A Collective Review of WCW Bash at the Beach 1998 (Hogan/Rodman vs. Page/Malone!) by Lance Augustine

Welcome back to the TJRwrestling retro reviews where we are breaking down every WCW Pay-Per-View during the “Monday Night Wars” era. We are fresh off of The Great American Bash, which had some standout moments at the beginning of the show, but slowly started to get worse as the show went on. That show was headlined by Sting vs. The Giant for control of the WCW Tag Team Titles, which Sting won, and picked Kevin Nash to be his tag team partner. It wasn’t great and the match preceding it featuring Hogan & Hart vs. Savage & Piper didn’t do it any favors. You can read my full thoughts on that show and every WCW we have covered here. WCW’s main event scene at this point was very average, and you could see why Austin caught on big on the other show.

On July 6th, Goldberg beat Hogan to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. It was an awesome spectacle and while the match was average, the crowd reaction was unbelievable. It was a shot in the arm for WCW with Goldberg being the one to carry them throughout the rest of the year. Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone will also impact this show, teaming with Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page in the main event. This was a huge get for WCW and it was time to put them in a big spot. Will this show deliver? Let’s find out!

WCW Bash at the Beach
July 12th, 1998
Cox Arena in San Diego, California

The show opens with a package featuring the matches that will take place tonight. It talks about Goldberg and Kevin Greene, as well as the big main event tag team match.

We are joined in the arena by Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Mike Tenay. They talk about the big matches that will be coming up tonight and really put over the main event. The fans are chanting Goldberg loudly behind them before they go down to the entranceway with Mean Gene Okerlund. Gene talks about Goldberg defending his newly on title tonight against Curt Hennig. He plugs the hotline before sending it down to the ring for the first match of the night.

Ravens Rules Match
Saturn vs. Raven (w/ The Flock)

This match has been brewing for months. Saturn was a member of Raven’s Flock for the first part of the year, but has sent broke off from the group.

Saturn jumps out of the ring and starts attacked Raven early. He sends him into the guardrails at ringside and is looking to start things off in complete control. He hits a headbutt and sends him flying into the railing again. He starts choking Raven with the flannel he wore to the ring before sending him into the ring. Saturn comes in and hits Raven with a dropkick after slipping off the top rope. Saturn takes him down with a leg lock, but Raven gets to the ropes. He sends Raven into the ropes and hits a Gutwrench Suplex for a two count. He hits Raven with a scoop slam and climbs to the top, but misses with a big leg drop. Raven gets back to his feet and takes Saturn out with a suplex of his own. He rolls out of the ring and looks underneath it and grabs the smallest table. He sets it up at ringside and jumps back in the ring. He sends Saturn crashing to the outside and Raven slowly comes out after him. He hits Saturn with a Russian Leg Sweep that sends both men into the railing. He rolls him back in the ring and covers him for a two count. Raven hits a suplex in the middle of the ring and quickly gets back to his feet and slaps on a sleeper hold. Saturn jams him in the corner to break the hold. Raven comes out and gets it in again, but this time Saturn hits a jawbreaker to get out. He throws Raven in the corner and hits a series of kicks to the head. He hits Raven with a T-Bone Suplex and climbs to the outside to grab a chair. He brings it in the ring and smashes Raven with it. He puts the chair on the head and lands a Springboard Legdrop for a two count.

Saturn sets the chair up in the ring as The Flock hits him from behind. He suplexes both Lodi and Sick Boy and goes for a dropkick on Raven, but Raven pulls the referee in the way he is wiped out. Raven gets to the outside and Saturn is out behind him. He slams Raven on the steps at ringside and moves over to the table Raven has set up. Saturn grabs an additional table and sets it up beside the other one. They brawl on the outside before Saturn puts Raven on the bottom table and stacks another one on top. Kanyon climbs up top to move Raven out of the way, but Saturn takes the bump anyway. What a delayed reaction. Raven was off the table for what felt like a while before Saturn came off. Kanyon rolls Raven in the ring and hits him with The Flatliner. Saturn gets in the ring and drapes the arm but only gets a two-count. Raven hits a Drop Toe Hold on Saturn on the prone chair in the ring, but only gets a two count. Saturn hits a sidekick and hits Sick Boy with a Death Valley Driver when he breaks up the count. Raven takes advantage of the distraction and hits The Even Flow DDT to pick up the win after 10:40.

Winner: Raven
Match Rating: 2/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This was an entertaining, hard-hitting match. These guys beat the hell out of each other and this was a different feeling match for WCW. They were just starting to get into the hardcore stuff at this point. Saturn diving off the top through the tables after Raven was clearly taken off was weird, but this match wasn’t a technical classic anyway so it wasn’t a big deal.

Gene is back at the entranceway and introduces Eddie Guerrero who is in a hair vs. hair match tonight against Chavo Guerrero Jr. The two have been feuding over the last couple of months. Chavo actually has two matches on the night. Eddie says that tonight he is concerned about facing Chavo because he is a loose cannon. Eddie says that he agreed to wrestle Stevie Ray tonight, but he isn’t going to take it easy on him because of it tonight. Eddie says that tonight he is going to hit Chavo with a Frogsplash and shave his head.

Kidman (w/ Lodi) vs. Juventud Guerrera

The bell sounds and both men lock up. They wrestle with each other before exchanging from elbows to the head. Kidman locks in a headlock and looks to have control early on. They both do some athletic offense before Guerrera hits Kidman with a takeover. He sends Kidman to the outside of the ring and goes to capitalize, but Lodi pulls him out of the ring and starts pounding on Guerrera. Kidman tries to take advantage with a splash, but Lodi is the one on the receiving end. Kidman helps him up and they stand on the outside as Guerrera comes flying out with a splash of his own. Both men get back in the ring and Kidman takes Guerrera down with a big slam. Kidman throws Guerrera to the outside again and drops him on the railing. Kidman leaps off the apron, but comes up short and hits nothing but guardrail. Both men climb up on the apron and Guerrera hits a Powerbomb to the floor. He sends Kidman back into the ring and starts working on him in the corner. He picks him up to the top and goes for a Hurricanrana, but Kidman counters with a huge Spinebuster. That was an awesome spot. Kidman sends him into the corner, but Guerrera comes out and rolls him up for two. Both men get back to their feet and Kidman hits a nice dropkick. Kidman sends Guerrera flying to the outside and he climbs up top, but Guerrera climbs up after him. They fight on the top with Guerrera dropping Kidman on the ropes and hitting a Hurricanrana for a two-count. Guerrera hits a suplex and tries a clothesline, but Kidman ducks it and hits a Bulldog. Guerrera picks Kidman up and hits a Juvi Driver, but can’t get the three-count. He charges in, but Kidman hits a Spinebuster. He climbs up top and attempts the Shooting Star Press, but Guerrera rolls out of the way. Guerrera climbs up and hits the 450 Splash to win after 9:55.

Winner: Juventud Guerrera
Match Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This was a solid Cruiserweight match. It wasn’t a top-level type of match, but both guys work their asses off and everything looked good. Kidman was underrated around this time and was just coming into his own in the division. Guerrera was obviously the one being pushed a little bit more so him picking up a win here wasn’t surprising. Solid outing for both guys.

Konnan is backstage with the WCW internet guys and is talking all things NWO Wolfpac. He criticizes the host’s shirt before sending it back down to the ring.

Stevie Ray vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Stevie Ray needs something to do since Booker T. has been developing as a singles star. This will be Chavo’s first match of two on the night. Chavo comes to the ring with an inflatable around his waist and a squirt gun in tow. Eddie comes down to ringside with a pair of scissors in his hand. Chavo grabs the mic and dedicates the match to Eddie.

Chavo uses his quickness to escape Ray as he comes in to grab him. Chavo reaches out for a handshake and when Ray grabs his hand, he submits. The match actually went 1:35.

Winner: Stevie Ray
Match Rating: DUD

Collective Thoughts: Stevie Ray must have a hell of a handshake.

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

Eddie sends him into the ropes, but gets taken down with a Shoulder Block. Chavo starts biting Eddie on the back as he scurries out of the ring. He climbs back in and Chavo plays mind games with him that are getting to Eddie. Eddie brings a chair into the ring, but Chavo gets it from him and sits down in the middle of the ring. Both men shake hands in the ring, but Chavo takes him down with a clothesline. He follows that up with a back body drop and it has Eddie running behind the referee. Chavo comes after him in the corner, but Eddie outsmarts him and hits a dropkick to the knee. He follows that up with a dropkick to the back and a suplex. Eddie hits his patented splash as he comes back in and slams Chavo against the apron. Both men go to the outside and Eddie sends Chavo into the railing before rolling him back in the ring. Eddie gets Chavo in The Gory Special and he stretches Chavo out. Eddie hits an uppercut and continues pounding on Chavo against the ropes. He shoots him in, but Chavo hits a dropkick, and Monkeyflips him across the ring.

He gets Eddie in the corner and hits some chops to the chest. Chavo hits Eddie with a backbreaker, but his momentum is short-lived and Eddie sends him to the outside. Eddie slams him against the railing and the stairs before pulling up the mat at ringside. Chavo reverses a suplex attempt and drops Eddie on the concrete floor with his own suplex. Chavo hits a scoop slam as they get back in the ring and starts to climb up top, but Eddie knocks him off. Eddie hits a Superplex and both men are down on the mat. Eddie charges in, but Chavo drops him on the ropes. Chavo comes off the top rope with a Frog Splash of his own, but Eddie gets the knees up. Eddie follows that up with a Tornado DDT, which is Chavo’s finisher and grabs the clippers to start cutting early. The referee pulls them out of his hand and that allows Chavo to hit a Tornado DDT. Chavo grabs the pair of scissors and goes to cut Eddie’s hair, but the referee pulls his arm away. That allows Eddie to roll him up to pick up the win after 11:54.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This match was good, but never really kicked into the next gear. These two guys were both great in the ring and obviously, their chemistry was off the charts. Chavo was on the defensive for most of the match and the story playing out between the two was solid. Eddie getting a roll-up win was on-brand with his character. I just don’t know if I need to see another match. This feels like a proper blowoff.

After the match, Chavo grabs the clippers and starts shaving his own head. Eddie looks on in confusion and rolls out of the ring instead of cutting the rest of it. Chavo stays in the ring and finishes cutting the rest of his hair.

The announcers talk about the match that was supposed to happen tonight between Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho. Malenko snapped on Nitro and is “suspended” now and that means the match won’t be happening. Jericho will still have a match, but the opponent has not been announced yet.

Disco Inferno (w/ Alex Wright) vs. Konnan (w/ Lex Luger & Kevin Nash)

This match was added the same day as a special addition to the show. Ironically enough, Disco and Konnan went on to have a podcast together which is still going today. Alex Wright grabs the mic and talks in German before Disco takes it from him and tells Alex to hit him with some Konnan phrases. They both do parts of it and he says to hit their music, but The Wolfpac music hits instead. Nash grabs a mic and does his usual prematch promo. “Wolfpacks in the house!”

Konnan grabs the early advantage with some shots to the head and hits a hip toss. He shoots Disco into the ropes and takes him down to the mat again. Konnan sends Disco back into the ropes and hits a rolling clothesline. He tries to follow up with another move, but Disco gauges the eyes and sends Konnan to the outside. Alex Wright lays the boots to Konnan on the floor as Luger comes around to rack Wright. While the referee is distracted, Nash comes in the ring and hits Disco with The Jackknife Powerbomb. Konnan puts Disco in the Tequila Sunrise and that’s all she wrote. The whole thing went 2:16.

Winner: Konnan
Match Rating: DUD

Collective Thoughts: It was a squash to put the Wolfpac over more. There were maybe 3-4 spots in the whole match.

The Giant vs. Kevin Greene

We have Greene coming back for another match here. He played linebacker in the NFL for a lot of years. We have seen him a couple of times before.

The Giant tries to come in for a lockup, but Greene uses his quickness to roll out of the way. Greene gets a slap to the face and knocks The Giant into the corner. The Giant comes out, and Greene slides to the outside to escape. Back in the ring, he crotches The Giant on the top rope. He charges in and gets some punches in the corner. He tries it a couple of times before The Giant catches him and slams him down to the mat. The Giant comes off the ropes and hits a big elbow drop. Greene rolls to the ropes and The Giant is right behind him and starts choking him with his boot. The fans chant got Goldberg as The Giant slams Greene’s head on the mat. He tries to pull Greene up to club him in the back. The Giant props him against the ropes and hits Greene with some chops to the chest. He sends Greene into the ropes, but Greene comes back with a cross-body block. He tries to mount some offense, but The Giant catches him and hits him with a headbutt that sends him crashing to the outside. They fight on the outside with Greene tossing The Giant against the guardrail and the post at ringside. They both get back in the ring and Greene comes off the top with a shoulder block and picks up a two-count. He tries to take out the legs of The Giant, but he gets caught with a Chokeslam. The Giant covers him and picks up the win after 6:58.

Winner: The Giant
Match Rating: 1/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: The Giant let Kevin Greene get a lot of offense in and he looked pretty solid throughout. This wasn’t one that people would remember, but considering who was in the match, it wasn’t the worst thing ever. Greene had some power and used his quickness, but The Giant ended up being too much.

Curt Hennig is backstage with the internet guys and says that he thinks he has a real chance of beating Goldberg tonight.

They shoot to a package showcasing the rivalry between Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho. Jericho cost Malenko a match on Nitro which has JJ Dillon come out and tells both of them that they can’t have any contact until the match coming up. Jericho eggs Malenko on about his family, which causes Malenko to snap and beat up Jericho on multiple occasions.

Jericho makes his way out to the ring to claim victory since Malenko hit him before the match took place. He grabs a mic and says that Malenko robbed the fans of a match tonight. Jericho says he would never let the fans down so he is going to do a dance routine for everyone. JJ Dillon comes out to the ring to confront Jericho. Dillon says he might have made a mistake and that misjudged Jericho all along. Dillon says he is surprised by how many fans Jericho actually has and that fans are disappointed because they wanted to see Jericho defend the title. Dillon says he has been trying to find an opponent, and that he found someone locally. Dillon says this guy has wrestled in six months and Jericho says that he will fight this guy if it’s No DQ. Dillon agrees and it seems like we have a title match.

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Mysterio has been off TV for the last couple of months and looks great coming back.

Mysterio starts things off quickly with a dropkick and chops Jericho against the chest. He hits a springboard leg drop and covers Jericho for a two-count. Jericho slides to the outside to regroup and Mysterio is right out after him. Both men get back in the ring and Jericho takes out the knee immediately. He continues to stomp down on the bad wheel as well as hits some chops in the corner. Jericho sends Mysterio into the corner and charges in, but Mysterio rolls out of the way and Jericho is sent flying over the top rope. They fight all the way up the ramp and start fighting on all the stage stuff. Mysterio hits a Hurricanrana off of a Lifeguard seat and throws sand in the face of Jericho. They work back to the ring and Jericho reverses a pinning combination into one of his own and gets a two count. They both climb to the top and Jericho hits Mysterio with a top rope Powerslam. That move was awesome. He goes to the outside and brings a chair into the ring. He wraps it around the knee of Mysterio and comes off the top, but comes up empty. Mysterio picks up the chair and hits Jericho with it. Mysterio hits a facebuster and comes off the ropes with a springboard, but Jericho catches him and tries to get him in the Liontamer. Mysterio gets to the ropes as Malenko makes his way down to the ring. Jericho tries to put Mysterio in The Liontamer, but Mysterio rolls up Jericho and picks up the win after 6:00.

Winner and NEW WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Mysterio Jr.
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: For me, it’s impossible to not like a match between these two. Mysterio was coming off a major knee injury but didn’t seem to have too much ring rust. Jericho was absolutely on fire around this time and I think it was some of his best work. There were a few spots in the match that looked a touch sloppy, but you had two pros and they covered it nicely. Malenko coming down to the ring and essentially costing Jericho the title is just building that story a little bit further.

After the match, Jericho runs after Malenko, but Arn Anderson catches him and stops him from pursuing Malenko.

WCW Television Title Match
Booker T. (c) vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart

Bret Hart has been costing Booker some matches over the last couple of weeks which lead to this match here.

Booker shoves Hart to get things started before they lock up and he hits an arm drag. Booker takes him down to the mat before Hart hits an elbow to the head and works him against the ropes. He sends Booker into the ropes but gets taken out with a forearm. Booker hits a back kick and covers Hart for a two-count. Booker sends him flying over the top rope and comes out right after him. He sends Hart into the railing, but Hart comes back and drops Booker down on it. Hart gets a shot to the head and kicks Booker in the midsection. He rolls Booker back in the ring and hits an elbow to the back of the head. He punches Booker and hits an elbow that sends Booker down to the mat. He continues to stay on the offensive, but Booker comes back with a Sidewalk Slam. The advantage is short-lived, and Hart sends him flying over the top rope. Hart tosses the stairs to the side and slams Booker into the ring post back first. He rolls him back in the ring and drops an elbow across the head. Hart hits a Backbreaker and drops from an elbow from the second rope. He covers Booker for a two count. Hart slaps Booker across the head and brings him back to his feet, only to take him down with a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Hart gets a kick to the midsection and runs Booker’s eyes across the top rope. He gets Booker in the corner and gets some shots to the head and body that has Booker down at the bottom rope. He throws Booker into the other side, but Booker reverses it into a roll-up for two. Booker hits a sidekick and nails an Axe Kick before bringing Hart back to his feet for a flapjack. Booker with a Spinarooni and hits a Missle Dropkick off the top, but Hart gets a foot on the rope. Hart slides out of the ring and as Booker comes out with a splash, Hart wipes him out with a chair. The referee calls for the bell after 8:28

Winner by DQ: Booker T
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This was a solid match, but didn’t really kick into the next gear. Hart’s WCW booking continues to be curious, although being in the ring with someone like Booker is not a bad deal. They didn’t do a whole lot that would make you want to go back and watch the match, but like the previous one, I can’t dislike anything these two do in the ring. Booker has been on a tear lately. It was good, not great.

Post-match, Hart continues to wear Booker out with the chair. The referee is ringing the bell and trying to get him to stop, but Hart doesn’t listen and continues with the assault. He drags Booker to the post and puts him in the Figure Four wrapped around the post. Stevie Ray walks down to the ring and Hart breaks the hold. He checks on Booker in the ring and helps him to the back.

They go to a package showcasing Goldberg beating Hogan for the title last Monday on Nitro. Hogan says that if Goldberg can beat Hennig tonight then he will get Hogan in a rematch. That’s a weird thought process because Goldberg is the champion, and should be telling Hogan that he gets another shot at the title. This is WCW in 1998, though.

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

The bell sounds as the match gets underway. Both men lock up with Goldberg grabbing a headlock and hitting a clothesline. Hennig charges in, but Goldberg just manhandles him down to the mat. Hennig gets some shots to the back in, but it’s short-lived and he rolls to the outside to regroup. Goldberg drags him back into the ring and punches him in the head. He sends Hennig into the corner and powers him over his head and slams him down to the mat. It was a little sloppy, but what do you expect. Hennig kicks the leg as Goldberg comes in and starts working on the knee. Goldberg reverses the attack into a leg lock, but Hennig gets up and actually hits Goldberg with a Hennig Plex for two. It just pisses Goldberg off, though, and he gets hit with a Spear and Jackhammer. Goldberg wins the match after 3:50.

Winner and STILL WCW Heavyweight Champion: Goldberg
Match Rating: DUD

Collective Thoughts: Standard World Title squash match for Goldberg. Hennig got some offense in, including The Hennig Plex, but Goldberg wasn’t going to be beaten on this night. Having squash matches for the World Title is good and bad. It’s good because Goldberg goes over like a monster, but it’s bad because your World Title should be some of the more competitive matches on the card.

They go to a package showing what lead us to the main event tag team match tonight. Page and Malone have been stopping the NWO and Rodman at every turn. They even played a role in Hogan losing the title to Goldberg last week on Nitro.

Diamond Dallas Page & “The Mailman” Karl Malone vs. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan & “The Worm” Dennis Rodman (w/ The Disciple)

Look, I wasn’t super stoked on this match in 1998, but being older now, this is quite the get for WCW. Rodman and Malone were both at the top of the NBA world at the time, even squaring off in the NBA Finals the previous two seasons.

Malone and Page rush into the ring and it sends Rodman and Hogan to the floor. Don’t worry, Michael Buffer continues his introductions anyway. The bell sounds after Hogan and Rodman spend a good bit of time on the floor. It’s Rodman and Malone starting the match off for their respective teams surprisingly enough. Rodman has Hogan take off his shades before cowering away as Malone comes in for some offense. Rodman begs him to shoot in, but cowers away again as Malone does. They finally lock up after circling each other in the ring for what feels like 5 minutes and Malone sends Rodman flying over the top rope and crashing to the floor. Rodman gets back in the ring and tags Hogan into the match while Malone chooses to stay in. They lock up and Malone gets him in a hold, but Hogan gets to the ropes and he is forced to break. Malone keeps it locked in and pulls him away from the ropes only to hit a Scoop Slam on Hogan in the middle of the ring. He tags Page in and Rodman tags into the match as well. Page and Rodman lock up and Page quickly shoves him down to the mat. Page repeats this a second time as the fans start to chant “boring”. Page gets a headlock on Rodman and Rodman shoots him off the ropes and both men collide and fall to their asses. Rodman comes back with a headlock of his own, but Page powers out and covers him for a two count. Page starts working on him on the mat, but Rodman gets up to his feet and both men collide again causing both of them to fall. Page tags Malone into the match and starts laying the boots onto Rodman, but he scurries to his corner and tags Hogan into the match. Rodman comes in from behind and hits Malone as the referee is distracted and Hogan takes advantage with some shots to the head. Hogan starts to choke Malone on the mat as the referee tries to break it up. Hogan lets up and picks Malone up for a Scoop Slam and a series of elbows to the chest.

Hogan stomps on the head and tags Rodman back in. Rodman drops an elbow across the chest of Malone and drops another one for good measure. Rodman throws Malone into the corner where Hogan’s boot is awaiting. Hogan tags back in the match and covers Malone for a near fall. He slams Malone’s head in the corner and hits some more shots to the head. Hogan covers, but it isn’t enough. Hogan locks Malone up as he is on the mat and hits some knees to the back. Hogan tags Rodman back in and he holds Malones so Hogan can hit him with some shots. Rodman loses his balance again and falls flat on his ass. Hogan quickly tags back in and hits Malone with a back suplex. Hogan goes for another elbow, but Malone rolls out of the way. He makes a big tag back to Page who comes in and cleans house. He hits Hogan with a flying clothesline and knocks Rodman to the outside. Hogan reverses an Irish Whip which allows Rodman to kick Page in the back as he comes in. Hogan takes the weightlifting belt off and starts wearing Page out with it. Hogan and Rodman double-team on Page in their corner. They hit Page with a double clothesline and Hogan covers him for a two count. Hogan chokes Page in the corner with his boot as Malone tries to come in, but is stopped by the referee. Hogan hits Page in the corner with a clothesline and runs his face across the top rope. Rodman tags back in and they hit a double boot on Page. Rodman holds Page down before tagging Hogan back in the match. Hogan hits a suplex on Page and covers him for two. Page fights out of their corner, but Hogan hits a drop toe hold as Page tries to make it to his corner. Rodman tags in and holds Page away from his corner, but he starts to power towards it. Page makes a tag, but the referee is distracted by Hogan. Hogan sends Page into the ropes and hits the boot to the face. He goes for the Legdrop, but Page rolls out of the way and makes the tag to Malone. He takes both Hogan and Rodman down. Malone sends Hogan into the ropes and hits a big boot on him. He tags Page back in the match and he hits a Diamond Cutter, which the crowd pops big for. Malone comes in to cut off Rodman and he hits a Diamond Cutter on him. The Disciple takes this time to roll in the ring and hits Page with a Jawbreaker. Hogan covers Page to pick up the win after 23:47.

Winner(s): Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman
Match Rating: 1/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: There is a lot to digest with this match. First things first, this went WAY too long. They could have cut like 10-12 minutes off this match and it would have been a little bit better. There are zero reasons to have two non-wrestlers be in a match that is almost 30 minutes long. I couldn’t give it a dud because of the star power in the match, but this wasn’t good. Rodman was clumsy as hell throughout the entire match. He hit his ass more times from doing moves than people actually hitting him. For the most part, Rodman and Malone faired alright, but this won’t be mistaken for a technical classic, obviously. I guess this also explains why putting the title on Goldberg at this time was the right call. Hogan didn’t need the belt for a match like this that involved guys that would give the company publicity from the mainstream press. Page did the best he could, but he was almost an afterthought in this when it was all said and done. Hogan just had to be in a featured position on every show and the main events continue to suffer from it.

After the match, Malone hits The Disciple with another Diamond Cutter and tells the referee to raise his hand. The referee Charles Robinson refuses and Malone hits him with a Diamond Cutter as well. Hogan and Rodman walk up the aisle and are joined by the rest of the NWO. Page and Malone look disappointed in the ring, but climb up and celebrate through the people as the show goes off the air.

Overall show rating: 6.75 out of 10

This show was lacking from a quality match standpoint, with some solid matches, but a lot of misses. Goldberg winning the title the week prior was a huge moment for WCW, which a lot of people would argue should have been saved for this Pay-Per-View. I can see why they did it because of the main event we got, but giving away a title change on Nitro like that was a straight rating ploy. The Cruiserweight matches were very good and I thought Booker vs Hart was solid, although it could have been better. WCW as a whole had a complete stranglehold on the business at this time, but it isn’t because of the main event programs they had been having throughout the year. I didn’t hate this show, but there were some parts, especially the main event, that was tough to get through.

What did you think of Bash at the Beach 1998? Loved it? Hated it? Wished it was Jordan instead of Rodman? Either way, keep the conversation going over @collectiveheel on Twitter, and let me know your thoughts. Be kind to each other. I will be back soon enough with some more Collective Thoughts.