WCW Nitro 6/26/2000

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Nitro
Date: 6/26/2000
From: Des Moines, Iowa

The Cat opens up the show by coming out to the ring for an interview. Cat starts off by saying that he is going to be putting on a good show tonight, folks. Cat assures the fans that at the next pay per view, Bash at the Beach, Jeff Jarrett will kick Hulk Hogan’s ass. Cat also says that Goldberg will wipe Nash out at the pay per view so that Cat can wipe his ass with Scott Hall’s contract. Cat announces that tonight there will be a four corners match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The challengers for Jarrett’s belt will be determined by qualifying matches. Kevin Nash vs. Mike Awesome and Scott Steiner vs. Shane Douglas are two matches. Cat says that Goldberg will get a bye simply because he likes Goldberg. That announcement brings out Jim Duggan. Yeah, you read that correctly. Duggan doesn’t believe Cat can play with people’s lives as if they don’t matter. Duggan is going to step up because chips are down against the heroes. Duggan believes that Goldberg is half the man he used to be. Cat defends himself by calling Duggan a redneck. Cat books Duggan in a match against Goldberg. Duggan accepts the challenge and wants Cat to explain to Bischoff and Russo why he is the WCW World Heavyweight Champion by the end of the night.

Backstage, Vampiro rambles while Asya and Torborg watch on a monitor. Also, a referee tells Shane Douglas that he is wrestling Scott Steiner later tonight. Lastly, Kanyon has a book signing but is depressed over the fact that no one showed up to it!

Opening Contest: Mark Jindrak/Sean O’Haire defeated Juventud Guerrera/Rey Mysterio Jr.: Guerrera and Rey are sent into each other as the rookies have the advantage to open the bout. O’Haire and Guerrera start off the bout with O’Haire power tossing Guerrera across the ring. Jindrak tags in and O’Haire delivers a vicious clothesline for a two count on Guerrera. Jindrak misses a springboard moonsault and Guerrera goes to work with several right hands in the corner. Rey enters to clothesline Jindrak and Guerrera gets a two count. Guerrera comes off the top to dropkick Jindrak for another near fall. Rey comes off the top to leg drop Jindrak in the groin as Guerrera held his legs. Rey is sent chest first into the corner but Guerrera helps attack Jindrak and knock O’Haire off the apron. Rey and Guerrera attempt a double dropkick but Jindrak moves and they dropkick each other! O’Haire leaps off the top with a double clothesline after getting the tag. O’Haire and Jindrak connect with stereo vertical suplexs on the Filthy Animals. O’Haire tosses Rey to the floor while Guerrera is slammed by Jindrak. O’Haire leaps off the top with a Swanton bomb and gets the three count! **
After the match, Konnan and Disco Inferno enter the ring to attack Jindrak and O’Haire. However, Lance Storm comes out of the audience to make the save with dropkicks. He leaves through the crowd again.

Backstage, Cat wants the Filthy Animals to find Lance Storm for him. Also, Jim Duggan’s wife tries to convince Duggan to cancel his match against Goldberg.

Second Contest: WCW Hardcore Champion Big Vito vs. Jung Dragons never officially started: The Jung Dragons accepted an open challenge issued by Vito and defeated the champion in under two minutes after all three men jumped off the top rope to splash onto Vito. However, since the bout wasn’t official, Vito retains the title.

Backstage, Terry Funk whacks Johnny the Bull over the back with a chair after giving him a quick prep talk. Also, Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak storm into the production truck causing Woody to leave the truck. Shane Douglas tries to get Big Smooth to drive him away from the arena but instead gets another plan. To continue with all of these backstage segments, the Animals are looking for Lance Storm. Now, Shane Douglas is faking an ankle injury and manages to convince the Cat to put Buff Bagwell in his place. Lastly, Tank Abbott watches a monitor to see Three Count. However, the Perfect Event is messing with the music and Tank Abbott grabs them, which eventually leads to a match. Abbott books a tag title match because he said so.

Third Contest: WCW World Tag Team Champions the Perfect Event defeated Shane Helms/Shannon Moore to retain the titles: Three Count dropkicks the champs to the floor after getting out of press slams. Helms and Moore leap off the top rope to hit the champs with duel Swanton dives! Palumbo is taken down in the ring with a Samoan drop/swinging neck breaker combo. Stasiak stops Helms with a power bomb to give Palumbo the advantage. Stasiak enters to deliver a big leaping back elbow on Helms for a two count. Palumbo leaps off the top to shoulder block Helms for a near fall. Helms continues to be dominated with several clotheslines by the champs. Helms plants Stasiak with a DDT after getting out of a power bomb attempt. Moore gets tagged and dropkicks the champs. Moore also hits them with spinning heel kicks. Palumbo catches Moore on an attempted cross body and tosses Moore with a fall away slam. Moore sends Palumbo into Stasiak in the corner and Moore takes Stasiak over with a hurricanrana followed by a top rope frog splash by Helms but the referee is distracted! Palumbo hits Helms with a flexor to regain control. Double flapjack on Helms and Stasiak gets the win. *1/2
After the match, Kronik runs down to the ring to attack the champs. Adams plants Stasiak with a full nelson slam and Palumbo suffers the Meltdown thanks to Clarke. Both Stasiak and Palumbo are planted with the High Times as well. Three Count recover and demand their music be played. This doesn’t sit well with Kronik who return to the ring but Tank Abbott punches Clarke on the floor and knocks Adams out with a punch. Three Count stomps away on Adams and they leave the ring.

Backstage, Juventud Guerrera is attacked by a mysterious person while looking for Lance Storm. Jim Duggan talks to his wife about his match with Goldberg. Kanyon has gotten a big line for his book signing, because he put a sign offering free beers to people over the age of 21.

Fourth Contest: Goldberg defeated Jim Duggan: Goldberg controls Duggan with several kidney shots before hitting the spear and jackhammer to win the bout in three minutes
After the match, Goldberg continues to beat on Duggan’s kidney area which causes Duggan to cough up blood.

Backstage, Jim Duggan is loaded into an ambulance.

Fifth Contest: Kevin Nash defeated Mike Awesome: Nash takes Awesome down with a back suplex out of a sleeper hold for a two count. Nash works on Awesome in the corner with several knee lifts and elbow shots. Nash runs into a back elbow in the corner. Awesome delivers a running clothesline in the corner followed by a top rope clothesline for a two count. Awesome heads to the top rope again and leaps off connecting with a big splash but Nash is able to kick out again. Awesome attempts a power bomb but Nash backdrops Awesome and sends him over the top to the floor with a clothesline. On the floor, Nash delivers several elbow shots to Awesome until he is stopped with a low blow. In the ring, Nash is able to kick a chair into Awesome’s face and picks up the win. ½*

Backstage, both Rey Mysterio and Konnan are attacked by the mystery man.

Sixth Contest: WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner defeated Buff Bagwell in a non-title match: Steiner backs Bagwell into a corner delivering right hands and chops to open the bout. Steiner clotheslines Bagwell as he comes off the ropes and drops an elbow. Bagwell battles back with a series of right hands and hip tosses Steiner followed by a clothesline and swinging neck breaker! Bagwell back elbows Steiner in the corner and leaps off the middle rope to splash Steiner for a near fall. Steiner recovers to ram Bagwell back first into a corner and puts him in a tree of woe. Steiner drops to the floor and begins to choke Bagwell for a few brief moments. Steiner takes Bagwell over with a exploder suplex and goes for the Steiner Recliner but Bagwell is able to drop Steiner throat first across the top rope followed by a DDT and hits the Blockbuster! Bagwell covers but Steiner pops his shoulder up at two! Steiner plants Bagwell with a belly to belly suplex and gets the three. *1/4
After the match, they shake hands showing they have respect for each other. Shane Douglas slides into the ring from behind to get a few cheap shots in on Bagwell until Steiner returns to the ring to run Douglas off. They pose on the middle rope to end the segment.

Backstage, WCW World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett is interviewed regarding his fatal four way match later on. Don’t doubt the champ, slap nuts. (my words, not his).

Ms. Hancock makes her way down to the ring to cut a promo. She begins to take off her clothes but is attacked by Daffney. Hancock whacks Daffney with her high heel shoe and they begin to brawl. Hancock bails to the floor. Daffney grabs a microphone and says she knows that Hancock is trying to steal her boyfriend so she is going to ruin Hancock’s life! Daffney issues a challenge for the Bash of the Beach where she is sure Hancock will be begging for her old Hooters job!

Backstage, the Filthy Animals try to regroup after being beaten up by the mysterious man. We also go back Kanyon’s book signing. Booker T ends up coming over and attacks Kanyon with a brick. Lastly, Miss Hancock is interviewed and demands that her match with Daffney to be an evening gown match.

Seventh Contest: Lance Storm defeated Disco Inferno: For the two minutes this was given, it was a competitive bout. Storm had the advantage early on delivering a top rope back elbow and a vertical suplex. Inferno fought back with a neck breaker and a side Russian leg sweep. Storm hits a hurricanrana for a two count before locking in a rolling half Boston crab to earn the win. *

Backstage, Dale Torborg decides to walk into a darken room. Vampiro attacks Torborg with a double axe handle shot from behind. Vampiro ends up kicking Dale into a coffin and taunts him until a masked man clubs Vampiro from behind and puts a Sting mask on him.

Backstage, the Filthy Animals are interviewed. Konnan issues a challenge to Lance Storm and Billy Kidman for Thunder to a tag match.

Main Event: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Kevin Nash, Goldberg and WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner to retain the title: Jarrett attacks Steiner before the bell as we see Goldberg has taken Nash out backstage. Jarrett rams Steiner into the guard railing shoulder first before entering the ring. Jarrett misses a clothesline and is press slammed by Steiner. Steiner rams Jarrett back first into the corner and puts him in the tree of woe so he can deliver a series of boots. Steiner continues with a tilt a whirl side slam for a two count as Goldberg runs down to the ring. Goldberg decks Steiner with a right hand and connects with a military press power slam! Goldberg goes for the spear but misses in the corner and hits the middle turnbuckle. Steiner hits a belly to belly suplex on Goldberg for a two count as the referee is pulled out by Jarrett. Steiner power bombs Jarrett for a near fall. Steiner is doubled teamed by Jarrett and Goldberg for a few moments. Goldberg puts Steiner in a arm breaker while Jarrett stomps away. Mike Awesome walks down to the ringside area and takes the WCW United States Championship away from Steiner’s freak. Steiner clotheslines Goldberg over the top to the floor and power bombs Jarrett for a two count. Steiner power slams Jarrett but Awesome pulls Steiner out and whacks him over the head with the championship. Kevin Nash makes his way down to the ring and hammers away on Jarrett. Nash side slams Jarrett and connects with the snake eyes. Jarrett big boots Nash but is choke slammed by Nash! Nash grabs Awesome and connects with a power bomb! Goldberg jumps into the ring but is met with a big boot! Nash goes for the power bomb but Jarrett stops that from happening. Goldberg sidekicks Nash as he tried to power bomb Jarrett. Jarrett lands on top of Nash and gets the pin. **
After the match, Goldberg shows Nash what is left of Scott Hall’s contract to end the show.

My Take: So, last week the show started off with Horace Hogan getting a semi-main event and this week we get Jim Duggan wrestling Goldberg. I quickly lost interest in the show knowing that the main angle for the show as going to be Duggan vs. Goldberg. WCW needs to start having better openings to keep people interested.

I thought it was a good debut for Jindrak and O’Haire this week. Having them work with the smaller guys like Rey and Juvi makes them look pretty good, at least for one week. I think it was the idea to make the Power Plant guys look good, since they had the Perfect Event work with Three Count. However, O’Haire and Jindrak actually got a crowd reaction compared to the Perfect Event hardly getting any heat.

Speaking of the tag team title match, I hated how it was booked. Abbott can just enforce rules because he is tough? That is just ridiculous. Also, I disliked how Kronik got their heat killed off. The crowd ate it up when they attacked the Perfect Event, but then they get knocked out by Abbott and attacked by Three Count. I really hated seeing that happen as it killed the crowd.

I understand the idea behind Goldberg/Duggan match as being a way to get Goldberg heel heat, and in a way it worked. However, I don’t think it needed to be part of the opening of the show. Duggan is well past his prime and really shouldn’t be used at this point in time.

So much for a Awesome/Nash feud or anything significant. Remember how Awesome attacked Nash on 4/10, but then didn’t get a PPV match with Nash but instead lost in under three minutes on Nitro. What a complete waste.

Steiner/Bagwell was quite boring. Pretty obvious that Steiner was going to get in the four way bout.

Storm/Inferno was a fine bout even though they got hardly any time to do anything. Storm needs to be a heel, though. I’ve never bought into a babyface Lance Storm. He is a guy people just naturally hate.

Decent main event but I don’t understand how Goldberg could not care about the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and just allow Jarrett to get the pin. What is the point of wrestling in a title match if you’re not looking to win the title? It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Overall, with the in-ring wrestling this week being decent, I’ll give the show a mild thumbs up. There is just too much crap to fully recommend watching the product.

Thanks for reading.