WCW New Blood Rising
August 13, 2000
Vancouver, BC
Reviewed on March 9, 2014
Background: We’re a little earlier in the trainwreck era of WCW. The Millionaire’s Club vs. New Blood had fallen apart with the Hulk Hogan-Vince Russo Bash At the Beach 2000 debacle. It does make the PPV name a bit funny, although I guess you can argue that the New Blood were now going forward with the promotion. There are way too many negatives at this point that you could read in any WCW book or article or whatever. So, I’ll focus on some positives. I believe there are three.
1. There are some good wrestlers in the company. Maybe they’ll get pushed (lol).
2. There are some hot women in the company.
3. Booker T is the WCW World Champion.
If done correctly, #3 could help WCW a lot. Of course, it wasn’t. Let’s get to this trainwreck of a show.
The Card
I’m a Jeff Jarrett fan…but he never should have been a top guy.
Ugh, Mark Madden.
Ladder Match
Three Count (Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore and Shane Helms) vs. The Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi, Jamie-San, Yun Yang)
Three Count has Tank Abbott with them and they sing! I am a Three Count fan, I can’t lie.
Jamie-San is Jamie Knoble.
They are fighting for a gold record AND a recording contract.
For some reason is starts as a six man tag match…no idea why there’s any tagging or anything in a ladder match.
Yang backdrops Moore into a propped ladder…but only his leg hits and that looked like it worked.
Ouch Yang gets crotched on a ladder rung, I don’t remember ever seeing that.
It’s a Dragons Sandwich on a ladder. Moore with the splash, which looked bad.
Dueling Springboard Doomsday Devices, one pro Dragons and one pro 3 Count.
Jamie with the crossbody from the top of a ladder onto the floor and various opponents! Nice.
Tank Abbott is on the apron and a bit distracting…
Helms runs up a step on a ladder to neckbreaker Jamie off. Very nice!
Suplex from the ladder on Hayashi!
Helms superkicks a ladder into Yang! Very nice spots here.
Yang does the Daniel Bryan run up the corner flip…only on a ladder with Jamie behind it! Very nice.
Moore goes from the top to the outside and splashes a ladder to cause a see-saw…that nails Jamie-San and Helms in the face!
Ugly double splash from the top of the ladder to Moore.
Yang gets the gold record! Match isn’t over yet though. Why not just grab the contract too?
Yang falls off the ladder and the record ends up in Abbott’s hands! What was the point then?
Jamie top rope legdrops Karagias when he’s in a ladder sandwich…but did it to his head without any effect from the ladder.
Sick powerbomb from Jamie to Moore off the ladder.
Abbott whipes out both guys going up ladders for the contract.
Three Counts Wins in 11:32. Karagias runs up to get the record contract. I’m confused, so the Dragons get nothing for getting the record? Whatever. Other than Tank Abbott being ridiculously distracting on the apron, this was a good match. It’s not nearly as good as the WWF’s first TLC (which was being run at about the same time frame), but a fun match with some sloppiness to it. Good start to New Blood Rising!
Backstage Filthy Animals at in Commissioner Cat’s office. They want a Tag Title shot on Nitro and wanna referee the match tonight in exchange for helping The Cat beat The Great Muta. Miller says okay but he doesn’t need the help. Disqo tries to be street or something and the Cat throws him out.
Ernest Miller vs. The Great Muta
I wonder how embarrassed The Great Muta is to be there.
The Cat: “Muta, I know you don’t understand English, so let me say this so you understand”….then he proceeds to speak English…what?
Muta with some solid chain wrestling early on.
This match has a lot of kicks.
Here comes Tygress! Remember, the Animals said they would help the Cat.
Nice Dragon Screw from Muta!
GREEN MIST!
Tygress knocks out Muta with a chair. Tygress has now owned Shane Douglas and The Great Muta in the PPVs I’ve watched.
Ernest Miller pins The Great Muta in 6:47. Feliner for the win. Poor Great Muta. Ironically I could see this being a good kick boxing fight, as a wrestling match, it was okay thanks to some Muta stuff.
Buff Bagwell is looking for his mother. Sigh.
Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match
Positively Kanyon vs. Buff Bagwell
It’s really going to be Judy Bagwell on a forklift. I guess that makes more sense?
This is one of the better wrestler impersonations out there (Kanyon as DDP). Surprised Vince McMahon didn’t do a double DDP thing in the InVasion.
Bagwell goes right for the forklift. That actually makes sense.
See, Bagwell playing to the crowd makes no sense here. His mother is on the line, be serious!
They still focus on the broken Bagwell neck of two years earlier, which actually makes sense I guess. It would make more sense with a specific angle in there.
Kanyon takes off a turnbuckle pad!
Kanyon nails a nice neckbreaker.
Kanyon into the exposes corner!
BANG! KANYON CUTTER! Bagwell kicks out!
Here comes David Arquette. I had no idea he was around past Slamboree.
Buff Bagwell pins Kanyon in 6:45. Double Buff Blockbuster to Kanyon and Arquette. Whatever. This whole match was whatever. The gimmick itself is also stupid, but I guess Buff reuniting with his mom was a good moment? Kanyon Cutter to Arquette. Good riddance.
We’ve got a bunch of cops and a stretch limo with Canadian flags outside. It’s Lance Storm. That was pretty awesome to be honest.
Apparently Goldberg was injured in a motorcycle accident last night. They repeat the whole will Goldberg wrestle drama a couple months later at Havoc too.
WCW World Tag Team Championship
Kronik© vs. The Perfect Event (Sean Stasiak and Chuck Palumbo) vs. Sean O’Haire and Mark Jindrak vs. The Misfits in Action (Gen. Rection and Cpl. Cajun)
Filthy Animals are here to be the referees. Whatever.
Konnan says the MIA need to be soaked in talent because they are missing a lot. I agree!
Konnan then says Jindrak and O’Haire have no charisma. Correct again, although O’Haire would get some.
I think it’s funny that Kronik use their last names when Crush and Wrath are tons better.
Disqo is the in ring official.
Konnan is going overboard on commentary. Some of the comments are funny, but now he’s burying everyone.
I like how Disco Inferno’s entire WCW career was basically him trying to be cool and failing.
Stasiak hilariously sells a full nelson.
Palumbo botches a side kick on Clarke. Or Clarke messes up. One of the two. Maybe both.
Disqo slow counts Kronik.
Somehow Tygress gets a Bronco Buster in. She’s a ref you know.
Disqo slow counts Cajun as well. It’s a Canadian Count according to Konnan.
Rection just took a shameful bump to the outside.
The Animals clearly want O’Haire and Jindrak to win.
Dark Carnival here. Attack Kronik.
Kronik retains when Clarke pinned Palumbo in 12:22. Double Chokeslam to Palumbo, then Lt. Loco runs in and attacks Disqo and takes the ref shirt. Then he counts the pin for Kronik. Just so you know, Loco is a member of MIA…so he screwed his own team over there. Pretty bad clusterfuck here that I lost track of. You had 8 guys in there + 4 Filthy Animal referees +2 Dark Carnival members (didn’t see the Demon) + 1 Lt. Loco ref run it. That’s 15 guys for fucks sake. And Loco did something non-sensical. What-fucking-ever. The story is that The Animals thought O’Haire and Jindrak would be the easiest to win the titles from tomorrow.
Jeff Jarrett backstage. Bright green shirt is distracting. Talks trash about Booker T.
Strap Match
The Franchise vs. Billy Kidman
Douglas has Torrie Wilson with him. So that’s a good thing.
Apparently you can win this strap match by pin.
I like how Kidman comes without his shirt on. The strap match, you’d think, is the one match where he should wear his shirt.
Mark Madden finally made a comment that made me yell at my screen to shut up. Someething about Kidman failing at pole matches if you know what I mean.
Madden also asks if Torrie put on a couple pounds. Of course Torrie here is thin and beautiful.
Crowd is in this though, huge heat for Douglas, which didn’t exist three months later.
Scott Hudson is even making Torrie is fat jokes? I don’t understand.
Apparently there’s a sex tape in this angle. I’m just gonna focus on the match.
Nice reverse camel clutch snapback from Douglas. This match has been a real bore so far though.
A lot of the commentary is based around praise for them not using the strap. Which Douglas isn’t. So why is this a Strap Match?
Nice leaping hurricanrana from Kidman off the top.
Billy Kidman pins Shane Douglas in 8:22. Kidman hits the Kid Krusher (Killswitch) for the win. Then he spanks Torrie with the strap. Douglas attacks Kidman then decides to HANG Kidman with the strap. Horrible image. Vito runs in to make the save. Mark Madden says that at least Kidman can say he was well hung. Fuck off Mark Madden. Reno runs in to attack Vito. Vito takes him out too. For the match itself, it was pretty boring for the most part…but the crowd was into it. Kind of a waste of Kidman’s high flying ability since he’s tied to the strap. Hanging was unnecessary.
Booker T in the house. He gets attacked by Jarrett by his car. He crushes Booker’s knee with the car door. I like it.
Mud Rip the Clothes Off Match
Major Gunns vs. Miss Hancock
I’m sighing cause I know what happens here.
This match starts in the ring. I guess that’s okay.
How does Major Gunns make a slap look bad? Whatever, this match isn’t about that.
Why is this a wrestling match for.
Why is there a pin attempt and a count? What?
Another pin attempt. I don’t know the rules here.
The wrestling wasn’t absolutely awful I guess.
Stacy does a dance when on the 2nd rope. Awesome.
Hilariously bad set up for a top rope sunset flip. Stacy had to stagger forward.
Stacy is selling a pain in her stomach.
They are getting toward the mud and Gunns is nearly naked. I’m sure I appreciated this more as a teenager.
They’re in the mud!
Major Gunns pins Miss Hancock in 6:43. Stacy dances in the mud…then hurls over. Major Gunns gets the pin. Keibler is still doubled over in pain and David Flair shows up. Major Gunns tries to help her too. They are trying to make this seem like a shoot. Somehow a mud wrestling match began as a normal wrestling match. It was good eye candy, which I guess is the purpose, but we didn’t need all that (not as bad as you would think) wrestling and certainly not this horrible fake shoot storyline.
Interview with the Dark Carnival. Vampiro is like the anti-Great Muta. Vampiro says this is The Demon’s test to see if he can hang with the Juggalo Army.
Now Tony Schiavone talks about how this Miss Hancock thing wasn’t part of this show and all this bullshit. Whatever, let’s keep moving.
The Demon vs. Sting
Sting comes from the rafters. I guess the Owen Hart thing taught Vince Russo nothing.
Sting pins the Demon in 0:52. Stinger Splash, Scorpion Deathdrop for the win. Nice waste of one of your top draws. Vampiro and Muta show up and try to HANG Sting with cable from the ceiling. ANOTHER hanging? Kronik makes the save and Sting leaves. Kronik offers Muta and Vampiro a Tag Title shot later. Woo? What a waste of Sting.
We’re backstage, and Booker is hurt!
WCW US/Canadian Championship
Lance Storm© vs. Mike Awesome
Fat Chick Thriller here…at least his music was good this time.
Canadian crowd marks out for Lance Storm! As they should.
Lance Storm with a great promo here about how the USA thinks they own the world. He’s right you know.
Storm says that Canadian Championship Rule 32B states he can select a special referee. Crowd goes nuts for Bret Hart, chanting “we want Bret”.
Storm announces Jacques Rougeau as the referee. Way to get a fellow CANADIAN booed in Canada WCW. Seriously. And this choice gets even dumber 15 minutes from now.
Canadian National Anthem is always awesome.
Awesome dominating early on here.
Nice superkick from Storm.
Mike Awesome busts out a table.
ECW chant in Canada. Nice.
Awesome slips off the top rope…but recovers nicely with a clothesline.
Great powerbomb after sending Storm sky high! The ref in the ring counts the three…but wait, the Canadian Rulebook states that a 5 count is required!
Nice Alabama Slam from Mike Awesome.
Only a three count on the pin!
Dragon Sleeper on Storm. Scott Hudson wonders if that’s a tribute to Ultimo Dragon because Dragon once held 10 titles and Storm has three. Um…wouldn’t Awesome be the one doing the tribute? Unless that’s a shoot comment.
Storm submits…but WAIT…no submissions in a Canadian Rules Match! That woulda screwed Bret back in the day.
Another three count! No close 4 counts yet though.
Four count by Awesome on Storm!
Awesome Splash. Five count! But WAIT! It’s Texas Death rules. Storm gets a 10 count to answer.
Weakish chair shot by Storm. Never Lance’s specialty.
Four count! Four and a half!
Lance Storm retains the title in 11:28. Both men through a table! BUT WAIT! Whoever gets up first after a table spot wins the match! Rougeau then decks Awesome as he was getting up. Storm wins…and the Canadian crowd pops big!
It’s Bret Hart! Bret comes down and looks disgusted at the cheap way Storm just won…but then all three hug. The crowd pop because it’s Canada…but if this is what was going to happen…
WHY NOT JUST USE BRET AS THE REFEREE?
Anyway, this isn’t that bad, but the problem is how it is booked. It made Lance Storm look awful. He gets beat by Mike Awesome in like five different ways and then can’t even get a legitimate win over Awesome at the end. And since the match wasn’t about Awesome at all, it doesn’t help him either. But it wasn’t that bad. This was a knock-off of Stone Cold vs. Dude Love at Over the Edge 98.
We’re backstage with Kevin Nash! Still no Goldberg. Nash says he cares about two things: money and the belt. “I’m going over Steiner” tonight.
WCW World Tag Team Championship
Kronik© vs. The Dark Carnival (The Great Muta and Vampiro)
You know in EWR where you overuse a guy on a show and you get sick of them? That’s how I feel about Vampiro and Muta right now. Shame about Muta, you know, since he’s Muta.
Schiavone and Madden imply that it wasn’t a motorcycle accident that shelved Goldberg, but that something went down backstage. This is going to be really stupid later.
Vampiro looks like he’s trying. So there’s that.
Adams military presses Vampiro…but Vampiro lands on his feet when he wasn’t supposed to clearly. Not a surprise.
Brian Adams as the babyface in peril doesn’t really work.
Adams with the revenge no-sell: a dropkick to the knees.
The Great Muta is really wasted here.
Referee gets MISTED.
Oh god the Harris Bros.
The Great Muta and Vampiro win the titles when Muta pinned Clarke in 9:06. Harris Bros. hit the H-Bomb on Clarke. Muta moonsault for the win. I guess the Harris Bros. wanted revenge on Adams for leaving DOA in 1997? Anyway, this match was boring.
Booker T interview. Jarrett didn’t finish the job. Etc.
#1 Contender to the World Title Match
Kevin Nash vs. Scott Steiner vs. Goldberg (maybe)
GOLDBERG musc!
No Goldberg though.
GOLDBERG music again!
Worst Goldberg sign ever in the crowd. It was on box cardboard.
No Goldberg again.
GOLDBERG’s here with taped ribs.
Wow Nash botches getting into the ring. He stepped over the top rope and his leg got caught.
Some hard hitting action here. It’s nothing exciting, as the crowd busts out a boring chant, but I mean, it’s not horrible or anything.
Kevin Nash goes for the Jackknife…but Goldberg decides to escape. Nash gives Goldberg a perplexed look and Goldberg bails. Russo meets Goldberg near the entrance and Goldberg says fuck you. REALITY.
Let the shoot conversation commence.
There’s some unintentional comedy here, as the commentators talk about how Goldberg left because going up for the Jackknife would make him look bad, but Nash and Scott Steiner are pros and will improvise a finish. Nash and Steiner. Most professional wrestlers out there for sure.
Steiner just shoves the ref as Midajah low blows Nash.
Nash low blow. Midajah comes back and elbow drops Nash in the nuts. That was unique.
Awful DDT from Nash. Madden says he’s never seen Nash do a DDT. It’s obvious why.
Kevin Nash wins when he pins Scott Steiner in 10:48. Jackknife for the win! Obviously the shoot stuff is garbage and stupid, but the match itself isn’t as bad as you’d expect. Once again, it’s nothing particularly good, but not really bad either.
WCW World Championship
Booker T© vs. Jeff Jarrett
Booker’s selling the knee from earlier.
Jarrett attacks before the bell!
Booker with a nice blocked dropkick powerbomb spot. Although it was pretty early for that.
I do like Booker doing all his kicks and high risk moves…then selling the leg when he does them. Good storytelling.
I guess there’s No DQ here, as Jarrett smashes Booker’s knee with a chair.
Jarrett drops too early on the Scissors Kick…but whatever, SPINAROONI…and Booker accidentally knocks out the ref with the spinarooni. Seriously?
Harlem Sidekick….NO Jarrett smashes Booker’s leg with a guitar! I thought that was great to be honest.
Figure Four! Ref is back. Apparently doesn’t notice the guitar remnants though.
Jarrett holds onto the hold the literal max time after the rope break. A little too long.
Ref tries to help Booker up…and Jarrett accidentally nails the ref with the title.
Booker sets up a table on the outside. Book-End through the table…but it didn’t really look good.
Jarrett with a weak chairshot to the ref…thinking he was Booker.
Stroke on an open chair…which didn’t look great either. 3rd ref in, Booker kicks out.
Horrible swinging neckbreaker on the chair by Booker. Two count.
Booker T retains the title when he pinned Jarrett in 14:54. Book-End for the win. Okay match, weirdness and screw ups at the end kinda ruined it. Good that Booker was getting an established 2000 title reign…since no one else in WCW was.
There are some positives in this thing, although certainly more negatives. First I will say this is better than Halloween Havoc 2000 for sure. There is a good match for the opener, a decent Storm match and a decent main event. The only atrocious things on this show is the Stacy Keibler thing and the two different hanging attempts. Even the Goldberg stuff…it may be stupid but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Booker vs. Jarrett is a decent main event. I will say this though.
They should have run a legit 25 minute Storm vs. Awesome Canadian Title Match as the main. Have Bret Hart be at ringside or a commentator or something. Lance Storm was megaover here and obviously so was Bret.
A lot of bad stuff, some horrible stuff, some decent stuff and a little good. It’s enough to avoid the flat out F, but it was close.
Final Grade: D