Written by: Kevin Kildenberger
I still stand by my enjoyment of Fall Brawl last night. I think by going in with lower expectations one can come away much more pleased. Hell, I thought it was going to be terrible. There were so many fucking gimmick matches that I was understandably worried. I am still baffled by the interference in the first match, and the JJ match had some serious overbooking. I forgot about the Duggan heel turn. Jesus Age Fucking Christ: Look, I have not been a big fan of Duggan, and I have stated that in my Blog many times. But I respect the guy. He fought cancer and so on. He also forgave Goldberg apparently for making him bleed like a stuck pig! Russo loves the swerves to shock an audience. Goldberg turning heel was a surprise and a stupid one at that, though he did play a solid heel, but overall it failed miserably. Duggan is on a much smaller scale but he has played a face for as long as I can remember and turning him heel, turning him against America is like Slaughter supporting Iraq. That sucked too. Storm deserves better than MIA. He started off so strong and had a WCW title shot and then they pushed him down to a feud with MIA. I get the whole USA v. Canada thing but MIA is so fucking rancid. I liked his feud with Awesome and he had a burgeoning one with JJ. Perhaps with Sting down the road or give him another shot at the title. The same with Awesome, that guy is talented but the gimmicks…..I am glad Booker T is champ again and I cannot complain too loudly about Nash winning a few weeks earlier as it set up a Booker win. I am interested in seeing where the Goldberg situation takes us….More Russo I am sure. I am not too pleased about where WCW is going with the lack of direction and wrestling on Nitro lately but I have no choice but to go along….Nitro fell below a 3 with a 2.8 off a 3.2 and 2.3 while RAW received a 5.7 off a 5.5 and 5.9.
Oh, I have not found anything out about Goldberg supposedly getting a lawyer and not wanting to lose in a fake match. I vaguely recall something from the Russo book but I am not in the mood to look for it right now. I do recall Russo saying that Goldberg did not want to job to someone he could beat up. Russo thought that amusing as Steiner was an All American from Michigan and would kick his ass. Apparently Russo thought Goldberg was a pain in the ass…..But I am sure Russo and Steiner were too, especially the latter.
They start off with a match!
Match 1: Rey Mysterio v. Mark Jindrak
Jindrak hammers him but misses in the corner and gets Bronco Busted. Oh, Tigress is there. Thrillers are on the apron. Jindrak spikes Rey and Haire are in. Okay, I am slow: It is a restart of the match from last night. Haire misses the SeanTon Bomb and Rey rolls him up for the pin. He is out. Palumbo runs in and gets bulldogged. Tigress is slammed on him and Rey goes up but Stasiak who was on commentary crotches him and Tigress is catapulted into his nuts. Rey is sent to the apron and he tries to leapfrog back but Palumbo leaps on top of him. He tries to spring back in again but is caught. Palumbo takes a wild swipe and hits Stasiak as Rey ducks. Rey is tripped up and then T Boned. Rey is pinned and then Kiwi takes out Stasiak and he is pinned. Palumbo is down too as she fucking pins him. It is Sanders and Tigress and the former is put in a sleeper. He snaps her over and then she wins….WHAT!?
* I cannot rate it above that. Rey was fun to watch but give him the win. He pins one. Kiwi helps and Tigress gets the other and then Rey wins. But to have her pin the Thrillers is FUCKING STUPID!
Nash is just fine after losing the title and the Thrillers need coaching.
After the break they are stunned and he is drawing up plays on the board and the X’s and O’s come up saying You Suck!
Russo has arrived and he has an entire entourage and comes out to Goldberg’s music and flexes his muscles. He is bragging about what he did to Goldberg and states King Kong is in the building and points at himself. He reads a letter “from” Goldberg who admits to getting his ass kicked and that Russo is a legend and the he himself is a disgrace and a loser. He finds no other choice but to resign from WCW. Canadian fans don’t mind that. The kids should look up to Russo from here on out and Russo is Goldberg’s God. He introduces the man who put Goldberg into early retirement: Steiner! He comes out and there is only one genetic freak and only one with the largest arms in the world and he told everyone that he was going to beat up Goldberg and he did. Size does matter. He did not want him to resign and just wanted to beat him up. Fans chant that Goldberg sucks. There is only one thing left: To win the title and that will happen next week. Steiner does not give a damn about Sting or Booker. Russo stops him and asks him why he thought he would get a title shot. Here comes Jarrett. JJ thinks he deserves a title shot as he did not lose to Sting last week. Steiner thinks that the only thing he deserves is a foot up his ass. Russo yells that he is the boss and will decide who will face the champ. Cue Nash! Hall chants. Nash is sick and tired of them screwing around. Russo will decide next week or later tonight or some shit. JJ and Steiner have to be a team. Nash’s partner will be Russo as he wants a title shot in his hometown as that has been his dream. He leaves them pissed and befuddled. Fuck me.
Nash is in his locker room and JJ is not happy and they bicker.
Here comes Douglas and Torrie. Forgot about that horrible, horrible match. I mean horrible. Franchise brags and swears….Nonsense of course.
Match 2: Shane Douglas v. Kwee Wee
Kiwi attacks and pounds him in the corner with rapid fire shots to the head and then clotheslines him after the whip; he went off the ropes. Torrie misses hitting him. Awkward. Kiwi knocks Douglas down and then plants one on Torrie and that pisses Paisley off and she kicks Torrie. Douglas is rolled up and nearly pinned. Out of nowhere: Franchiser. Really? But he pulls up and listens to Paisley who wants Torrie and so he drags Kiwi over to tag her and goes to tag Torrie but stops and then Franchises Paisley and makes the ref count twice….
DUD: What? Kwee Wee has a great match and this is what he gets? Fucking stupid. I feel like a WCW show as I cannot stop cursing.
Russo is on his 3000th push up when Nash comes in and they start plotting.
Nash is on the drawing board again. He writes Bite Me this time and Russo is not happy and nearly cries as he is serious about the title.
Paulshock acts dramatic about the Booker/Sting match. Booker wants his respect and gets all gushy and has some one liners and Sting mocks that and Booker is not happy and questions that. Sting tells him to save his intensity and Booker attacks and they fight.
Disco and Cat are arguing and Disco says he sucks at his job and has a blow up duck. They will fight tonight and Disco will get his job and Cat the tag titles.
Disco tells FA the plan and they are not happy. He is asking for a run in.
Cat is in the ring and tells Disco and his goose to get his ass out here. Solo.
Match 3: Cat v. Disco Inferno
Disco hits him with the duck that Cat keeps calling a goose. Cat though kicks him in the head and pins him. Just like that. FA are pissed and chase Disco! They let him escape through the crowd. Jesus. I think the Cat hurt himself as he is slow to get up….
NR.
Now he is up and dances.
Scotty is buckling Midajah shoe as confers with JJ. Nash wants to leave as he has had enough and is going to work with the Thrillers or something. JJ and Steiner are mad as he was supposed to set Russo straight but it is not Nash’s problem anymore.
Disco gets in his car and leaves with the FA in hot pursuit.
They replay the Tenay and David Flair interview from last night.
MI Smooth and David are in the ring now and David is suspicious and supposedly Smooth has a video of the incident. The Kid Cam or some shit. Smooth wants money and the exchange takes place. David though knocks him out with the crowbar and he runs off with it.
Russo is in his office reading Flex magazine and Steiner and JJ bust in and rip up his magazine and yell at him. I think he was looking at a tape first. Russo asks about Kronik and the other two yell that they suck so don’t use them. He wants them to watch the title match and settle down, so they will talk later.
Booker is walking in the back.
Sting too.
David hits a production guy for not playing the tape.
Sanders sees Terry Taylor who informs him that Russo wants to see him and he rushes to Russo. Russo hands him the tape he was looking at and hid when Steiner/JJ came in and he is supposed to give it to Kronik and then he assures Sanders that he kisses the best ass in the business making Sanders happy.
Match 4: Sting v. Booker T (c) for WCW Title
We get it Schiavone, there are different fans in Canada and they don’t cheer Goldberg and even boo Booker. Bastards! Anyway, the two lock up and tussle. Booker takes the initiative early and he works him over. He kicks him but Sting counters when he goes for the axe kick. Sting clotheslines him and then knocks him down again. Now Booker returns the favor and drops him. He gets two after a Harlem kick and then two again after an axe kick. Booker pulls him up and Sting goes for the Deathdrop but Booker fends him off but is taken down in a kind of arm submission. Booker crawls to the ropes and pulls himself up. Stinger Splash! Another! Booker is down and it is Deathlock but JJ comes and attacks Sting and then Booker takes out JJ. Steiner comes down and assaults Booker and Sting helps Booker. Guitar shot from JJ and down goes Sting. Figure Four on Sting and Recliner on Booker.
*1/2 It was fun but it should have went ten minutes. I get the interference and Sting should not have been about to win. Imagine had Sting put him over…..Oh well. Fucking Russo.
Adams is in the back and he is given the tape from Sanders and then told to beat it if he knows what is best.
Jimmy Hart tells David Flair that there is a VCR in someone’s limo. Hart is thanked and then belted by the crowbar.
Cat is in his office and he smells something and it is Kronik. They want him to listen to the tape as it was Steiner and JJ talking trash about them. They are pissed about getting screwed last night and demand a match with tonight with JJ and Steiner. Cat obliges.
Here comes Storm with Skipper and Gunns. Last night was a great night for Team Canada and he introduces their newest member: A clean shaven Duggan. He tells Gunns to get out of his face. It is great to be a part of a team that appreciates him unlike the American fans who treated him like garbage. Now he mentions Goldberg and what he did to him and how the fans chanted Goldberg and the Canadian fans boo that. MIA come out and there is a donnybrook. So much for that feud ending. Fans chant that Rection tapped out. Skipper is run over….
Match 5: Team Canada v. MIA
Skipper gets launched into three times as Rection is used as a trampoline. Loco flies into him and gets two. Storm helps out and now Duggan is in and he unloads on Loco. He slams him into the corner and then again and now into the other one. A big knee drop and Skipper is in and he power sideslams Loco. He slingshots into Awol who is on the floor and he is caught and slammed through a table! Chokeslammed that is. Storm is faceplanted by Loco. Rection gets the tag and he runs over Storm twice, misses but blocks the sidekick and then release suplexes Storm. He wants Duggan who gets the tag and they are about to brawl but Storm kicks him. Storm is swarmed and Duggan uses the great equalizer: The board. Rection is out and Duggan gets the win.
*1/2 Fast paced but overbooked. MIA is terrible.
Steiner and JJ go off on Russo about the fact having to face Kronik and he is scared. He keeps talking about his partner.
Match 6: Kronik v. Steiner and JJ
But Nash comes out with the Thrillers. Nash tells Kronik that they are not in the same league as Steiner and Jarrett. So two hungry young wolves will fight them. No takers. So Bull and Sanders are pushed forward and then wiped out. Reno runs down. Same result. Palumbo charges in and after a brief flurry gets pummeled. He fires back only to get dropped. High Times. Steiner and JJ ambush them with pipes and win.
NR. Angle advancement. Jesus, the Thrillers are jokes.
Russo knocks on a door….
Awesome is spitting game at Paulshock. Count come over and mock Awesome and his bus. He checks it out and ICP and Vampiro have defaced it.
Russo enters Sting’s dressing room. Sting is rocking back and forth. Jesus. Sting goozles him and Russo tells him that he wants to be his partner and he can get revenge on JJ. Russo continues by chastising Sting for not having heart anymore. Sting is pissed and pushes him against the door, telling him that it is Showtime tonight! Russo grins.
Here comes Awesome. He is sick and tired of people screwing with his bus and challenges Vampiro to a Hardcore match and to keep his sissy clowns in the back.
Match 7: Mike Awesome v. Vampiro
Sorry, distracted, but they have been downright brawling for two minutes, using sticks etc. They are in the crowd and Vampiro leaps off the balcony and into Awesome! Fans love it. Vamp beats him back over the railing and then pushes him into it again. Awesome comes back and hits him with every weapon he can get his hands on. They fight back into the ring and both men are up top and Awesome is crotched and hooked but he shoves off Vampiro and then leaps into him. He points to the table and the fans chant for it. He has him up for an Awesome Bomb but Vampiro slides behind and tosses a garbage can into him. They tussle and Awesome kicks him and then Bombs him over the top rope and into the table for the win!
*** Extra half star for some cool bumps. Awesome getting a push again?
Booker is pissed and Russo wonders if it is Sting and he hopes he is ready. He sees it is Booker and looks scared as Booker is peeved. I swear the Cat’s music was playing out in the arena…..
Match 8: Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett v. Vince Russo and Sting
No Russo and instead Booker charges out and all four are brawling. The faces dominate and Sting has Steiner on the floor and slams him on top of the announce table as JJ is clotheslined over the top rope. Steiner is rolled back into the ring and nearly pinned after a top rope splash. Sting pummels him in the corner and they switch. Deathlock on JJ. Booker has Steiner but Midajah hits him with a lead pipe. Sting stops and glares and Steiner attacks. Ms. Jones pulls out Midajah and slams her. JJ is working over Booker and gets two. Here comes Steiner and he continues the punishment with a belly to belly suplex and dumps him over the top rope. JJ pushes him into the railing and Sting decks Jarrett. JJ recovers and rolls him back into the ring. Steiner gets two after a backbreaker. JJ is back in and he applies a sleeper. After nearly two minutes Booker is up and he suplexes out. He rolls on top but Steiner makes the save. They exchange blows and then wallop each other and both are down. Both men make the tag and Sting unloads on both heels. He has JJ on the floor and is decimating him. Booker mounts and pounds Steiner in the corner. Meanwhile, Kronik has come down and they are assaulting Jarrett. Steiner has knocked Booker down and he stomps on him and puts Booker in the Recliner. Russo limps out with a bat. Russo has the ref and Steiner is up and screams at Russo and knocks him out. Booker has the bat and he decks Steiner. Booker pulls up Russo and puts Russo on top of Steiner and Russo wins. Booker tells him that he will see his ass next Monday and can he dig that?
** I have to lower it a half star for making the champ look weak again. Why are they all of a sudden booking him to be weak? He was about to be put in the Deathlock and then he was in the Recliner. It makes no sense and is stupid.
** This is a hard one to rate. There were enjoyable moments. I really like Steiner as the now top heel. I like Booker as champ. However, the constant bickering among heels has become old. The burial of Booker and even Kwee Wee is confusing. Shane Douglas has worn out his welcome. MIA v. Canada has too. I will say that Mike Awesome had a great match. I think that there should have been less talking and more wrestling. I get that that the Booker v. Sting match was angle advancement but make it long and exciting with no clear winner. The same with the main event, so we can anticipate an upcoming Steiner/Booker match. Yet the face champ is weak and the heel is strong? Okay….Oh and the Thrillers are chumps. Tigress? Shit, I may lower this rating if I keep thinking about the show.