WCW/nWo Souled Out ‘98

WCW/nWo Souled Out ‘98 (5,468) 

Match 1- Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Lizmark Jr and Chavo Guerrero Jr def La Parka, Silver King, Psychosis & El Dandy (8-Man Tag Team Match)

Match 2- Chris Beniot def Raven (No DQ Match)

Cruiserweight Championship 

Match 3- Chris Jericho def Rey Mysterio (c) 

Segment- Mean Gene interviews J.J. Dillion in-ring. Dillon is holding the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Former WCW commissioner ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper is invited to the ring. Piper orders Sting to the ring, Scott Hall and ‘Hollywood' Hogan to the ring. Piper says Scott Hall is the rightful number one contender thanks to his win at World War 3 last November. Piper orders a rematch between Hogan and Sting at SuperBrawl! 

TV Title.

Match 4- (c) Booker T def Rick Martel 

Match 5- Larry Zybysko def Scott Hall via DQ

Match 6- The Steiner Brothers & Ray Traylor def Scott Norton, Buff Bagwell & Konan

Match 7- Kevin Nash def The Giant

Match 8- Bret Hart def Ric Flair 

Match 9- Lex Luger def Randy Savage

Analysis 

Live from the Hara Arena in Dayton Ohio, WCW presented Souled Out. The live attendance was 5,486 according to Wikipedia. Slightly strange that the PPVs were drawing FAR LESS than the TV tapings, although this could have been due to higher ticket cost and logistics to be fair. Anyway, I LOVE a good PPV review, as it's much more straightforward, so let's get into it!

Matches 1 & 2

A ‘lucah rules’ 8-man tag match opened the show. This was a fun spot match, designed to warm up the crowd. The face team or ‘Tecnicos’ of Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Lizmark Jr and Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated the the heels or ‘rudos’ (yes, I've now learnt those terms thanks to WCW) in La Parka, Silver King, Psychosis & El Dandy.

Chavo picked up the pinfall victory off a tornado DDT, leading to ‘the chairman’ La Parka cleaning house of EVERYBODY with a chair, before standing on top of it and doing a weird dance for some reason.

Lucha rules essentially meant that no tagging was required once any two men left the ring, making this a hectic match and one that was incredibly difficult to track. I wasn't sure about that rule as it kind of defeated the point of a ‘tag match’ to begin with, but people don't walk into my house and tell me how to behave, so if that was the Mexican/Lucha way, then so be it.

I also spotted a sign in the front row that read ‘Lucha wrestling… translation… bathroom break’ Always fun to spot a future MAGA supporter. He'd fit right in and 26 years down the line were his sign would be seen as some kind of subverted political statement. Bravo kid!

Juve looked far more polished here and had a good outing, but there were still FAR TOO MANY wrestlers, and without a strong knowledge of each character, it was very easy to lose track of who was on what team. It was still a solid enough start to the show, with what was essentially a showcase for the Lucha division. I also correctly predicted the winners meaning I can take my first vodka shot of the night. Hey, if the Mexicans can make up rules, so can I damn it! 

Chris Beniot took on Raven in the second match of the evening, in a continuation of what was probably one of the more interesting feuds showcased on WCW during this time. ‘Raven's Flock’ were banned from ringside, meaning that we might actually see a straight contest of some description.

This was a really strong match, with both men selling exceptionally well! One particular highlight was a Drop Toehold onto a steel chair, which to his credit, Raven sold BRILLIANTLY! If I had an award for spot of the night, this would have been it. Bravo…

This was obviously contested under hardcore style rules, or ‘Raven’s rules’ to be precise, and both men restricted themselves to only using ONE CHAIR the entire time (as well as fighting on the outside) I will always say that simplicity definitely has its place within the ridiculous world that is pro-wrestling, and if done correctly, can actually be FAR more effective. How many flaming tables or hyperthermic needles can you really see before you start getting bored? So as far as hardcore matches go, this is as good an example as any on how to successfully pull it off! 

Now you could make the argument that this one should have ran for much longer than the 10 minutes or so it was given, but I believe that being a shorter match actually worked in its favour, making it feel much more violent and realistic!

Also, initially I wrote down that I would have liked to see more back and forth or ‘wrestling exchanges’, as it would have elevated the match (in my eyes anyway) Raven pretty much dominated the first half, with Beniot taking control towards the end. But after rewatching it, I believe I may have been slightly unfair. They only had 10 minutes to tell their story, and both men told it with masterful effect. And, speaking about realism, that's how fights usually go anyway. If you watch any boxing or MMA match, one guy usually wins most of the rounds. Real life fights aren't like Rocky/Apollo. 

All of that being said, this was still a really strong match. It probably wouldn't make my short list for MOTM, but then again my standards are higher than Kim Kardashian choosing her next boyfriend at a Lakers game, so always take my opinions with a pinch of salt.

It eventually ended after Beniot hit a DIVING HEADBUT ONTO A STEEL CHAIR! Jesus Christ. After recovering from that quite frankly, STUPID spot, Beniot applied the Crossface. Raven refused to tap out, opting to pass out instead. Post-match, Dean Malenko and Beniot successfully fought off members of The Flock.

Match 3

Chirs Jericho won his maiden championship in WCW, as he defeated Rey Mysterio for the Cruiserweight Title! This was in my opinion, the best match of the night so far. I would have liked to see it run slightly longer, but in order to execute the ‘surprise’ finish, the timing was fine and set up a rematch nicely. Jericho locked on a ‘Liontamer’ following a reversed hurricanrana of the top rope for the submission victory! Jericho would further assault Rey Mysterio's knee post-match, ramming a steel tool box into it seeing Mysterio carried out by two referees!

They played into the size difference well, with Jericho using his height and strength to bully Mysterio throughout portions of the match. Rey was selling a ‘kayfabe’ knee injury, suffered at the hands of his rival Konan. This was also done well, as Mysterio had moments where he ‘fought through the pain’ as opposed to letting it limit him the entire match. WCW has gotten this wrong before! (Look up my review for Flair/Syxx at Road Wild ‘97) This was still fun to watch, and despite some minor criticisms towards the first two matches, this has probably been WCW's strongest start to a PPV from the ‘Nitro’ era so far. Let's hope it continues…

We see a quick segment with J.J Dillon and Roddy Piper clearing up the circumstances surrounding the World Title. Piper explains that the situation is indeed a mess (cheers Jeff) so orders Sting, Scott Hall and ‘Hollywood’ Hogan to the ring! A full breakdown of this segment is displayed in the results section, but Piper states that a rematch between Hogan and Sting will take place at SuperBrawl. This was one of WCWs better segments, simply owed to the fact that it was straight forward and didn't over complicate itself with overrulings, injunctions or 10 man brawls! 

Match 4

Booker T successfully defended his TV Title against Rick Martel. I know I made fun of this match slightly during my Nitro review, but now I'm here, I don't actually hate it. As previously mentioned, Rick Martel wasn't a bad worker by any stretch of the imagination and Booker T was always entertaining. The TV Title was designed for a match like this. Essentially, giving what would otherwise be a meaningless throwaway segment some meaning and a little bit of heat. Post-match, Perry Saturn jumps Rick Martel leading to Booker T chasing him away.

As a wrestling match, this was fundamentally sound. But Rick Martel in 1998 just didnt excite me. I'm not sure he would have excited me in any era to be fair, but I don't want to needlessly make this a ‘Rick Martel burial session’. The best part of this match was the booking decision to keep the title on Booker T. If they decided to make him a ‘fighting champion’, they had a real opportunity to legitimise him and turn him into a star. Booker T had a great look, a boat load of charisma and was exciting to watch in-ring, with a dynamic move-set that REALLY stood out. Particularly in the late 90s! 

Match 5

I could sense a fall off, as Scott Hall faced Larry Zybysko in what should have won the award for the most pointless feud of the year. Scott Hall had Louie Spicolli in his corner, and Zybysko had the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes in his bay-bay! Dusty Rhodes is perhaps best remembered as the man who single handedly eased racial tensions all across America with one promo, “The world has changed, you can look up in these stands and see a white man and a black man eating from the same popcorn box! That's funky” Yes Dusty, it was indeed. Rest in peace you absolute legend! 

It was bad enough that I had to sit through this match, let alone give it an in depth review. It was dull. It wasn't even a bad match technically, it was just EXCEPTIONALLY BORING! Larry Zybysko eventually won via DQ following a Dusty Rhodes heel turn that saw him join the nWo! Because that's EXACTLY what the faction needed…MORE MEMBERS! The only positive I could possibly see from it, was having a heel Dusty Rhodes on commentary might have freshened things up and been entertaining, but hopefully he would stay firmly in the booth and stick to calling the matches, as this angle really didn't need anymore moving parts. Schiavone and Bobby Heenan have a complete head loss in the aftermath, whereby neither man could muster the courage to gather any thoughts, let alone do their job and you know, CALL A GODDAMN WRESTLING PPV!

As a matter of fact, at the exact same time of writing this, Katie Taylor was taking on Amanda Serrano. It felt practically ILLEGAL to miss that epic fight in favour of this, so I'll use this as a break point and return to the show later. Sorry to break the fourth wall guys…

Match 6

WCW Vs nWo in 6-man tag action, as The Steiner Brothers and Ray Traylor defeated Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton & Konan.

Konan had Rick Steiner in a leg lock in what seemed like AN ETERNITY! Otherwise, this was a passable 6-man that wouldn't seem out of place on any episode of Nitro. That's not always a bad thing for a PPV either. We all need a breather at times, but this match was unfortunately placed directly after THE UTTERLY ABYSMAL affair that was Zybysko/Hall. Bump this up a spot or two as a moment to cool down the crowd before the main-event, and it works much better in my opinion. Bagwell and Scott Stiener have a muscle pose off following the match. God Damn, I sure do miss the 90s! 

Match 7

Next up was Kevin Nash Vs The Giant. The backstory of bounties and ‘no contact allowed' did little in the way of adding intrigue, but it was built with an actual story behind it, so let's see how it goes.

At one point, Nash somewhat awkwardly leapfrogged The Giant, but I still have to applaud the effort, especially from a worker like Nash. 

This was a much slower paced match (for obvious reasons) but personally, I still enjoyed the story both men were telling. It wasn't an instant classic but it was never meant to be. As a big man vs big man match this was surprisingly pretty solid, and Kevin Nash was the master of working a slower style while keeping you invested. 

The closing moments saw Bischoff on the receiving end of a chokeslam, before Nash took advantage of the chaos and unloaded a pot of ‘hot coffee’ into the face of The Giant, before pinning him for the win! 

The botched jackknife powerbomb from Nash (presumably due to the sheer size of The Giant) hurt this one slightly, otherwise it was a really fun match. When all was said and done, it was an incredibly risky finish to try and pull off, so maybe something simpler would have been more appropriate given the circumstances. According to Nash, Paul White (The Giant) actually pushed for this spot backstage, with Nash hesitant as he believed Paul was too out of shape and wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Match 8

‘Dream match’ time as Bret Hart made his in-ring debut for WCW as he took on Ric Flair. WOOOO! I was becoming increasingly fascinated as to how this one would pan out, and seeing Bret Hart in WCW must have felt absolutely surreal at the time. As you'd expect, this was a clinical master class. In all honesty, this probably should have been the main-event, but WCW most-likely thought that it didn't have enough gimmicks built into it to justify going on last.

We also got an interesting note from Schiavone on commentary, as he pointed out that a reversed figure four is much easier to escape. A small touch that went a long way towards keeping me engrossed in the final moments.

Anyway, I won't break down this match beat by beat, but it was a clear MOTM contender, and getting the finish right here was CRUCIAL! Bret Hart won via submission with his patented Sharpshooter. A SLIGHT criticism is that Flair didn't tap out, instead opting for a verbal submission. It also happened very quickly. On one hand this was fine, as it put over Bret's move as a deadly impact finisher. But it DID hurt the drama slightly. That being said, I admit I'm being extremely picky and it was still a highly enjoyable match. If you're a Bret Hart fan, check this one out! 

Main-event 

Randy Savage took on Flexy Lexy (aka Lex Luger) in the main-main-event! The only selling point I could possibly think of for this match, was Savage's ongoing tension with Kevin Nash and the nWo. Hell, I'll take an extra shot if either of those factors play a role in the finish! 

Now even though I wasn't particularly invested in this feud, I watched it from the perspective of someone who wanted to see Savage and the nWo finally get their comeuppance, and in all fairness, it made this slightly more enjoyable, but not by much. This was a brawl style match, with veteran referee Mickie Jay letting things go as the two men brawled outside of the ring and into the stands!

Scott Hall eventually runs down with a chair to aid Savage, until Hogan waves him off, leading to Lex Luger applying the Torture Rack for the victory!

Honestly, this was a HUGE LET DOWN! It felt more like a segment that would see Nitro go off the air as opposed to an actual PPV main-event. As previously stated, if they switched the order of the last two matches, I could have potentially scored this show much higher. But due to the disappointing main-event, I’m forced to reevaluate my final grade. It wasn't a TERRIBLE match, it just felt out of place.

Summary 

Ok, so first order of business. This was probably one of WCW's better PPV's from the Nitro era, if not THE BEST (so far anyway) The first hour was exceptionally strong with a trio of good to great wrestling matches, and on top of the mostly passable stuff in the middle capped off with an excellent match between Flair/Bret towards the end, they did a good job with this one. 

My main issue is this. The main-event of Luger/Savage WASN'T PROMOTED whatsoever. To the point I didn't even realise it was on the card until both men walked out! To be fair on WCW, I didn't religiously spend my Thursday evenings watching the B show Thunder, so it probably went over my head! Also, the lack of any real payoff following the main-event was disappointing.

Perhaps ironically (seeing as this was actually a decent PPV) some point to this show as the moment that the ‘writing was on the wall’ for the eventual collapse of WCW. Eric Bischoff’s refusal to focus on ANYTHING outside of the nWo, was on display here and exemplified by what was quite frankly, a baffling main-event. What they should have been doing was taking the company in a new direction. Cast the spotlight on guys like Goldberg, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho and try to come up with new angle ideas that DIDN'T INVOLVE HULK HOGAN! 

Anyway, this was still a solid PPV that gets a thumbs up from me. It didn't have quite enough to reach the lofty 4 star mark (which would automatically make it my highest reviewed show to date) and the lack of any World Title match meant that it didn't have that extra something that could have helped the final grade. I'm annoyed the main-event sucked as much as it did, as that completely destroyed what could have been my highest show rating to date! But I have a system in place for a reason and it was still a good show that I'd highly recommend. Hell, when The Giant and Kevin Nash deliver a fun match, something must have gone right! (3.5 Stars)