Written by: Kevin Kildenberger
Go Home Show! Havoc is technically the first Russo PPV but Mayhem is the first where the build is almost entirely his. Each show gets less wrestling and more vignettes. Also, a lot of inside stuff but not as much as most critics bitch about but enough to detract from the show and take you out of the moment. Still, I have said this over and over, Nitro is compelling enough that I want to watch and see what happens next. There is not enough wrestling and there is far too much happening but at the same time it is damn entertaining at times. Let’s see what happens. Nitro fell to a 3.1 and had a weak start with only a 3.4 and then fell to a 3.1 and 2.8. RAW got back into the 6’s after the PPV with a 6.3 and 6.2.
They start with a match! Well, a comedy match….
Match 1: Screamin’ Norman Smiley v. Jimmy Hart
Jimmy is wearing a suit of armor! He can barely move and Norman is taking advantage of that until Jimmy uses powder and now he sends Norman reeling with a series of shots with various objects. Norman is wearing football gear! The fans chant for Smiley! Norman is nailed a bit and Jimmy is knocked down and nearly pinned. Knobs runs down and hits Norman twice with a chair but Jimmy cannot get the three count. Knobs helps Norman to the floor and sets up a table. Norman takes out Jimmy and then fles from a pursuing Knobs but collides with Jimmy. Hart gets two. Knobs hammers Norman and places him on the table. Hart closes his helmet and leaps from the apron, misses and is pinned as Knobs celebrates with his back turned!
**1/2 This was classic. With intros nearly seven minutes too.
Knobs beats on Norman and then wheels out Jimmy in the cart!
Curt is facing off against Goldberg tonight. Curt knows he has a battle but is ready and willing.
Kimberly is irate and tries to talk to Terry Taylor about something.
Outsiders arrive. Nash is dressed as Sid. Wearing a Sid mask….
AC Jazz supposedly left the Nitro Girls so there is no fight. But another girl attacks Spice or someone….who cares.
Here come the Outsiders. Hall does his Hey Yo and he calls Sid an idiot and points at Nash as proof. Nash does an awesome impersonation. He is bragging about being the ruler of the world. He talks about his idiocy and he cannot complete….He tries to complete sentences and just screams that he is the ruler of the world. He then calls himself an idiot! Here comes Sid! He has had enough of them as they have screwed him and made him look like a jackass. Nash can wear any kind of mask but Nash is half the man he is and Sid has half the brain he does. Oh, fuck this is classic. He talks about the championship and how it ends for them tonight. He begs Nash to come out of retirement and be a man and not chickenshit. Nash begs off. Sid continues to berate him by calling him a shell of a man and everyone knows. Sid leaves and the Outsiders do not look pleased.
Tenay is with Booker and he is facing CC. Tenay asks about Midnight and Booker makes some lame midnight metaphors. Midnight will strike sooner than we think.
Kimberly arrives and CC opens a door and one of them checks her out….
Russo is giving Kimberly a tune up match tonight. She tries to leave but is told to sit down and she will face Asya tonight. There will be a guest ref to make sure her pretty little face does not get hurt. Russo tells CC to take care of Booker T.
Nash arrives and sits down in front of Russo…..
Match 2: Booker T v. Creative Control
Chavo tries to stop him and sell him some products. Booker ignores a distraught Chavo. Nash has been reinstated and will face Sid who is already facing Rick Steiner…..
Booker is getting pummeled by both CC members. Crowd is fired up! Love that. Booker is knocked to the floor but he whips one into the railing and rips into him but turns right into a clothesline. Fans chant for Booker T and he takes out both members. Sidekick and axe kick. A missile kick and the save is made. Now the doubleteam commences and they spike him. It is over…
** Not bad for angle advancement. Booker was beaten a bit too suddenly.
Lights go out and a bell tolls. Midnight is in the ring and she lays waste to CC and Booker lends a hand. Being Russo, she should have intervened before he lost but it does make CC look strong. CC flees.
Hart and Knobs are arguing about who looks stupid. Now Flynn and Barbarian are bickering and they challenge each other.
Goldberg has arrived.
CC is getting berated by Russo for getting beaten up by a woman. They whine that she came from nowhere. Russo reminds them that he saved their careers and reminds them about DOA in the WWF. They are treading on thin ice and they need to get on the stick and also grab Torrie and some luchadors.
Match 3: Ref v. Evan Karagias
He is fighting the ref he got in a fight with last week. Johnny Boone. They are brawling, just swinging away. Madusa is at the announce table and trying to sound sultry about Evan but really sounds bored. The fans are turning on this match as it is quite dull. Madusa gets in the ring and rubs herself all over Boone and Evan wins. She and Evan make out…awkwardly.
DUD. Terrible.
The Luchas are with Russo. He wonders where Juve is. Juve arrives and is all excited about his birthday and has a pinata. Russo knows that midcarders do not make a lot of money. So Juve’s pinata will be hung up and 10 grand placed in it. This has been pointed out as being racist. I disagree. Not PC in anyway but it shows Russo and the PTB as complete, insensitive douches….
Oh shit, speaking of controversial. Something I will admit I found hilarious back in 99. Hey I was 23 and watched Nitro shitfaced! Dr. Death with Oklahoma. I do not mind parody. But I love JR. Now I am not offended but it is a bit much. We will see how it plays out….Schiavone wonders if it could be (meaning JR, fucking Christ, everyone knows it is not).
Match 4: Juve v. El Dandy v. Psychosis v. Silver King
Pinata on a Pole Match. Lucha’s are flying around. Oklahoma comes down with Dr. Death and takes over from Schiavone. Thank God. Juve is double kicked in the head as OK is babbling about Death. Dandy is short-armed clothesline. Tony is playing along. OK is screaming, trying to act like JR. Being loud and repeating the same stuff. Juve grabs the pinata. They just pan on OK instead of Juve who is getting blasted. Focus on the damn match. Bodies are flying around. Juve powerbombs one Dandy and drops the elbow. OK only knows his name and repeats it over and over. Juve has the pinata and spills the candy. Dr. Death demolishes Juve and Silver King has the check but Death takes it and spikes King as OK screams. Fuck me. He is not funny. I need to get drunk.
*1/2 Loses a half star or star due to the inane commentary. Holy shit.
Goldberg respects Hennig but he is willing to take him out because it is his job. But he strange things are occurring with PTB.
Tenay wonders if Nash still has what it takes in his anything goes match with Sid. Nash reminds us that his retirement was real because it was not fun anymore until Hall came back. Do not wake a sleeping giant and he is going to kick Sid’s ass.
Match 5: Goldberg v. Curt Hennig
Hennig tries to shut the door on Goldberg’s face. He opens it and Goldberg just stares at him. He clobbers Curt but punches the wall and Curt gets in a few blows but is knocked down the hallway. Curt fires back and they slug it out as the brawl down the hallway towards the entrance. They are running each other into walls. Curt is tossed down and now the enter the arena area and the bell sounds. Curt is run into some objects but Curt fights back with some chops against the stage. They finally brawl to ringside. Curt is rolled in but he stomps on an incoming Goldberg, stomping him over and over and then kicks and punches him as Goldberg struggles to his feet. He chops a staggered Goldberg and grabs his leg and trips him up and works the knee. He works it over some more and pulls him up and hammers him. Goldberg has had it and takes him down with leg move and forces Curt to tap…..Goldberg spears him and jackhammers him after the match.
*** I liked this brawl a lot. But Hennig is not out. I guess giving up is not the same as being pinned. Still it made Curt look strong and Goldberg not weak.
Kim is on the phone and says I love you to whomever. The lights flicker and she freaks out. Duggan barges in and yells about fuses and promises to fix them.
CC asks the Animals about Torrie. They threaten them with their jobs and then point where she is at….
Chavo sells some stuff to Duggan who offers him a bit of his apple.
Match 6: Vampiro v. Berlyn
Berlyn stomps away. Tony brags that there are 12 matches at Mayhem and how they have never had that many. Shit, that means some short, shitty and overbooked matches. In reality they could be 20 minutes each but none will be that long…..
Okay the Misfits swarm the Wall and are all taken down. I guess this is a tag match. He chokeslams one. They have finally named him the Wall. All the Misfits are chokeslammed. Vampiro is mauled. Wall has him in a suplex and Berlyn missilekicks him down. Berlyn shoves the Wall away and wants to pin Vampiro. He turns and is hit with an enzuguri and he is pounded. Berlyn is placed up top but he powerbombs Vampiro and now the Wall pulls him off and Berlyn shoves him and yells at him. Vamp rolls him up but Berlyn kicks out and Vampiro flies into the Wall who chokeslams him and gets the win. Berlyn is pissed and has a chain but he takes it out on Vampiro….They have a chain match at the PPV.
Torrie is being led to Russo.
Goldberg is huffing and puffing.
Russo tells Torrie that she is the ref in the Kimberly v. Asya match. It is also all about ratings and tosses her a bikini top.
Match 7: Rick Steiner v. Sid Vicious
They waste no time and start brawling. They spill to the floor and wail away. Rick tosses him over the railing and into the crowd where they brawl there. Sid warns off a fan! And then takes it out on Rick. Sid beats him back up to the stage area and chokes him out. He is screaming at Rick who fires back and runs Sid into the stage and pulls him up on top of it where he decks him over and over. Sid nuts him and has him in the powerbomb position and does so right through the stage!
Commercial.
Rick is being helped out by paramedics.
** Fun brawl but at the same time it should have gone on for a couple more minutes. Rick should have been punished more before getting powerbombed. Still it makes Sid look strong….What about the TV belt?
He is being carted off on the gurney. He is being put into the ambulance.
Tenay asks Sid about the match. Sid responds that the millennium is upon us and he has 2000 ways to put Nash back into retirement. The night has just begun.
Nash is getting taped up….wow!
Flynn is in the bowels of the arena and the Barbarian has arrived.
Match 8: Jerry Flynn v. Barbarian
Flynn kicks away but misses and Barbarian takes advantage and pummels him. He picks him up and runs him into a cart but is taken down by his arm. Barbarian jabs him and is back up and throws him into the sliding door. Barbarian hammers him and Flynn latches onto him but is catapulted into the door again. Flynn is game and kicks him and applies a sleeper. Flynn releases the hold and knees and kicks Barbarian over and over and he finally topples face first. Flynn walks away….
** Actually pretty good.
Asya is walking in the back.
Tenay is talking to Benoit who faces Hall tonight and if he wins then he is in the Semis at the PPV. Benoit talks about Stu Hart and how he will be victorious.
Match 9: Asya v. Kimberly
Savage is still doing meet and greets. Damn, do something with him….Torrie is looking good and she and Asya go at it. Torrie falls to the floor. FA come out and put a jacket on her and take her away. Kimberly looking hot jumps on an unaware Asya and applies a sleeper. Asya snaps her off but now Kim chokes her out. David comes out and Kimberly flees. Asya kicks him and then sideslams him. She drops the elbow onto the nuts. She uses her foot to choke him out. She has the crowbar but David kicks her off and suplexes her. Shane runs him off.
NR.
Sting is given flowers from Luger. He responds by saying Luger has a feminine side and he will still kick his teeth in.
Luger is worried and demands Liz do something.
Goldberg is still milling about and drinks some water.
Kimberly is running away. David stops and reminds everyone of their match at the PPV.
Match 10: Scott Hall v. Chris Benoit
Bret comes out too. The bell rings. Benoit glares at Nash and he and Hall circle each other. Hall tosses the toothpick at him so Benoit blows his snot at Hall! Hall has the arm and works it over driving his shoulder into him. Benoit shoves him off but is put in a hammerlock. Benoit rakes the face and they start all over again by warily circling each other. Hall wants a test of strength. Benoit is rightfully reluctant and right when he gets near he is poked in the eye. But he reverses the whip and trips him up and low dropkicks him in the head. Hall wisely retreats to the floor. Hall gets back in the ring and he works over Benoit but the favor is returned with a series of chops. Benoit clotheslines him and then slams him, but misses the elbow. He slides under Hall after the whip and snap suplexes him for two. Benoit chops him and whips him right into a clubbing blow from Nash who is on the apron. Somehow the ref missed it. Hall gets two. Bret backs Nash off who crotch chops towards Hart. Hall whips Benoit hard into the corner and sandwiches him there and then drops him with a hard right after pulling him. He places him on the bottom rope, his throat and stands on his head. Nash waltzes over and clocks Benoit. Hall gets two after a fall away slam and now applies a sleeper. Fans get behind Benoit as he fights to his feet and back suplexes free from the sleeper. Both are down. Benoit runs him over and gets two and then dropkicks him to the floor and slide kicks him into the railing. Nash assaults him. The ref stands there. Hart kicks Nash who is shoved into the post. Sid runs down and powerbombs Hall. Benoit hits the flying headbutt and Nash is on the apron but is decked. Hall staggers to his feet and grabs the knucks but he is taken down and put in the Crossface and he taps!
***1/2 Wow. Extra half star for a ten minute match and for Benoit winning. Not really cleanly but he had a lot of offense and he hit both finishers and made Hall tap.
Goldberg is sipping coffee and watching a monitor.
Buff is with Tenay and he will not roll over and play dead. He will take out JJ. Now Buff is getting really aggravating as he says that he is Buff and the Stuff….again.
Match 11: Kidman v. Bret Hart
Rey is at the announce table. Kidman works him over but is taken down. Bret rolls through the sunset flip and goes for the Sharpshooter. Bret catapults him over the top rope! Back in the ring Kidman counters and takes down Bret and gets a couple of two counts. Here comes the Outsiders. Torrie stops them and so they spit game. FA attack and the fight is on. Down they go. Kidman leaps on Bret and goes for a hurracarana but he is turned over into the Sharpshooter….It is over as Hall dives at him.
** This should have been a lot better. FA looked weak too. But they attack after the match but instead of showing it they go to commercial.
During the break Kidman was planted by a powerbomb. FA just got chumped. Jesus, give them some offense.
Lex is talking to someone about brownies.
JJ calls Tenay slappy and states that he came back to WCW because he has friends in high places and he wants the gold and no one can stop him.
Match 12: Buff Bagwell v. Jeff Jarrett
Buff meets him outside the ring and gets punched numerous times. JJ though is whipped into the railing and hammered. They get in the ring and JJ is dropkicked. CC come down as they battle. JJ is slammed and nailed with a swinging neckbreaker. He goes up for the Blockbuster. Buff jumps on a CC member and the ref ties his shoe. The guitar enters play and a CC member is laid out. Buff is finished by the Stroke.
** Okay. I guess. Angle advancement if anything.
Buff is assaulted and dismantled after the match. Dustin Rhodes comes out of the crowd and tears into CC and JJ and Buff lends a belated hand.
Nash is pacing in the locker room.
Goldberg is really thirsty as he gets a Surge. He headbutted the machine to get one.
Lex is putting Ex-Lax in the brownies. Um, what if Sting is watching….
Shane is talking about the House of Pain. Some sort of match that they will face off against the Revolution. Saturn talks about the musicians by the same name. He forces Dean to jump with him and is now ready to fight.
Duggan intercepts the brownies and promises to deliver them and then starts to grub them!
Match 13: Saturn and Malenko v. Eddie Guerrero and Konnan
Eddie gets in a couple of moves and is then doubleteamed and run into the cage…..You have to shackle the guy to the cage. Both legs and arms. Konnan was laid out from the get go. Konnan finally gets in and gets them away from Eddie and nails both with a rolling clothesline. But he eats the cage and now a spike piledriver. Konnan has been shackled and here comes Shane and he starts to beat up the FA. Here comes Rey and he is run over by Asya. The FA are getting mauled. They shackle Rey from the ceiling by his knee and take him apart…..
*1/2 Not sure what the point of this was. FA must not be getting much of a push anymore. Revolution needs to get some offense and victories but FA have just been demolished all night.
Match 14: Lex Luger v. Sting
Luger is giddy thinking Sting is done for. Sting comes out and now Luger is stunned. Sting does not mess around and goes off on Luger. He goes after the knee knocking him to the floor. Back in the ring and Sting is showing no mercy as he mounts and pounds him and then takes him down again. Luger rakes the eyes and now he goes to work. But Sting blocks his head going into the corner. Sting rams Luger’s there and it is Stinger Splash time and another one. Now for the Deathlock. Luger swipes the ref and Liz maces Sting and it is Rack time. The ref is still out. Here comes Meng and it is Deathgrip time! Liz tries to mace Meng to no avail and Sting is rolled on top of the win.
*1/2 Not great but it worked as angle advancement.
Great, we hear shitting sounds of Duggan taking a shit. Not washing hands either. Sweating too!
Sid is looking vicious as he walks in the back.
Now Nash is walking….
Match 14: Sid Vicious v. Kevin Nash
It is on like Donkey Kong. They are brawling in the aisle and now Nash takes charge as he slugs away and punches him over the railing. He goes after him and hammers him in the crowd and dumps him back over. Sid is ready and punches and kicks away. Down goes Nash as Sid keeps after him but Nash nuts him. Nash works him over and they are in the ring. He continues to punish Sid who refuses to stay down and Nash clotheslines him over the top rope. Sid comes back and pushes him into the announce table and double axes Nash from atop of it. Nash is not giving up and attacks with some elbows and rights but now Sid nuts him and the fans chant for him! Nash is rolled back into the ring and bodyslammed. Sid drops the legs and gets two. Sid straddles him with a clutch and then jumps on his back. now he spreads the legs and drops the legs on in between them. He rolls Nash over, slowly, and gets two. Nash is pushed into the corner and hammered. Nash sags and Sid whispers to him and whips Nash front first into the opposite corner where Nash collapses in a heap. Sid slowly pulls him up and yanks the arm and then works him in the corner some more. Now a big boot, a glancing blow. He goes for the powerbomb but Hall blindsides him and stomps away….no DQ match. Outsiders manhandle him. Nash jumps on his back as Sid is laid over the ropes. Goldberg comes down and spears both! The ref calls for the DQ….Why? I thought it was no DQ. Sid attacks Goldberg put is slammed. Sid gets right up and nuts Goldberg and grabs a chair. Bret Hart comes down and takes out Sid….They play Goldberg’s music!
*** Hey, it was not that bad. Minus the “huh” ending. Dude, it was no DQ. Follow the fuck up properly! Still it helped set up the PPV.
**** Why not. I will rank this high. There was a lot going on but they stayed more focused and there was less BS and filler. They did not add in anything really new and set up the PPV. The wrestling was the strongest since the first Russo night so I cannot complain about that. Don’t get me wrong, 14 matches is far too many but there were some good ones and some bad ones like the ref v. Evan and the House of Pain one. But the opener and Flynn match was good. Benoit was great. The main event was solid and even the Sid v. Steiner and Goldberg v. Curt. A lot happened but it was easy to follow. What I did not like was the Animals getting owned the entire show. They need to look strong. Midcarders can hurt Nash and Hall but I guess Benoit won….Overall I had a lot of fun and did not have to think or even tried to multi-task so that is a good thing! So much happened that I forgot about the OK angle, well I am trying to anyway, what a terrible start to that seeming debacle.