WCW Worldwide 8/18/1996

World Championship Wrestling presents Worldwide
Date: 8/18/1996
From: Orlando, FL

Matches:
1.) Public Enemy defeated High Voltage
2.) Hugh Morrus defeated Unknown
3.) Disco Inferno defeated Unknown
4.) Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Billy Kidman
5.) WCW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat defeated Steiner Brothers to retain the titles

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Rock and Kaos kickoff the tag match with Rock taking Kaos over with an arm drag and keeps arm control on the mat. Grunge goes to the top rope and delivers an axe handle to Kaos arm. Grunge nails Kaos with a short arm clothesline for a two count. Kaos knee lifts Grunge and Rage enters, but Grunge hip tosses Rage. Grunge backdrops Rage, but it looked rather dangerous. Enemy double clothesline Rage to the mat and play to the crowd. Kaos causes a distraction and Rage plants Rock with a back suplex. Kaos knee drops Rock and follows up with stomps. Rage takes Rock over with a double under hook suplex for a near fall. Kaos dropkicks Rock leading to another two count. Kaos takes Rock over with a snap suplex for another two count. Kaos comes off the ropes with an elbow drop for a two count. Rage returns to the match and uppercuts Rock. Rage connects with a powerslam and goes to the top rope missing a swanton bomb. Rock makes the tag to Grunge. Kaos tries to get involved and Grunge decks Kaos to the mat. Grunge backdrops Rage and Kaos is knocked to the floor. Grunge slams Rage and Rock goes to the apron where Rock hits an assisted senton splash for the win. (*1/2. I guess Public Enemy is being presented as a face team, and it seems to be connecting with the fans with the arm-waving taunt working to get them a reception. The match isn’t all that spectacular, but Enemy did some good crowd work to make this fairly enjoyable.)

2.) The Leprechaun made a brief appearance before the start of Morrus’ match.

3.) Backstage, Mean Gene conducted an interview with The Giant and Jimmy Hart. Gene cracks a joke about Jimmy being a cheerleader for Tennessee, and Giant comically sounds dismayed by this news. Giant realizes that Jimmy has a megaphone and can’t believe that he’s representing him, considering his past. Giant compares Hogan to a chameleon, which cracks Gene up. Giant denies that he has warts on his body because he has a key to Playboy mansion and says that Hogan really stinks. This has to be one of the first times that Giant ever showed comedic tendencies.

4.) Guerrero takes Kidman down to the mat with a go-behind and they have a standoff. Kidman responds with a takedown of his own leading to another standoff. Kidman gains control with a top wrist lock, but Guerrero counters with a hammerlock. Kidman shoulder blocks Guerrero, but Guerrero takes Kidman over with an arm drag and keeps an arm lock on Kidman for a moment. Guerrero knee drops Kidman on the arm a few times. Kidman dropkicks Guerrero coming off the ropes for a two count. Guerrero knee lifts Kidman, but is dumped over the top to the floor. Kidman hits a slingshot leg drop from the apron for a two count. Kidman slams Guerrero for another near fall. Kidman hits a belly to belly suplex for a near fall. Kidman keeps Guerrero on the mat with an arm bar. Guerrero slams Kidman, but misses an elbow drop. Kidman gains control with an arm lock on the mat. Guerrero elbow drops Kidman on the knee and delivers a leg drop for a two count. Guerrero keeps Kidman on the mat with a sleeper. Guerrero switches to a head scissors on the mat, but Kidman gets to his feet. Kidman nearly wins with a victory roll. Guerrero almost wins with an inside cradle. Kidman gets a two count with a backslide. Guerrero counters a wheelbarrow with a rollup and pins Kidman for the win. (**1/2. Kidman came across like a serious opponent and it really goes back to his victory for Psychosis last week. I can’t get over how great a booking decision that was, and Kidman is taking full advantage of it with his in-ring work to make him look strong.)

5.) Backstage, Mean Gene interviews Lex Luger. Luger says that WCW represents wrestling and notes that the Steiner’s, Horsemen, Sting, Savage, and himself are what wrestling is all about. Luger credits the wrestlers for making WCW Nitro the number one show on cable. Luger notes that you don’t accomplish that success by being a hoodlum. Luger notes that the NWO is going to have to get in the ring and prove just how good they truly are.

6.) Scott and Ray kickoff the tag team main event. Ray backs Scott into a corner and delivers a few strikes to get the advantage. Ray stomps on Scott a few times. Ray slams Scott, but Scott comes back with an overhead belly to belly suplex followed by a clothesline for a two count. Scott snapmares Ray to the mat and tags in Rick to maintain the advantage. Ray eye rakes Rick and tags in Booker. Rick catches Booker with a powerslam and a clothesline. Booker bails to the floor to regroup. Scott tags into the match and controls Booker with a wrist lock and takes Booker down to the mat. Booker breaks free and does his breakdancing before nailing Scott with a leaping side kick. Scott plants Booker with a pump handle suplex and controls Booker with a sleeper on the mat. Ray yanks Scott down from the apron and enters the match to stomp Scott on the mat several times. Ray powerslams Scott coming off the ropes leading to a near fall. Ray side slams Scott and Booker hits a middle rope leg drop for a near fall.

Booker slams Scott to the mat and again comes off the middle rope missing a diving headbutt. Rick gets the hot tag and cleans house on the champs with right hands. Rick clotheslines both men and slams Ray. Rick goes to the top rope hitting a bulldog on Ray! Col. Parker gets in the ring and is tossed across by Rick. The referee calls for the bell. Rick backdrops Parker coming off the ropes. All four men brawl to the floor as Parker tries to recover from the backdrop. (*1/2. They got plenty of time, which I was not expecting to see. I thought this was a fine teaser match to lead to something more significant between these two teams in the future.)

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the show this week as the show had some quality feature matches and it flew by. Worldwide has been pretty consistent in recent offerings that I’ve covered.

Thanks for reading.