After a long time away, we’re back to the year long project watching this era of WCW programming. I believe there’s only 6 more assignments to go until the end. If you want to know what happens next, listen to the At Odds with Wrestling podcast and sign up for their Patreon so you can hear their thoughts on this week’s homework assignment. 

After last week’s events, Ric Flair is talking with Lex Luger and Miss Elizabeth. Flair believes Arn Anderson will join Team Package. 

This episode is live in Providence, Rhode Island and your commentary team is Tony Schiavone and Mark Madden. 

Ric Flair comes out to talk, which brings out Arn. Arn says he can’t stand by what Flair is doing with Team Package. Arn says the IV Horsemen wasn’t about ego, it was about being the very best. Sure, nothing about the clothes, or jets, or limos, or women was about ego. Arn brings out Hulk Hogan. Hogan says he’s going to strap his fist up Flair’s ass. Oh my. And people wonder if AEW is appropriate for children. There’s some good camera work focusing on Hogan, but with the WCW Tron in the background playing Flair’s reactions. Hogan runs to the ring and tries to Hulk up but Lex runs out and hits Hulk with a baseball bat. Lex and Flair beat up Hulk. Hogan is helped to the back, holding his shoulder. 

Riki Rachtman hosts a Nitro Party along with Disco Inferno, 3 Count, and the Nitro Girls. 

Back to the ring. 3 Count try to perform but the Jung Dragons come out to cut them off. 

3 Count vs the Jung Dragons. 

Everyone dives to the floor. Everyone dives off the top ropes. There’s no real regard for the safety of anyone’s teammates. Shannon Moore hits a “sleeper cutter” on Jamie-San for the pin. I’m sure this was exciting in 2000, but there’s really nothing here. It really is just a lot of flips for no reason in about 3 minutes. I love flippy matches but I think we’ve all seen it evolve over the last near 25 years to a form that can have both flips and psychology. 

Arn leaves and tells Curt Hennig he’s going to see his kids. If Hennig pulled up to the arena just a few moments later he could have had Arn’s parking spot. Not just any spot. 

Bam Bam Bigelow walks. The Wall walks. 

Backstage, El Dandy and Silver King are looking at their fan mail. Ms Hancock is intrigued. There’s a bit of a language barrier. El Dandy asks Ms Hancock “do we not excite your groin?” Now that should be a t-shirt. Who are you to doubt El Dandy as a lover? 

The Wall comes out for his match, Bigelow jumps him. 

Wall vs Bigelow. 

David Flair, Crowbar, and Daffney come out. The Wall handcuffs Bigelow to the turnbuckle, and the referee calls for the disqualification. The Wall beats up Flair and Crowbar. Bigelow is begging to be let loose so he can help the kids. Wall choke slams David off the apron onto Crowbar and through a table. 

Bigelow does not work as an emotional father figure character. He should be destroying people with the Wall. Add something new to the tag division. 

The nWo comes out. The Harris brothers send the nWo ladies to the back, but Jeff Jarrett stops them. Then Jarrett sends them back himself. Jeff says he has the night off but Sid will be in a tag team match. Sid Vicious chooses Vampiro as his partner. 

Too long, but it’s the main even set up… or so we think. 

Crowbar is being loaded into an ambulance and Bam Bam may have been loaded too because he stumbles over a promo challenging the Wall to a match at Uncensored. 

Lot of Uncensored set up tonight. Almost like they remembered to care. 

Mean Gene talks to Harlem Heat 2000. 

Brian Knobbs reminds kids to not try this at home. I mean, if I had to pick anyone who speaks directly to that youth market. 

The Nitro Girls dance. 

Paul Orndorff is at the Arnold Classic to sign “Big Jake” to a WCW contract because Jake has the world’s largest arms. Jakes Strauss had 28 inch arms and was signed to a contract. Orndorff quickly realized Jakes had no potential and I believe this was his only appearance. 

Billy Kidman (with Torrie Wilson) and Booker vs Lane and Rave. 

Lane ends up looking lost and concussed for the majority of the match. Ms. Hancock comes out and sits on the announce table. Torrie gets in her face and says Kidman is taken. I hope these two can each find rich boyfriends and become friends. The referee doesn’t see the tag, but Booker comes in anyways and cleans house. Booker is about to go off the top rope when Kidman rolls up Rave for the pin – because despite Booker’s work Kidman is still the legal man. Kidman stands in the exact perfect wrong spot and blocks Torrie getting in the ring. Kidman and Booker argue, probably about his ring and camera awareness. 

Lex Luger and Elizabeth walk. 

Lex and Liz come out. An ambulance arrives at the arena, and Hulk Hogan is driving. Jimmy Hart let’s Hulk know what has happened in his absence. So, Hogan didn’t get into an ambulance, but Crowbar did. Which ambulance did Hulk take? Is Crowbar still in the back? 

Curt Hennig comes out. 

Lex Luger vs Curt Hennig. 

Lex is the MVP of this era. He works harder than any other main event player. This match is cut short, probably to save energy for what comes later. Flair comes out and grabs Hennig, causing the DQ. There’s a two on one attack until Hogan makes his way out. Good to see Hulk and Curt on the same side again, like always. Hulk makes a tag team challenge for later in the evening. Hulk also says that he and Curt have so much in common. This is very weird and I’m expecting Hennig to attack Hogan every time they’re near each other. 

Vampiro cuts a promo from the boiler room. 

Knobbs is in the back looking for the Dog. Dog has gotten into the trash and is drinking from the toilet bowl. This is a grown man who has to do this stunt to pay his bills. There’s a difference – a fine line at times but still a difference – between a willingness to do anything for the company versus degrading yourself. 

Back to the Nitro Party. 

The Nitro Girls dance. 

Mean Gene talks to Sid Vicious. 

The Dog (with Brian Knobbs) vs Screaming Norman Smiley. 

Norman gives the Big Wiggle to the Dog while his hood is still covering his head. Hey Norman, collar does not equal consent. Knobbs struggles to get the collar off Dog and gives up. The Dog gets in the referee’s face, distracting him. Knobbs and Smiley look at each other and feel stupid while waiting for the next bit. Demon comes out and attacks Knobbs. Lane and Rave come out to attack the Demon. Norman hits Dog from behind, then locks on the Norman Conquest for the win. Two move match. The Dog bites the ref who is “a mailman in real life”. The Dog chases Norman away. Knobbs says he’s the true hardcore icon of WCW and wants to fight someone. We see Terry Funk in the back making his way to the ring. 

Also, WCW has all these large contracts but they pay their referees so little they have to have day jobs? Also, the referee can get Monday off? That’s a huge day for mail delivery. 

Before we end this commercial break and continue, what in the hell is this match? I’m thinking back to college when people would try to fill their papers up with quotes to reach the minimum page limit. X percent of your paper has to be original thoughts to count. So does X amount of WCW have to contain a wrestling match to count as a wrestling show? This match sets up maybe a tag match in the future that no one wants. 

Norman is hiding in some plexiglass booth thing while Lane and Rave try to get at him. 

Knobbs is throwing plunder into the ring. 

Brian Knobbs vs Terry Funk.

Funk is so much better than anything in the last segment. His couple moments of plunder and crowd fighting before more shenanigans occur was done better than the previous hardcore encounters. Evan and Shannon of 3 Count comes out to attack Knobbs. They throw Funk on top of Knobbs for the pin. Then kick out both men so they can dance. Knobbs takes down two out of three count with a double clothesline. Funk puts the chicken on his hand and breaks out chicken punches. I think Mark Briscoe should steal this. Dustin Rhodes comes through the crowd and attacks Funk with a bull rope and a cow bell. Side note, Dustin is 55 years old today in 2024. Funk was 56 years old in this segment. 

Finlay cuts a promo in the bathroom. I thought it was to find Dog, but it’s because he’s threatening to beat up Vampiro in gross places. Okay, I can get by this. Not only am I going to kick your ass, but then I’ll leave you laying on a dirty floor. 

Sid Vicious and Vampiro vs the Harris Brothers. 

What I thought would be the main event. A little of Vampiro going back and forth with the heels. Nothing special. The Harris Brothers try to upset Sid and distract the referee. This backfires when Sid outsmarts them with a blind tag. Kick in the gut and a powerbomb for Sid to get the pin. Not a two move match, but a two move night for Sid. 

Mean Gene is outside Hogan’s dressing room. 

Riki Rachmtan still at the Nitro Party. You know, some poor college girl now in her 40’s probably had a one night stand with Disco Inferno at one of these parties. Do you tell that story? Hey, my friend Jenny has this funny story about when she hooked up with a wrestler. Or do you bury that? 

Mean Gene interviews Lex, Liz, and Flair. 

Harlem Heat out first. Disco tells the Mamalukes to wait for his signal. Disco out and that’s when the Harris brothers attack the Mamalukes. 

Disco calls Harlem Heat “you three Fat Alberts”. There’s more but I’m really wondering if this is racist, buffoonish, or both? Disco is stuck wrestling. 

Disco Inferno vs. Stevie Ray. 

This match goes way too long. I thought it was over about five times. Disco even gets beat up outside, and there’s no referee DQ. Finally Stevie Ray hits the Slapjack for the pin. 

Mean Gene with Curt, Hulk, and Jimmy Hart. Prepare for a “serious strap-ation”. Someone must have known what they were saying, right? 

Lex Luger and Ric Flair (with Elizabeth) vs Curt Hennig and Hulk Hogan (with Jimmy Hart).

This match has all the spots, chops, flops, and drops. I said it a couple weeks (months) ago but there’s something to be said when the old part time ego driven millionaires clash. Lex still looks the best out of all of them. Flair and Hennig pair off well together. It’s a very fun main event that shows what WCW could be doing if only some of their more veteran and over paid wrestlers would leave the house. I keep waiting for Curt to turn on Hogan, and it doesn’t happen here but we have a few more shows before the end of this era. Liz gets up on the apron way too early. Hart finally catches up to her. Lex hits Hennig, Lex hits Hart. Hogan tries to fight back against the odds. Hogan uses his belt, which the referee tries to take away. Hogan shoves the referee, which leads to the DQ. Liz hits Hogan’s knee with the bat. Ric and Lex beat up everyone. The lights go out! 

And Vampiro appears in the ring? That’s a let down. The lights are still mostly out too. Oh, now Sting’s here. Yay, Sting’s back. Sting hits Lex. Vampiro chases off Flair. The show ends. 

Main event with all the old world champions. Actual world champion in a longer program against a heel with some heat. Plus a ton of people on the roster who are not being used! This episode might be the most maddening to see who and what is available but nothing is being done. Oh, there’s a pay per view in 6 days that we should probably hype up so people buy it. If the show only matters once a month, then I’ll skip the other 3 weeks.