The Event Center: WCW Bash at the Beach 1998 Review

The Event Center: WCW Bash at the Beach 1998

Introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Event Center. I am your host, xstat32x, and we are back with another round of great wrestling action. Last time we were together we finished up our SummerSlam 1990 trilogy by doing the actual event itself. The show was fun and one of my favorites but it’s time to switch gears one more time. This show will mark an end to our Summer Review series as we start heading towards the fall. After this one, I will be doing shows from September through to November. That way we get the likes of Halloween Havoc and Survivor Series as well as others. Before get there we have to get through this doozy of a show in Bash at the Beach 1998. WCW loved outside athletes and they put them in prominent roles and this show is no exception. We have Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman in the main event as well as Kevin Greene in a match with the Giant. So without further delay it’s time to see what this show is all about.

Event Information:
Date: July 12th, 1998
Location: Cox Arena in San Diego, California
Attendance: 10,095
Main Event: Hulk Hogan/Dennis Rodman vs. Diamond Dallas Page/Karl Malone

Show Opening:

They open up with a terrible ass video with a noise that sounds like electricity and it’s not really good on the ears. They go through the main event matches such as DDP/Malone vs. Hogan/Rodman. The video is over and they go inside the building where Tony tells us that history will be made tonight. Tony says there has never been so much talk about one match on one night. They head up tot he commentators table where Tony, Bobby, and Mike are standing by. Tony says everyone is talking about one match and one match only and thats the main event. Tenay says this is truly an event the world is watching. Heenan says that these two have to get it on. Heenan says that Hogan is blaming Malone and DDP for his title loss.

They head to Gene who is standing by at the entrance. Gene says that Goldberg will be squaring off against Curt Hennig, who is a member of nWo Hollywood. Gene starts hocking his 1-900 hotline to the fans as well. Gene sends it to the ring to get this one started.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud is setup based off the fact that Saturn didn’t want to conform to the sheep like mentality that it takes to be a member of the Flock. Saturn basically had enough of Raven’s shit so they started feuding. Saturn looked awesome and could really go at this point and Raven was well Raven. This should be a nice solid opener here at the Bash.

Match 1: Raven’s Rules Match: Raven vs. Saturn

Saturn goes out after Raven and nails him with a big right hand to get this one started. Saturn whips Raven into the guard rail a few times to work the back of Raven. Saturn takes the flannel shirt off Raven and chokes him out with it and then whips him into the guard rail again. Saturn throws Raven into the ring and then hits him with a drop kick. Raven tries to reverse an Irish whip but Saturn stops him and drops him with a drop toe hold into a submission. Saturn picks up Raven and drops him with a gut wrench suplex. Saturn goes for a leg drop off the top rope but Raven moves out of the way.

Raven picks up Saturn and hits him with a double under hook suplex. Raven goes to the outside and pulls out a table from under the ring. Tony, of course, calls it a chair. Raven is about to suplex Saturn from inside the ring to the outside and on to the table but Saturn picks him up and racks him on the top rope. Saturn is going for a spring board drop kick but Raven ducked and Saturn goes falling to the outside. Raven goes to the outside and hits a Russian leg sweep into the guard rail. That was freakin awesome.

Raven gets back in the ring and goes for a pin but only gets a 2 count. Raven hits a nice snap suplex on Saturn. Raven then gets Saturn in a sleeper hold in the middle of the ring but Saturn is fighting it and rams Raven back into the corner. Raven doesn’t really let go and keeps it on but Saturn drops down and hits a jawbreaker on Raven. Saturn picks up Raven and hits him with a release overhead suplex. Saturn goes to the outside and gets a chair and nails him in the head with it. Saturn then does a spring board leg drop on to the chair onto Raven for a 2 count.

Saturn sets up the chair but Lodi and Riggs end up attacking him from behind. Saturn dumps both of them with a belly to back suplex. Saturn is going for a kick to the face of Raven but Raven pulls the ref in front of it and Saturn goes crashing into the ref instead of Raven. Both guys go outside and Saturn ends up hitting Raven with a bulldog into the steel steps. Saturn gets out another table and he sets it up in front of the other table. Saturn lays Raven on top of the table and then he stacks the other table on top of it. Saturn then climbs to the top rope and he goes for an elbow through the table but Kanyon comes out of no where and pulls Raven off the table and Saturn completely misses everything.

Kanyon then throws Raven into the ring and acts like he is going to celebrate with him but he ends up dropping Raven with the Flatliner on to a chair. Riggs rolls Saturn into the ring and Raven gets his arm on him for a 2 1/2 count. Raven hits the drop toe hold on to a steel chair for another 2 count on Saturn. Raven picks up the chair and Saturn hits him with a standing side kick but Riggs comes in and breaks up the pin. Saturn picks up Riggs and nails him with the DVD. Raven then grabs Saturn and drops him with the Evenflow DDT for the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….Raven!

Recap:
This was a solid opening match here. They took advantage of Raven’s Rules and put on a hell of a show. We had some interference, which is to be expected from a Raven match but thats okay. Saturn looked awesome here and looked somebody that could become a player if WCW actually gave a shit and gave him a shot. The spot with Kanyon was pretty awesome but Saturn looked like a complete idiot by jumping on to the tables knowing Kanyon pulled Raven off the table. The Flatliner on the chair was a pretty awesome spot while we are talking about Kanyon. All in all this was a solid opener and a match that is worth checking out.

Ringside Interview: Eddie Guerrero

Gene says that Chavo has to square off against Stevie Ray and that is going to give an unfair competitive advantage to Eddie Guerrero. Eddie says that when he went home the other night looking and thinking about the match ahead, he is concerned a little bit. Eddie says that Chavo is a whacko and not all there and that makes him concerned. Eddie says when Chavo challenged Stevie Ray when he already had a match with Eddie and thats when he knew he was a whacko. Eddie says that Stevie is going to leave him laying in the ring. Eddie then said he will be a nice uncle and come in and hit him with a frog splash, cut his hair, and send him back home to his momma. Eddie says he is not only going to cut Chavo’s hair, he is going to shave it.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
There really isn’t much back story behind this one outside of Juvi going against members of the Flock. I guess on the previous pay per view Juvi went up against the monster Reese. This time he is in the ring with a guy more his size in Kidman. Should be a solid match here.

Match 2: Juventud Guerrera vs. Kidman

They tie up and roll around the ring as this one starts. We get a bunch of counters from each guy until Juvi gets the advantage with some chops and then a tilt a whirl head scissors takedown. Juvi then hits Kidman with a clothesline to the outside. Juvi was going to do a move on Kidman but Lodi ends up tripping Juvi up and dragging him to the outside on the other side of the ring. Kidman goes for a spring board splash on to Juvi but he moves out of the way and Kidman lands on Lodi. Lodi and Kidman are standing next to each other and Juvi hits a spring board plunga on both guys.

Juvi goes up and over and then they exchange reversals until Kidman just destroys Juvi with a wheel barrow suplex. That looked brutal there. Kidman throws Juvi to the outside and then he goes out after him. Kidman does a power bomb type move but dumps him over his head and Juvi lands on his jaw of of the guard rail. Juvi moves out of the way of a splash and it sends Kidman flying into the guard rail. Juvi then hits a back drop on Kidman on the floor. Kidman gets up and back on the apron but Juvi does a front flip power bomb to the floor on Kidman.

Both guys get back in the in the ring and Juvi puts Kidman on the top rope. Juvi is laying in the rights but Kidman hits him with a low blow and then hits a spine buster bomb off the top rope that nets him a 2 count. Both guys miss clotheslines until Juvi nails Kidman with a chop that is followed up by Kidman going for a body slam on Juvi but Juvi holds on and rolls up Kidman for a 2 count of his own. Juvi goes charging at Kidman and Kidman kicks him in the ass and Juvi goes flying through the middle rope and goes crashing to the outside. That looked bad.

Kidman goes up to the top rope but Juvi ends up meeting him at the top turnbuckle as well. Kidman is trying to Suplex Juvi but Juvi blocks it and ends up racking Kidman. Juvi then hits a springboard hurricanrana for a 2 count. That was awesome looking as well. Juvi dumps Kidman with a rock bottom type suplex for another 2 count. Kidman hits a spring board DDT for another 2 count. Kidman goes for a release German suplex but Juvi lands on his feet and dumps Kidman with the Juvi Driver but Kidman ends up kicking out at 2 1/2.

Juvi goes charging at Kidman and Kidman drops him a spine buster near the corner. Kidman goes up top and goes for the 7 Year Itch but Juvi moves out of the way. Juvi sets up Kidman for the 450 splash and he connects with it for the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match….Juventud Guerrera!

Recap:
This match was pretty damn good here. A lot of fast paced action and near falls. There was also a lot of power moves that you got from the cruiser weights. Kidman really looked good here and probably showed some things to the WCW office because soon after this one he is out of the Flock and doing things in the cruiserweight division. Just a really good cruiserweight match here that is worth checking out.

They head to the back to the WCW internet location where Lee Marshall is interviewing Konnan.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match was created because they are pushing this Chavo is a nut job gimmick. Therefore they had Chavo challenge Stevie Ray even though he already has a hair vs. hair match against Eddie Guerrero. Thats about all you need to know when it comes to this one so lets get to it.

Match 3: Stevie Ray vs. Chavo Guerrero

Chavo comes out wearing a pool float and using a super soaker. Dude looks like a complete jackass. Chavo gets on the mic before the match starts and dedicates the match to his favorite wrestler Eddie Guerrero. Chavo is running from Stevie Ray early on. Chavo is dancing and pissing off Stevie Ray. They shake hands and Chavo immediately taps out. Your winner by submission….Stevie Ray!

Recap:
This was nothing more than a storyline to piss off Eddie Guerrero prior to Chavo’s real match. The benefit is we didn’t get to see Stevie Ray try to put on a good wrestling match on this show. Nothing more needs to be said about this one.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud dates quite a while and it was set up with Chavo wanting to be with his uncle Eddie but Eddie wants no business with him. Eddie is your classic heel and doing everything he can to teach Chavo a lesson and tonight they are putting their hair on the line. This is a big match in Lucha Libre so it’s only natural that this feud ended up here.

Match 4: Hair vs. Hair Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Chavo is still in the ring from his last match and he gets on the mic again and tells Eddie that he is so tired and exhausted. Chavo then says its him and Eddie right now. Chavo ends up biting the ass of Eddie Guerrero and this sends Eddie to the outside and already regrouping. Eddie gets frustrated and kicks the bottom rope and then sells it like it hurts. Chavo then mocks him as if he is dancing and this pisses Eddie off more so Eddie goes outside and grabs a chair and throws it in the ring but Chavo just takes it and sits down to relax. Just a lot of story telling going on early here.

Chavo shakes the hands of Eddie and then drops him with a nice clothesline. Chavo hits Eddie with a big time back drop and Eddie damn near landed on his feet. Eddie crawls over to the ref and grabs on to him and then Chavo comes over and bites him on the ass again. Eddie hits a drop kick on the knee of Chavo to get control of the match. Eddie then hits a nice looking drop kick in the lower back of Chavo while he was resting in the corner. Eddie hits the con hilo on the back of Chavo. Chavo is draped over the apron chest first and then Eddie goes up and over and applies a forearm to the back of Chavo.

Eddie goes to the outside and whips Chavo into the guard rail to continue to work the lower back. Eddie gets Chavo back in the ring and gets Chavo in the Gory Special in the middle of the ring. Chavo hits Eddie with an arm drag but Eddie gets right back up and floors Chavo with a clothesline. Eddie then gets Chavo in a beautiful looking camel clutch and he is just pulling on the chin to work over the lower back some more.

Eddie whips Chavo into the ropes but Chavo hits Eddie with a head scissors take down and then a monkey flip that sends Eddie flying into the ropes and landing on the back of his neck. Chavo goes for a move off the top rope but ends up rolling through and then hitting Eddie with a tilt a whirl back breaker. Chavo gets a little to close to Eddie and he grabs him by the tights and throws him to the outside. Eddie lifts up the mat on the outside and he goes for a snap suplex but Chavo ends up reversing it and hitting a suplex on Eddie on the unprotected floor.

Both guys get back in the ring and Chavo drops Eddie with a body slam. Chavo tries to hit a move off the top rope but Eddie shakes the top rope and racks Chavo on the top rope. Eddie goes up to meet Chavo and he ends up hitting him with a nice super plex off the top rope. Chavo hits a body slam on Eddie and then he heads up to the top and goes for a frog splash but Eddie gets the knees up to block the move. Eddie then nails Chavo with the Tornado DDT.

Eddie grabs the scissors and is about to cut the hair of Chavo but the ref stops him. Eddie goes for the frog splash of his own but Chavo rolls out of the way and Eddie misses. Chavo hits the Tornado DDT on Eddie and then he picks up the scissors but the ref stops him as well. Eddie then grabs Chavo and rolls him up for the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match by pinfall….Eddie Guerrero!

After the match the ref hands the clippers to Eddie Guerrero. Chavo steals the clippers from Eddie and is telling Eddie to sit down. Chavo then takes the clippers and starts cutting his on his own. Eddie just rolls out of the ring and is laughing it off as Chavo continues to shave his own head. Chavo even shaves off his arm pit hair. This whacko gimmick is pretty damn funny I guess.

Recap:
This was a pretty good match as well. Eddie and Chavo can go and they showed that on this night. I enjoyed the crazy gimmick that Chavo was doing because it basically flipped the switch on Eddie and thats pretty good booking if you ask me. The hair vs. hair match is a pretty big deal in Lucha Libre so this was a pretty good ending to the feud here. A solid match with good storytelling and a funny ending with Chavo shaving his own head.

They go to the commentary table and talk about how Chris Jericho was going to fight Dean Malenko tonight but it’s not happening because Malenko has been suspended. They tell us that Jericho will be wrestling tonight but they don’t know against who.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
I have no idea why this match is going on. Tony says that this is a special added match so there really is no build to this one.

Match 5: Konnan vs. Disco Inferno

Alex Wright gets on the mic and starts talking but you can’t understand a word he is saying. Disco takes over the mic and says that Konnan isn’t the only guy who knows the south hispanic scene because he and Alex are getting with the lingo of these people. They then mock Konnan’s saying. This is brutal and stupid. Nash and Luger come out with Konnan and they get in ring Nash gets on the mic. He says that the Wolfpac is most definitely in the house. Nash says that a lot of people are saying that the Wolfpac are nothing but a bunch of players. Nash says they aren’t players but they just crush a lot. Konnan then starts speaking in Mexican and then runs through his normal spiel.

This one starts with Konnan laying in some right hands and then a hip toss to Disco. Konnan whips Disco into the ropes and hits him with an arm drag. Konnan goes for a sunset flip on Disco but Disco hits him with a punch and then he starts doing the Disco dance. Konnan has had enough and hits Disco with a face buster and then the rolling clothesline. Konnan goes for the cradle DDT but Disco blocks it and throws Konnan to the outside.

Alex Wright attacks Konnan on the outside and then he throws him back into the ring and Alex Wright starts dancing. Luger comes around and gets Wright in the torture rack. Meanwhile, in the ring Kevin Nash picks up Disco and drops him with the Jackknife Power Bomb. Konnan then gets Disco in the Tequila Sunrise and Disco is laid out as the ref calls for the bell. Your winner by submission….Konnan!

Recap:
This match was trash and it looked like they really had no idea what they were going to do in the match. You can see them calling it throughout the entire match. This was also used to make the crowd happy by having the Wolfpac just destroy these two goofs. Nash destroying Disco with the power bomb is an awesome sight. Other then that theres no other reason to watch this one.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This was supposed to be a tag team match with the Giant and Curt Hennig vs. Goldberg and Kevin Greene. That all changed when Goldberg won the WCW title 6 days prior to this event. So, WCW decided to split the match up and give us two separate matches to fill the void of the one. I guess that makes sense but why not do Greene vs. Hennig and then Goldberg vs. the Giant. That makes more sense but they probably didn’t want to job out the Giant without a proper build. This was one of those rock and a hard place spots and I guess they did the best they could with what they had.

Match 6: The Giant vs. Kevin Greene

The Giant is trying to get to Greene but Greene keeps rolling out of the way. Giant misses a chop and then Greene slaps him in the face. The Giant goes after him again and again misses but Greene ends up hitting him with a boot to the gut. The Giant goes out after Greene but Greene quickly gets back in the ring and when the Giant gets back in Greene kicks the rope and racks the Giant on the top rope.

Greene tries to lay in some rights in the corner but Giant keeps pushing him down and on the third one the Giant catches Greene and just drops him with a body slam in the middle in the ring. Giant then drops a big ass elbow on Greene. The Giant then rolls Greene under the bottom rope and then he stands on the bottom rope and chokes Greene with it. Greene goes for a cross body but the Giant catches him and ends up dropping him on the apron so Greene ends up clotheslining the Giant over the top rope.

Greene gets back on the apron and the Giant gets tired of dealing with him so he just head butts him back off the apron. Giant ends up going to the outside after Greene and he tries to ram him into the guard rail but Greene blocks it. Greene then rams the Giant into the guard rail and then into the steel post numerous times. Greene climbs to the top rope and hits a flying shoulder block on the Giant.

Greene does a big splash for a 2 count on the Giant. Greene goes for a chop block on the Giant but he can’t get him down. Greene gets into the three point stance and goes charging at the Giant but the Giant catches him and drops him with a big time choke slam for the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match….The Giant!

Recap:
This wasn’t as bad as it looks on paper but it’s still bad. Greene did his best but that’s not really good enough for a pay per view match if you ask me. I don’t know what WCWs fascination was with bringing in football players and basketball players. The only reason you would do it is to get a spot on Sportscenter but man is it really worth it? I would say no but WCW just kept doing it. This is one that you can skip on this card unless you are a fan of either guy.

They go to the internet location again where Lee Marshall is with Curt Hennig this time around.

They show a highlight video on the feud between Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match was supposed to be Chris Jericho vs. Dean Malenko but they had a clause where they couldn’t put their hands on each other or they would be suspended. Well Malenko snapped on an episode of Nitro and got himself suspended so they put in Rey Mysterio Jr to take his place. You can’t go wrong with either guy going against Jericho so this is a win either way you go.

Match 7: WCW Cruiserweight Title No Disqualification Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Jericho gets on the mic and says he wants us to want him. Jericho says that Stinko Malenko went and got himself suspended so he robbed all the fans of the match tonight. Jericho says he would never ever rob the fans. Jericho is about to dance and sing for the fans but James J. Dillon shows up. Dillon says that he may have made a mistake and that he may have misjudged Jericho. Dillon says he would be the first guy to come out and say he did wrong and offer an apology and let bygones be bygones. Dillon says he is surprised by how many fans Jericho has and Jericho says he has millions of Jerichoholics everywhere.

Dillon says the fans are disappointed because they want to see Jericho wrestle and defend his belt. Dillon then says he got on the phone and tried to find somebody in the area on short notice. Dillon says he hasn’t wrestled in 6 months and he wants to get into the ring for a title shot. Jericho asks if it can still be a no disqualification match. Dillon says thats fine. Jericho says bring in the jobber and he will defend his title. Dillon then calls for the guy and it ends up being Rey Mysterio Jr.

Rey comes out and is guns blazing as he hits Jericho with some right hands, a back drop, and then a drop kick to Jericho. Rey does a baseball slide trip to Jericho and then a spring board leg drop to the back of Jericho’s head and gets a 2 count. Rey tried to use the post to swing around and catch Jericho but he slipped off but he was able to hold on to it and he head scissored Jericho into the guard rail. We get back in the ring and Rey goes for a leap frog but Jericho holds on and then chop blocks Rey in his bad knee right away.

Jericho goes for a splash in the corner but Rey moves out of the way and Jericho goes flying up and over to the outside. Jericho leaves the ring and heads toward the entrance ramp but Rey goes out after him. Jericho is trying to climb the life guard stand but Rey grabs him and pulls him into the sand castle and giant beach ball. Rey then climbs to the top of the life guard chair and hits Jericho with a hurricanrana onto Jericho in the sand. That was pretty damn awesome there.

Rey picks up a handful of sand and throws it into the face of Jericho. Rey goes to the top rope and goes for a cross body but Jericho floats over and gets a 2 count on Rey. Jericho puts Rey on the top rope and then he hits him with a belly to belly suplex off the top rope. That looked pretty damn cool as well. Jericho then goes to the outside and gets a chair and he nails Rey with it right in his bad knee. Jericho then puts the knee of Rey in between the chair and goes off the top rope with a knee drop but Rey moves out of the way and Jericho crashes into the chair.

Rey picks up the chair and nails Jericho with it in the knee. Jericho is in the corner and Rey sets the chair up on the knee of Jericho and Rey hits a drop kick into the chair. Rey hits Jericho with a face buster and then goes for a spring board hurricanrana but Jericho blocks it and tries to get Rey into the Walls of Jericho. Dean Malenko then shows up out of no where. Jericho picks up Rey and and is going for the Walls of Jericho again but Rey slides through and ends up rolling Jericho up for the 1-2-3. Your winner and new WCW Cruiserweight Champion….Rey Mysterio Jr.

After the match Jericho runs out to the ringside area and Malenko goes chasing after him. Arn ends up stopping Jericho from getting away and Dean gets his hands on Jericho and rams him face first into an equipment truck. They then go back into arena to show Rey celebrating.

Recap:
This match was pretty good but it didn’t get enough time. They missed a couple of spots which is surprising considering the two in the ring. I guess the following night on Nitro they take the title back from Rey and give it to Jericho because Malenko came out. That doesn’t make much sense to me but whatever. This match is solid and definitely worth checking out.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud has been boiling over the last month or so on Thunder and Nitro. Bret tried to interfere and influence the outcome of the best of 7 series between Booker T and Benoit. Bret has also attacked the leg of Booker T on numerous occasions and has gotten him in the Sharp Shooter a few times as well. This one is finally coming to a head here at Bash at the Beach.

Match 8: WCW Television Title Match: Booker T (c) vs. Bret Hart

This one starts with Booker pushing Bret Hart. They tie up and Booker drops Bret with an arm drag immediately. They start doing some wrestling on the ground until they get back up and Bret hits Booker with a nice back elbow. Booker ends up hitting the flying forearm on Bret for a 2 count. Bret then hits a side kick and then a clotheslines for another 2 count. They then reverse hip tosses 2-3 times before Booker ends up getting the upper hand and hip tosses Bret over the top rope and out to the floor. Bret lost control of the rope and he went crashing down on the mat pretty hard. That didn’t look to good.

Booker gets a little distracted so Bret picks him up and drops him face first into the guard rail. Bret gets Booker back into the ring and he hits him in the back of he head with an elbow. Bret starts softening up the legs of Booker to get him ready for the Sharpshooter. Booker ends up reversing an Irish whip into a spine buster and a roll up for a 2 count. Bret gets back up and ends up sending Booker flying over the top rope with a clothesline. Bret picks up Booker and rams him back first into the steel post on the outside.

Bret gets Booker back in the ring and he ends up hitting him with a leg drop. Bret then drops Booker with a back breaker and the elbow drop off the middle rope. Bret goes for the cover and gets a 2 count. Bret then hits the Russian leg sweep for another 2 count. Bret then runs the eyes of Booker across the top rope. A dastardly heel move there. Bret continues to work over Booker in the corner with kicks. Booker tried a roll up out of the corner but he couldn’t get it so Bret was able to kick out at 2.

Booker blocks an Irish whip with a knee to the gut, a kick to the face, and then a spinning leg kick to get control of the match. Booker then nails Bret with the ax kick. Booker then drops Bret with a flapjack and then the spinarooni. Booker goes to the top rope and nails Bret with an awesome looking missile drop kick. Booker goes for the cover but Bret gets his foot on the rope at 2 1/2. Bret gets frustrated and goes to the outside. Bret grabs a chair and when Booker goes up and over to the outside Bret nails him with the steel chair. Your winner of the match by disqualification….Booker T!

After the match Bret takes the chair and just lays into the bad knee of Booker T. Bret then drags Booker into the corner and gets him in the figure four on the steel post. Stevie Ray comes out and checks on Booker T but he was in no hurry to get there. Stevie is yelling at Booker for the most part instead of actually helping him. Stevie helps Booker out of the ring and Booker is struggling to walk.

Recap:
This was a pretty damn good match if you ask me. The finish kind of sucked but I guess it makes sense. I really enjoyed the heel Bret here and I liked the after math where he just lays in the chair shots and the steel post figure four. That is one my favorite moves of all time because it looks so damn painful and it’s different. Just another reason to be a fan of Bret Hart. Booker held his own with Bret and thats pretty damn awesome. Just a solid match here that is worth checking out.

They show a highlight vide on the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg!

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This was the other half of that tag team match that was booked ahead of time until Goldberg won the title in Atlanta. Theres really no build here but it just gives Goldberg a credible name on his winning streak. It’s also a good guy to have in the ring to make your new champ look good. Not a horrible decision by WCW here but you can tell they really only cared about the main event so nobody will remember this one.

Match 9: WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Curt Hennig

We get the Michael Buffer intros for this one. Anyways the match starts with Hennig on the outside thinking about what he is about to go through. Hennig looks jacked by the way. They start with a tie up and Goldberg gets a head lock on Hennig right away. Hennig pushes him off and Goldberg drops him with a big shoulder block and it sends Hennig flying. Hennig gets up and quickly gets dropped again with a hip toss. Hennig is already selling like a million bucks for Goldberg and I am not surprised.

Hennig lays in some chops but they do nothing to Goldberg. Goldberg then gets Hennig in a scissor roll take down that sends Hennig to the outside to regroup. Goldberg ends up grabbing Hennig and pulling him back into the ring. Hennig goes up to the top rope but Goldberg catches him and gorilla presses him into his shoulder and then down to the mat. Goldberg goes to pick up Hennig but Hennig trips him up and starts working over the leg of Goldberg.

Hennig hits Goldberg with the forearm shot and then the Hennig plex for a 2 count. Goldberg then lays out Hennig with a lay down clothesline. Goldberg then plants Hennig with the spear. He follows that up with the Jackhammer for the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall and still WCW World Heavyweight Champion….Goldberg!

Recap:
This was an okay match. Goldberg didn’t get exposed and if anything Hennig made him look better than he really was. Hennig sold like a million bucks for the guy and really made him look good. Goldberg was super over but he couldn’t do much in the ring so having him do these short matches were what worked for him. Hennig was a really good choice for Goldbergs first title defense and both guys did their part. A decent little match here.

They show a video package highlighting the feud between Hogan/Rodman vs. DDP/Malone.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
I’m not really sure what started this feud but the fact that they bring in Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman can be played up over their finals appearances in the NBA. They brought these guys in to bring in the buys and to get publicity on their product. Not a bad idea but putting NBA players in the main event can’t really be a good idea. They built this one up well so I am interested to see the payoff.

Match 10: Hollywood Hogan/Dennis Rodman vs. Diamond Dallas Page/Karl Malone

They are stalling to being but it looks like this one is going to start with Malone and Rodman. The crowd is already done with this shit because they are chanting “you both suck” before they even tie up or do anything. Rodman keeps stalling by getting into the ropes so Malone can’t get to him. They tease a test of strength but Malone slaps the hand away of Rodman before they can lock up. They finally tie up and Rodman gets a side head lock on Malone. Malone pushes him off and is charging at him but Rodman pulls under the bottom rope to stall some more. Rodman has enough and he tags in Hogan.

They tie up and Malone gets Hogan in a weird looking tie up/head lock. Hogan gets into the ropes but Malone picks him up and carries him back to the middle of the ring. Malone then picks up Hogan and drops him with a body slam. Malone finally tags in DDP as he squares off against Hogan. DDP calls for Rodman and he gets the tag in. They tie up and DDP throws Rodman down in the corner. The crowd is getting bored so they start a boring chant. I don’t think this match is taking off like they thought it would.

Rodman then drops DDP with an arm drag as Hogan starts doing a strut down the apron. They tie up and DDP gets Rodman in a head lock. Rodman pushes off and they end up running right into each other. This sends Rodman packing down in the ropes as DDP backs off as well. We get another tie up and this time Rodman gets the head lock on DDP. DDP goes for a pin after doing nothing and gets a 2 count. Rodman then does two straight leap frogs and then Rodman kind of just runs into DDP and he falls on his ass. Rodman is blown up already.

DDP tags in Malone as Rodman quickly tags in Hogan. Hogan gets a top wrist lock on Malone but Malone ends up powering through it and reversing it on Hogan and throws him to the mat. Rodman comes in and drops Malone with an ax handle to the back and this gives Hogan the advantage of the match. Hogan hits Malone with a body slam and then two straight elbows before he rakes the eyes with his boot. Hogan tags in Rodman and he comes in and drops an elbow on Malone. Rodman then takes the face of Malone and rams into the boot of Hogan.

Hogan lays in some right hands to Malone and gets a 2 count. Hogan then gets a reverse chin lock on Malone and he drives the knee into the back of Malone. Hogan tags in Rodman and he holds up Malone for Hogan. Hogan lays in a right hand and it knocks Malone down but it also knocks down Rodman. Hogan gets Malone in the softest looking belly to back suplex. Malone finally tags in DDP and he comes in off the top rope with a clothesline to Hogan. He then drops Rodman with a right hand off the apron. Rodman hits Page with a knee to the lower back and Hogan drops him with a clothesline to get control of the match.

Hogan takes off the weightlifting belt and lays it into the back of Page. Rodman gets the tag in and they drop Page with a double clothesline for a 2 count. Hogan whips Page into the corner and follows him in with a big ass clothesline that sends Page crashing to the mat. Hogan tags in Rodman and he comes in and they hit him with a double big boot. Rodman comes in and gets DDP in a front face lock before he tags in Hogan. Hogan ends up hitting a suplex on DDP and he gets a 2 count. Rodman gets in the ring and puts a head lock on Page. Page is picking up Rodman and getting close to a tag but Hogan ends up coming in to mess that up. Rodman and Hogan then pummel Page in the corner.

Hogan whips Page into the ropes and ends up hitting him with a big boot. Hogan goes for the big leg but Page rolls out of the way and Hogan misses. Page tags in Malone and he comes in after Hogan as Hogan falls down to his knees and tries to beg him off. Malone comes in and nails Hogan and Rodman with big time clotheslines as well as body slams to both guys. Malone then grabs Hogan and Rodman and rams them head first into each other. Malone rams the head of Hogan into the turnbuckle 10 times. Malone whips Hogan into the ropes and nails him with the big boot. Malone then calls for the Diamond Cutter as he tags in Page.

Page whips Hogan into the corner and then hits the ropes and drops Hogan with the Diamond Cutter. Page goes for the cover and Rodman comes in to break it up but Malone catches him and drops him with a Diamond Cutter of his own. The ref is distracted so the Disciple gets in the ring and nails Page with a stone cold stunner move. Hogan goes for the cover and gets the 1-2-3. Your winners of the match….Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman!

After the match Malone gets back into the ring and nails the Disciple with a Diamond Cutter. Malone then gets pissed off and nails the ref with a Diamond Cutter. Hogan and Rodman celebrate with the rest of nWo Black & White while Malone and Page leave through the crowd.

Recap:
This match kind of sucked. I am guessing that they couldn’t do any real wrestling moves on Rodman or Malone because they didn’t want to be liable if they got injured. When you throw that in plus the fact that this thing goes 23-24 minutes it makes the shit drag on and on and on. I wish they would have kept Page and Hogan in for the majority of the match and then get the hot tag to Malone or Rodman for small spurts. Instead the first 10 minutes was just stalling and shit. This is not one of the better main events in WCW history and if you shut this show off after the Goldberg vs. Hennig match then you wouldn’t have missed anything. Also, there is no reason that Hogan and Rodman should have won this match. When you do a match like this you want the fans to go home happy so you should let the good guys win especially after Malone gets the Diamond Cutter in on both guys.

Show Recap:
So that about does it for this one here. Bash at the Beach was a pretty solid show but it had it’s pitfalls like most WCW shows back then. They started off hot with 3-4 really good matches at the start of the show and then it fell off a little bit. I didn’t really care for the angle between Eddie and Chavo so that segment with Stevie Ray really didn’t do much for me. Eddie and Chavo’s match itself was solid but that was more because of Eddie than anything else.

The squash with Disco sucked and was a waste of time. The Giant and Kevin Greene was thrown together when Goldberg got the strap and they actually had a pretty solid match. It wasn’t a wrestling clinic but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It looked like Kevin Greene laid in some pretty stiff shots to the Giant that made it believable for me. Kevin Greene did pretty damn good if you ask me.

After that we got the returning Rey Mysterio, in his home town of San Diego, to a nice ovation. This match could have been a little bit better if they got more time but it just felt rushed and thats a shame. Rey came back looking jacked so he must have started that Eddie Guerrero plan while he was away. After that we got a damn good match between Booker T and Bret Hart that ended in a DQ. It’s a shame it had the garbage finish because these two put on a really good match and I was quite entertained by it until the abrupt ending.

After that match we get the WCW World Heavyweight Title match between the new WCW champion Goldberg and Curt Hennig. Hennig did his best to get a good match out of Goldberg and he did a damn good job of doing it. Goldberg sold well for Hennig and he actually went a little longer in the match than Goldberg was accustomed to doing. Of course Goldberg was going to win but they put him in the ring with a pro’s pro and it forced him to show that he can actually work a match with the right competition. Hats off to both guys for their performance here.

Lastly, we get the tag team match with Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman involved. I have no idea why the hell they would give this match 22+ minutes but they did and it was dreadful. They couldn’t do much to either of the two basketball players for fear of injury. If something would have happened to either guy then that could have been bad news for WCW. They were heavily protected and you could tell throughout because they were basic spots throughout and nothing to dangerous. Malone looked pretty solid for the most part but his Diamond Cutter looked rough and it looked like he could hurt someone with it. Also, the finish is kind of stupid because the whole point of celebs is to get the good guys over so why would you have DDP and Malone job out to Hogan and Rodman? Anyways, this was a pretty bad match that should have been cut in half to make it better. Definitely made this show end on a stinker.

All in all there are some pretty damn good matches on this show that make it worth watching if you haven’t already. There are also some matches that are worth going back and watching again every once in a while because when WCW really wanted to they could put on some pretty good matches. The main event didn’t deliver in my book but both Rodman and Malone looked the part and thats pretty much all you can ask for. At the end of the day this is a show that is pretty fun and worth watching at least once.

There you have it for another episode of the Event Center. This wraps up our summer review series as we turn the calendar to September where we start picking up on some of the fall spectaculars. We will dive in to some more WCW 2000 to try and finish out that year. We will also touch on one of my favorite pay per views of all time from the WWF. Theres a lot of good stuff on the horizon so I hope you stick around to enjoy it. Remember, if you ever want to reach out to me then I am available on twitter @xstat32x. Thanks again for reading and until next time, stay safe.