User Reviews

This event held in Baltimore MD, is a great example of everything wrong with WCW (World Championship Wrestling); horrible booking, majority of bad matches, and a severe lack of compelling story being told. It was painful to sit through & watch. If you don't believe me, let's start with the opening contest; P.N. News and Bobby Eaton facing off against the team of Steve Austin & Terrance Taylor in a scaffold 'capture the flag' match. Not only, did WCW officials shot themselves in the foot, by booking an extremely gimmicky stipulation with four wrestlers, not known for their daredevil highflying performances; but they also severe handicap those talents by having the plywood scaffold, only three feet wide. This cause the match to be, contested in a very slow, lumbering safe pace as none of the wrestlers were willing to take a risky big bump fall from the platform. Not only that; but the awkward ending with the hairspray was all screw up, as it look like somebody miss their cue. The next match, which had roidy, Diamond Stud/Scott Hall taking on the Z-Man was just below average. Having, manager, Diamond Dallas Page at ringside didn't really help, as this short contest, was very botchy. Nevertheless, the fight wasn't as big of a joke, as the next contest, which saw Oz AKA Kevin Nash facing Ron Simmons in a very slow botch fest. It was meh. However, the theatrical entrance for 1939's 'Wizard of Oz' character was somewhat entertaining, in a guilty pleasure, kind of a way. It was just silly & surreal, to the point that I really didn't care that the gimmick didn't look like the movie counterpart. The curtain castle backdrop & costume look awesome. Sadly, the bizarre stint as the Wizard of Oz didn't last long, after this, as Nash was moved into a gambler gimmick. It's somewhat disappointing, because Oz had potential of being, somewhat great. Oz could had been 'the Phenom' of that promotion. Anyways, this brings us to the next match on the card, which saw the Rock & Roll express members (Robert Gibson & Richard Morton) split up and fight each other. This bout was pretty decent. I like the in-ring storyline about Morton going after Gibson's injury leg. It made the match, very technical. Yet, it was far from boring. I just wish, Morton look more like the bad guy part. It's weird to see Morton look like a Jersey Rockstar, rather than a snobby, rich, Wall Street broker. Despite that, both men really gave Baltimore, a show. It's just sad, the crowd wasn't buying it. Dustin Rhodes and The Young Pistols (Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong) versus The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin & Badstreet/Brad Armstrong) in a six-man tag elimination match was up next and surprising; the tag, by far, one of the most entertaining contest of the night. Very impressive moves combos. Sadly, the next match, between Yellow Dog AKA Brian Pillman & Johnny B. Badd, couldn't follow it. That bout was really hard to watch for all the offensive gay slurs, being tossed around, & the fact that, they are going with the tiresome clichés 'Midnight Rider' mask storyline. It was not a good time. Much like the next contest, the Lumberjack match between Big Josh & Blackblood. The only time the crowd came alive is when the lumberjacks were brawling with each other. Yet, another stinker on this show, along with the next contest, between One Man Gang Vs El Gigante. Not even the dwarfs that surround El Gigante could save the match. It was ugly. At least, the next match, was not. I kinda like the Russian Chain match between Sting & Nikita Koloff. It was above average. This brings us to the biggest controversial of the night. As you see, the show was originally to be highlighted by a Steel Cage match between champion Ric Flair and challenger, Lex Luger for the WCW World Championship. However, two weeks before the show, then-WCW Executive Vice President Jim Herd & Flair cut business ties, over a contract dispute & career direction. This cause the main event to be change to Luger and ex-horseman brother, Barry Windham fighting each other for the vacant world championship. However, since WCW did not pay Flair, back for the security deposit for the belt, Flair retained possession of the title and later brought it to rival company, WWF (World Wrestling Federation). Because of this, WCW had to commission a new championship belt. Things got even worst, for them, when a new belt wouldn't be available, in time for the event, so the company was forced to improvise. A Florida title belt that was in the possession of Dusty Rhodes was used and cheaply edited to look like WCW. If that wasn't enough, the steel cage took forever to set up, causing a lot of mindless ramblings going on. As for the match, it self, the crowd was not into any of the wrestlers, here & the wrestlers barely use the cage for any advances. In short, it was huge disappointment. Sadly, the main event between Rick Steiner versus Arn Anderson & Paul E. Dangerously in a handicap steel cage was even worst, as it was nothing match. It was sad shell of its former self, which supposed to pit The Steiner Brothers and Missy Hyatt against Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Paul E. Dangerously, but since Windham was moved up to the title picture and Scott Steiner sustained an injury, the match was changed into a mixed tag team match pitting Rick Steiner and Hyatt against Anderson and Paul E. Yet, that contest was scrapped as well, due to Maryland State Athletic Commission not allowing intergender matches. Either way, this was not a good match to be the climax. Luger & Windham should had ended the show. Overall: If this was fireworks. It would had been a dud. It was not a beautiful showcase. Can't recommended watching at all.

Interesting PPV because of first appearance of some popular guys, included Steve Austin, Scott Hall or Eric Bischoff

1. Scyscrapers match: Bobby Eaton/ Vs. "Stunning" Steve Austin - Half-baked kind of match and yes, I like these participants. 4.5/10

2. Diamond Stud Vs. Z-Man - Razor aka Scot Hall inc. 5.5/10

3. Biggest Trololo in WCW The Oz(fu*ing booker in 1998/9 Kevin Nash, that is on of nails in WCW coffin)w. Wizard (another idiot Kevin Sullivan) Vs. Ron Simmons - A lot of rightful "Boring" chants came. That's when you have Nash in the Ring. Wow, Side Slam - Nash's only move except Power Bomb, even in 1991. At least Simmon wins and ends this ugly match. 3.5/10

4. Robert Gibson Vs. Richard Morton - F*CK! That was boring! Crowd booed like crazy. 4/10

GAB 1991 at this point suck enormously hard.

5. The Fabulous Freebirds/BadStreet Vs. Young Pistols/Dustin Rhodes 5/10

6. Yellow Dog Vs. Johnny B.Badd - Finally one decent match. 6/10

7. Lumberjack match: Big Josh Vs. Blackblood 5/10

8. OMG 1 (One Man Gang) Vs. OMG 2 (El Gigante)w. some dwarfs but without his Mullet - El was probably the worst wrestler in WCW at this time. The match corresponds that and crowd reaction either. God, that WAS Ugly! Adept at one of the worst matches I've ever seen. 2/10

9. Russian Chain Match: Nikita Koloff Vs. Sting - Constrained match. 5/10

10. WCW World Heavyweight Title Match : Barry Windham Vs. US Champ-Lex Luger - Hmm, clean cage match 6/10

11. Paul E./Arn Anderson vs. Missy Hyat/Rick Steiner 5/10

*/*****Junkyard Dog defeated Black Bart /***** P. N. News and Bobby Eaton defeated Steve Austin and Terrance Taylor (with Lady Blossom) Capture-The-Flag Scaffold match */***** The Diamond Studd (with Diamond Dallas Page) defeated Tom Zenk */*****Ron Simmons defeated Oz (with Merlin the Wizard) Singles match ***/***** Richard Morton (with Alexandra York) defeated Robert Gibson **/***** Dustin Rhodes and The Young Pistols (Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong) defeated The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin and Badstreet) (with Big Daddy Dink) Elimination match */***** The Yellow Dog defeated Johnny B. Badd (with Theodore Long) by disqualification /***** Big Josh defeated Black Blood Lumberjack match /***** El Gigante defeated One Man Gang (with Kevin Sullivan) **/***** Nikita Koloff defeated Sting Russian Chain match **/***** Lex Luger defeated Barry Windham Steel Cage match for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship 12:25 */***** Rick Steiner defeated Arn Anderson and Paul E. Dangerously

A truly abysmal PPV, awful action, some terrible performances and stipulations, and a main event that had no chance due to Flair's departure. The 'Capture the Flag match is awful but actually has competition for worst match of the night.

The only highlights - Morton and Gibson facing off, Sting and Koloff give it socks in a limited gimmick match with a cop-out finish. Murdoch and Slater nearly break Missy Hyatt's neck carrying her off but Steiner and Anderson are left to soak up the crowd's apathy in the last match.

The event is as ugly as the make-shift World title belt used to crown Luger.