Uncensored 1998 Redo: One Of The Worst Main Events Ever
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1998
Date: March 15, 1998
Location: Mobile Civic Center, Mobile, Alabama
Attendance: 7,475
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone
The opening video is just shots of the four guys in the main events. Nothing to see here.
The announcers talk about the main events and Tony suggests that Hall will hand the title to Hogan if he wins it. Heenan: “No one is stupid enough to hand the world title to Hogan.” Make your own jokes.
TV Title: Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker T
Rating: C+. The match was good until Booker just stopped selling the leg at all, which was made even worse by how leg based his offense is. Eddie was doing some great old school heel work here with the using the ropes and stalling to rile up the crowd. This was a good choice for an opener as Booker continues improving week by week.
Chavo smirks a little so Eddie jumps him from behind.
Konnan vs. Juventud Guerrera
Juvy lost his mask at SuperBrawl and Konnan gave him grief over it, setting up this match. Konnan is jawing with the crowd and Juvy gets in a kick to the back to take over. Konnan finally gets his hands on Guerrera to stop the speed and we go outside with Konnan in control. Juvy is sent into the steps but he blocks a second attempt to send Konnan face first. He uses the steps as a springboard to take Konnan out as Lodi talks trash from the front row.
Konnan lays out Juvy with another 187 before throwing him over the top.
Cruiserweight Title: Dean Malenko vs. Chris Jericho
Back up and they run the ropes a bit until Jericho hits a quick enziguri. He loads up a springboard cross body but Malenko ducks to send the champion to the floor. Jericho starts walking out but eventually comes back and catches a leapfrog into a spinebuster. The arrogant cover gets two and a suplex gets the same before we hit the chinlock. That goes nowhere so Jericho hits the Lionsault for two. As frustration starts to set in, Jericho hits a backbreaker and bends Malenko over his knee.
Dean gets up and wakes up off a chop before firing off a series of forearms and headbutts. A belly to back suplex gets two but Jericho pops up and hits a senton backsplash for two. Jericho hits a running dropkick in the corner but Dean blocks a suplex into one of his own, only to be countered into a reverse suplex from the champion. Dean bails to the ropes to escape the Liontamer and gets some quick rollups for two.
Jericho kicks him off the apron but quickly brings it back inside. A belly to back superplex is countered into a crossbody for two for Dean and Jericho is getting frustrated. Malenko dives to the ropes to get out of the Liontamer again before countering a top rope hurricanrana into the gutbuster for two. Dean tries the leg lariat but gets caught in the Liontamer for the surprising submission.
Rating: B. This was the good match you would expect these two to have with fifteen minutes. Jericho won clean here with a counter into a wrestling hold which makes him look all the more dominant. It was a surprise to see Dean tap out but it gave him a reason to need redemption which is the more interesting story.
Raven says revenge will be served cold tonight.
Lex Luger vs. Scott Steiner
Rating: D-. Steiner is running from his brother, is yet another lackey in the NWO, had issues against Johnny Grunge on Thunder and now loses his first prominent match to a forearm to the back in less than four minutes. Is it any wonder why it took him another year to get over? The match was junk as Luger continues to spiral into nothing.
Scott Norton comes out and gets beaten up by Rick, setting up the showdown of the brothers. Scott swings the chair but Rick backdrops him out to the floor.
US Title: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Raven vs. Chris Benoit
The announcers talk for a bit.
Kevin Nash vs. The Giant
The NWO C team comes in for the beatdown but Giant fights them off and cleans house. Nash of course gets to hit Giant in the back with a ball bat but Giant gets up. No damage to Big Kev of course.
Call the Hotline!
Curt Hennig vs. Bret Hart
Rude destroys Bret post match with the Rude Awakening and some chair shots.
WCW World Title: Scott Hall vs. Sting
Sting comes right back with some right hands and Hall is knocked to the floor again. The champion goes out to get him but a trip from Dusty is enough to let Hall take over with a clothesline. Back in and the discus punch puts Sting down and the fallaway slam gets two. Sting comes back with a right hand and the falling low blow spot.
Rating: D. Hall was given no chance coming into this match and had no chance in the match. This could have been a decent Nitro main event but it has no business as the co main event of a pay per view. It felt like a modern World Heavyweight Championship match as we were just waiting for the real main event. The match was basic stuff but not very interesting.
The cage is lowered.
Hollywood Hogan vs. Randy Savage
Hogan goes into the cage again as the fans are almost silent. Savage is backdropped into the cage and slides down in a nice visual. Back to whipping with the belt before Hollywood gets two off a belly to back suplex. Savage is rammed head first into the cage a few times for two as this continues to be horrible.
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