The Island of Misfit Shows: nWo Souled Out (1997)
Posted by Louis Izzo on 05.08.2007
With the New World Order at it''s hottest, Eric Bischoff booked an entire show centered around them to create one of the most unusual PPV's in WCW History.
- Yes, way back in the prime run of the New World Order, someone, obviously that being Eric Bischoff, had a wonderful idea to book an entire PPV around the nWo, featuring Pro-nWo signs, referees, fans, commentary, and anti-everything about the WCW guys. Interesting, no? Well, this is WCW after all, so we’ll see how everything turns out… but first, for those who forgot, and judging by WCW (it sucks, you know), the members of the New World Order at the time were Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Syxx, Buff Bagwell, Ted Dibiase, Vincent, Michael WallStreet, Eric Bischoff, Elizabeth, Big Bubba Rogers, and I think Scott Norton.
- Live from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it’s nWo Souled Out! Commentary is handled by the New World Order’s Eric Bischoff and Ted Dibiase. Bischoff always sucked at this job, but Dibiase is competent enough to carry him, says I.
[Note: All the “nWo Beauty Contest” segments are not included with these matches to download, so that saves me about 15-additional minutes of torture.]
- Chris Jericho vs. Masahiro Chono:
I forgot all about Chono… he joined a month before this show, but I think he went back to Japan as part of “nWo Japan” soon after. Nick Patrick is the referee for all matches, since he’s nWo for life now, too. From somewhere North of the Border is Chris Jericho, according to the New World Order announcer of the P.A. system. Chono is the 1st International member of the New World Order. To show his fairness, Patrick has an New World Order shirt and cap on for all matches. Lockup to start, and no one gets a clear advantage. Jericho is told not to pull hair, after a phantom hair pull. Jericho with a side headlock, hammerlock, headlock. Irish whip, and a shoulder block doesn’t budge Chono. Chono boots Jericho in the midsection and dumps him out of the ring. We see Harlem Heat and Sista’ Sherri enter through the crowd, and here comes the Faces of Fear, Brian Knobbs, Arn Anderson, Mongo, and Debra. Test-of-strength in the middle of the ring, and Jericho has an advantage. Chono with boots to the mid-section to take over, as Bischoff kinda’ takes shots at WWF for papering their crowds (see: Royal Rumble the week before, with over 20,000 tickets handed out to fill the Astrodome). Chono heads to the top rope, and comes off with a diving shoulder tackle. Jericho comes back with a snap suplex, followed by a spinning heel kick. Springboard pescado by Jericho onto Chono outside the ring. Jericho with a jump-back-reverse-side-kick ™-Eric Bischoff; but rams himself in the ring post, and Chono takes control. Back into the ring, and Chono doesn’t do much. Irish whip, and a shoulder block doesn’t do anything… again. Chono takes the knee out from under Jericho in a fake-out for a shoulder block attempt. “USA” Chant, pissing off… uh… who? Jericho’s Canadian and Chono’s Japanese. I guess it’s for Nick Patrick. Jericho with an enziguri out of nowhere. Jump-back-leg-round-kick sayeth Bischoff, more-so in a joking fashion it seems. Chono blocks a boot to the midsection and takes Jericho down with a dragon screw. Chono works the ankle and goes for the STF, but Jericho fights it off. Lots more nothing going on. Irish whip is reversed, and Jericho comes off the ropes with a diving back elbow. Jericho with a German suplex, but Patrick takes his sweet ass time to count two… and Bischoff calls it a fast count, of course. Jericho with a clothesline, and another some-what slow count, but faster than the last. Chono applies a sleeper hold and drops him down in a reverse DDT type move. Chono heads to the top rope, and we get an ugly spot where Jericho “catches” him and hammers away. Irish whip is reversed, and Chono with an inverted atomic drop. Chono brings out a sucky table from under the ring. Chono heads to the ring apron and teases a suplex. Jericho blocks and brings Chono back in the ring with his own suplex. Jericho to the top rope, and the missile dropkick connects. Jericho slowsly crawls over for a two count, as Chono gets his foot on the ropes. Fisherman suplex by Jericho, followed by the Lionsault. Jericho sells a knee problem on impact, but manages to cover for two again. Jericho to the top again, but Chono fights him off. Chono pushes him off, and Jericho goes through the table set up at ringside. He’s Hardcore! He’s Hardcore! Back in the ring, and Chono is measuring him up. Chono with a big boot, and he covers for the three count at 11:10. Not too good of a match. Jericho was only allowed his signature spots here and there, and Chono had it in neutral. Not the best way to open a show at all. (*1/2)
- Mexican Death Match:
Hugh Morrus (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Big Bubba Rogers:
… No, I’m not joking. But before anyone forgets, Big Bubba broke away from the Dungeon of Doom to join the New World Order… yes, the Dungeon of Doom was still around, too. No idea on the Mexican Death Match stipulations. I noticed that none of the WCW guys have entrance music. Big Bubba is pretty forgiving… he was the first man to get his ass kicked once the New World Order was officially formed (Hogan/Nash/Hall) the night after Bash at the Beach ‘96. Lockup into the corners, and Bubba gives a clean break. Lockup, and Morrus throws down Bubba. Repeat. Bubba charges, and gets floored with a clothesline. They head outside the ring, where Bubba gets to eat some steel steps. Back in the ring, as Patrick threatens to DQ Morrus. Bubba goes low… then again. Jimmy Hart yells at Patrick as Bubba remains in control. Morrus comes back and clotheslines Bubba over and out of the ring. That would be a DQ in the old WCW. Jimmy Hart gets some cheap shots in for the hell of things. Back in the ring, and Morrus whips Bubba to the corner. Bubba removes a well-placed chain from a turnbuckle, and nails Morrus in the face. Bubba continues using the chain, swinging and missing more times than Adam Dunn. Morrus uses the chain now, and gets warned again. Morrus heads UP TOP, and the No Laughing Matter connects. Nick Patrick with the longest 10-count in the history of wrestling. Unless you count Shawn Michaels in the WrestleMania XII Iron-Man Match. Bubba gets back up and nails Morrus from behind. Whip to the corner is reversed, and Morrus with an avalanche. Morrus with a clothesline, and another slow count. Morrus grabs something undefinable and hammers away on Bubba with it. Bubba pokes the eyes and hammers away on Morrus. Irish whip, and Bubba with a lunging clothesline, followed by more punching. Morrus makes it back to his feet, and Bubba pounds away. Morrus with a BLATANT low blow, then dumps Bubba out of the ring. They head up the ramp… slam by Morrus, and he goes up the steps, missing an UGLY moonsault. Points for spot attempt, negative points for the execution. Bubba steals a motorcycle from ringside and attempts to run Morrus over… and he does! Well, Morrus kinda jumps to the side pretending he got hit, but oh well. Bubba rushes back in the ring, and Morrus is counted-out at 9:03. Well, that sure wasn’t a good match. Morrus kinda’ tried to carry the match, but Big Bubba was a waste of roster space at this point of his career, and it was just a mess to try and keep up with. Points for the “inventive” finish, but that’s all. (3/4*)
- Jeff Jarrett vs. Michael Wallstreet:
Bischoff makes fun of Jarrett’s ring attire before the match. For those who forgot, Wallstreet, along with others like Bubba, joined the New World Order during their membership drive in December of ’96, where anyone that wanted to become a member could, as long as they did it before December 30th. Wallstreet ditched his singlet with dollar signs for a pair of jeans and New World Order t-shirt. Lockup into the corner, and Wallstreet with a cheap shot. Dibiase makes reference to a past with Rotundo… I mean Wallstreet. Lockup #2, and Jarrett tries for a cheap shot, but Patrick prevents it. Jarrett with a side headlock, followed by a shoulder block. Criss-cross, and Jarrett with as hip toss. Jarrett with a back elbow in the corner, then comes off the top rope for a cross body press and a slow two count. Wallstreet with a school boy for a slightly quicker two count. Wallstreet with a knee to the midsection. Irish whip, and Jarrett slams Wallstreet face-first into the canvas. Jarrett chokes Wallstreet across the middle rope. Bischoff claims Scott Hall “invented” the Ladder Match. I understand hyping your guy up and twisting facts, but that’s MAJOR twisting. It’s bad enough when Shawn Michaels claims to have done it. Anyway, Wallstreet clotheslines Jarrett out of the ring and rams him into the apron. Wallstreet drops Jarrett across the security railing as we constantly see McMichael and Debra sitting in the crowd. Jarrett comes back momentarily, but gets whipped into the rail, and lands on the other side. Back in the ring, and Wallstreet catches Jarrett in a sleeper hold. Here comes Debra and McMichael, inching closer to the ring, as Jarrett gets in his own version of a Sleeper. Patrick claims it’s a choke, and forces a break. Irish whip, and Rotundo boots Jarrett in the face. Wallstreet with an elbow drop, but Jarrett is near the ropes. Reverse chinlock applied! More focus on Mongo, the man who makes Paul Roma look like a good choice for a Horsemen member. Okay, I’m kidding. At least Mongo got over. Wallstreet cheats, of course, as this chinlock spot bores me to death. Jarrett with a series of elbows to the midsection, followed by roundhouse rights. Irish whip, and Jarrett with an inverted atomic drop. Jarrett with a snap suplex, then comes off the middle turnbuckle, missing a fist drop, Weird camera angle in the corner, I might add. Wallstreet punches more. Irish whip, and Jarrett with a boot to the chest. Jarrett with a series of elbows, and applies the Figure-Four, but Patrick drags Wallstreet to the ropes to break the hold. Mongo continues to play games at ringside. Irish whip, and Jarrett applies an abdominal stretch. CHEATING TOO! Wallstreet counters and cheats, and here’s Mongo… WHACK! Rotundo gets nailed, and Jarrett covers for the fast three count at 9:24 as Mongo threatens the referee. WCW breaks the shut-out, and now it’s 2-1 in favor of the New World Order. Minor “Mongo” chant, by the way. Not too good of a match. Just boring, and way out of place for what wrestling was becoming. Rotundo was seen less and less in WCW after this until entering (Semi) retirement. (*)
- “American Male Loser” Scotty Riggs vs. Buff Bagwell:
Yes, that’s how Riggs was introduced. Once again for those who forgot, Bagwell turned on Riggs to join the New World Order, breaking up the American Males, and forcing us to never listen to their theme music again. Oh well, at least the fans won out on the latter. Riggs talks smack to the camera, and actually says “smack.” He looks more like a nerd than some “cool” dude. Buff is certainly high on the list of people that should know their place in wrestling history. A low-card scrub used to pad out a heel stable. Riggs attacks from behind and hammers away. Bagwell runs out of the ring ater a few clotheslines. Riggs’ red tights, along with Hugh Morrus’ tank top, are the only pieces of real color on the entire show. Everything else is black and white. Back in the ring, and Bagwell with a boot to the midsection, followed by rights. Bagwell applies a side headlock, followed by a shoulder block. Criss-cross sequence, and Riggs with a dropkick, followed by choking and punches. Bagwell takes control in the corner and does nothing of interest. Whip into the corner is reversed, and Riggs with a belly-to-belly suplex. Buff with some slaps, proving the point further that only women slap. Riggs with a shoulder block, followed by a hip toss to send Bagwell over the top rope and to the floor. Riggs with a pescado to follow up, and the match is all downhill from here, I guess. More goofy camera work as Riggs gets whipped into the security rail. Buff hammers away and rams Riggs onto the apron. Riggs drops Buff throat first across the ropes, then comes off the top rope with an axehandle for a two count. Riggs tries for a suplex, but Buff blocks and suplexes Riggs across the top rope. Buff nails Riggs off the apron, into the security rail, then poses in the middle of the ring. The P.A. system guy says “loser” as we see Riggs crawling back into the ring. Back in the ring, and Buff stomps away. Buff chokes Riggs across the middle rope, then rams Riggs into the buckle. Riggs with a brief comeback, but Buff blows a back breaker, as it almost turned into a knee to the crotch. Bagwell with a series of elbows for a two count. Riggs rams his ass into Bagwell, a nightly practice when they were teammates, but gets booted again. Buff with a powerbomb and covers for a two count. Another “loser” is shouted out from the P.A. system. Irish whip, and Riggs with a sunset flip (after some mooning), but the referee won’t count. Buff with a clothesline and punches. Mounted (…) chinlock by Buff. They obviously are setting up an Electric Chair Drop… but Buff instead rams his ass on Riggs’ head. The homoerotic overtones are over-whelming for this match. Buff remains in control, boring me to sleep and watch Married… with Children at the same time. ANOTHER CHINLOCK! Bischoff must be bored, because he randomly starts remarking about the Rocky movies. Ugly electric chair drop by Riggs, dropping Buff a little too much on his neck. Buff with a suplex attempt, but Riggs counters with a sucky cradle for a two count. Riggs ducks a clothesline and connects with an atomic drop, followed by an enziguri. Whip into the corner, and Riggs boots Buff twice. Riggs connects with a Tornado DDT, but he wastes too much time standing around doing nothing. Riggs with a series of dropkicks. Irish whip is reversed, and Buff wins a double cross body press for a two count. Riggs with a back slide for a two count. Riggs with a sloppy powerbomb, but that move stinks when you’re only 4’7”. Riggs sets Buff on the top turnbuckle, but Buff fights him off, and the Block Buster connects for the three count at 13:49. Apparently, that was the debut of the move, at least as Buff’s finisher. Way too long for a couple of midcard jokers. This match could’ve done the same thing with half the time, if you cut out the 5-6 rest periods from Bagwell. (*)
- Diamond Dallas Page vs. Scott Norton:
Please God, end this midcard hell! To be fair, DDP was getting pushed already as a possible threat to stopping the New World Order, but Norton was on-and-off appearing in WCW because of working overseas with New Japan Pro Wrestling as well. Norton was one of the last men to join the New World Order at this point. Lockup, and Norton shoves DDP back into the corner. DDP takes a buff from his cigar, and gets shoved down again. “Loser!” DDP with a side headlock applied, and Norton sends him out of the ring with a shoulder block. Norton with a wristlock applied, and DDP counters into one of his own. Norton pulls the hair to escape. DDP with a bitch slap and poke to the eyes, followed by a side headlock takeover. Irish whip to escape, and DDT takes Norton down with a DDP… wait, reverse that. That only gets a one count, though. Norton with chops in the corner. Whip into the corner is reversed, and DDP connects with a front-drop piledriver… or whatever. I couldn’t call it. Norton comes back with a jaw breaker, and floors DDP with a clothesline. The crowd goes nuts, so someone is coming out I guess. In the crowd… it’s Sting! Norton with a shoulder breaker, and DDP rolls out of the ring. Norton follows out and whips DDP into the security rail, then the ring post. DDP tries fighting back, but gets thrown into the ring steps for his trouble. “Loser!” Back in the ring, and Norton remains in control as Bischoff talks about Norton being a door man at some bar in Minneapolis back in the day. DDP with a spinning clothesline, but Norton is up first. Irish whip, and DDP with a crucifix into a sunset flip, but Norton blocks. Norton tries a butt squash, but misses, and DDP sweeps the leg from under him. DDP hammers away as we get a horrible camera angle. DDP to the top rope, and a clothesline connects for a two count. Irish whip is reversed, and DDP with another DDT. Suddenly, Buff Bagwell comes out, along with Bubba, Rotundo, and Vincent, the scrubs of the nWo. It’s a distraction attempt! They want him as a member, you know. DDP gets on the mic’, and accepts their offer?! Wait, never mind, DDP nails the Diamond Cutter on Norton! DDP nails Vincent and Buff, then runs through the crowd. Apparently, he’s counted-out at around the 9:30 mark. Cool moment for DDP turning down the New World Order, but the match was nothing special. I’m starting to notice a trend. (*1/2)
The 411: The most interesting show I can think of. The idea of putting on an entire PPV, with a $30 price tag, centered around the New World Order was certainly a decision that required a lot of balls. Although it ended up being a MAJOR flop, the idea was just… wow. An entire card based on WCW vs. nWo matches, a New World Order self-loving set, commentary team, ring announcer, and referee, and just an overall unusual feel to the show. Most of the matches sucked ass, and only one match was worthy enough of being called a good one. I guess I would say everyone should watch it once just to see how different the show was presented, but never watch it again, because the matches sucked.
