I thought I might as well get another World War 3 in as November 2018 croaks its last breath, so here it is. I also think it’s important to expose just show bad this show is, because it never seems to get the “credit” it deserves in that regard. (I love how the poster, the thing designed to sell the show to you, shows two guys in a chin lock by the way. That was the most exciting picture they could dig up was it?)
The event is emanating from Auburn Hills, Michigan on the 22nd of November 1998
Calling the action are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay
The announcers start us out by telling the audience that Hollywood Hogan WON’T be in the big 3 ring Battle Royal which does a great job of killing the matches prestige right out of the gate. Well done WCW, stellar work as always.
Opening Match
Glacier Vs Wrath
You could tell Glacier was well on his way down here, as he goes into a match with his once fierce rival with literally no chance of winning. As far as openers to major pay per views go, this is as strange a one you could pick. Glacier hasn’t even bothered bleaching his hair for this, as the gimmick just has apathy written all over it. Wrath shoves Glacier outside to a big pop, and then does nothing to follow it up. Glacier comes in with some kicks, which are no sold by Wrath, and then gets sent outside again, where he takes a swift journey into the guardrail. They fight outside, with Wrath no selling most of Glaciers stuff, before sending him over the rail into the crowd. Back inside, Glacier does the Marty Jannetty flip sell on a clothesline, as this match continues to be a one sided shellacking.
Wrath does some mud hole stomping in the corner and adds some choking as the fans cheer him on. As this is a WCW pay per view, Tony goes on about Hogan during the actual match but Bobby keeps him back on track by going on about how impressive Wrath is. Glacier tries another feeble comeback, and he gets clotheslined again for two. I’m pretty sure Wrath is supposed to be the face here, which makes the match structure even more unusual. Wrath sends Glacier outside and chokes him with a cable as the massacre continues. I don’t get it, is he trying to play heel here or is Glacier supposed to be the heel? If so, that’s a silly idea as the fans are eating up Wrath’s stuff and Glacier has done barely anything heroic. Wrath goes to a chin lock, which serves no purpose as the fans don’t care about Glacier and thus won’t want him to get out of it. Glacier gets some kicks and stuns Wrath long enough to go for his “Ice Pick” finishing move, but Wrath turns that into The Meltdown to finally put this match out of it’s misery.
WINNER: WRATH
RATING: 1/2*
I liked Wrath, and he did have some good squashes on Nitro, but this was overly long and utterly confusing. If they wanted Wrath to squash a heel for a pop, then they should have kept it snappy and not dragged it out like this, or at least put him in there with a heel with some semblance of heat.
Bret Hart does a heel promo where he talks about how he hates Booker T, Lex Luger, Chris Benoit and Diamond Dallas Page.
Match Two
Stevie Ray w/ Vincent Vs Konnan
Oh dear lord no. You can hear an audible groan for the entrance of Stevie Ray. Konnan gets the usual decent reaction to his pre match spiel at least. Stevie was calling himself “The Enforcer” of the nWo during this period, which was to work some sort of angle with Arn Anderson I believe. Stevie gets some punches and kicks in and then suddenly pulls off a huge……….punch. Konnan fights back with his usual stuff and goes to a sit out abdominal stretch. Stevie misses Konnan by a yard with a side kick and then gets a clothesline for two. Stevie throws Konnan outside, where Vincent gets some cheap shots in before putting him back inside. Stevie gets an elbow drop inside and then goes to the chin lock. You know, I think Stevie Ray could bore someone on an chemically induced high with his dazzling array of rest holds. Konnan gets a back slide for two as the match continues to bore. Stevie does some more resting but Konnan fights back. Konnan keeps punching Stevie, and the ref decides to disqualify him for KICKING TOO MUCH ASS!!! Oh my, what an AWFUL ending to an already atrocious match.
WINNER: STEVIE RAY BY DISQUALIFICATION
RATING: DUD
Not a single redeeming feature in that match. Booker T comes out to rescue Stevie from a further beat down, but Stevie wants nothing to do with him
Match Three
Ernest “The Cat” Miller and Sonny Onoo Vs Perry Saturn and Kaz Hayashi
This was before Miller started using the James Brown rip off and he was seriously lacking polish, heat or personality here. When he finally got the James Brown gimmick he became an entertaining promo at least, even if his wrestling was still mince. This came about due to Onoo dumping Kaz as a client after he lost a squash match to Miller and taking on “The Cat” as his charge instead. So basically it was the Ultimo Dragon feud from last year again, except with Cat and Kaz playing the roles of Nagata and Dragon. Miller gives Kaz five minutes to leave, so Kaz tags out and brings Saturn in and he sends Miller outside. Cat does some stalling and Kaz comes in with some kicks, but he gets body slammed.
Cat gets some kicks and chokes away on Kaz to weaken him for Onoo. When Onoo finally does come in, Kaz no sells his stuff and nails him, before bringing Saturn back in. Saturn gets some suplexes in on Miller, but Cat manages to cheap shot him and starts to work him over for Onoo as well. Onoo isn’t down with that, but Cat forces him in to fight Saturn anyway, and that works about as well as you’d imagine. Kaz and Saturn deliver a double dropkick to Cat, but another cheap shot puts Kaz in the heel corner for some double teaming. Kaz keeps getting worked over but eventually makes a tag to Saturn, who comes in with some more suplexes. Saturn gets ready to suplex Onoo, but Miller cheap shots him and Onoo falls on top for the win.
WINNERS: CAT AND ONOO
RATING: 1/4*
That was terrible beyond accurate description. You could just see all of the vigour drain away from Saturn in this feud after he’d done so well to get over in his rivalry with Raven and Kanyon.
Match Four
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Champion: Juventud Guerrera Vs Kidman
This match has potential to be good at least. Juventud reveals that he has joined Eddie Guerrero’s Latino World Order group prior to the match starting. The lWo was Eddie’s answer to the far more popular nWo, where he enlisted the help of the other Mexican wrestlers to get back at Eric Bischoff for throwing coffee on him when he once asked for his release. Yes, that was actually the story they were going with. Guerrero comes out before the match and says that Juventud is now lWo, which brings out fellow lWo member Rey Mysterio Jr, who complains that he’s not getting a title shot at Juvy. Things finally calm down and both men start the match by working a headlock. Kidman fires off some forearms, but Juvy replies with a Rocker Dropper and hot-dogs for the crowd.
Juvy gets a flying head scissors, but then walks into a sitout powerbomb from Kidman. Kidman gets a powerslam and a springboard leg drop for two. This match is moving in slow motion to what you’d usually expect from these two, as they seem to be struggling to get some momentum going. Juvy gets a roll up for two and goes to a chin lock. Kidman fights back with his rebound clothesline in the corner, but an attempted superplex is blocked. Juvy drops Kidman throat first on the top rope and goes for a missile dropkick, but Kidman catches him with a dropkick on the way down. Kidman stomps away and throws Juvy outside before following with a vaulting body press. In a nice spot, Juvy gets a rana off the apron to send Kidman to the outside.
Back inside. Juvy gets two from a brain buster and goes to a chin lock again. Following that exciting hold, Juvy gets a springboard missile dropkick to send Kidman outside and follows up with a springboard cross body. Back inside, Juvy delivers a Guillotine leg drop for a two count. Juvy tries to do Rey Mysterio’s double ring springboard spot from Fall Brawl 96, but he botches it badly and ends up connecting somewhere between Kidman’s left leg and bollock in a nasty looking collision. Despite this set back, Kidman manages to mount a comeback, but misses a charge in the corner. Juvy heads up top but Kidman crotches him and rana’s him from one ring to another in an impressive spot.
Kidman then follows up with a high cross body into the second ring for a two count. I always thought you had to win the match in the original ring you started in, so either I’m wrong or the guys have just forgot that stipulation and the ref is just ignoring it, because WCW. Juvy gets a top rope rana and, after a series of counters, nails Kidman with the Juvy Driver for a double down. Juvy heads up top now, but misses the 450 splash. Juvy goes for a powerbomb now but Kidman reverses it into a facebuster because…
Thanks, Cenk.
Anyway, Kidman drills Juvi with a nice see saw suplex and heads up top for the Shooting Star Press, but Juvy stops him. Juvy goes for another rana up there, but Rey Mysterio Jr holds on to Kidman to block the move to send Juvy crashing to the mat. Kidman uses the moment to hit Juvy with a Shooting Star Press to reclaim the title.
WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION: KIDMAN
RATING: ***
That ended up being pretty fun in the end, but it was a struggle to get there. The lWo are not happy at Rey costing his fellow stablemate the match and chase him to the back. This all ended up leading to Kidman, Rey and Juvy having a MOTYC triple threat match at Starrcade, but this was way below the usual standard you’d expect from Juvy and Kidman.
Match Five
Scott Steiner w/ Buff Bagwell Vs Rick Steiner
Scott had turned on his brother Rick at SuperBrawl VIII, and this is supposed to be the final blow off. Scott has his own evil nWo ref with him here, as the WCW referees didn’t want to ref the match due to it being an “unsafe working condition”. Backstage we see that the Giant and Brian Adams are laying a major beat down on Rick. Giant brings Rick down to the ring and Buff and Scott start working him over. Rick mounts a comeback and punches everyone, but a low blow puts a stop to that. Eventually Goldberg just sprints down for the rescue, to a huge pop from the crowd, and the “match” is thrown out.
WINNER: NO CONTEST
RATING: DUD
That was an absolute farce of epic proportions.
Match Six
Scott Hall w/ pretty much the whole of nWo Hollywood Vs Kevin Nash
Just as the previous match was supposed to end the Steiner Brother issue, this one was supposed to end the feud between The Outsiders after Hall had betrayed Nash at Slamboree 98. Hall supposedly hit Eric Bischoff on the Nitro before this show, so that leads to Bischoff walking down to the ring and setting the nWo guys on him. It looks like Hall will be turned into creamed corn, well drunken and unreliable creamed corn anyway, but Kevin Nash makes the save and the crowd start an “Outsiders” chant. Hall offers a hand of friendship to his former best buddy, but Nash ignores it and walks to the back
WINNER: NO MATCH
RATING: DUD
What an insult to the paying customer this was, as WCW wouldn’t even deliver a single one of the two big grudge matches that they’d hyped up for this event!
Match Seven
WCW Television Championship
Champion: Chris Jericho w/ Ralphus Vs Bobby Duncum Jnr
Originally Jericho was slated to face Goldberg on this show, where after months of taunts Goldberg would finally crush the cocky Canadian to pop the crowd, but Goldberg whined like a little girl and got the match nixed due to not liking Jericho making fun of him. So Jericho instead gets stuck in a match with green as grass Duncum Jr who, despite having a good look and some decent athletic ability, was in no way ready for a match at this level. Both men do some counter wrestling to start and Duncum settles on a chin lock. Duncum shoves Jericho to the outside and then sends him into the railings whilst out there. Jericho hits Duncum with a drink in response and dives off the rail onto him. Back inside, Jericho gets a missile dropkick for two and then goes to a chin lock of his own. Duncum quickly shrugs him off though and gets a shoulder breaker for two.
Duncum goes for a cross arm breaker, but Jericho makes the ropes to break the hold. Jericho gets the Stun Gun and then dropkicks Duncum off the apron to the outside. Jericho sends Duncum into the steps and goes for the cocky cover back inside before transitioning to a front face lock. Jericho turns that into a sit out surfboard hold, as the fans start to get restless. Dumcum gets a lariat out of the corner for two and starts laying some chops in the corner, before following up with a flap jack for another two. Jericho goes for a sunset flip in response, but Duncum catches him with some form of choke bomb for two. Jericho responds with the Lion Sault for two, but gets arrogant and ends up getting caught whilst on top. Duncum gets a nice looking superplex for two. Duncum goes for a German Suplex, which Jericho tries to counter into the Lion Tamer, but Duncum kicks him away. Ralphus gets involved and Jericho uses the distraction to drill Duncum with the title belt, and that’s enough for the winning pin.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: CHRIS JERICHO
RATING: **
This wasn’t too bad in all honesty. Jericho did a decent job of holding the whole thing together, but it didn’t enthral the live crowd.
Match Eight
60 Man, Three Ring Battle Royal
Winner gets a match with Goldberg at Starrcade 98
Alex Wright, Bobby Blaze, Barry Darsow, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Jim Mitton, Chris Adams, Chris Benoit, Ciclope, La Parka, Saturn, Disciple, Disco Inferno, Eddy Guerrero, El Dandy, Giant, Hector Garza, Horace Hogan, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Wrath, The Cat, Scott Steiner, Scott Norton, Scott Hall, Riggs, Rey Mysterio Jr, Barry Horrowitz, Bobby Eaton, Stevie Ray, Kidman, Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, Dean Malenko, Mongo McMichael, Kaz Hayashi, Lex Luger, Konnan, Kanyon, Kevin Nash, Johnny Swinger, Renegade, Silver King, Super Calo, Magnum Tokyo, Van Hammer, Villano V, Vincent, Kendall Windham, Kaos, Lenny Lane, Lizmark Jr, Mike Enos, Lodi, Nor-MAN Smi-LAY, Prince Iaukea, Buddy Parker and Glacier
Here it is, the beginning of the end for Goldberg’s streak and WCW as a wrestling company. Not only can you be eliminated by being thrown out of the ring this year, but pin fall and submissions will also count, which is making it more like the Battle Royal mode on WCW/NWO Revenge with every entry. As usual, this will be really hard to call, so I’ll keep it brief until only one ring is left. Nash is in ring three and he pretty much eliminates that entire ring by himself. It comes down to him and Van Hammer and, after some token offence by Hammer, Nash eventually sends him to the showers. When we’re down to 20 everyone goes into one ring, which leaves us with survivors of Chavo, Giant, Kidman, Saturn, Miller, Wright, Nash, Hall, Disco, Eddie, Norton, Steiner, Stevie, Benoit, Luger, Malenko, Konnan, Booker, Mongo and Wrath.
All the cruisers go pretty quickly and everyone else just stands around doing very little. The Outsiders try to dump Giant but that doesn’t happen. Stevie Ray goes via Luger. Norton goes via Mongo. Mongo goes via Nash. This is Bam Bam Bigelow’s cue to jump the guardrail and try to infiltrate the match, as everyone prevents him from getting in the ring. Thus we get our second Goldberg appearance of the night, as he charges down to the ring to start fighting with Bigelow, which is finally something that gets the crowd excited. Honestly, if the crowd was so hot for Bigelow Vs Goldberg then why not just have Bigelow win this and go with that at Starrcade? I mean, we all know why, but still, even for WCW you thing that’d be pretty low hanging fruit? Wrath and Steiner now tumble out, as the field begins to thin.
Benoit renews his rivalry with Booker T and eliminates him, to leave us with just seven potential winners. Konnan charges at Hall but gets bundled out in response, because Konnan. It’s at this moment that everyone clocks on the elephant in the room, and teams up to end Giant’s night. Benoit’s run is finally ended next when he’s dumped out by Luger and Nash. This means that Dean Malenko is improbably one of the final four, but Hall soon sends him out before people can get too excited about it. Thus we’re left with Nash, Luger and Hall, none of which are especially thrilling opponents for Goldberg, but one of them is the booker and the other two are his mates, so we’re just going to have to accept it I’m afraid. Luger goes for the Torture Rack on Hall, but Nash uses the opportunity to send them both tumbling out and claims a spot in the Starrcade main event
WINNER: KEVIN NASH
LOSERS: THE REST OF HUMANITY
RATING: DUD
Tony Schiavone calls the match “Physically and emotionally draining”. Only for the fans who had to sit through it Tony.
Main Event
WCW United States Championship
Champion: Diamond Dallas Page Vs Bret Hart
DDP defeated Bret for the title on Nitro in a pretty good match, so hopes were reasonably high that they might manage to have another decent scuffle here. However, Bret is both in a sour mood and also not 100% healthy, so that’s sadly going to be unlikely. DDP jumps out onto Bret to start and they brawl around the ringside area. Back inside, slugfest is won by DDP and he pounds away. Bret drops DDP’s neck on the top rope and chokes away in the corner. Bret gets a DDT for two, but DDP counters a suplex attempt with an inside cradle for a two of his own. Bret applies a chin lock, and this match is starting to move in slow motion. DDP gets a swinging neck breaker before going for a Diamond Cutter, but Bret is able to dodge it by bailing outside. It’s hard to comprehend that a match between two such talented wrestlers could be this unimaginably boring, but they’ve found a way somehow. A Russian Leg Sweep gets two for Bret and he goes for a Tombstone, but DDP is able to counter it to one of his own, which nets him a two count from the ref.
DDP gets beat down by Bret for a moment, but he fights back and tries a messy looking Sharpshooter, but Bret makes the ropes to break it. Bret now targets the leg of DDP and uses the ring post Figure Four to do an even bigger number on it. A long portion of the match is now dedicated to Bret working over the leg, but whereas this would normally be an entertaining exhibition of technical prowess, it’s so passionless here that it serves only to kill time. The fight goes outside and DDP gets some retribution by going to his own ringpost Figure Four. DDP now grabs a chair, but the ref won’t let him use it and Bret knocks them together. Oh great a ref bump, that will spruce this one up! Bret locks DDP in the Sharpshooter and the nWo referee comes down to ring the bell. HaHa, that’s funny because Bret lost a year earlier to a dodgy referee call, but now he’s winning thanks to one. WCW are clever aren’t they? Those cheeky rapscallions! However, before Bret can enjoy his tainted victory, WCW ref Mickey Jay comes down to declare that the match is still ongoing and DDP hits a quick Diamond Cutter (OUTTA NOWHERE!!!) to end it for real.
WINNER AND STILL CHHAMPION: DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE
RATING: *1/2
A totally paint by the numbers match that would have been somewhat acceptable as a Thunder main event, but was not something you’d want to close out a major Pay Per View event.
Final Thoughts
People go around saying that Great American Bash 91 or King of the Ring 95 is the worst Pay Per View ever, and neither of those two events are barn burners, but this show should honestly be near the top of the list, if not right at the very top. Terrible wrestling, awful booking decisions and an insulting disregard for the paying customer make this one of the most offensive events of all time. The fact that WCW would brazenly not deliver two advertised matches in the way they did here was utterly sickening, and it’s no surprise that people were switching over to Raw in droves on Monday nights. Vince Russo rightly gets a lot of stick for how bad things got in 99 and 2000, but what’s ignored is that Bischoff and Nash had already hit the iceberg long before Vinny Roo jumped aboard the Titanic with awful shows like this. It truly amazes me that this show doesn’t get more of a mention when the worst shows of all time are discussed. Somehow it’s slipped under the radar, possibly because Goldberg getting jobbed at Starrcade kind of eclipsed it as the stupidest thing WCW did during the time period. However, don’t let this show get an easy ride anymore! Let’s remove the stone under which it hides and expose it to the world. Shout it loud from the rooftops, “WCW World War 3 1998 is absolutely bobbins!!”
I also write for the website Gaming Respawn, where I look at Retro Wrestling and Video Games. You can access my archives by clicking right HERE
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Logan Scisco has been watching more 1995 era WCW, and you can read what he thought of the 25th of March episode of WCW Saturday Night by clicking right HERE
Meanwhile, Brian Bayless has been watching Saturday Night’s Main Event from the 14th of November 1992, and you can read what he thought of the Bulldog Vs Michaels match from that show by clicking right HERE
