WCW Road Wild '98

1 Meng v. Barbarian- 5
2 Disco Inferno/ Alex Wright v. Public Enemy (Street Fight) - 3
3 Saturn v. Kanyon v. Raven ( NO DQ) – 6
4 Rey Mysterio jr. v. Psychosis- 6
5 Chavo Guerrero jr. v. Stevie Ray- 1
6 Brian Adams v. Steve McMichael- 2
7 Juventud Guerrera v. Chris Jericho- 6
8 Battle Royal: including Goldberg, Giant, Scott Hall, Curt Henning, Scott Norton, Kevin Nash, Lex Luger, Sting, Konnan- 3 9
Hulk Hogan/ Eric Bischoff v. DDP/ Jay Leno- 3

This show takes place at the famed Sturgis Bike Rally, a breeding ground for bad tattoo art and overweight women with feathered hair to flash. The show started off with an insanely stiff brawl between two pure bred Polynesians, unless Barbarian is really from some place like Greenville or Newark. This featured a cranium crunching piledriver and a have to be seen to be believed top rope super belly to belly off the top rope. Neither men put any realistic facial expressions on their face and seeing Hugh Morrus come in at the end looking like a piece of whale blubber with a mullet both put me off. This tag was a mindless brawl littered with various "hardcore" bendable metal looking weapons. PE's teamwork worked as well as Britney Spears first marriage and neither man sold much for the dancing buffoons. The only bright spot was a triple table stack that Rocco Rock fell through on top of Disco Inferno. Other than that, you can throw this away with yesterday's Domino's box and the Sopranos, because they are both finished. The Triple Threat match was exactly what I wanted to see: 3 dudes beating each other up, plain and simple. Kanyon and Saturn were both bumping like fiends and Raven executed a pointless yet wild dropkick on the ultra-cool street set. The finish consisted of interference by the aptly named Horace Boulder, but I enjoyed the reckless abandon these 3 midcarders for Life beat each other with.

Rey and Psychosis, upon further thinking had the best in ring story of the night: Psych was bullying Rey the whole time, with power moves and the like and didn't try any of his wild, haphazard moves he does so often. Only near the end when he got frustrated with Rey's durability did he get nutty and that was his downfall. Not a pure Lucha match, but better I think, because the story came off well and both men showed they could work a different style match well. Stevie Ray chased Chavo around the ring; that was the match pretty much. I joked that the TV title was a de-push, as if you would rather be spray painted by the New World Order, or be Bischoff's coffee boy rather than win the TV title. Stevie Ray's shoulder scar was as pronounced as ever. Have you ever mistaken someone for being mentally retarded just by their looks- yeah, I was thinking of Mongo McMichael too. As politically and emotionally incorrect as that statement may have been, I think I would rather watch a group of "special needs" children slap each other than sit through another Mongo match. Here he was matched up against Brian Adams, or as I like to call him "The Human Sneer." Neither man had much motivation, knowing there were strippers and hoagies in the back. Mongo punches like a nearsighted gorilla.

Juvi and Jericho was well paced, and well worked. Some brilliant reversals by Jericho, Juvi's amazing plancha out to the gravel pit under the ring area and Jericho's kimono all worked on numerous levels. Dean Malenko's presence as ref neither bothered me or excited me, and he looked as indifferent as I felt. The near falls at the end were really close and the surprise finish left me satisfied, much like the New Arby's Market Fresh Subs. (endorsement deal, anyone?) The Battle Royal of Egos was quick, quicker than Nash's comedy career (you don't remember it, huh? Right, because it was that quick.) Goldberg and Curt Henning were the only 2 men in the ring who gave a shit, half of the others still wearing the garb they wore to the building, including Luger in tight black jeans, and Giant with a sleeveless cut off and no pants. Sting looked like an extra from a Cure video and was one of the more useless hands participating in said match. All in all it was another vehicle for old Whiskerbiscuit to get over again. Here's Jayyyyyyyyy! Leno worked a few armbars, and actually seemed to have a clue of how to work an audience, more than can be said for Karl Malone, or LT. Hogan was pretty immobile and Page was bumping like a stunt double from a Tony Jaa movie. The finish came when Kevin Eubanks, who was wearing a silk tuxedo shirt with no buttons?, hit a Diamond Cutter on Bischoff. The match itself was fine, but not terribly exciting and entertaining.