A Collective Review of WCW Superbrawl VII from February 1997 (Piper vs. Hogan II) By Lance Augustine
Welcome back to the TJRwrestling retro reviews where are breaking down every WCW Pay-Per-View during the “Monday Night War” era. We just went over NWO Souled Out 1997, which really sucked. It featured a lot of average matches and a pageant that had the worst preparation for a big event I have seen in a long time. This will be the second show that Piper and Hogan will square off in the main event. Their match at Starrcade was alright, so here’s to hoping this one is better.
This also marks the year that WCW started producing PPV’s monthly to rival the WWF. You can read my thoughts on that show and every other WCW show we have covered here. Normally, this is the part where I ask if the show will be better than the last. Spoiler alert, it can’t get any worse. Let’s jump in!
WCW Superbrawl VII
February 23rd, 1997
San Fransisco, California
The show starts with an outside look at The Alcatraz prison and we go inside to find “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in one of the cells. He walks out and tells the guard he knows the way and starts running towards the exit. Piper looks at the camera and says it’s time to pay the piper. He says that Hogan is an endangered species and tonight he is going to rip him apart. It shows that he is on a boat and heading towards the arena.
We are brought inside by the announcers for the show which are Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. I am very glad to see these three back. They talk about Piper vs. Hogan and run down the card for the night before going to the ring for the first match of the night.
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match
Dean Malenko (c) vs. Syxx
Syxx stole the title from Malenko much like he stole the U.S. Title from Eddie Guerrero in December, so he has the title, but isn’t the champion.
The two men start going at each other and Malenko hits a sidekick. He covers Syxx, but pulls him up at two so that he can inflict more damage. Malenko hits a Brainbuster and covers him again, but pulls him up a second time. Syxx tries to fight out of the corner, but Malenko is too much and takes him down to the mat. Syxx charges in and Malenko hits a Powerslam and covers for a near fall. He hits Syxx with an elbow to the forehead and stomps on him in the corner. He gets Syxx in the Tree of Woe and hits a dropkick to the knee. He tries to get The Texas Cloverleaf locked in, but Syxx gets a thumb to the eye. Malenko hits a crossbody that sends both men crashing to the floor. Malenko grabs the title belt and poses with it before hitting Syxx with a clothesline. He rolls him back in the ring and stalks him into the corner. Malenko starts choking him on the second rope and goes for another clothesline, but Syxx counters with a kick to the head. Syxx hits a series of kicks in the corner and comes in to hit The Bronco Buster. Syxx hits a quick leg drop and hooks the leg for a near fall. He chops Malenko in the corner and slaps on a sleeper hold, but Malenko reverses it into a suplex to break the hold. He covers Syxx, but he kicks out at two. Syxx kicks Malenko in the head and midsection before working him into the corner and hits some chops to the chest. He jumps to the outside and comes off the second rope with an elbow drop as Malenko was draped on the apron. Syxx hits a vertical suplex and climbs to the top to hit a diving leg drop for a two count. Maleno fights back to his feet and both men take each other down with dueling headbutts. Syxx goes up top, but Malenko knocks him off and hits a Belly to Back Suplex off the top. That was a cool spot. Syxx grabs the title belt, but Eddie Guerrero is running down to the ring to stop him from hitting Malenko. They have a tug of war over the belt, but Guerrero lets go, and Syxx hits Malenko with the belt. He covers him and it’s enough to pick up the win. The match lasted 11:57.
Winner and NEW WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Syxx
Match Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: That match was better than almost everything on the last show, which is refreshing. Malenko started off quickly and hit some big-time moves for near falls. Both men had some chemistry which made the match flow smoother and Malenko was just in a league of his as a technician. Syxx had some moments as well, and the finish involving Eddie Guerrero was creative and served some storyline purposes. Great start to the show.
Mean Gene is back for this show and is backstage shilling the hotline before he is joined by Diamond Dallas Page. Gene says that Page will be facing someone from the NWO tonight. Page says he won’t be Hogan, Hall, Nash, or Syxx since they are already on the show. Page runs down all the members of the NWO before landing on Buff Bagwell. Gene tells Page that he will be facing Bagwell officially and Page says he hopes Bagwell is ready to feel the bang. Gene sends it back down to the ring.
Six-Man Tag Team Match
Konnan, La Parka, and Villano IV vs. Juventud Guerrera, Ciclope, and Super Calo
Ciclope and Villano start the match off for their sides. Ciclope gets an early advantage with an armbar and takes him down to the mat. Villano shows some athleticism and takes him down with a counter. Konnan and Guerrera tag into the match and lock up in the middle of the ring. Konnan sends him into the ropes and hits a kick followed by a rolling clothesline. Guerrera hits a head scissors that takes Konnan down to the mat. He hits a springboard off the top rope and takes Konnan out with a dropkick. He goes for another move, but Konnan catches him and takes him out. Konnan then follows that up by taking out every member of the other team and tags in La Parka. He charges into the corner, but Calo moves and he hits the post. Calo with a takedown, but La Parka comes back with a clothesline. Calo sends him to the outside and comes out behind him with a splash to the outside. He tries another, but La Parka moves and grabs a chair. He puts Calo in the chair and comes out with a splash that takes him out. Calo tags in Ciclope as La Parka tags in Villano. The two exchange some moves in the ring until Villano goes to the outside. Ciclope comes out with a top rope moonsault, but totally whiffs and hits the floor. He rolls him back in the ring and starts the beatdown. He hits a suplex and covers him for a near fall. Villano hits a chop to the chest and it sends Ciclope to the outside. Guerrera gets in the match and hits a 450 Splash and covers Villano for a two count. There was no tag, which I assume means they don’t need one. Guerrera continues to work on him in the corner before La Parka comes in with a dropkick. He picks Guerrera up to the top and both men fall off. Guerrera hits a springboard Hurricanrana, but Konnan breaks it up. Konnan picks Guerrera on his shoulders and Villano comes off with a clothesline. Konnan and Villano lock him in a double team submission, which brings in Guerrera’s partners and they have a submission party. Konnan throws Guerrera to the outside, and the other four men are in the ring. Villano and Konnan work together as La Parka slams down Guerrera and puts him in a surfboard. Triple dropkicks and triple dives by Guerrera, Ciclope, and Calo which finally gives them the up hand. All three men roll Konnan back in the ring and triple-team him. Konnan recovers and hits a huge powerbomb on Guerrera which is enough to pick up the win after 9:51. It should be noted to Guerrera looked like he got the shoulder up before the three, but nonetheless.
Winner(s): Konnan, La Parka, and Villano IV
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: So that match was definitely entertaining, but was impossible to follow along with towards the end. There were no tags and all six men were in and out throughout the whole match. There were a lot of great moves and near falls and even though the ending looked weird, I don’t think it took away from the match. Just another Cruiserweight standout match.
WCW Television Title Match
Prince Iaukea (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
They lockup and Iaukea locks in an armbar. Mysterio reverses it into one of his own until both men are back to their base. They lock hands and Mysterio takes him down to the mat, but it doesn’t last long. Mysterio with a should block, followed by a dropkick. He comes off the ropes and shows athleticism in the ropes, but Iaukea takes him down with a sidekick. Mysterio rolls to the outside, but Iaukea is right behind him and hits a cross body to the outside. He rolls Mysterio back in the ring and hits a knee drop. He hits a fireman’s carry and covers Mysterio for a two count. Iaukea hits a delayed vertical suplex and starts to wear Mysterio down. He hits a backbreaker and climbs up to the top. Mysterio gets back to his feet and hits a dropkick as Iaukea comes off the top and both men are down. Mysterio hits a Hurricanrana that sends Iaukea to the outside, and Mysterio comes out after him with a baseball slide. He hits some shots on the outside and slides back in the ring before coming back out with a suicide dive that looked insane. He rolls Iaukea back in the ring and starts chopping him in the corner. He hits a double springboard moonsault, but only gets a two count. Mysterio hits a spinning heel kick and both men are down on the mat. He continues to work on Iaukea and hits a sitdown moonsault for another near fall. He hits a drop toe hold and climbs back up to the top, but Iaukea catches up to him and hits a Samoan Drop from the top. That was a great move. Steve Regal comes out to the ring as he blames Mysterio for costing him the title. Mysterio signals for another high-risk move, but Regal pulls him off and he hits his head. Regal rolls him in the ring and Iaukea covers him to retain the title. The match lasted 8:53.
Winner and STILL WCW Television Champion: Prince Iaukea
Match Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: For as short as the match was, it was pretty damn entertaining. Mysterio was always great in these types of matches and although Iaukea hasn’t been as featured up until this point, he did a good job as well. Mysterio hit all the usual moves and it was sloppy at times, but what a fun match to watch. Regal with the distraction was a little cheap at the end, but for the most part, the match delivered.
After the match, Regal is congratulating Iaukea on the victory, but he isn’t having any of it. He hands Mysterio the TV Title belt and the two share pleasantries in the ring.
Mean Gene is backstage and he talks about some of the matches coming up tonight as well as shilling the hotline. The Giant joins him and Gene talks to him about his match tonight against The Outsiders. The Giant says that he has ridden with them in cars and that all they want to do is get The Giant worked up. He says he isn’t erratic and that he is cam. The Giant says that tonight he will prove why he is the man and will take the titles from The Outsiders tonight.
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Buff Bagwell
This was the start of the DDP we all came to know in WCW during its later years. He is super over with the crowd, and he is Mr. WCW.
The bell rings, and Page is chilling in the corner waiting for Bagwell to make a move. He comes out and slaps Bagwell in the face and brings him down to the mat with a takedown. Bagwell isn’t on the defensive long, and both men exchange from shots to the head. Page chases Bagwell who is trying to get out of the ring until the referee pulls them apart. Page with a knee to the midsection, and a headlock that has Bagwell reeling. Page hits an elbow and hits a swinging neck breaker and the crowd is off their feet. Bagwell rolls to the outside, but Page is quickly out with him, and the two fight on the outside. Bagwell drops him throat first on the top rope and takes advantage with some stomps. Bagwell continues to hit Page with some shots to the head and slams his head into the corner. Bagwell hits a Tornado DDT, but he showboats rather than covering Page. Classic heel move. He continues to keep Page grounded and picks him up for an elbow and a near fall. Page with a rollup, but only gets a two count. Bagwell gets back up and hits a clothesline before getting into it with the referee. After some shouting, The ref pushes Bagwell down to the mat. He recovers and catches a kick from Page, but he swings Bagwell into a clothesline. Both men slowly get back to their feet and its Page back on the offense with an atomic drop and he signals for to the fans. He picks Bagwell up for a powerbomb, but only gets a two count. He throws Bagwell into the corner and charges in, but Bagwell hits an elbow. Page rolls him up again, but only gets two again. Bagwell quickly comes back with some shots to the head. Page picks him up and drops him down on the turnbuckle. Bagwell reverses a Diamond Cutter into a backslide and hits a Fisherman Suplex for two. Bagwell tells the referee that he wants him to count Page out of the match. He starts, but Page gets back to his feet and hits The Diamond Cutter. The rest of the NWO hit the ring and the referee throws the match out after 9:46.
Winner by DQ: Diamond Dallas Page
Match Rating: 2.75/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: Bagwell held himself well here, but Page going over was the right way to go. I know it wasn’t a clean victory, but Page has been feuding with the NWO at this point, and he will take anything he can get. There were chances for both men to end it, but in the end, the match didn’t drag on. Page would go on to be a top guy in WCW and it is kind of cool to see him on his ascent to the top.
They show a winner of a contest sponsored by Playstation, the original one. That is a trip down memory lane for those of us who forget what year we are living in.
WCW United States Title Match
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. “Lionheart” Chris Jericho
The graphic for the match says “Television Title”, but what can you do. It is always a treat to see Jericho as a plucky, young, babyface compared to where he is now.
The two lock up and we are underway. Guerrero hits an arm drag, but Jericho is quickly back up. Jericho gets a waist lock on, but Guerrero fights out and puts an armbar on. Jericho reverses it into one of his own and both men go down to the mat. Guerrero gets the upper hand and locks Jericho in an STF, but he lets go and Jericho is back to his feet. Guerrero with a dropkick and a side suplex for a two count. Jericho fights back with a suplex of his own and a near fall. He throws Guerrero into the ropes and locks him in the Abdominal Stretch. Guerrero fights out and locks hands with Jericho, but Jericho stays on the offensive. Jericho hits a Northern Lights Suplex for two. He follows that with a backslide, and a delayed vertical suplex for more near falls. Guerrero is back to his feet and takes Jericho down to the mat, but both men are at a stalemate. Jericho with a kick and a Spinebuster. He locks in the Liontamer, but eventually, he lets go and hits a clothesline as Guerrero gets back to his feet. He puts Guerrero in a chin lock and hits a big backbreaker before covering Guerrero for a two count. He works him into the corner and hits a chop to the chest, but misses a springboard crossbody. Guerrero takes advantage with a clothesline and a powerbomb for two. Guerrero picks him up and hits a Brainbuster and climbs up to the top. Guerrero comes off with a senton, but misses, and Jericho hits a release German Suplex. He kicks Guerrero in the head and hits some elbows to the head. Jericho goes for a leapfrog and hits Guerrero with a Belly to Belly, but he gets a foot on the rope. Jericho crotches him on the top rope and he hits a springboard dropkick that sends Guerrero to the outside. Jericho hits a splash that lands square on Guerrero before throwing him back in the ring. Jericho comes off the ropes again, but Guerrero catches him with an atomic drop and a backslide for a near fall. Jericho with a shoulder block and both men go for dropkicks, but both miss. Jericho hits a power slam and covers him for a two count. He kicks Guerrero in the face as he gets back up and throws him into the corner. He charges in, but Guerrero gets en elbow up. Jericho hits a Nothern Lights Suplex, but only gets a two count. Jericho goes for a powerbomb, but Guerrero rolls him up to pin him and retain the title. The match went 12:02.
Winner and STILL WCW United States Champion: Eddie Guerrero
Match Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: The match had some nice back and forth action between two guys at the top of their game. Obviously, they would grow into superstars, but the writing was on the wall even early on. Jericho hit a lot of power moves, but still showed some great athleticism. Guerrero worked hard to regain his title after it was stolen from him before Souled Out, and I am fine with him remaining the champ in this match. Just a solid outing from both men.
After the match, both men show some respect, and Jericho looks confused about how he got beat so suddenly.
Three-Way Dance Tag Team Match
The Faces of Fear (Meng and The Barbarian) vs. Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) vs. Harlem Heat (Booker T. and Stevie Ray) (w/Sister Sherri)
Rocco Rock is sporting the bald look in this match after having the braids for so many years. This is the type of match where you can tag anyone in from any team.
Rock and The Barbarian start things off. He hits Rock with a power slam and quick tags in Stevie Ray. Ray is in and starts stomping on the prone Rock on the ground. Rock gets back to his feet, but Ray quickly takes him down with a slam. He covers him, but Meng breaks it up. Grunge is in and hits Booker off the apron and takes the fight to Ray. He gets kicked from behind by Booker and that leads to Harlem Heat getting the advantage again. Booker hits Grunge with a scissors kick and tags his brother back in the match. Ray hits a clothesline, but doesn’t go for the pin. Rock and Sherri are yelling on the outside as Harlem Head continues to isolate Grunge on the inside. Booker is back in and hits a side slam and a Harlem Side Kick. Grunge reserves a whip into the corner and hits a clothesline on Booker. He slowly crawls to the corner and tags Meng into the match. Meng hits a dropkick on Booker, which was super impressive. He works him into the corner and The Barbarian comes in and they double team Booker. He puts him on the top rope and hits a Belly to Belly from the top rope. That was an awesome sequence. Meng is back in the match and continues the assault on Booker. He picks him up and puts him down with a piledriver. The Faces of Fear exchange some tags and hits a double headbutt off the top on Booker. Meng throws Booker into The Barbarian, who catches him and hits a powerbomb. An impressive display of power there. Meng hits a sidekick and all hell is breaking loose. The Public Enemy double-team The Barbarian and actually pick up the win after 7:43.
Winner(s); The Public Enemy
Match Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: There were some impressive feats of strength in this match, but that’s about all it had going for it. This match was inconsequential for all the teams involved and was just here to fill some time. Meng and The Barbarian were some tough customers, and they showed that off in this match. The Barbarian was particularly impressive here and while Harlem Heat and Public Enemy both got some time in, overall, the match was short and to the point. Public Enemy picking up the win was a bit of a surprise, but since there was nothing on the line here, it doesn’t matter.
Jeff Jarrett vs. Steve “Mongo” McMichael (w/Debra)
This storyline has been going on for a while now and we have seen these two interact a lot over the last couple of months. If Jarrett wins this match, he will become an official member of The Four Horsemen.
They lock up in the ring with Jarrett grabbing an early advantage. He takes McMichael over with a hip toss, but McMichael is quickly back to his feet. He works Jarrett into the corner, but Jarrett fights out and hits some punches to the head. Jarrett tries to leapfrog over McMichael, but he gets caught and put down with a Powerslam. McMichael hits a chop block and throws Jarett to the outside. He comes out after him, but Debra gets in the way, and it allows Jarrett to take advantage with an eye rake. He outs McMichael in an abdominal stretch, but Debra hits him from behind which causes him to break the hold. McMichael picks him up for a Gorilla Press SLam to the outside. Debra comes over and starts wiping Jarrett off, but McMichael comes out and starts choking him with it. He throws Jarrett into the guardrail and drops him throat-first on it. He rolls Jarrett back in the ring, but Jarrett quickly slams him down. He stomps on McMichael and chokes him on the second rope. Jarrett hits McMichael around the neck and hits a clothesline to pick up a near fall. Jarrett throws on a sleeper hold, but McMichael reverses it into one of his own. Jarrett counters it with a suplex, and both men are down on the mat. McMichael puts his arm on Jarrett, but he gets the shoulder up. Jarrett comes off the ropes and gets hit with a sidewalk slam. Jarrett gets back to his feet, but is quickly taken down again with another side slam. He covers Jarrett and gets a close near fall. Jarrett is back and hits a scoop slam before climbing up top. He hits a crossbody, but he also takes out the referee in the process. McMichael asks for the briefcase from Debra, but she tosses it to Jarrett who crushes him with it and picks up the win. The match lasted 8:12.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Match Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: This will not be mistaken for a technical masterpiece. McMichael was an average at best worker, and Jarrett did everything he could to carry the match. There were a couple of nice near falls and the overall story of the match was between Jarrett joining The Horsemen and Debra’s alliance to either man. It was fine, but nothing spectacular.
San Fransisco Death Match
“The Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan (w/Miss Jacquelyn and Jimmy Hart) vs. Chris Benoit (w/Woman)
Woman and Jacquelyn will be strapped together at ringside. These guys have been beating the hell out of each other for the better part of a year at this point.
Sullivan and Benoit start immediately throwing haymakers as Woman and Jacquelyn fight on the outside. Sullivan with a kick to the midsection and hits a back body drop. The ladies continue going at it on the outside, as Benoit regains control and hits a scoop slam. He climbs up top, but Sullivan is there to throw him off. Both women get in the ring and continue fighting and whipping each other. Sullivan gets in the middle of it, and Woman hits him below the belt with the strap. Jacquelyn whips Benoit in the back and gives Sullivan the strap. He starts hanging Benoit from the ropes, yikes, and both women start fighting with the men. They both hit clotheslines that sends Benoit and Sullivan to the mat. They roll to the outside and Sullivan starts slamming Benoit against the railing. Benoit fights back with some chops, and it shows the women in the ring destroying each other. Benoit and Sulivan fight through the crowd and start wailing at each other amongst the people. They are in the back and Sullivan bodyslams Benoit on a medical cart. He hits him in the head with a trash can and that ignites Benoit to come back. He hits Sullivan with some shots to the head and hits him with the same trash can. Jacquelyn is choking Woman in the ring with the strap, as the men make their way back out through the crowd. Sullivan rolls Benoit back in the ring and sets him up for the Tree of Woe. Sullivan charges in with a knee to the midsection and hits The Double Stomp, but Woman hits him with the strap and breaks it up. Benoit recovers and hits a Piledriver, but slides to the outside. He brings out a table and slides it in the ring. He sets it up and puts Sullivan on it. Jacquelyn tries to stop Benoit, but Woman pulls her back and puts her on the table as Benoit comes off with a splash on both. He covers both of them and picks up the win after 8:35.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: That match was wild as most Benoit and Sullivan matches were. This one had the added wrinkle of Woman and Jacquelyn in the fold, but they brawled all over the building and just beat on each other. All of the offense was stiff and looked real as hell, and I am sure some of it was. Woman battling with Jacquelyn was very entertaining and both women got their shots in. The ending with the table spot was very cool, and also very rare for WCW at the time. Kudos for the realism of the whole thing.
After the match, Benoit, Sullivan, and Jacquelyn are out cold. More referees come down to the ring, as Arn Anderson looks on and just shakes his head. Paul Orndorff comes out to the ring and sends a referee away. They all check on the three of them as they start to get help down to the ring for them. They bring out stretchers and they get carted away.
They have a commercial for WCW Uncensored 1996, which of course we will be covering.
WCW Tag Team Title Match
The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) (w/Syxx) (c) vs. The Giant and ???
Lex Luger is supposed to be apart of the match, but he was banned by Eric Bischoff due to having an injured arm, so The Giant is here alone. The Giant is officially at war with The NWO after being part of the group for a number of months.
Hall and Nash play Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who starts the match and Hall wins. He throws the toothpick in the face of The Giant, and ducks under a clothesline. He hits The Giant with a kick to the midsection, but it doesn’t last long and The Giant takes him down quickly. Hall goes to his corner and gets a pep talk from Nash. Hall comes out with some fists and chops, but The Giant reverses and throws him into the corner. He hits Hall with some chops to the chest and slams him down. Hall spits in The Giant’s face and tags Nash into the match. Nash hits a knee and a forearm and clotheslines The Giant in the corner. The Giant comes back with a clothesline of his own and takes both men out. He throws Nash to the outside of the ring and picks him up to slam him spine first into the ring post. The Giant hits a big elbow, but Hall is there to break up the pin. Syxx comes off the top rope and hits The Giant, which allows Hall to hit a bulldog and Nash gets a near fall. Nash hits come elbows and knees in the corner before getting his boot into the throat. Hall comes with a clothesline and Nash continues working on The Giant in the ropes. Hall hits a leg drop from the apron and holds The Giant there as Nash hits another attack to the back. Syxx hits a kick to the head and it is essentially three on one. Hall tags back in and starts wailing on The Giant in the corner and climbs up top to punch him in the head. He shoves Hall off which brings Nash into the ring and he gets hit with a boot. The Giant takes both of them out in the ring and hits Nash with a right hand. Syxx is on the apron, but The Giant just tosses him into Nash. Hall grabs The Cruiserweight Title and hits The Giant with it, and he doesn’t go down, but he is wobbly. Nash picks him up and hits a Jackknife Powerbomb. Great Strength, but The Giant helped out a lot on that one. Luger is coming out to the ring and Bischoff is trying to stop him, but he just throws him to the side. Luger gets on the apron and is begging for the tag. The Giant tags him in and he is a house of fire and takes everyone in the match out. He signals for the Torture Rack and puts Nash in it. Nash gives up and there are new champions crowned. The match lasted 8:53.
Winner(s) and NEW WCW Tag Team Champions: The Giant and Lex Luger
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: That was a spectacle for sure. Nash getting The Giant up for a powerbomb was pretty impressive, and the match overall was pretty fun to watch. I have always been a fan of Hall and Nash in the NWO because they were always the “cool” heels. The Giant fought back nicely, but once Luger got in the match, that’s all she wrote. The Giant and Luger becoming champions was a good way to continue the internal struggle between WCW and The NWO.
After the match, The Giant chokeslams Hall and pins him, but it didn’t matter. Luger and The Giant celebrate in the ring with the titles.
WCW Heavyweight Title Match
“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan (c) (w/Ted Dibiase and Vincent) vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Piper is still weathered after his “stay” in Alcatraz.
Hogan starts on the outside of the ring, shocking, and slowly makes his way in as the bell sounds. Piper starts punching Hogan right away and hits a low blow. He starts choking Hogan with his t-shirt and throws him back outside of the ring. Piper throws him into the steps before grabbing a chair to start beating on him with it. He rolls Hogan back in the ring and continues the assault by adding some biting and scratching. Vincent gets on the apron, but Piper knocks him off. Piper with a poke to the eyes of Hogan, and he is in complete control at this point. They go the outside again, and Piper hits Hogan with some stiff shots to the head before rolling him back in the ring. He crotches Hogan on the top rope, as Sting and Randy Savage stand at the top of the aisle way. Savage starts walking to the ring, but Sting stops him and they start walking to the back. Savage turns around and goes to the ring and is standing at ringside. Piper and Hogan are exchanging in the ring, as Sting continues to look on. Hogan puts Piper down with a slam, but only gets a two count. He continues working on the head of Piper and he rolls to the outside to regroup. Sting actually leaves the aisleway as Hogan continues to stomp away on Piper. Hogan wraps the leg of Piper around the ring post, as Savage looks on. Piper comes back and starts biting Hogan on the forehead, and both men are going back and forth. Hogan reverses an Irish Whip and locks Piper in a Bearhug. Piper starts to fight out by hitting Hogan in the head, but Hogan continues to choke Piper. He goes for an elbow drop, but Piper rolls out of the way. He starts to attack Hogan, but is quickly taken down with a low blow. Piper gets the Sleeper Hold on, and Hogan falls down to the mat. That is how Piper defeated Hogan back at Starrcade. Hogan’s arm drops for the three count, and Piper celebrates in the ring. Savage pulls Hogan underneath the ropes and slides something on Hogan’s hand. He hits Piper with is when it comes around, and pins Piper to retain the title in one of the most confusing endings in a match ever. It went 11:32.
Winner and STILL WCW Heavyweight Champion: “Hollywood” Hogan
Match Rating: 2/5 Stars
Collective Thoughts: There is the heel turn that has been teased for months with Savage joining The NWO. THe ending of this match was so weird, but Hoganclearly wasn’t underneath the ropes until the match has already ended. It just didn’t make any sense. The match wasn’t as bad as some Hogan and Piper matches have been in the past, and I think I liked this one a little more than Starrcade. Obviously, they were never going to put the belt on Piper, so I guess in a sense it was a nice swerve at the end to make people think they did. I just wish it was executed better. Overall, this was the main event that got people talking, which was the whole point.
After the match, Savage and Hogan start to beat on Piper. Savage hits The Diving Elbow, and Hogan hits a couple of Legdrops. Hogan spits on Piper and they continue to beat on Piper as the show goes off the air.
Overall Show Rating: 6 out of 10
Was this show better than Souled Out? Well, if you read my review of it, you should know the answer. Obviously, this show was a step above last month’s outing because there were some story developments that would push WCW into the future. We had some cruserweight matches on the card that didn’t disappoint, and I really thought the Guerrero vs. Jericho match was top notch. There were some throwaway matches as well, like the tag team triangle match, but there wasn’t anything offensive on this show. The ending of the show was super confusing, and the bell rang twice with different winners. The alliances of Savage and Sting has been unknown for months and we got the conclusion to one of those stories on this show. Overall, I have seen better shows, but this had some quality matches on it. We are getting into the meat of the years that WCW found iit’s way to the top, so we can all hope that the show’s just keep getting better and better from here.
What did you think of WCW Superbrawl VII? Loved it? Hated it? Haven’t seen it yet? Either way, hit me up over @collectiveheel on Twitter and let me know your thoughts. While you are there, make sure to check out my podcast network, The Heel Turn Collective. We have 3 shows a week, including an AEW recap show every Friday. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. I will be back soon enough with some more Collective Thoughts.