Souled Out 1999 hasn’t had the strongest build to start the year. Coming into the show, there has only been four matches announced for the event. The two marquee matches to take place are Goldberg squaring off against Scott Hall in a stun gun ladder match, and the team of Ric Flair & David Flair battling Curt Hennig & Barry Windham.
As I’ve said before, this isn’t a show that I would have much interest in purchasing. There isn’t a match on the show that gives me the thought of “I need to see this.” The booking for the show is rather a bit confusing. Ric Flair is in charge for 90-days and he puts Goldberg in a gimmick match that Scott Hall helped make famous. Doesn’t sound as if Flair is trying to help Goldberg, does it?
Ric Flair teaming with his inexperienced and awkward son David Flair comes across a little odd. David has never wrestled before and is now suddenly in the co-main event of a WCW pay per view. It’s not as if David has a great body or some amazing charisma to justify the usage. Hennig and Windham are largely midcard workers at this point, too.
Looking at the card there are several notable wrestlers not booked to compete. WCW World Champion Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, WCW Television Champion Scott Steiner, WCW United States Champion Bret Hart, Booker T, Raven, Roddy Piper, and Dean Malenko. I mention those names because it will make some of the undercard matches they decide to put on the pay-per-view even more questionable.
Lets get into Souled Out 1999.
January 17th — Charleston, WV —Charleston Civic Center —10.833 — PPV Buys: 330,000
SPECIAL REPORT — WCW PRESIDENT RIC FLAIR ADDRESS
CONTEXT: Ric Flair stands at a podium and says that WCW is in control once again. Flair thanks people for their loyalty against the NWO. Flair thinks they are the strongest company in the world. Flair knows that he doesn’t stand alone and they will continue to overcome NWO and anyone else who challenges them. Flair assures the audience they will reign supreme.
Bob’s Take: My mind instantly went to someone betraying WCW tonight. That seems to be the trend for WCW. Every time they try to say they are a strong unit, a major name betrays them. I’m not entirely sure who could be an option to betray WCW tonight, but the thought crossed my mind. (1 for 1)
GOLDBERG ATTACKED
CONTEXT: A cameraman rushes into a locker room to see that Goldberg is laying on the ground holding his knee. Goldberg has been ambushed in his locker room and now there is a question behind the main event status.
Bob’s Take: This is such a TV angle move done on PPV. If I had bought this show and within the first five minutes of the show I’m shown footage of the main attraction potentially not being able to compete, I’d be a bit frustrated. It’s likely done to make Goldberg even more of an underdog, but that’s incredibly difficult to accomplish since Goldberg is a dominant performer. (1 for 2)
MATCH #1: Chris Benoit vs. Mike Enos
BUILD TO MATCH: There was absolutely zero build on TV for this match to happen on PPV.
FINISH: Benoit forces Enos to submit to the Crippler Crossface to win the match.
Bob’s Take: The match would likely be seen in a better light if it were to have been on Thunder, but to have it open the first PPV of 1999 leaves a lot to be desired. I tend to enjoy Enos, but Enos hadn’t won a match in WCW since an episode of Worldwide in October 1998. Perhaps the goal here was to showcase Benoit, which is fine. The crowd loves Benoit and his intensity gets the crowd to react every single time Benoit competes. However, in the context of a PPV match and the opening of a PPV show this wasn’t entertaining. (1 for 3)
MATCH #2: Norman Smiley vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
BUILD TO MATCH: Entering Souled Out, they both have a victory over the other on TV in recent weeks. On the January 11th episode of Nitro, Smiley ruined a birthday celebration by attacking Chavo and stealing Chavo’s stick horse, Pepe. Smiley ended up putting Pepe into a wood chipper and committed stick horse murder. That’s the basis of this PPV match. Smiley brought an urn to the ring to signify the remains of Pepe.
FINISH: Smiley tossed the ‘ashes’ of Pepe into Chavo’s face and locked in the chicken wing to win the match by submission.
Bob’s Take: The match went longer than it needed to, but it was an entertaining bout. I’m not sure how Smiley using the ashes right in front of the referee wouldn’t lead to a disqualification, but whatever. The crowd seemed interested in the action, but they were silent a bit during Smiley’s offense when he focused mostly on submission wrestling. (2 for 4)
KONNAN INTERVIEW
CONTEXT: Konnan was interviewed by Mark Madden for WCW.com. Madden notes that Konnan had said that Wolfpac is for life. Konnan says he ran with Luger and Nash, but wants ti know who decided he was out of the group. Konnan promises to hunt them down and it’s on now.
Bob’s Take: Certainly not a strong promo or anything, and as of now I’m not buying into Konnan as a threat to the likes of Nash or Hogan. However, if he’s a unit with someone else I can buy into it more. (3 for 5)
MATCH #3: Fit Finlay vs. Van Hammer
BUILD TO MATCH: Similar to the opening match, there was zero build to justify having this match on PPV. Originally, it was suppose to be Finlay vs. Steve McMichael in a tombstone vs. tombstone match, but Mongo missed his flight. So, of all people, Van Hammer gets a PPV opportunity.
FINISH: Finlay spikes Hammer with the tombstone piledriver to win the match.
Bob’s Take: I’m not sure why this match even took place. If the original guy isn’t able to be there and there’s not an upgrade in opponent, don’t do the match. The crowd didn’t have much interest in the bout. If a PPV crowd is silent it comes across 25x worse. I could see how matches such as this ultimately hurts WCW perception on PPV. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure if WWF is putting on completely random matches involving directionless lower midcard wrestlers. (3 for 6)
MATCH #4: Wrath vs. Bam-Bam Bigelow
BUILD TO MATCH: On the January 4th Nitro, they wrestled to a no contest after Bigelow answered an open challenge by Wrath. On the January 11th Nitro, Wrath got involved in Bigelow’s match against Scott Hall, causing Bigelow to lose.
FINISH: Wrath misses a splash in the corner and hit the ring post leading to Bigelow hitting the Greetings From Asbury Park to win the match.
Bob’s Take: I want to enjoy this match, but it’s a mostly boring big man match. Wrath had potential to be a breakout performer using the Goldberg formula of plowing through people, but that got derailed before Starrcade ’98 when Wrath lost to Kevin Nash. Bigelow’s momentum would be on a noticeable upswing, but Bigelow lost to Scott Hall on the past Nitro. The end game has to be a Bigelow/Goldberg showdown, and it would mean much more if they had properly protected Bigelow leading into it. (3 for 7)
LEX LUGER PROMO
CONTEXT: Prior to the next match, Luger tells Konnan that they can do this the easy way or the hard way. Luger tells Konnan that he didn’t make the A team and that’s alright. Konnan responded with punches to start the match.
MATCH #5: Lex Luger vs. Konnan
BUILD TO MATCH: After the Wolfpac reformed on the January 4th Nitro, it was noticeable that Konnan was not part of the beatdown on Goldberg. On January 11th, Luger confronted Rey Mysterio Jr. about wearing an LWO shirt. Konnan ended up getting involved and was promptly attacked by the Wolfpac and kicked out of the group. Thus, we got Konnan vs. Luger tonight.
FINISH: Late in the match, Elizabeth came out to spray Konnan in the face with spray paint as Konnan had the Tequila Sunrise on Luger. Luger was able to put the Torture Rack on Konnan to win by submission.
Bob’s Take: This is the first match on the card to get a lot of crowd reaction and the crowds reaction the match enhanced the viewing experience for me, at least. The crowd erupted for Konnan and it appears that Konnan has potential to be a viable star if this is any indication for the future. It’s unfortunate that Konnan couldn’t win here, but Luger is likely going to be part of the rampage that is Goldberg. However, they at least protected Konnan by having Elizabeth get involved and cost Konnan the match. I enjoyed the match and the hot crowd for it. (4 for 8)
MATCH #6: Perry Saturn vs. Chris Jericho —Loser Wears A Dress Match
BUILD TO MATCH: Chris Jericho has managed to one-up Saturn in recent weeks with the help of crooked referee Scott Dickinson, who has history with Saturn dating back to training together at wrestling school. In order to get his hands on Jericho again, Saturn accepted a loser wears a dress match on the January 11th Nitro. By the way, Scott Dickinson is the referee for the match tonight.
FINISH: Saturn countered a suplex attempt with an inside cradle, but Dickinson put Jericho on top and then made a fast count to pin Saturn.
Bob’s Take: A decent match, but maybe a little underwhelming for me. It didn’t feel like it truly got going to their absolute best and it felt like another chapter of the angle rather than designed to be a great match. Saturn wearing a dress is an interesting move, and it was apparently his idea since he felt his direction wasn’t going too great. I’m kind of surprised that I can’t give this a positive grade. (4 for 9)
DAVID FLAIR INTERVIEW:
CONTEXT: David isn’t a wrestler, but he has respect for his father. David wants to leave here being David Flair, not just Ric’s son. If he gets injured, he gets injured. David wants to earn his fathers respect.
Bob’s Take: David seems incredibly lost and uncomfortable. What a horrible spot to be put in. (4 for 10)
MATCH #7: WCW Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Psychosis
BUILD TO MATCH: They had a tag match involving all four men on the January 4th Nitro, but that’s about it. The match had been announced during the show.
FINISH: Kidman pinned Juventud after the Shooting Star Press to retain the title
Bob’s Take: The finish of the match came across a bit odd. Kidman going to the top rope and Mysterio looking at Kidman and instead dove onto Psychosis on the floor and then tried to get back into the ring to break the cover up. It didn’t make Rey look all that intelligent to take Kidman out first to prevent Kidman from hitting his finishing move. Regardless, it was a good match that probably would have gotten a better crowd reaction earlier in the show. (5 for 11)
BOOKER T INTERVIEW
CONTEXT: Booker T is interviewed by WCW.com and he’s talking about the Jericho/Saturn match. Jericho enters the scene and cuts off Booker from talking about him. Booker tells Jericho the victory was tainted and challenges Jericho to a match. Jericho tells Booker to fight him tomorrow night on Nitro.
Bob’s Take: Kind of random for Booker to call out Jericho, but I’m hoping this is going to be a good TV match. I don’t think this is a pivot away from Jericho/Saturn. (6 for 12)
MATCH #8: Ric Flair & David Flair vs. Curt Hennig & Barry Windham
BUILD TO MATCH: Ric Flair has had a long history with both Hennig and Windham. Most recently, Windham turned on Flair upon returning to WCW in late ’98. Hennig got involved at Starrcade ’98 to allow Bischoff to beat Flair. Thus, Flair has a common hatred towards both men. On the January 4th Nitro, Ric was going to wrestle them in a handicap match, but David Flair stepped in and offered to tag with his father. Arn Anderson endorsed David as knowing what he’s doing in the ring and that’s how we’ve gotten to this point.
FINISH: Arn Andersin hit Hennig over the back with a tire iron after Hennig had attacked Arn on the floor. David lands on top of Hennig to win the match.
Bob’s Take: David didn’t do much of anything, but the crowd popped for the upset win. I understand the attempt here to add some value interest into the match with the family emotional connection, but I don’t think it was worth it. The match isn’t good, but it was never going to be good. Personally, Benoit should have teamed with Ric here and David could still be in the corner and be tied into the angle later on. (6 for 13)
NWO WOLFPAC HAS ARRIVED
CONTEXT: The ring is flooded with the NWO Wolfpac, though hogan is wearing a Black & White NWO shirt, so I’m not sure what that means. They shove David around to taunt him while Ric is handcuffed in the corner and stomped by Hogan. Hogan shoves David over a kneeling Bagwel, but David got up and charged at Hogan only to be clobbered. David is held on the mat and Hogan whips David with his weight belt several times. Hogan spray paints “EZE” over David’s back. Ric is an emotional wreck in the corner not being able to help his son. Scott Hall has not present for the beating since he’s in the main event.
Bob’s Take: This is a segment that should have been on television. It came across as a heated segment and if it was done to lead into the PPV match, I’d be much more interested in Flair’s revenge. Superbrawl has to be Hogan/Flair at this point considering how personal the feud has gotten now with the beating of Flair’s son. It was an entertaining segment to advance Hogan/Flair. (7 for 14)
MAIN EVENT: Goldberg vs. Scott Hall — Stun Gun Ladder Match
BUILD TO MATCH: Hall cost Goldberg the WCW World Championship at Starrcade by using the stun gun. Hall was also part of the beatdown on Goldberg on the January 4th Nitro. Goldberg is seeking revenge on Hall and gets his chance tonight.
FINISH: Late in the match, Disco Inferno came out and tipped the ladder over causing Goldberg to dangerously land on the ropes. Hall grabbed the stun gun, but wasn’t able to use it. Goldberg used the stun gun on Inferno. Goldberg tossed the stun gun into the air and speared Hall. Goldberg hit the Jackhammer and proceeded to zap Hall with the stun gun to win the match. After the match, Bam-Bam Bigelow attacked Goldberg. Hall uses the stun gun on both Bigelow and Goldberg to end the show.
Bob’s Take: Obviously this isn’t going to be the kind of ladder matches where the wrestlers are doing dives all over the place. Instead, it was a fight where the two wrestlers used the ladder to beat each other up. It’s an enjoyable ladder match in that regard. I prefer the dive/crazy spot kind of ladder matches. Goldberg gets a level of revenge, but Hall isn’t pinned. Bigelow’s involvement should confirm the idea of a Bigelow/Goldberg match is absolutely happening. (8 for 14)
If this was a Clash of the Champions kind of special, I’d probably have a better feeling about it. But, knowing that it’s a show that people had to pay money to see it changes the entertainment value. This is not a show that is worth the price tag. The undercard having several matches that weren’t promoted and just thrown onto the show is always going to be a bad thing.
The main takeaway from the show is the beating on David Flair and how Ric Flair is going to react tomorrow on Nitro. Hogan/Flair has to be the main event at Superbrawl coming out of this show. They haven’t had a singles match since 1996 on television or PPV, so there’s been a bit of time to revisit the legendary feud.
Recommendation to avoid Souled Out 1999.
Thanks for reading.