Well last night, WCW put on their first real decent pay-per-view. It still wasn’t perfect, or even great, but you could see the small efforts slipping throughout the entire show. Here’s a quick run down with thoughts on each match. 

Lash LeRoux Vs. Disco Inferno - Lash finally has made it to pay-per-view! I believe this was his first pay-per-view anyway. Lash is a great wrestler, but he just doesn’t really have it on the mic, mainly his voice. It’s not funny, nor annoying, but just plainly stupid. I don’t know if that is his real voice, or him altering it a bit, but stop yapping, and get to the point. Lash is really just a cross between Chris Jericho and Lenny Lane, and if WCW is going to push either of the two, Lash or Lenny, I’d definitely go with Lenny Lane. Now, the actual match was pretty good, it wasn’t your normal WCW Cruiser Weight match, which is packed with high spots, and high risks.  This match was more, technical and wearing your opponent out, via ground wrestling holds and plain wear out holds. Good to see Disco go over, I don’t think Lash is ready for the title, he still has to develop his character, and possibly try and go in a different direction, than a Lenny/Jericho style rip off. 

Just a note on the clip of Benoit/Malenko arriving. WCW, if your going to do small spots like this. Make it look believable, and let the wrestlers, begin to walk, THEN press record. When you have Benoit plainly looking at the camera for a second or two, then proceeding, it really ruins the whole bit. But, just for the record, I don’t know why we needed to see that, anybody that has been watching Nitro, has seen Malenko/Benoit both say they quit the Revolution. 

Filthy Animals Vs. Harlem Heat Vs. First Family - WHY? WHY? WHY?! Why are the First Family on a pay-per-view. They out and out suck. Harlem Heat should never have been recreated. Konnan is just annoying, and Kidman needs to update his ring repertoire. This match looked good at the beginning, but just fell apart when the Heat and Knobbs began brawling to the backstage area. Really stupid. Steve Ray used a cardboard mummy to get a win. Really stupid finish with the double pin in the ring and in the back. 

Eddy Guerrero Vs. Saturn - I’m not a thief, but I steal socks! Give me a break. The Filthy Animals on Nitro dropped from a talented, united group, to a bunch of retarded thugs who stole some designer socks from a 50 year old man. Wow, they’re tough now. Eddy, if your going to do interviews, try and make sense. Why did he bring up the point about the watch? "It’s just about time for me to call Rey Rey, to see how Konnan is doing in the hospital."? Okay, then. Enough said. Good match, we got to see Torrie, which was even that more special. Saturn and Eddy really can tear it up in the ring, it was good to see the DQ finish for once. Means, we’re going to be seeing more of the Revolution Vs. Filthy Animals. Only thing is, The Revolution is only a one man active group right now. Douglas is out with an injury, Benoit and Malenko quit, which leaves Saturn. They need more members, fast, or do they? 
  

Brad Armstrong Vs. Berlyn - Neither of these two should have been on the pay-per-view. Neither should be on television at all. Busch, you want to cut the roster, drop these two. 

Rick Steiner Vs. Chris Benoit - Not much I can say. There is nothing really that can be said about a Benoit match, except for supreme excellence. Pretty dumb move turning Malenko heel. Especially since he is going to be feuding with Benoit, who lost the title. This feud would have been much better if it involved a title. By the way, WCW congrats, you ruined Benoit’s credibility by having Sid beat him for the US title, and have Sid walk right out of the cross face, then you have Goldberg beat Sid, only for Goldberg to go on later and in the World title, and to make the US title pointless, and which will probably now be held up. S-T-U-P-I-D. 

Lex Luger Vs. Bret Hart - All I can say about this one is, I hope Hart doesn’t get back into his jobbing groove. He first came into WCW with a bang and beat Ric Flair cleanly, but really since then has jobbed to everyone and their mother. Now they decide to push him again, but are going to have him "pay his dues" again. Give me a break. What dues did Sid, Goldberg or even Luger pay? 

Hulk Hogan Vs. Sting - I was on my hands and knees practically thanking god, that I wouldn’t have to see his face again. But, then Hogan come out, but to my surprise, did a quick lay down, 1-2-3. WOW! What a way to go out Hulkster! Why didn’t he go out when nWo was starting to sink? Atleast he’d be remembered at the top of his game, if you "WANT" to call it that. 

Goldberg Vs. Sid - This match really disgusted me. Not the gore or anything. I actually was quite into it, while it was happening, but when I saw Goldberg win the World title later on, my opinion on this match changed, and I had a sudden, sour taste in my mouth. I couldn’t believe WCW would do that.  Take the title of Benoit last month or whenever Sid beat him, just to hand the title to Goldberg, as a stepping stone for one night. 

Ric Flair Vs. DDP - Excellent match while it went on. Lots of spots in this, but fast forwarding to the end, What were Russo and Ferrara smoking?! The beating by DDP was al right, it went with the story line, but what the hell was up with the Filthy Animals jumping the EMT’s and HIGHJACKING an AMBULANCE?! What the hell?! They are wrestlers, not con artists or criminals. If they cops in the area, see four guys, all sweaty, and wearing nothing but spandex tights and wrestle attire, with a hot blonde in street clothes, and a crazed old man in the back yelling while speeding along the road, wouldn’t they be the least bit suspicious?! I know they probably stopped the Ambulance and brought it back to the parking lot as soon as they stopped recording, but come on, at least make the story lines realistic.  

Goldberg Vs. Sting - I basically said my peace on this match above, can’t believe they gave it to Goldberg. Sting seemed fine on his own with the belt, and was actually getting over as a tweener, half heel, half face. Really dumb move, and you have to wonder who will now put the second loss, the blemish on The "Man’s" record? 

Anyway, something’s that I just want to comment on right now in the WWF. Ms. Kitty. Why is she with Chyna? She doesn’t add any depth to the Chyna character, or the entire angle. She just doesn’t look right in the leather, and her "cheerful" personality, just doesn’t go well with Chyna’s all business approach. Another thing we have to wonder is, if Ms Kitty is now the valet of Chyna, does Kitty like Triple H or wil she have any impact on his situation? Only time will tell. 

Now, WCW. What is up with the women? Torrie is the valet of Kidman and the Filthy Animals, but from what happened last night, what will she be up to? I really don’t think she needs to be with the Filthy Animals. She doesn’t add anything, except luggage. She needs to change factions and go with Douglas for awhile, or maybe she could join up with Bret Hart, a guy that is destined to be a main eventer, but doesn’t seem to be getting the proper reaction to be up there in the later matches. 

In ECW. Do they even know the meaning of story line? I haven’t seen a story line develop yet in ECW. I saw the video packages of the Dreamer/Raven thing, but that isn’t all that much right now. It’s the same thing week in, week out. Dreamer gets beaten, Raven comes out cleans house, then even flow’s Dreamer. Raven leaves, commercial break. After break Dreamer says he’s going to end it all tonight, and calls out Raven. Raven walks out, rolls into the ring, sizes up Dreamer, and then rolls back out and leaves, to an arena full of boos. What an interesting show! Yeah right.  

That’s it for this week’s column. I shall be back next week with another Pain Tolerance. Until then, enjoy the wrestling...