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WCW Worldwide by E.C. Ostermeyer |
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This is the WCW Worldwide report for Saturday, 3 February 2001, and I'm your recapper, E.C. Ostermeyer. Due to difficulties with my VCR, I missed the first five minutes if this week's show. This week's show gets cranked up, right off the bat, with Nitro footage of Kevin Nash jackknife-powerbombing Buff Bagwell into a moist spot and a memory. Diamond Dallas Page has already "Diamond Cutter-ed" special guest referee Lex Luger into Dreamland. Back to the WCW Worldwide studio, where your hosts Scott Hudson and Mike Tenay discuss the current events surrounding the WCW World Heavyweight Title. Tenay says that the balance between team Flair on the one side, and Team Cat on the other is a precarious one. Additionally, DDP will face Jeff Jarrett at Superbrawl. Commercials. Segment 2's topic is the burgeoning success WCW's new emphasis on their cruiserweight division has wrought. The Cruiserweight #1 Contender's tourney is discussed. "They stole the show on 'Tobacco Road', " says Hudson. Footage from the Winston-Salem Nitro of two weeks back, and we've got Shane Helms and Elix Skipper just working their asses off. Skipper's got a couple of new power and strength moves that he demonstrates here for the first time, thought the crowd is less than enthusiastic. Still, the W-S fans were better than the Baltimore fans hollering "You f*cked up!" and "Bo-ring!" Sheesh! Dynamite moves and a PPV effort by all concerned. Thank you, gentlemen, one and all. Back in the studio, Tenay points out the careers that were furthered, specifically Shane Helms' domination early in the match, and Jamie Knoble's important win over Billy Kidman. We get a squabble between Hudson and Tenay over just when Tenay's "Professor's Pick" segment will be shown. Hudson says that, if they edit out Teany's blather, they just might have enough time to squeeze it in. Commercials. Time for "Ask WCW." Hudson gives the new email address for the segment, askwcw@wcw.com. This week's question is from Bob in Zephyrills, FL, who asks lash Leroux, "Who is your favorite opponent, and what was your favorite match?" Over to the Ragin' Cajun, who says his favoirite opponent is Chavo Guerrero, Jr. because of his move repertoire and the excitement level he generates. "We go roun' and roun' in the ring," says Lash, "matching each other hold for hold; it's very exciting." Lash's favorite match was not one he wrestled in, but rather one at a House Show in Amarillo, TX. Terry Funk was wrestling Lance Storm for the WCW US Heavyweight Title. "Funk won the Title," said Lash we in the MIA ran out and hoisted Terry Funk to our shoulders in celebration, and you would not believe the electricity in that arena! Unbelievable, and the best experience I ever had!" Tenay's got a quesiton for Lash Leroux, specificallym, how's he going ot make it without all the MIA backup, now that the MIA's are no longer together? Hudson likes the question and is about to turn it over to Lash, when Tenay realizes that any more time used here cuts into his "Professor's Pick" segment later on, and wisely withdraws the question. "The Pick of the Week is coming up," says Hudson, (giving Tenay 'The Look',) "maybe..." "Whaddaya mean , maybe?" says Tenay. Commercials. Time for the Professor's Pick of the Week. We've got a real barn-burner of a match from the 1997 "Road Wild-PPV", featuring the New World Order's Konnan against a luchadore par excellance, Rey Mysterio, Jr. Tenay's magical clicker is currently being used by Hudson. He's trying to find the "Mean Gene Okerlund Hair Growth" infomercial on the wall o' monitors behind him. He gets a Gold Bond commercial, a brief glimpse of "In Like Flynt" over on American Movie Classics, and "Support Your Local Sheriff" on TBS, before tenay grabs the R/C away from him. Match #1: Professor's Pick of the Week: Konnan d. Rey Mysterio, Jr., ("Tequila Sunrise"/submission, we saw about 8:00 or so), 1997 "Road Wild"-PPV, Sturgis, South Dakota. A classic match from the hey-day of the WCW/NWO rivalry. The ring's been set up outdoors, under cloud-flecked blue skies, and the fans at ringside seem to stretch all the way to the horizon. Calling the play-by-play are Mike Tenay, Bobby 'the Brain' Heenan, the 'American Dream', Dusty Rhodes. Oh, yeah, uh, and Tony Schiavone too. Konnan's already in the ring, and tries a "pearl harbor" on Rey as he climbs through the ropes. The match gets underway with Rey recovering, and blocking Konnan's clothesline. Konnan tries for a cross-ring whip, but Rey somersaults over the top rope, and lands on his feet on the ring apron. Rey vaults back into the ring, and nails Konnan with a top-rope springboard dropkick. Hurancanrana from Rey sends Konnan flying. A leaping attack by Rey gets catapulted by Konnan, and Rey winds up landing head-first on the top turnbuckle. As Rey basks in fan adulation, Konnan wallops him from behind with a snap lariat. Cross-ring whip by Konnan gets followed up with a snap clothesline. Konnan goes for the heel heat from the crowd. "Too much size, too much power here with Konnan for Rey Mysterio to handle," says Dusty Rhodes. Rey butts Konnan in the stomach, then leaps over the top rope for another hurancanrana. Spear by Konnan comes up short but still manages to do some damage as he winds up clipping Rey behind the left knee. Segue to later in the match, with Konnan a-straddle Rey's back, and untying his mask. Rey tries to stop it, but Konnan hits a vicious-looking jackknife powerbomb on him, and goes right back to the mask. Fans at ringside are revving the heck out of their Harleys as Konnan gets the mask untied and ALMOST off Rey's face. "That would be an instant disqualification down in Mexico," says Tenay. In desperation, Rey punches Konnan right in the in-seam, and Konnan grabs something a whole lot more important than Rey's mask. Rey hits a standing dropkick that wallops Konnan. "C'mon lil' Rey," hollers Dusty Rhodes," 'At boy's got more lives than a cat!" Guillotine legdrop by Rey. "I haven't seen a guy with this much fight in a long time," says Bobby Heenan. Rey goes up top again, and tries for double springboard off the top ropes, but misses his landing and jams his bum knee into the mat. Konnan slowly gets to his feet, clips Rey behind the left knee one more time, and starts back to working on Rey's mask. Konnan straddles Rey's shoulders, figure four's Rey's right shin over his left knee, and yanks up hard on Rey's left ankle, putting some real pressure on that injured left knee. Rey's hollering like crazy. Konnan's finally forced to break the submission hold, and Rey rolls out of the ring to regroup, then climbs back into the ring. Konnan charges in, only to get snap-mared by Rey (which Tony calls an arm-drag takedown. Sheesh!). Konnan shakes off the "dizzies" and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Rey, the power of which dazes both men. Konnan recovers first, though Rey tries for a kick to the gut. Konnan catches the kick, then hits a couple of forearm smashes across the bad knee again. Rey drops backwards and rolls Konnan up into a Victory Roll that gets to two and a half before Konnan powers out of it. Rey submarines a double dropkick straight at Konnan's left knee, and K-Dawg goes down hard, clutching his left leg. As Konnan limps back to his feet, Rey gets off another kick to the knee, and down goes Konnan again. Rey goes up top, (well, hops up one rope at a time using his good leg, and tries for a Missile Dropkick, but Konnan catches him in mid-air, and nails Rey to the mat with a cradle DDT. Tequila Sunrise submission finisher by Konnan, and Rey taps out. Konnan doesn't break the hold, despite referee Mickey Jay's attempts to free Rey. The Harleys are revving up real loud as Konnan finally turns loose, then raises his fists in victory. Back to the studio, where Tenay catches us up to date on the careers of Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Konnan, who are working together with the rest of the Filthy Animals. Commercials. "Pulp Fiction" time. This week's subject is the curvaceous Nitro Girl, Naughty-A. We get the photo-shoot complete with heavy metal background music. Are her eyes slightly crossed? Kinky! Hudson's dome's got some "dew" on it, so you know he liked the segment. Tenay's busy uhh, "reading" the latest edition of "WCW Magazine." Okay, he's looking at the pics of Naughty-A in the center spread. Hudson notices this and snatches the issue away from him. "Give me that! You're getting it all smudged." Tenay's got an update on Sid Vicious, who's resting comfortably in his home in Marion, Arkansas. Sid looks to be sidelined for about six to eight months. You can send your "get well" wishes to Mr. Vicious at getwellsid@turner.com. Hudson sparks the guest appearances of Booker T, Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell on this past week's "Charmed", along with A&E's "Behind Closed Doors w/ Joan Lunden" where Joan visits the WCW Power Plant. Hudson and Tenay then run the fight card for "Superbrawl/Revenge" PPV. Commercials. Match #2: Alex Wright d. Danny Faquir, (Missile Dropkick/pin, 7:22) Tenay, in voice-over announcer-speak says that Faquir was a wrestling champion from Arizona State, joined WCW in 2000, and has been touring of late with the New Japan promotion. As Alex Wright comes to the ring, Hudson asks where Disqo is. "Why would you even ASK that question, Scott?" says an incredulous Mike Tenay. "it has been so peaceful around here for the past month or so, and YOU want to dig him up and bring him back?" (Yeah, my sentiments exactly, Mike.) "Isn't he nursing some sort of injury?" asks Hudson. "WHO CARES?!" retorts Tenay. "He was a heckuva commentator..." says Hudson. "You want him to take over YOUR job?" sneers Tenay. Wright and Faquir go through a collar and elbow sequence, followed by a series of holds and punches. Full Nelson from Wright gets reversed by Faquir, but Wright escapes and re-reverses the hold on Faquir, who re-re-reverses it once more. Wright stumbles forward and drops to his knees, spinning Faquir headfirst into the turnbuckle. Cross-ring whip by Wright who follows up with a spinning heel kick to Faquir's nose. Wright eschews the pinfall, preferring to bask in the heel heat, what little there is of it, anyway. Wright takes a swipe at Faquir with a closed fist, but Faquir ducks and snap-mares Wright to the center of the ring. Arm-drag by Faquir is followed up with a standing double dropkick that hit Wright squarely in the chest, knocking him to the mat. Scoopslam by Faquir, and Wright rolls out of the ring to re-group. Faquir tries a baseball slide dropkick under the bottom ropes, but Wright steps to one side, then nails Faquir with a stiff forearm shot across the face. Wright picks up Faquir and rams him spine-first into the ring apron's edge. Two more forearm smashes and another back-first ramming into the ring apron again, and Wright rolls Faquir back into the ring. Wright tries to go up top, but Faquir bounces off of the ropes, and Wright crotches himself on the top turnbuckle. Attempted superplex by Faquir gets blocked, and Wright punches him away. Wright goes up top, and lands a flying stomp across Faquir's chest. Snap-mare by Wright, followed by a boot-sole "eyebrow comb-out" on Faquir Three snap elbow-drops from Wright, and a nonchalant pin attempt that only gets a 2 count before Faquir kicks out. Wright's arguing the speed of the pin count with referee "Slick" Johnson, then returns to the business at hand. Heel stomp by Wright on the fingers of Faquir's right hand. Cross-ring whip by Wright, but Faquir ducks two successive clothesline attempts by Wright, then hits home with a flying cross-body block and a cover, 1,2, no! Wright gets to his feet, and gets a flying double drop-kick right in the chest, sending him to the canvas again. Cross-ring whip by Faquir, but another flying double drop-kick gets nothing but air, as Wright holds onto the rope for dear life. As Faquir gets to his hands and knees, Wright hammers home an elbow to Faquir's back. Snap-mare by Wright into a rear chinlock, so that everybody can catch their breath. Faquir tries to escape the hold, but Wright rolls him to the mat and uses his feet on the ropes to secure the hold. Faquir finally breaks the hold and tries for a springboard forearm smash, only to have Wright wallop him with a big knee-lift right in the breadbasket. Faquir goes down with the wind knocked out of him, Wright sets and executes a DDT. Cover on Faquir by Wright, but only a near-fall once more. Faquir tries to get to his feet once more, only to get a running clothesline that flattens him yet again. Wright is working this match like an arthritic horse, and is just killing any of the crowd heat that Faquir's working his ass off to produce! Sheesh! Cross-ring whip by Wright, who sets for the back body drop. Faquir spots it, does the float-over, and tries to lock on a Sunset flip combination. Wright struggles, but gets rolled into the flip for a 2 count only. Boot to the gut by Wright followed by a gut-wrench suplex and a cover, but still no pinfall. Powerslam by Wright, who then goes up top for another Big Boot drop, only to get a Faquir boot in his throat. After Wright staggers around for a bit holding his throat, we get a Pier Sixer as both men trade punches, and forearm smashes. Faquir with a cross-ring, gets reversed, but Wright telegraphs the back body drop, and Faquir boots him one in the gut. Back body drop by Faquir. Two cross-corner whip by Faquir, a boot to Wright's gut, and a butterfly suplex. Cover by Faquir 1,2, and a half... NO! Tenay thought Faquir scored a pinfall, and so did I. Chop by Faquir and another cross-ring whip, but Wright hits a spinebuster on the rebound, then nails Faquir with a Missile Dropkick and gets the pinfall. Sloppy effort on Wright's part, and a sloppy win to go with it. Back in the studio, Tenay and Hudson discuss how the new factions in WCW will affect wrestlers like Alex Wright. Hudson reminds us that, although Ric Flair named Alex Wright, the #1 World Heavyweight Contender just two weeks ago, it only took Kevin Nash about five seconds to jackknufe powerbomb Wright through the stage at the Winston-Salem NC Nitro, and reclaim his #1 Contender status. Hudson and Tenay shill for the Superbrawl/Revenge PPV, with Hudson promising a completed card run-through for next week. Closing credits. See you next week. E.C. 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