / 10.
- A promo of Nash airs.
- A promo of Sting airs cutting off a Rick Steiner interview at the WCW Internet location.
- Bam Bam Bigelow and DDP cut a deal in the back. We assume Bigelow will help DDP out in the main event but he doesn’t. The angle is left hanging.
Brian Knobs Vs Bam Bam Bigelow (Hardcore Match)
- Cookie sheets, trash cans, steel chairs – your usual plunder is utilized but not very imaginatively. Mostly shots to the body and head. It gets boring fast.
- Bigelow and Knobs battle to a “souvenir stand”. It’s very dark and we can’t see most of the action. Knobs beats Bigelow with a ladder. Bigelow is left laying over a table. Knobs climbs to first level of the upper deck (not that high really) and goes for a splash of some sort. Bigelow moves taking the table with him. Knobs splats on the floor. Bigelow suplexes him through the table.
- Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow at 11 minutes and 28 seconds.
- Match Rating: 2 / 10.
Booker T (champion) Vs Rick Steiner (challenger) (WCW Television Title Match)
- Remarkably, this is a good bout with hard-hitting action.
- At 9:44, Scott Steiner trips up Booker T. Rick crushes Booker with the Steiner Bulldog from the top rope.
- Winner: …and new WCW Television Champion…Rick Steiner at 10 minutes and 36 seconds.
- Match Rating: 6 / 10.
- Rick bumps into Buff Bagwell in the back. He claims he knew nothing about Scott’s plan. He wishes Bagwell good luck in his match.
Charles Robinson Vs Gorgeous George
- Besides the obvious, isn’t Gorgeous George’s natural enthusiasm for the business refreshing? She looks great. She’s lively. She plays to the camera well acting naturally and not looking at all dopey or out of the loop as events transpire around her. She’s the best valet to come along in years.
- If George wins, Macho Man is “reinstated”.
- Robinson comes down dressed as Flair. Same haircut. Same robe. In the match, he mimics Flair perfectly. It’s a hoot.
- Flair’s nurse-valet is christened “Asia”. Chyna. Asia. Get it?
- Miss Madness 1999 is slammed on the concrete floor by Robinson. George loses her focus and has her knee worked over by Robinson. Robinson slaps on the Figure Four. George reverses it. Flair steps in. Macho clocks him and low blows Robinson. Macho slams Robinson. George delivers a skillfully done Flying Elbow Drop off the second rope.
- Winner: Gorgeous George at 10 minutes and 40 seconds.
- Match Rating: 7 / 10 (entertainment value alone).
Buff Bagwell (challenger) Vs Scott Steiner (champion) (U.S. Heavyweight Title Match)
- A fan’s sign reads…”Roid Rage”. Heh. Heh.
- Rick Steiner jumps in with a steel chair. He signals for Buff to go to the top rope. Rick labels Buff in the back with the chair! Scott pins Buff. Rick and Scott double team Buff.
- Winner: …and still U.S. Heavyweight Champion…Scott Steiner at 7 minutes and 9 seconds.
- Match Rating: 7 / 10.
- A Nash – DDP – Sting – Goldberg – Flair – Piper promo airs.
Roddy Piper Vs Ric Flair
- Winner earns the right to be “WCW President”.
- Arn Anderson, Asia cheap shot Piper over and over. Robinson looks away at the right moments.
- Piper puts a sleeper on Anderson. Piper kisses Asia and put her in a sleeper. He KO’s Robinson. Flair hits Piper with brass knuckles. Robinson counts the pinfall.
- Eric Bischoff intervenes. He tells Flair to “Shut the hell up!”. He admits he’s “screwed a lot of stuff up” in the past but “won’t screw this up”. He reverses Robinson’s decision awarding the match to Piper. Piper and Bischoff exchange hugs. Piper tells Flair he’s fired.
- Winner: Roddy Piper .
- Match Rating: 4 / 10.
- A Sting – Goldberg promo is shown.
Sting Vs Goldberg
- At 8:16, Bret Hart butts in attacking Goldberg with a steel chair. The official calls for the bell. Hart leaves and The Steiners re-emerge beating on Goldberg and Sting. Are we to assume Hart is in league with The Steiners?
- Winner: None. Match thrown out at 8 minutes and 16 seconds .
- Match Rating: 3 / 10.
- A Nash – DDP promo is shown.
Kevin Nash (challenger) Vs Diamond Dallas Page (champion) (WCW World Heavyweight Title Match)
- Winner: …and new WCW World Heavyweight Champion…Kevin Nash at 3 minutes and 43 seconds. The match lasted 13 minutes and 2 seconds before Bischoff’s restart .
- Match Rating: 4 / 10.
- Total Event Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
- Overall Event Rating: 4 / 10.