A Collective Review of WCW Road Wild 1998 (DDP/Leno vs. Hogan/Bischoff)

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 coming off Bash at the Beach, which like most other WCW PPV’s of the day delivered in the undercard, but underperformed in the biggest moments. Goldberg defended the WCW Heavyweight Title in a squash match, and the main event tag team match was fine but went WAY too long. You can read my complete thoughts on that show and every other WCW PPV we have covered here. Now, we are on to everyone’s favorite show that takes place in front of a packed house of bikers that don’t care about wrestling during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. A fun fact about this show is that Travis Tritt, of country music fame, had a concert right after the show. Much like the last show, this main event will feature people from the spectrum outside of the wrestling world, and we will see how this turns out. Let’s rev the bikes and get this party started!

WCW Road Wild
August 8th, 1998
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota

The show starts with a package showcasing the main event matches with Hogan & Bischoff vs. Page & Leno as the main backdrop.

They come in live to Sturgis where they are surrounded by bikers once again. We are welcomed to the show by the usual team of Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Mike Tenay. Schiavone talks more about the main event and says it’s time to put up or shut up. Tenay and Heenan talk a little about it as well before they send it over to Mean Gene who is sitting on a motorcycle and talks about the sponsor of the show which is American Iron Horse. It’s time for the first match of the night.

The Barbarian (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Meng

These two used to be tight and part of the team The Faces of Fear. Meng has been off TV for the last couple of months with an injury, but he has had his sights set on The Barbarian since he has come back.

Meng slides in the ring and both men start pummeling each other right away. Meng charges in, but Barbarian just pushes him to the side. They hit some chops to each other and Meng hits a clothesline in the corner. Barbarian comes out of the corner and hits a Belly to Belly Suplex. He sets Meng up for a Powerbomb, but Meng hits a back body drop. Meng grabs Barbarian and hits a Piledriver. Meng comes off the second rope with a headbutt, but Barbarian rolls out of the way. Meng climbs back up top, but Barbarian hits him with some shots and comes up with him to hit a top rope Belly to Belly Suplex. He covers Meng but he gets his foot on the bottom rope. Meng gets back up and sends Barbarian into the ropes and hits a Powerslam for a two count. Jimmy Hart climbs up on the apron to distract him and that allows Barbarian to get some offense in. They stand toe to toe and exchange chops to the chest. Barbarian pulls Meng to the apron of the ring after he hits him in the head and attacks him against the ropes. He pulls Meng to the outside and slams Meng’s head against the steps at ringside. Back in the ring, Barbarian sends Meng into the ropes and hits a back body drop. He signals for his finish, but Meng catches him with The Tongan Death Grip, and that allows him to pick up the win after 4:48.

Winner: Meng
Match Rating: 1/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This was a hard-hitting battle between two guys you wouldn’t want to mess with in real life, let alone a wrestling match. I thought it was good for what it was, but it wasn’t Steamboat vs. Savage. A good way to start the show with the fans getting into it a little bit and I can’t complain much about it. With these two guys, it is what it is.

After the match, Jimmy Hart starts attacking Meng from behind. He calls Hgh Morrus down to the ring, who is Barbarian’s new partner, and all three of them attack Meng. Hart goes up top and hits a splash as the other two hold Meng down on the mat. Meng starts to fight back, but the numbers game is too much. Hugh Morrus climbs up and hits No Laughing Matter to add insult to injury. That sends “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan down to the ring and he clears the ring with his 2×4. Duggan celebrates in the ring.

They show a sky shot of the bikers at ringside as well as shots of downtown Sturgis. as uninterested as the fans are, it is an impressive visual. As they are showing the shots, something with the Network happens and all of a sudden the next match is in the ring and the bell sounds.

Public Enemy (Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge) vs. The Dancing Fools (Disco Inferno & Alex Wright) (w/ Toyko Magnum)

As the feed goes to the ring, Disco and Wright climb out of the ring as the bell sounds.

Wright and Rock are starting the match for their respective sides. Rock sends Wright into the ropes, but he gets taken down to the mat with a shoulder block. Wright works on the arm of Rock, but it’s soon reversed with Rock getting the upper hand. Wright does some athletic moves to get out and hits a nice dropkick before tagging Disco into the match. Rock charges into the corner but Disco moves and rolls him up for a two-count. Grunge tags into the match and starts going right after Disco. Disco comes back and knocks him down to the mat with a clothesline and Wright tags in and comes in with a Missile Dropkick from the top rope. He works on Grunge in the corner and hits a clothesline. Rock takes Wright down to the mat with a clothesline of his own from the apron and they hit a double-team move on Disco. Wright gets a trash can and wears out both members of Public Enemy with it. Rock goes all the way to the back to grab a ladder and brings it out to the ring as Disco and Wright are double-teaming on Grunge in the ring.

With the ladder in the ring, he knocks both Wright and Disco out with it. Disco and Wright start walking away from the ring but they come back with a table in hand. Disco grabs the mic and asks if they want a street fight which causes Rock to run to the back to grab some more weaponry. It’s officially a Street Fight now and Public Enemy comes back from the back with the kitchen sink and some toilet seats. All four men just start wearing each other out with the weapons. Rock beats up on Wright in the ring as Disco and Grunge are pummeling each other on the outside. Wright hits a suplex on Rock on a garbage can before Grunge comes in and smashes him with a cookie sheet. Grunge sets Wright on a table at ringside, but Disco trips Rock as he charges up for a splash. Disco snaps Grunge over and Wright brings in the sink and beats Grunge up with it. Wright hits an uppercut on Grunge in the ring, but he gets hit some behind with the can lid. Rock rolls Magnum in the ring and starts beating on him as well. Public Enemy hits double Atomic Drops, but Grunge gets kicked in the head by Wright. Magnum comes in the ring and accidentally hits Wright as Rock wipes Disco out with the ladder. Wright starts walking away again as Disco gets hit with a ladder in the ring. Public Enemy sets up tables at ringside and brings the ladder over beside them. They set Disco up and Rock comes off the scaffolding with a big elbow drop. Insane bump. Grunge rolls him back in the ring and covers him to win after 15:27.

Winner(s): The Public Enemy
Match Rating: .5/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This match was an absolute mess. Everyone involved worked hard, but this was WAY overbooked and went too long. It went from a traditional tag team match to a Street Fight mid-match, which shouldn’t be shocking since Public Enemy is involved. I commend Wright and Disco for having a match like this, but there was just too much going on. Toyko Magnum wasn’t much help and in the end, Disco was left to fend for himself.

They go to Lee Marshall who is in the back with Dean Malenko, who is the referee for the Chris Jericho vs. Juventud Gurrera match later on in the night. He says he is going to call things right down the middle.

Triangle Raven Rules Match
Raven (w/ Lodi) vs. Saturn vs. Kanyon

This is essentially a Falls Count Anywhere match. Any match Raven has been involved in leading up to this match has been No DQ, but the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation was added. These three have been going at it for the last couple of months so the blow-off here makes sense.

Raven grabs a mic and tells Kanyon to get Saturn, but Saturn is the one with the upper hand. He throws Kanyon into the ropes, but he comes back and takes Saturn down. Raven comes in and crushed Saturn from behind before throwing him into the stairs. All three men climb to the outside and start beating on each other there. Raven is the first one back in the ring as Saturn and Kanyon battle on the outside. Raven climbs out and throws Kanyon back in the ring. Saturn and Kanyon exchange blows in the ring as Raven is sitting in the corner. Kanyon comes in and dropkicks Raven and they start double-teaming him. Saturn overs Raven, but he gets the shoulder up. Kanyon hits Raven with a series of Russian Leg Sweeps and Saturn comes off the top with a Guillotine Legdrop. He covers Raven, but Kanyon breaks it up. Raven takes both men out with a chair shot to the head. Saturn throws Raven to the outside and comes out after him. That allows Kanyon to take them both out with a splash over the top. Saturn and Raven are fighting up the aisleway before Kanyon throws them each into the guardrails. Saturn takes Kanyon out and sets his sights back on Raven. Kanyon comes up after them but is met with a suplex on the ramp. Saturn knocks Raven down and covers him on the stage. Kanyon breaks it up and hits Saturn with a Piledriver on the stage. Raven hits Kanyon with a dropkick and slams him against the stage.

Saturn comes off the top of the stage and wipes both men out. He drops Kanyon on the stage and starts kicking Raven all the way back to the ring. Kanyon joins them and he is the one who rolls Raven back in the ring. All three men are back in now and Saturn hits Raven with a big suplex for a two count. He gets Raven in a Sleeper before Kanyon gets him with a Sleeper and Raven takes both of them out with a Jawbreaker. Raven covers Saturn, but Kanyon breaks it up. He perches Saturn on the top rope and goes for a Suplerplex, but Raven puts Kanyon on his shoulders and all three of them go down. That was a cool spot. Raven hits Saturn with an Even Flow DDT, but Kanyon takes him out before he can pick up the win. He suplexes Kanyon on the floor and starts climbing the scaffold and comes off with a splash, but Raven rolls out of the way. Lodi rolls Raven back in the ring and he is hit with a Death Valley Driver by Saturn. He covers Raven but Lodi breaks up the count. He gets Suplexed for his trouble and that brings Horace Boulder out to the ring with a stop sign in tow. He gets powder in the eyes and hits Lodi by accident. He comes back and hits Raven and Saturn hits Raven with another DVD to pick up the win after 12:26.

Winner: Saturn
Match Rating: 2/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This match was also a mess, but it was better than the previous bout. I like all the guys in the match and I thought Kanyon was a very underrated worker. They beat the hell out of each other for over ten minutes, which is standard for these three. They had some hard-hitting action and also told somewhat of a story, which is nice for a match like this. Saturn picking up the win doesn’t shock me, as he seems to be the one poised for a push moving forward.

Psychosis vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

The winner of this match will be at the front of the line for a shot at the WCW Cruiserweight Title.

Both men lock up with Psychosis working Mysterio into the corner. He takes Mysterio down again as he comes out. He sends him into the ropes as they make their way back to their feet and takes him over with an arm drag. Mysterio gets some kicks to the head, but Psychosis stays on the offensive. Mysterio fights out and hits a dropkick that sends Psychosis to the outside. He gets back in the ring and has Mysterio flat on his back again. Mysterio leaps up and gets a Sunset Flip for a two-count. He hits Psychosis with a chop to the chest and tries again, but Psychosis ducks and hits Mysterio with a clothesline. Psychosis hits a nice-looking suplex and picks up a two-count. He gets a chop to the chest of Mysterio and sends him hard into the corner. Psychosis starts working on Mysterio in the corner and stretches his arms around the ropes. He brings him out and sends him into the ropes for a big slam. He hits Mysterio with a suplex and starts his ascent to the top. He comes off the top, but Mysterio gets the feet up to the face. He starts slamming Psychosis against the buckles in the corner and hits a Hurricanrana. Psychosis slides to the outside to regroup as Mysterio poses for the crowd.

Mysterio comes out after him and hits a chop to the chest before rolling him back in and hitting a big splash off the top. Mysterio comes off the ropes and tries another move, but Psychosis turns it into a Powerbomb. He starts working on the head area of Mysterio again and gets a kick to the back. Psychosis gets Mysterio on his shoulders and suplexes him with a bridge for a two count. That was a solid move. Mysterio rolls to the outside and Psychosis hits him with a dropkick as he gets back to his feet. Back in the ring, Psychosis gets Mysterio locked in a Half Crab. He puts Mysterio on the top and hits a Frankensteiner for a near fall. Psychosis hits a scoop slam and jumps up top, but Mysterio dropkicks him to the floor. Mysterio comes out after him with a Flipping Senton and that gets the crowd fired up. Mysterio gets a shoulder to the gut and gets another Sunset flip for a two-count. Mysterio hits Psychosis with a facebuster and follows it up with a leg drop. Psychosis catches Mysterio again for another Powerbomb. Mysterio moves before Psychosis hits a splash and he hits a Hurricanrana off the rope and picks up the win after 13:38

Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr.
Match Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: I always love it when these two locked horns in this area. This was a harder match for both men and you could tell. It definitely wasn’t their best outing, but it has been the best on the night so far. Mysterio tried to get the crowd into it multiple times, but he got a lukewarm response in return. I thought everything was smooth for the most part, although, some of the spots were a tad sloppy. Mysterio picking up the win puts him in line for a Cruiserweight title shot down the line.

WCW Television Title Match
Stevie Ray (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Pepe)

If we remember, Ray pinned Chavo after a handshake from hell last month. Chavo grabs the mic and says he shouldn’t have to wrestle and that he should be the WCW Television Champion. Chavo says that he will not have the match until Stevie Ray shakes his hand. Ray refuses.

The bell sounds and Chavo gets a dropkick to the knee and some chops to the chest, but it doesn’t register. Chavo tries to mount some more offense, but Ray catches him and starts pounding away. He grabs Chavo by the throat, but Chavo goes to the eyes and he drops him. He flees to the outside with Ray hot on his trail. Back in the ring and kicks Chavo in the gut and hits a Slapjack to pick up the win after 2:38.

Winner and STILL WCW Television Champion: Stevie Ray
Match Rating: DUD

Collective Thoughts: This was another classic between Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Stevie Ray. Oh boy, can this be over now?

After the match, Stevie Ray grabs the mic and says that he will punk out anyone who says he is a joke. Eddie Guerrero hits the ring and helps Chavo from being attacked further. They have some words in the ring before they go back to Lee Marshall who is with Chris Jericho. Jericho says that every time he steps in the ring he gives 100% and it’ll be no different tonight.

The next match was scheduled to be Rick vs. Scott Steiner. The match had been brewing since Scott’s defection to the NWO earlier in the year. JJ Dillon is out in the ring and he tells Rick that there is not going to be a match tonight. Buff Bagwell comes out and is wheeling Scott Steiner out on a stretcher. Last week on Nitro, Rick wiped Scott and Bagwell out with a chair and now they are unable to compete. Bagwell is getting good heel heat here for a change. Bagwell hams up his own neck injury as well. Dillon said that while the match isn’t taking place tonight, it will take place at Fall Brawl next month. Bagwell tries to get out of that match also, but Dillon says that if Scott doesn’t compete at Fall Brawl, he is going to be “banned” from wrestling forever. Rick chases them up the aisleway, but Bagwell and Scott hightail it to the back.

Bryan Adams (w/ Vincent) vs. Steve “Mongo” McMichael

They lock up as the bell sounds and McMichael works him into the corner, but the referee makes him break. Adams gets a kick to the midsection and hits a headbutt to the side of the head. He sends McMichael into the ropes, but McMichael damn near breaks Adams’ neck with a botched DDT. McMichael drops an elbow as Adams rolls out to the floor. Adams gets back in the ring and both men start exchanging blows to the head of each other. Adams catches McMichael coming in for a kick to the head and slams him down. Adams drops an elbow to the chest of McMichael and takes control of the match. He clotheslines McMichael over the top rope and Vincent sends him into the stairs. McMichael has a stand-off with him until Adams comes around the corner and hits him from behind. Back in the ring, Adams hits McMichael with a backbreaker and picks up a two-count. Adams comes off the second rope, but McMichael rolls out of the way. McMichael hits a side slam and takes the knee of Adams out. They have an awkward exchange before Adams tries to pick McMichael up for a Piledriver and he kicks the referee as he comes up. Adams lays the boots to the referee on the mat as Vincent grabs a chair. He goes to hit McMichael but hits Adams instead. McMichael hits a Tombstone Piledriver and the referee comes to and counts the three after 6:32.

Winner: Steve McMichael
Match Rating: DUD

Collective Thoughts: This was bad, and there is no other way I can put it. They did some nice power stuff, but there was a lot of sloppiness going on in this one. Vincent getting involved was predictable, and it was what it was. Also, I will take this time to say that I hope McMichael is living comfortably after his recent ALS diagnosis. We have fun on here, but I hope he finds both peace and health.

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera (Dean Malenko is the Special Guest Referee)

This Jericho vs. Malenko storyline has been one of the bright spots feud-wise throughout this year and it doesn’t seem to be losing any steam. Also, interesting that Jericho and Guerrera had a recent match on AEW television. Jericho grabs the mic and says that he shouldn’t have to perform in front of people like this. The crowd is revving their engines to drown out the sound of Jericho.

As the bell sounds Jericho gets the upper hand early. He works Guerrera into the corner, but Malenko tells him to break it. Guerrera gets a thumb to the eye and takes Jericho down to the mat with a dropkick. He hits some chops to the chest, but Jericho soon fights his way back. He hits Guerrera with a back kick and starts pounding on the head of Guerrera. Malenko throws Jericho back after he tells him to get out of his face. Guerrera slides back in the ring and goes for a dropkick, but Jericho sidesteps him. Guerrera throws him into the corner and pulls him down by the hair. He climbs up top and comes off with a Missile Dropkick. Jericho is on the apron and Guerrera slides under and pulls his feet out from under him. He sends Jericho to the guardrail below and comes flying out with a splash all the way down. That was a scary-looking bump because it didn’t look like he was going to make it. Guerrera gets him back in the ring and hits a Springboard Legdrop for a two count. Jericho fights back with a dropkick to the middle of the back and he slaps him across the face. Jericho sends Guerrera out to the apron and he hits Jericho with a splash coming back in. Guerrera hits an elbow to the head and climbs up top for a splash, but Jericho catches him and slams him down. Jericho picks him back up and drops him with a suplex and covers him with his foot. Jericho gets a knee lift in and hits a scoop slam. He comes off the rope for a senton and covers him for a near fall. Jericho gets a high knee to the gut of Guerrera and continues to stomp away on him. Guerrera reverses a suplex and the crowd is firmly behind him.

Jericho is the first one to his feet, though, and continues to pound on Guerrera. Jericho tries a Lionsault, but Guerrera gets the knees up. He chops away on the chest of Jericho and takes him down to the mat with a pair of head scissors. He comes off the top with a splash and gets a near fall. Jericho hits a suplex, but Guerrera lands on his feet. He charges in, but Jericho catches him and hits him with a series of Powerbombs. He kicks Guerrera in the back and comes off the second rope with a splash to the outside. According to Jericho, Jericho hits a clothesline as Guerrera gets back in the ring and shares some words with Malenko after a slow count. Guerrera reverses a Powerbomb into a Facebuster and hits Jericho with the Juvi Driver, but he gets the shoulder up. Guerrera sets Jericho up and climbs up top, but Jericho knocks him down on the top. He climbs up with him and hits a big Superplex. Jericho catches Guerrera coming off the ropes and puts him in The Liontamer, but Guerrera gets to the ropes. He has another exchange with Malenko before charging into the corner and getting pummeled by Guerrera. He hits Malenko by mistake and Jericho takes advantage and hits Guerrera with the title belt. He slaps Malenko across the face ad Guerrera kicks out at two. Jericho continues to work on Guerrera and climbs up top, but Guerrera fights back. They exchange blows before Malenko pulls Guerrera off. Jericho kicks Malenko in the head and Guerrera slingshots off of him and hits Jericho with a top rope Hurricanrana and wins the title after 16:24.

Winner and NEW WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Juventud Guerrera
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: This was a very good back and forth match with less interference from Malenko than I would have expected. They had some nice exchanges and did some stuff that looked awesome, but also a tad crazy with the elevated stage. Jericho used his power and size advantage, but in the end, Malenko played a role in him losing the title. I thought it was solid overall, and the crowd was super into the Guerrera win.

NWO Invitational Battle Royal
NWO Hollywood (Scott Hall, The Giant, Curt Hennig, and Scott “Flash” Norton) vs. NWO Wolfpac (Kevin Nash, Sting, Lex Luger, and Konnan) vs. Goldberg

This is essentially a Royal Rumble with pins and submissions allowed and is actually more like a tag team match than anything else. It’s two factions and Goldberg facing off. Having Goldberg in a match like this rather than defending the title is head-scratching, but what do I know.

Scott Hall grabs the mic and does his standard pre-match promo. He was so good around this time. Kevin Nash is the next one to grab the mic and alerts everyone that The Wolfpac is in the house. Konnan does his standard stuff getting Rowdy Rowdy.

The bell sounds and everyone starts going at each other. Nash and Hall are fighting, as well as Goldberg and The Giant squaring up. Nash hits Hall with an elbow to the head in the corner and gets the foot to the throat. Hall starts to fight back as Goldberg walks over and takes him out. Goldberg tosses Hall to the outside and now he is eliminated. Nash eliminates himself right after to continue pounding on Hall. In the ring, Goldberg runs over Hennig with a spear and Norton is fighting Konnan in the corner. The Giant starts crushing Sting in the other corner as Konnan and Hennig start duking it out. The Giant stands on Sting and has him in a bad spot. Goldberg comes and saves the day by hitting The Giant from behind. The Giant recovers and starts getting some shots in on Goldberg. He slams him down to the mat and Hennig kicks Goldberg in the head. Norton is trying to eliminate Luger on the one side, but he can’t get him over before he recovers. Konnan starts fighting with The Giant as Sting gets Hennig in the Scorpion Death Lock. Norton hits Sting as Goldberg spears Konnan and throws him to the outside. Hennig grabs Goldberg from behind to try and get him out, but Goldberg fights out which causes The Giant to come over to start and double-team him. The Giant hits Goldberg with a big suplex as Luger is stomping away on Norton. Norton gets back to his feet and starts hitting Luger again. Goldberg spears Hennig and this time he tosses him to the outside. Goldberg charges over and eliminates Sting and Norton at the same time. The Giant, Luger, and Goldberg are left. Luger gets thrown over the top and The Giant hits Goldberg with a CHokeslam right after. Goldberg no-sells it and hits a spear on The Giant as he gets back up. Goldberg sets The Giant up and hits The Jackhammer to pick up the win after 7:58.

Winner: Goldberg
Match Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eb1774uAPw

Collective Thoughts: There wasn’t much going on in this one, but Goldberg hitting The Giant with The Jackhammer to end it was damn impressive. In the storylines coming out of the match, Nash eliminated himself after Hall so that they could fight to the back, and Goldberg finally getting his hands on The Giant. Nash eliminating himself is a good way to keep him looking strong. Goldberg winning here was solid, but it just didn’t seem to be the smoothest from start to finish.

Michael Buffer is out which means it’s time for the main event.

“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff (w/ Elizabeth and The Disciple) vs. Diamond Dallas Page & Jay Leno (w/ Kevin Eubanks)

Leno throws water on Hogan and Bischoff at ringside before the bell rings. They get in the ring and it looks like Hogan and Page are going to start things off. They lock up, but Hogan quickly pushes him away. Hogan grabs the arm and starts working on it, but Page reverses and gets some shoulders in. Hogan gets back to his feet and they exchange slaps to the face and Page hits a neck breaker. Hogan rolls to the outside, but Page is right behind him and grabs him by the hair. He lets go and Eubanks pushes Hogan into the post before rolling him back in the ring. Hogan tells The Disciple if Eubanks gets close to him again, to take him out. Hogan gets a kick to the midsection and starts choking Page in the corner. Bischoff tags into the match and they are double-teaming on Page. Bischoff works him into the corner and hits some kicks to the head. Page comes back with a kick of his own and Leno tags into the match. That makes Bischoff scurry to his own corner and tag Hogan back in the match. Leno dares Hogan to hit him as they circle each other in the ring. Hogan comes in to get a lock-up, but Leno ducks underneath. Leno ducks another attack and tags Page into the back. He comes in and starts pounding on Hogan. Hogan comes back with a flurry and hits Page with a clothesline. Page battles back after Hogan grabs the arm and slams their shoulders together.

He starts to wrench Hogan’s arm and tags Leno into the match. Leno grabs Hogan’s arm and starts twisting it around. Hogan grabs Leno by the hair and works him back into the corner. Leno ducks underneath a clothesline and tags Page back into the match. They hit a double-clothesline in Hogan and he rolls out of the ring. Page comes out after him, but Hogan grabs a chair and chases him with it before Eubanks grabs it and takes it away. Bischoff kicks Page in the head and he sends Bischoff flying off the apron. Hogan regains control and starts choking Page in the corner before hitting him with a big clothesline. Bischoff tags back in and he continues pounding on Page in the corner. Hogan comes into the ring and creams Page with a foreign object as The Disciple is distracting the referee. Hogan tags back in the ring and starts whaling on Page. Hogan puts the object around his fist again and hits Page with it. He sends him into the ropes and hits the Hogan boot. Page gets back to his feet and hits a clothesline that knocks Hogan down to the mat. Bischoff tags in the match and so does Leno. They have a standoff in the ring as Leno comes in and grabs the hair. Bischoff pokes him in the eye and he lets up. Leno hits a low blow as he comes in and hits a right hand to the face. Leno takes him down with a clothesline. Leno pounds Bischoff’s head into the corner. Hogan sneaks in the ring and Bischoff holds Leno, but Hogan accidentally hits Bischoff. Page clotheslines Hogan over the top rope as Eubanks comes in the ring and hits Bischoff with a Diamond Cutter. Leno covers Bischoff and picks up the win after 14:31.

Winner(s): Jay Leno & Diamond Dallas Page
Match Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

Collective Thoughts: For what this match lacked technically, it made up for in crowd interest. They were into everything they did, which is because Leno and Eubanks were so recognizable at this point. Leno actually got a lot of offense in and he held himself well against guys that did it more often. This was a big deal back in 1998, and quite the get for WCW in 1998. It was a decent way to end the show and was a lot better than other WCW shows around this time.

After the match, Hogan, Bischoff, and The Disciple come back in the ring to start beating up Page and Leno. This brings Goldberg out to the ring, with the title around his waist, and he spears Hogan and Bischoff at the same time. He celebrates in the ring with Page, Leno, and Eubanks as the show goes off the air.

Overall Show Rating: 5.5 out of 10

The lack of any crowd heat throughout this show really brought it down. You could tell the talent were having a hard time hitting stuff that they normally could and it’s just an od setting for a wrestling show. There were some highlights like Juventud Guerrera winning the Cruiserweight Title from Chris Jericho, and Mysterio vs. Psychosis, but overall, there wasn’t much here. Having Goldberg wrestle in a Battle Royal instead of defending the title was questionable, but I wasn’t booking. The main event was actually a lot better than some other have been in 1998, which is sad seeing how two people involved in the match weren’t even wrestlers. Jay Leno coming in was a big deal though at the time.

What did you think of WCW Road Wild 1998? Loved it? Hated it? Are you refusing to watch the bike rally shows? Either way, keep the conversation going over @collectiveheel on Twitter, and let me know your thoughts. Take care of yourselves and each other. I will be back soon enough with some more Collective Thoughts.