Eyes On WCW: The 5 Greatest WCW Runs

By @TrueGodImmortal

WCW was a pretty popular company in its heyday and it provided the world with a lot of great moments and wrestlers. One thing about WCW is that it benefited from successful runs by some of their top stars, some more than others. Today, we look back at WCW and some of their greatest runs. These are all up for debate of course, but let's take a look.

5. Vader
(1992-1995)

-Make no mistake about it, Vader in WCW was the pinnacle of his career. He was on top of his game, showcasing skill above and beyond as a monster heel against the likes of Cactus Jack, Sting, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan before eventually falling off and going to WWF. Vader had some great moments and was a decent draw for WCW during one of the darker eras business wise honestly. Vader would be booked horribly in 1995 against Hogan making him look more like a joke than a monster, but for two years before that feud, he was the best heel in the company.

4. Ric Flair
(1993-1997)

-After Flair returned from WWF, he would become the biggest draw that the company had. WCW depended on Flair until Hogan showed up, but Flair was very important during this period of time and then some. Flair was never really the flashy star that Sting or Hogan was, but when WCW needed ratings and money, they went back to Flair. Flair was a multiple time WCW Champion, he would bring back the Four Horsemen, and his feuds with Sting, Hogan, Randy Savage, and more makes his run that much better.

3. Goldberg
(1997-1998)

-I hated Goldberg in a way. He was never that great to me and his run didn't change that IMO, but guess what? Goldberg was still one of the most popular wrestlers ever and unstoppable forces that WCW had ever seen. With a huge streak of being undefeated over the late 1997-1998 period, Goldberg would dominate his competition and win the United States Title as well as WCW Title after huge wins over Hulk Hogan and Raven. He also had big wins over Sting, Mr. Perfect, The Giant, and so many more. Goldberg was the man in WCW and it is the reason why he is now about to become a Hall of Famer. His popularity in his prime was unmatched in WCW for sure.

2. Hulk Hogan
(1996-1998)

-I have never liked Hogan. Ever. However, this two year run is the best run of any WCW heel to be honest. Hogan and the NWO ran all over WCW and all their wrestlers and this was the apex of Hogan in WCW. Hogan had struggled in 1994 and 1995 before joining with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall for the NWO, and the birth of Hollywood Hogan made him instantly more hated and more popular at the same exact time. It also made WCW the most popular company at the time and the NWO was to blame for that with Hogan at the helm. I love the whole Hollywood Hogan run and it is a once in a lifetime run for any heel in the wrestling business. Love him or hate him, Hogan was definitely the man in WCW and more of a vicious heel than expected.

1. Sting  

(1993-1998)

-This is the greatest run ever in WCW history and it features the greatest character change for the company. Sting was on the top of his game with the blonde fade surfer look, and he would feud with a number of wrestlers during the 1993-1994 run solidifying his status as one of the best wrestlers in the game at the time. I remember the world wanting dream matches like Sting vs Hulk Hogan, Sting vs Bret Hart, Sting vs Shawn Michaels, and more during that period, then Sting went through small changes in 1995 and early 1996, before developing into the most popular WCW run ever with his Crow like anti NWO run. That 1996 to 1998 run against the NWO is the biggest and baddest babyface run for anyone in WCW period. Sting owns that no. 1 spot without question.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:46 AM  No comment

EOTR Retrospective: 6 Of The Worst Wrestling Trilogies

By TrueGodImmortal

So, this week, EOTR will be taking a look back at trilogies in wrestling. While the best trilogies will be tough to narrow, I wanted to take a moment and look back at some of the three match series that didn't connect like they should have. Yes, for the first time on EOTR, we'll take a look back at the worst trilogies in wrestling over the years. I won't rank these in order, but I will tell you why they were so bad and which match of the trilogy was the actual best. Let's take a look.

*Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton
(No Mercy 2016, Wrestlemania 33, Payback)

-Talk about disappointing. This is one of those trilogies that you wish you could have back and destroy it. It started in September 2016 and I was a bit excited about the prospect of the feud. Then it actually happened. I have never been as disappointed in my life as I was when I saw each of these matches. First, the No Mercy match closed the show out on a poor note and a dead crowd, while the Wrestlemania match was once again another example of how hilariously bad Bray Wyatt has been in recent memory. The Payback match is the worst of them all, being a House Of Horrors match that honestly left me shaking my head and wondering what the fuck WWE was thinking. Bray Wyatt deserves better, but in all honesty, when you see trilogies like this, I question if he actually does. This was brutally bad and I advise everyone to never watch these three matches back again. It's that serious.

*Goldberg Vs Brock Lesnar
(Wrestlemania 20, Survivor Series 2016, Wrestlemania 33)

-Contrary to what many people say, there was nothing good about Brock vs Goldberg. At all. Goldberg was the man at one point. Brock was the man at one point. However, when they would do battle at Wrestlemania 20, neither man would care about the WWE or wrestling. The match would end up being pretty bad, and Goldberg winning meant nothing, as both men were leaving the WWE. However, in 2016, both men were beyond their primes and this match was pointless for the most part. While I enjoyed seeing the Wrestlemania 33 match, it was still a bad match in technical terms and we won't even mention the short joke of a match at Survivor Series. Simply put, Brock vs Goldberg is the biggest waste in WWE history in terms of a trilogy and a feud honestly.

*Hulk Hogan vs Vader
(Superbrawl 1995, Uncensored 1995, Bash At The Beach 1995)

-You might not remember this feud. You might not even remember the pre NWO run of Hogan in WCW. I'm sorry to have to bring this back up. However, the dark age of WCW is prime for this type of article. If I had to choose one trilogy that honestly made me question being a young wrestling fan, it was this one. Hogan was the forced face beyond his prime, while Vader was seen as the monster heel. Vader was booked terribly and as a result, this trilogy is even worse. Vader was a monster yet he couldn't even cheat to beat Hogan and win the title in WCW. Their three matches against each other on PPV were all slow, boring and only served to lift Hogan up as the top guy in the company and shortly after Hogan disposed of him, Vader wisely left WCW in the dust for the WWF. Of their three matches here, I prefer the Superbrawl match, only because I watched it myself live at the arena years ago (it was my first wrestling event). Otherwise, this trilogy is pathetic.

*Triple H vs Brock Lesnar
(Summerslam 2012, Wrestlemania 28, Extreme Rules 2013)

-This was just horrible. I don't know why they wanted to do this match three times, but it didn't work. At all. Triple H and Brock had no in ring chemistry and for some reason, they wasted three of the limited matches that Brock has on this bullshit. I know, I know. You're probably confused right? Some people like this feud. I hated it. What did it for me was the fact that we watched Brock in 2002 and 2003, and besides one triple threat match, these two never crossed paths. Brock was in his prime then and so was Triple H. When this trilogy came about, both were out of their prime and no one wanted to see this two times. It just didn't make sense. The Summerslam match was pretty bad. Then, the Mania match was a bit better, but still below any expectations. The Extreme Rules match was met with mixed results, but if you ask me, I wasn't a fan. Brock and Triple H wasn't what we wanted or hoped it would be, and for that reason, it's one of the worst trilogies in wrestling history. 

*Hulk Hogan vs Sting
(Starrcade 1997, Superbrawl 1998, Fall Brawl 1999)

-I'll be the first to admit, this is the worst trilogy on the list for a number of reasons. This took place in WCW during the period of time where I think most people understood that Hogan and Sting were the two biggest stars. This should have been executed very well. It should have been classic. Instead, it was the biggest disappointment for most wrestling fans. Sting and Hogan I was really boring, and the fake finish with Hogan winning ruined the momentum. Once you add in the horrible execution at Superbrawl, you really have something impressive in how bad it was. The finishes and the pacing of the matches were just horrible, and it got no better at Fall Brawl 1999. Hogan and Sting had a little more chemistry in that match, but overall, this might be the most disappointing feud in WCW history and easily one of the worst trilogies I've ever witnessed, and my choice for the worst due to the hype surrounding it.

*Triple H vs Kevin Nash
(Judgment Day 2003, Insurrextion, Badd Blood 2003)

-Yes. This was a trilogy. You might not remember this as vividly as I do but there are reasons why. For one, it is prime Triple H and the Kliq to put Nash in the title match as soon as he gets back, but most of all, the biggest issue that I had seemed to be the fact that they rushed Nash into his position as the next solo star for the company, or at least the next challenger for the World Heavyweight Title. The Judgment Day match was sloppy and poorly executed, and then their rematch in the UK was decent enough, but still felt very flat compared to what you might have expected. The worst of them all remains one of the worst Hell In A Cell matches ever, as Badd Blood 2003 saw the two put on a snoozefest that just ended poorly. Nash and Triple H might be best friends, but they had no chemistry at all in this match or trilogy in general and it was quite apparent that they are better off as friends than enemies.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:24 AM  No comment

WIRTB Review: New Blood Rising

After venturing outside of my comfort zone and reporting the news and happenings of current promotions, I'm back to my bread and butter. That is, even though my bread's molded and my butter is coagulated goo now. I'm Speed on the Beat and this is WIRTB Review. For the unbaptized, WIRTB is a segment of EyesontheRing.com where I review horrible PPVs and determine whether or not they deserve the venom they get from wrestling fans. Usually, however, I've seen the PPVs in question in pretty much their entirety.

2000's New Blood Rising, however, is the first that I'm going in blind. For those who stayed away from 2000-2001 WCW, it was a train wreck. And, no, I don't, as some do, put it all on Vince Russo. This era of WCW, the blame for its clusterfuck nature needs to be spread around. For if it's not, we shall repeat the mistakes of the past.

NBR was designed to put over the New Blood faction of "new" wrestlers who came into WCW to start shit and take it over (yep, another "takeover" angle). It also was designed to replace the Hog Wild PPV. There are a few problems with that. For starters, by the time NBR came about, the New Blood had disbanded. Secondly, they disbanded about a month or so before the PPV. Thirdly, since I want to actually get into the PPV versus backstory, Hog Wild was crap. But, NBR, with its nonsensical approach, made many wish that they saw The Hulkster swinging around a motorcycle...or something.

So, the program begins with some pretty crap early-2000s graphics (which really look like they're from 1991) and fans who look way too turnt up. Next? The WCW sparkler load-blow. Our first match is a ladder match between 3 Count (with Tank Abbott--who probably wishes he could fucking kill everyone out here tonight with his "scissors") and the Jung Dragons. I forgot that Abbott, with his nipple-exposing cutout shirt (for no reason), actually sang during his time with 3 Count. His singing is about as bad as that one match in that one 2001 WCW PPV.

Which one, you ask? Ex-fucking-actly.

So, this match is actually the one I spoke of a while back as being one of the highlights of later-year WCW. I forgot that this shit was over a "gold record" and a "recording contract" for 3 Count. Pretty much, if 3 Count lost, they couldn't sing again, because kayfabe. If they won, they'd continue to sing and the Jung Dragons would, I assume, continue to beat the shit out of them, because kayfabe in WCW. It doesn't take long for this match to go outside, because ladder matches. Wow, seeing Jimmy Yang go here, I'm even sadder that he was just a three-way stereotype (as opposed to, I guess, a two-way one here) in WWE.

Now, if their match at Mayhem was SPOTS!, this match was...well, SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS! and more spots. And it was glorious. It wasn't technical at all. And seeing this match, I'm not surprised that the people involved didn't have longer American careers. They were probably broken in half just off this one. 3 Count ended up getting the win, even though Tank almost killed 3 Count.

A backstage promo between The Filthy Animals and WCW Commissioner Ernest Miller later, and we're back to Oriental Riff Rip-off Number Three (a/k/a The Great Muta's 2000 WCW theme) and our next match. Miller and Muta are up for our next match. As a sidenote, all matches are no DQ. Even though eye pokes are shunned, we're given a PPV that's (supposedly) no DQ (hi 2010s WWE). Also, fuck the announcers for using terms such as "real heat." Muta and Miller go back and forth for a bit (yawn) until...interference from Tygress. Yep.

I think we all know where I'm going, but I might as well say it anyway. Fuck this company.

Up next, we have what is possibly one of the worst ideas ever in wrestling. This match almost makes Katie Vick" look sane and makes the "Mr. McMahon Blows Up and Dies" storyline make sense. We've got the Judy Bagwell on a Pole match. Yes, Buff Bagwell's mom has been involved in the feud between Buff and Positively Kanyon because...I truly still don't get why. Fuck this match. Fuck it right in the pussy. My God, if you want to see how not to book a match, here's an example.

After seeing six minutes of brawling (and hearing six minites of Judy scream like some bastard child of a banshee and Sarah Silverman), Kanyon has David Arquette come out for interference, but somehow still loses (and pretty badly).

Afterwards, we get yet another trainwreck. This one is in the form of a fatal-four-way tag team championship match. All that I can say on this match is that it manages to one-up the previous match in terms of sheer brain dead logic (or lack thereof). Run-ins, mistimed spots, announcers working within "shoot" territory, a finish that makes no goddamned sense, a guy getting a push who probably doesn't really need one (Muta, considering he appears at least thrice tonight). Yep, sounds like "classic Russo."

So, what else happens in this shitshow?

A Rip off the Clothes (ROTC) match between Major Gunns and Stacy Kiebler where Stacy miscarries her kid?

A worked shoot where Goldberg says "fuck you" to Russo?

Billy Kidman winning via pinfall in a strap match?

A ref-bump heavy WCW Title match between Booker T and Double J (complete with guitar)?

A "Canadian Rules" match between Lance Storm and Mike Awes--y'know what? Fuck this pay-per-view. I can't seriously get through the rest of this without bleach and a couple shots. And since I'm trying to do the non-drinking thing, fuck this shit. New Blood Rising shows what's wrong with 2000/2001 WCW and what can potentially go wrong with Russo's Jerry Springer Show-like writing style. Too much, too quickly leads to confusion and anger.

But, about that worked shoot match, the Nash/Steiner/Goldberg match. What in the high unholy fuck made Russo think that'd be a good idea? Yes, wrestling fans, even the casuals, have an idea on how booking works. However, to book a match where the "booking" involves one of your top guys losing just because, you're digging two graves for your promotion. One grave is for what could've been had you not been fucktarded. The other is for what is, and what's dying in front of your audience.

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Eyes on the Ring 12:52 PM  No comment