Live from Columbia, SC
Airdate: October 5, 1998
Attendance: 8,782 (sold out)
Hosted by Tony Schiavone, “Iron” Mike Tenay, Larry Zbyszko, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
What happens when Bret and Sting collide? What’s going on between Nash and Hall this week? Who makes his return to WCW? Who confronts Bagwell and BPP? Can DDP defeat Kanyon in his quest to become World champion? Will Kidman retain his title?
To begin the show, the Nitro Girls dance in the ring wearing magenta.
Promo airs for WCW Halloween Havoc ’98. It will be LIVE on PPV on 10/25. Order NOW! Chucky’s laugh was interspersed within the promo. Hopefully, we’ve heard enough from him this week.
We revisit the 8/31 episode when Piper put his trust in Bret. During the 9/14 episode, he said it to Bret’s face. We return to the 8/31 episode when Bret stopped Hogan from whipping Sting with his weight belt. I know they were trying for shock value, but wouldn’t these segments have been better shown last week?
Opening montage.
Match 1: Saturn versus Lizmark, Jr.
Highlights:
- Lizmark blocked a hip toss and fed Saturn one of his own.
- When Saturn gave him a cross corner whip, he dealt Lizmark a thrust kick.
- Lizmark reversed an Irish whip and guillotined Saturn with the top rope.
- As he gave Saturn a cross corner whip, Lizmark came up empty on his follow-through.
- Lizmark hooked a backslide and got 2.
- After Saturn rebounded with a clothesline, he suplexed Lizmark.
- He planted Lizmark with a Death Valley Driver and pinned him at 2:29.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Saturn, but, I guess he’s not involved on the PPV.
Castrol sponsors the replay.
Video airs featuring Goldberg/DDP and Hogan/Warrior.
At the entrance, the Nitro Girls dance wearing black.
Schiavone plugs the Nitro Party contest.
Prior to the next match, Miller grabs the microphone and refers to Hayashi as “Jackie Chan.” He gives Hayashi five seconds to leave, but Hayashi stands his ground. That allows Miller to flatten him with a thrust kick.
Match 2: Ernest “The Cat” Miller versus Kaz Hayashi (w/ Sonny Onoo)
Highlights:
- Hayashi ducked a clothesline and fed Miller a springboard cross body block.
- As he mounted the top turnbuckle, Hayashi leaped but ate another thrust kick.
- He unloaded a Feliner and pinned him at 2:36.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Miller. The karate stuff is flashy, but he needs more wrestling holds/moves to become both more polished and interesting.
After the match, Miller grabs the microphone again and claims to be the “greatest.” Onoo sees a better investment in him, so Onoo changes uniforms and aligns with Mlller. SNEAKY!
Nitro Party Pack winner is…
Video #2 airs featuring DDP.
Match 3: Juventud Guerrera versus “Lightning Foot” Jerry Flynn
Highlights:
- Disco Inferno joined the broadcast table for this match.
- When Flynn clotheslined him, he fed Guerrera a knee drop.
- Guerrera avoided a couple of moves but ate a spin kick.
- As he reversed a cross corner whip, Guerrera got vaulted to the apron.
- He yanked Flynn down to the mat and dealt him a springboard dropkick.
- After Flynn reversed an Irish whip, Guerrera bulldogged him for 2.
- Flynn gave Guerrera a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- While Guerrera mounted the top turnbuckle, he delivered a tope. Woohoo!
- Back in the ring, Guerrera whiffed on a springboard cross body block.
- He escaped a belly-to-back suplex and demolished Flynn with a Juvi Driver.
- 1-2-3.
- Guerrera won at 3:07.
Rating: **
Summary: Showcase match for Guerrera as I completely tuned out Disco.
Video #3 airs featuring DDP/Goldberg. Seriously, WCW?
Earlier today outside the arena, Tenay polls some Columbians about WCW.
Promo #2 airs for WCW Halloween Havoc ’98. It will be LIVE on PPV on 10/25. Order NOW!
Match 4: Wrath versus Villano V
Highlights:
- As the match began, a sourpuss held up a sign: “Getting OLDberg.” Will WCW listen and pull the trigger at the PPV? Or is this guy…
- Wrath reversed an Irish whip and fed V a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
- When he hurled V to the floor, he joined but ate a dropkick.
- Wrath reversed an Irish whip and sent V shoulder-first into the steps.
- After he guillotined V with the top rope, Wrath dealt him a springboard corkscrew back elbow.
- He gave V a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- While he reversed another Irish whip, Wrath leapfrogged V and scored with a flying shoulder block.
- He planted V with a Meltdown and pinned him at 2:14.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Wrath. Folks are starting to recognize him.
Video #2 airs featuring Hogan/Warrior. Enough with the video packages already!
Tenay interviews more marks while I fold my laundry.
A Humvee limousine arrives, and nWo Wolfpack emerges. As they search around and locate the nWo Hollywood dressing room, a brawl ensues. nWo Hollywood gets pummeled. When security steps in, the melee continues. Sting and Konnan double-team Big Poppa Pump in the hallway until Buff Bagwell rescues him. Next, Sting looks around some more and finds Bret. After he rams Bret into the door, Sting continues to hammer him. Finally, security gains control.
Outside the arena, Sting commandeers a forklift and crashes into nWo Hollywood’s limousine. He lifts the car with the forklift and drops it like a bad habit. THE LIMO IS TOTALED! To add insult to injury, Nash takes a sledgehammer to it.
HOUR #2!
Match 5: Hector Garza versus Damian
Highlights:
- Why is THIS opposing the opening on RAW?
- Garza reversed a cross corner whip, but Damian hoisted him atop the top turnbuckle.
- When Garza hip-tossed him, Damian vaulted him to the apron.
- Garza mounted the top turnbuckle, somersaulted down to the mat, and fed Damian a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
- As Eddie Guerrero approached ringside, he had a microphone.
- Referee Nick Patrick called for the bell, and the match ended without a decision at 1:14.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Vehicle for Eddie’s return to WCW.
Eddie asks both Garza and Damian: “What has Eric Bischoff done for you?” As Eddie claims that nothing has been done for them, he blames Bischoff for a glass ceiling. He subtly mentions that Bischoff is stuck up Hogan’s ass and wants to unite as a group called the lWo—the Latino World Order. After he tosses shirts to Garza and Damian, Eddie informs Bischoff that the lWo “is going to do whatever it takes to get (their) piece of the cake.”
Backstage, the nWo Wolfpack congregates, and Tenay asks Nash about Scott Hall. Nash advises him that the nWo Wolfpack will locate and destroy Hall worse than the carnage they’ve already caused. The camera crew and Tenay will follow the Humvee in pursuit of Hall.
TV Rating: 4.6
We revisit the 7/27 episode when Bret “respects” Sting.
In the ring, the Nitro Girls dance wearing white with black jackets.
Match 6 for the WCW Cruiserweight title: Kidman (champion) versus Psicosis
Highlights:
- Kidman leapfrogged Psicosis and followed with a hip toss.
- As Psicosis reversed an Irish whip, Kidman fed him a suplex for 2.
- Kidman took him down with a flying headscissors, so Psicosis sought refuge on the floor.
- When Kidman dealt him a plancha, he tossed Psicosis back into the ring and launched a springboard leg drop for another 2.
- Psicosis flattened him with a sit-out gourdbuster for 2.
- After he mounted the top turnbuckle, Psicosis scored with a corkscrew enziguri for another 2. Neat!
- Kidman rebounded with a dropkick, but Psicosis hip-tossed him over the top rope to the floor.
- While he delivered a springboard leg drop to Kidman on the floor, Psicosis sent him reeling into the steps.
- He dropkicked Kidman on the floor and hauled him back into the ring.
- Hooking a somersault rollup, Psicosis got 2.
- Kidman reversed a cross corner whip and hit a lariat for 2.
- Giving Psicosis a cross corner whip, Kidman came up empty on his follow-through.
- Psicosis planted Kidman with a belly-to-back suplex and got 2.
- Securing a sunset flip, Kidman got 2.
- Psicosis attempted a powerbomb, but YOU CAN’T POWERBOMB KIDMAN!
- Instead, Kidman rammed him face-first into the mat for another 2.
- Psicosis escaped a slam and trapped Kidman in a mini-619 for 2.
- Rebounding with an Acid Drop, Kidman got 2.
- Psicosis reversed an Irish whip and decimated Kidman with a tilt-a-whirl slam for 2.
- Escaping a belly-to-back suplex, Kidman nailed a mini-BK bomb for 2.
- Kidman gave Psicosis a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- Mounting the top turnbuckle, Psicosis uncorked a moonsault press for 2.
- Psicosis placed Kidman atop the top turnbuckle, joined, but Kidman blocked a super huracanrana. Psicosis fell to the mat like a ton of bricks. OUCH!
- Standing atop the top turnbuckle, Kidman leveled Psicosis with a Shooting Star Press.
- 1-2-3.
- Kidman retained at 10:40.
Rating: ****
Summary: Great match with a plethora of 2-counts as each wrestler tried extremely hard to win the match. The ending wasn’t cemented until Kidman knew what was coming, blocked it, and put Psicosis away. If I could find anything wrong with the match, it’d have been the chin locks and Kidman’s landing knees-first on the SSP; otherwise, it’s worth the ****.
David Flair is shown at ringside wearing a Goldberg t-shirt. No love for his own father?
In a pre-taped soliloquy, Warrior cuts an elongated promo on Hogan. Upon hearing the crowd boo him recently, WCW felt an edited taped segment seems to be the perfect solution to control the narrative.
TV Rating: 4.0
Despite this promo not being “paid for the New World Order,” BPP cuts a promo on Rick in black-and-white.
LIVE WITH MIKE TENAY: Tenay drives behind the Humvee in pursuit of Hall. More to come.
BPP along with Bagwell emerges and heads to the ring. As BPP informs the Columbians that he is their hookup, they should “holler if they hear” him. He cuts another promo on his brother, and Rick appears.
Rick has his own microphone and calls them “sissies.” When he mentions that Bagwell suffered his neck injury here in Columbia, Rick calls out Buff’s mom—Judy Bagwell. She takes the microphone and steps onto the apron. Also reminding him about Columbia and his injury, Judy asks: “What’s wrong with you?”
She recalls taking him to the Georgia Dome on July 6 and complains that he doesn’t call home anymore. After Buff interrupts his mother (tsk, tsk), he swears his loyalty to nWo Hollywood like a moron. He puts it plainly to his mother: “Without Buff Bagwell, you can’t even eat.”
Judy climbs into the ring and slaps Bagwell leading to a tremendous roar from the Columbia faithful. While she gets in BPP’s grill, BPP doesn’t treat her like a lady. Rick blasts him for being rude, and Judy drags Buff by the ear backstage. HA!
During the commercial break, BPP and Adams attacked Rick by the broadcast table.
Match 7: The “Dog-Faced Gremlin” Rick Steiner versus Brian Adams
Highlights:
- With Rick laying prone on the mat, Adams distracted referee Billy Silverman.
- This allowed BPP to give his brother the business. How dastardly!
- When JJ Dillon approached ringside, he ejected BPP.
- Adams fed Rick a big boot and followed with a piledriver for 2.
- As he dealt Rick a backbreaker, Adams got another 2.
- He gave Rick a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- After he slammed Rick, Adams missed a knee drop.
- Rick reversed an Irish whip and dumped Adams on his head attempting an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
- While he connected with a Steinerline, Rick landed an elbow drop for 2.
- Adams rebounded with an inverted atomic drop and attempted a vertical suplex.
- Escaping, Rick planted Adams with a DDT, mounted the top turnbuckle, and finished him with a Steiner bulldog.
- 1-2-3.
- Rick won at 5:39.
Rating: *
Summary: I’d love to give his match more love, but that botch was dangerous!
TV Rating: 4.8
HOUR #3!
LIVE WITH MIKE TENAY: The Wolfpack enter a restaurant, but Hall’s not there.
Bischoff leads Hogan to the ring and mocks David Flair along the way. As Hogan spews his garbage, he challenges Warrior RIGHT NOW. He promises to kill the oWn. Since Warrior cut a pre-taped segment, I’m betting he wasn’t even there.
TV Rating: 3.9
Video airs featuring the Four Horsemen.
At the entrance, the Nitro Girls dance wearing black with white trim.
Match 8: Diamond Dallas Page versus Kanyon (w/ Raven)
Highlights:
- Stupidly, Kanyon climbed the turnbuckles while DDP was in the ring.
- DDP rolled him up and got 2.
- As Kanyon moronically argued with referee Charles Robinson, DDP rolled him up again for another 2.
- He blocked a hip toss, fed Kanyon a belly-to-belly suplex, but couldn’t get 3.
- When DDP sent Kanyon to the floor, Lodi approached the ring desperate to rejoin Raven.
- Lodi pled with Kanyon allowing DDP to flatten the latter with a plancha.
- After Robinson concerned himself with Lodi, Raven sauntered into the ring and destroyed DDP with his own Cutter.
- Kanyon crawled into the ring, made the cover, but only got 2.
- While the Columbia faithful chanted “D-D-P,” Kanyon mounted the second turnbuckle and annihilated their hero with a super Rocker Dropper.
- He rammed DDP face-first into the mat for another 2.
- Missing a discus clothesline, DDP got caught in a fireman’s carry, wriggled out, tried a sunset flip, but ate a knuckle sandwich.
- Kanyon attempted a pin from a seated position, but DDP cradled him for 2.
- Connecting with a clothesline, DDP dealt Kanyon a top-ten-turnbuckle count-along.
- He delivered a belly-to-back suplex for another 2.
- Countering a vertical suplex, Kanyon secured an inside cradle for 2.
- DDP pancaked Kanyon and got 2.
- Seeing Raven on the apron, DDP got shoved and rolled up by Kanyon for 2.
- DDP reversed an Irish whip, but Kanyon caught him with a swinging neckbreaker for 2.
- Stymying Kanyon with a jawbreaker, DDP hit a tilt-a-whirl slam.
- Lodi sprinted into the ring, but DDP leveled him with a clothesline.
- Seeing Raven clobber DDP from behind, Robinson called for the bell.
- DDP won by DQ at 7:28.
Rating: ****
Summary: Fantastic chemistry between DDP and Kanyon where greatness could have been just a clean finish away.
Following the match, Raven pounds DDP with the microphone while Lodi and Kanyon join to triple-team the #1 contender. Goldberg storms the ring and spears the BEJEEZUS out of Kanyon. Hammering Goldberg to no avail, Lodi eats a right cross that even Tommy Morrison gets the shakes watching. Goldberg obliterates him with a Jackhammer. Out of nowhere, DDP conquers Raven with a Diamond Cutter. He and Goldberg go back-to-back, turn around, and end up nose-to-nose. Quickly, Dillon gets between them, and a war of words unfolds.
TV Rating: 4.55
LIVE WITH MIKE TENAY: At the New Brooklyn Tavern, nWo Wolfpack cases the place but cannot locate Hall.
Match 9: Disciple versus Lenny Lane
Highlights:
- Like an idiot, Lane mimicked Warrior until Disciple fed him a big boot.
- He gave Lane a cross corner whip that resulted in a sternum-first bump.
- When he hip-tossed Lane, Disciple got caught with a guillotine across the top rope.
- Disciple clotheslined Lane over the top rope to the floor.
- As he dealt Lane a lariat, Disciple delivered an Apocalypse.
- 1-2-3.
- Disciple won at 2:07.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Disciple, but WHY is this in the third hour?
Afterward, Disciple grabs the microphone and calls it quits once and for all with Hogan. While Disciple exits, Hogan and Bischoff quickly chase behind him. Hogan returns to his dressing room and stands in front of a mirror. Although Bischoff can’t see the Warrior, Hogan and the viewing audience can clearly see him in the mirror.
TV Rating: 4.7
LIVE WITH MIKE TENAY: Tenay complains about the quality of the next establishment as the nWo Wolfpack receives a loud cheer from the patrons. As Nash finds and brawls with Hall, they fight on a pool table and into the bathroom. After Nash opens the door, Hall is shown face down.
Bischoff returns to the ring, grabs a microphone, and declares that “(Hogan) is just fine.” When he brings up Ric Flair, Bischoff apologizes for Flair’s absence. The Columbia faithful LOUDLY chants “We Want Flair,” and Arn Anderson emerges through the entrance.
Arn reminds Bischoff that Columbia is a “Horseman town.” While the last time he was here, he gave the Columbia faithful some bad news, yet tonight he’s got some good news. He introduces Flair, but it’s Reid Flair who emerges. As Bischoff complains about all the Flairs everywhere, Reid throws a “Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeean Woo Gene” in his face. Attaboy!
Reid’s ready to handle his father’s “light work” meaning Bischoff. As Arn instructs him to “show him what (they’re) talking about,” Reid performs a couple of amateur wrestling steps. Bischoff runs his mouth a bit too much, and Reid takes him down by the legs. Mind you, Reid is TEN YEARS OLD.
He tackles Bischoff again while his half-brother David looks on. Before Bischoff can teach the kid a lesson, Arn steps between them. To mock Bischoff, Reid struts and fluffs his hair, and the Columbia faithful eats it up with a spoon. As the segment ends, Reid flashes the four fingers symbolizing the Horsemen.
Upon returning from commercial, Bischoff’s still ranting in the ring as Elizabeth joins him. He instructs her to get Flair on the phone. When the Columbia faithful chants “We Want Flair” again, Beth, Flair’s then-wife, berates Bischoff over the phone
Suddenly, “Also Sprach Zarathustra” plays, and the “Nature Boy” emerges to a HUGE ovation. nWo Hollywood surrounds the ring, but the Horsemen take them out. Both David and Reid join their father and the Horsemen in the ring to pop the crowd.
Although Bret makes his way to the ring, he makes an immediate U-turn, and Sting follows. They brawl backstage, and Sting rams him into a closed door. After Sting blasts him with a whiteboard, Bret gets a free taste of Pepsi. Bret removes his jacket and tussles with Sting. Upon bouncing Sting’s face off a cafeteria table, Bret makes him HIT THE POLE. That’s no ring post, folks. That’s concrete!
Bret strategically places a table and suplexes Sting through it. When he grabs a trash can, he CROWNS Sting with it. He gets a chair, WHACKS Sting with it, Pillmanizes Sting’s leg with the chair, and caroms the trash can off it. Sinister!
As Bret procures a different chair, Sting pushes a wheeled cart at him. They fight into the programming office while personnel scatter in fear. Upon crotching Bret with a steel door, Sting eats a pole shot to the midsection. Bret jumps onto a motorized cart but thinks otherwise. Meanwhile, Sting returns the favor with a pole shot to the midsection.
He SMACKS Bret with the pole and hooks a Scorpion death lock. Having proven his point, Sting walks away. WCW Security finally separates them as the show leaves the air.
TV Rating: 5.44
Conclusion: What a magnificent episode! A pair of great matches coupled with events that furthered angles and feuds. This was a complete 180° from last week’s dreck.
The main event was quite the heavy sell on Sting versus Bret. In case you’re wondering, the Columbia faithful was NOT thrilled with a backstage main event; thus, WCW wisely gave them a dark main event whereby Goldberg annihilated Disco Inferno.
The Wolfpack’s pursuit of Hall paid off, and their destruction of nWo Hollywood’s limousine marked some solid outside-the-box creativity for WCW.
In addition, many more matches, angles, and feuds were featured or enhanced, so, without question, this episode gets a firm…
What’s on RAW is WAR?
Final TV Rating: 4.546
Stay tuned for RAW Is WAR 10-05-98!
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