March 2001

Low sound on this match, which looks to be taking place in a high school gym. I turned the volume on my computer all the way up and still couldn’t make out a word the Hardbodies were saying on their promo. Interesting to note in contrast to last night that Dave Prazak is managing the Bodies, who aren’t referred to as that and aren’t in matching ring gear either. Punk & Cabana don’t have Paul E. Smooth managing them, rather some female valet. They clothesline the Bodies over the top rope to the outside and then connect with stereo suicide dives. Punk works over Steel’s left arm and is good at keeping the crowd involved. Dominion makes a blind tag, however a Punk …

Last match for many years between these two. No sound and a ringside camera shoot. Looks like there's some minor clipping, but nothing too bad. Best match they've had in 2001. Wish I could hear Tajiri antagonizing the fans, but looks like he's doing a great job of it here. Crazy opens a big cut off of a Tajiri handspring kick into a chair. Tajiri is wonderfully dickish in this. Crazy busts out a spinning elbow drop that I don't recall seeing him use before. Really enjoyable all the way through - not a classic, but worth seeing if you've enjoyed their rivalry, a reasonably nice finish compared to their tepid US indy matches.

The penultimate first round match in the Cruiserweight tag team title tournament, the winners going on to face the Jung Dragons in the semi-finals. Styles & Paris have finally got themselves matching coloured ring gear. The era of the catchphrase means that even someone like Elix Skipper has one which he’s trying to get over. He introduces his mystery partner, it is in fact the man whose arrival they’ve been hyping in vignettes the past couple of weeks, Kid Romeo. Romeo’s music is awesome. We’re given a bit of background on him, it even mentioned how he’s wrestled in New Japan and competed in the Super J Cup this past summer. Romeo with an arm drag and he starts…

Booker T makes Rick Steiner sick. I think he’s still of the opinion he hid behind his brother in this “real man’s business” and challenges him to a match at the PPV. Scott warns DDP that the running stops comes Greed, where he’ll show him that he’s no match for the Genetic Freak. Booker accepts Rick’s challenge on the proviso that he puts the U.S. title on the line. A fast and furious start as all four men pair off. Scott gets clotheslined over the top to the outside and Page with an immediate pescado. On the other side of the ring a Booker superkick sends ‘the DFG’ through the ropes to the floor. DDP off the top with a flying clothesline to Scott. After some …

Recap of some recent altercations between the two, Scott Hudson thinking that Helms has gotten under the skin of the Cruiserweight champion who maybe feeling that the title is slipping through his fingers. New entrance for Helms, both the ‘Vertebreaker’ song along with some dancing girls. That’s a huge sign for him. Chavo gets the jump before the bell, lifting Helms off his feet with a European uppercut. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Shane before clotheslining the champion over the top rope to the outside. Great froggy crossbody, Helms getting some air on that one. Shane is about to springboard back into the ring when he’s pulled down by Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper, hi…

Ever since Dustin Rhodes turned down Ric Flair’s efforts to recruit him back in January things have gotten ugly between the two parties. With the aid of Flair’s officiating Jarrett scored a pinfall over Dustin last week on Nitro, this week ‘the Boss’ is giving Dusty a chance at getting some revenge against ‘Double J’. Jarrett says he can finally achieve his destiny by putting the Rhodes name and legacy to rest and calls Dusty and his big, fat, white ass out here. Tony Schiavone is giving this the big build up and what a momentous night it will be to see ‘the Dream’ here on Nitro. It’s not ‘the Dream’, rather some guy in an old man mask wearing a fat suit and dressed u…

With March being the final month for the company I’m going to watch everything WCW puts out, which means stuff like this, which I would normally have no interest in, is getting viewed. The laughable “U-S-A” chant, laughable in the sense that it is two Americans in there. Awesome no sells the splash in the corner and runs through Hugh with a big clothesline. He throws him through the ropes to the floor, following him out, but ends up getting backdropped over the guard rail into the front row. The crowd, who haven’t really been into this, do pop for that. Awesome must land on his feet because he’s set waiting for Morrus to turn around, nailing him with a springboard c…

Rick Steiner is already in the ring when Nitro comes on air. ‘The DFG’ takes some digs at Booker T, how he was a nobody without his brother who was always there to back him up, how he was nothing as a champion and how he never beat him. He kinda challenges him which leads to Booker coming out. Booker is on a mission, getting the sound guys to cut his music. He starts talking about ‘Big Poppa Pump’, the bad blood between the two and that he’ll get him in due time, in the mean time though he’s happy to come to that ring and whup his ass all over the place for these fans. ‘The Book’ wants a referee and if by magic Scott Armstrong is on the scene. The bell eventuall…

O’Haire is ou for some payback for what Totally Buff did to Chuck Palumbo last week on Thunder after his victory over Disqo. Luger is dawdling like nobodies business as he makes his way to the ring. He gets the jump on O’Haire but is every bit as lethargic in his attack as he was on his entrance. There is zero effort on the cover and even less when he misses the elbow drop. I would guess there is every likelihood Lex is doing the job here! O’Haire with those short arm clotheslines before firing some shots into Luger’s ribs. He runs into a big boot and Lex with a running forearm to the face. We’re reminded, like most times, how there is a steel plate inside that for…

Paul Heyman in the seat next to JR and wearing an ECW cap. That’s twigged something I said on watching this past week’s Memphis Power Pro and wondering what led to the WWF pulling their talent and going exclusively with MCW, it was to do with Lawler quitting the company after they had fired the Kat. Earlier in the day Mr McMahon went to the Radicalz and said one of them could challenge Chris Jericho for the I-C title on tonight’s Raw. We see footage of the Radicalz debating that decision in their locker room, Malenko and Saturn both putting their case for the shot forward. Benoit thinks it should be Eddy, while at the same time Eddy thinks it should be ‘the Crippler’.…

The Hardy Boyz challenging the Dudleys for their WWF World tag team titles. Matt makes the mistake of turning his back on Bubba who immediately takes advantage. Match number two for Paul Heyman and another ECW reference, this time when talking about all the tag titles that the Dudleys won there. Jeff with a blind tag, he starts climbing the turnbuckles but as Matt rebounds off the ropes it causes him to lose his balance and crotch himself across the top one. As the brothers have words, Bubba runs through them with a double clothesline. Jim Ross notes that the Hardys don’t appear to be on the same page tonight. High backdrop to Jeff. Bubba plants him with the Bubba b…

I'm looking forward to getting weekly installments of this feud. This wasn't the smoothest, most well-polished trios you'll see but it had just enough Satanico vs. Ultimo Guerrero to keep you happy and there were some nice dives toward the end.

Lex Luger is out and says that at times it’s tough living up to being the only ‘Total Package’ in all sports. To be fair he’s looking physically great and not as old as he has been. Christ, he’s back to talking about him and his partner, Buff the Stuff, eliminating Bill Goldberg from WCW forever. Despite all his successes, all the hundreds of victories he’s had, when you’re a perfectionist like him it’s those rare losses that really bother you. He segues into his loss to Chuck Palumbo “last Wednesday” (it was actually two Wednesday’s ago), still addled that he was beaten by a rookie. Knowing that Sean O’Haire is at home nursing a sore leg, he challenges Palumbo to f…

The one thing Lance Storm hates more than Americans is wannabe Americans. Konnan enters through the crowd, jumping Storm during the playing of the Canadian national anthem. A knee to the mid-section stops K-Dawg’s initial onslaught as Lance then tosses him to the floor where he slams his head into a steel chair. Mike Tenay says that Konnan is in the process of releasing a Hip Hop album in the U.S. as he looks to try and achieve the same level of mainstream success here as he has in Mexico. Like in the previous match Storm is going after Konnan’s lower back. Tony Schiavone talks about the new ownership and it already sounds like they’re setting the stage for the event…

Set up as a result of what took place earlier in the show where Rick tried to jump DDP from behind, but Hugh Morrus was watching Page’s back and got to ‘the DFG’ before he could get any licks in. To say I’m not looking forward to this one would be putting it mildly! This hasn’t even started and Steiner is stalling on the outside. When he does eventually get into the ring he uses referee Scott Armstrong as a shield. He shoves him into Hugh, kicking Morrus between the legs in the kerfuffle. Rear chinlock. Yawn. Hugh escapes with a jawbreaker but Steiner puts the stop to any potential fightback with one punch. Steiner seems to be going after the knee, unlike with th…

Steiner says that DDP comes out saying how he’s going to out-think him, but week after week all he does is run from him because he fears the physical phenomenon that he is. His path of destruction will continue at Greed where Page will join the likes of Sting, Goldberg, Kevin Nash and Sid Vicious and where he will solidify his position as the greatest World champion of all time. On Nitro he finally found DDP amongst all the white trash and was about to take him out when the Cat stuck his nose in his business. As a result he’s going to use him as a warm up before he gets to Page and tells him to get his ass out here. The Cat tells ‘Big Poppa Dump’ that he was on his wa…

Helms with the big entrance again. It’s the Nitro Girls who are doing the dancing for him, I had no idea they were still around this late. Maybe it’s just a generic name they’re using though as opposed to being the original troupe. He’s out for a bit of revenge after what happened on Monday and that shows right away with the Thesz press and piston like punches from the mount. Skipper takes to the floor to try and get some refuge, Helms following him out and throwing him over the guardrail into the front row. Hip toss back over the other way. Froggy crossbody off the safety railing. They return to the ring where Helms picks up a near fall after a gut wrench suplex. …

The final first round match in the Cruiserweight tag team tournament. Jason B is the former E.Z. Money and is a replacement for Jamie Noble who is unable to compete due to “circumstances out of his control,” whatever that means. It’s noted that this is B’s first appearance in WCW, although the fans may recognise him from elsewhere. Karagias counters the tilt-a-whirl with a neckbreaker. Good facials from B on selling the knife edge chops. As Evan comes off the middle he’s caught by a dropkick to the chest. The Tajiri handspring elbow and Karagias is wanting out. The new pairing utilise a couple of double team maneuvers on Shannon before O gets a two count following …

Stasiak is bringing his own 8x10s out with him which he is signing and handing to the fans. He’s been on a roll recently, having defeated both members of the Mamalukes, so is getting a push of some description. Schiavone informs us that he no longer wishes to be known as ‘PerfectShawn’ rather ‘the Mecca of Manhood’. I don’t know which is worse. Smiley wants to fight and has no interest in a signed 8x10, kicking them out of Stasiak’s hands. As he goes to pick them up Smiley catches him with a sunset flip for a two count. Stasiak runs away from him but Norman makes the mistake of putting his head through the ropes and gets slugged. It’s all kicks and punches from Stas…

This was a great match from two completely random names. I really like the Sumi Sakai from around this period that I've seen, as she was really using her judo and mostly dumping opponents on their heads with uncooperative throws before killing them off with nasty judo chokes, but the roles were kind of reversed here, Yabushita was a lunatic always fighting for armbars and constantly attempting to rip off Sakai's arm. Match was worked kind of like a juniorish BattlARTS match, with the junior stuff being cool, they had some cool ways around springboard moves, nice unpredictable flying armbars, also Sakai has this cool Yakushuji style headscissor to the floor. Match gets rea…

Chris Benoit vs Perry Saturn (WWF Smackdown 3/8/01) Chris Benoit enters the dressing room to see the Radicalz deep in discussion. Thinking that they’re talking about him he tells them to carry on, don’t let him stop them. He continues to niggle away at Eddy, turns his back on him and says if he wants to take a shot at him “go ahead”. Eddy tries to but is held back by Saturn and Malenko. ‘The Crippler’ lets them know he’s going to the ring right now and they can settle their issues one at a time. He knows he can do it, so why don’t they try to prove him wrong. Michael Cole explains that during the break they learned that Benoit had challenged the Radicalz…

A rematch from Monday night, the new tag team champs defending against the former champions. The Dudleys are wasting little time, wanting their gold back. Early Poetry in Motion on Bubba which Matt follows with a clothesline takedown. Bubba ducks his shot and dumps him on the back of his head. Jeff hooks D-Von’s ankle from the floor allowing the champions to take over. Matt chokes him across the second rope and then has some words with the referee allowing Jeff to drop a leg across his neck. D-Von flattens Jeff with a stiff clothesline as he comes off the middle but it happened too close to the Hardy’s corner, Jeff tagging Matt who is able to prevent D-Von doing sim…

Kevin Kelly is backstage waiting outside ‘the Great One’s’ dressing room hoping to catch a word with him. Rikishi makes sure that Haku knows what their orders are for this evening. He says how he ran down Steve Austin with a car and tonight he’s going to run his ass right into his wife’s face. I didn’t watch where it happened, but Mr McMahon has appointed Debra McMichael as the Rock’s manager. Kelly grabs that word, the Rock saying how ever since No Way Out it had been a clear road to Wrestlemania, now there is a roadblock in that road and her name is Debra. While he personally doesn’t have a problem with her, he has never had a manager before, has never neede…

The winner of this match will become the new Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation. William Regal vows to listen to each and every one of these fine people when he becomes Commissioner so proclaims “lets begin the Regal regime!”. Al Snow is accompanied by his “campaign committee”, two midgets, Vito the Finger and Frankie Knuckles. One of them is Teo who we saw in IWA-MS last year and is also part of the Halfpint Brawlers troupe. I don’t recognise the other guy but he has a glorious mullet whomever he is. Snow is limping, his shoulder all taped up after being assaulted by the Big Show in a Hardcore match. Regal with some knee strikes. He sits Snow upstairs …

This was clipped for television, which made it feel more truncated than it would have at the arena, but even with the shredding it still delivered a number of things that I personally wanted to see. Firstly, it was an Arena Mexico showcase for two of my favorite workers, Fuerza Guerrera and El Signo. Secondly, it continued the beefs that Panther had with Olimpico, and to a lesser extent, Niebla. And thirdly, Good Light/Bad Night Niebla was Good Light Niebla here and had a fun stretch run with Fuerza after Panther took the high-risk option with a plancha. There was some weird situation going on with the trios titles at this time and they ended up being vacated. I would hav…