I remember when this first aired on TBS WCW Saturday Night. I was sitting in my living room with my uncle Phil and our friend Kevin and we knew there had been a cage match the previous week between Ole and JJ against Dusty and a mystery partner. We knew that Magnum TA was to be the partner but his accident had happened recently and he was done wrestling.
This was long before the internet and dirt sheets that gave things away ahead of time and when there was a mystery partner it was truly a mystery until the match. There were several wrestling organizations so anyone could be the partner for Dusty but we literally gasped at the sight of Nikita Koloff with Dusty Rhodes. Nikita was truly the most hated wrestler next to the 4 Horseman and even Ric Flair was cheered when he faced Nikita for the World title on several occasions in 1986 and 1987.
As you can see, the crowd was RABID and ready to explode and when Nikita starts attacking Ole it was like a cork popped and all that emotion was deafening. You just dont see natural spontaneous cheering of that level anymore. People were scared of Nikita and really wanted, to a certain extent, done a way with but they never expected this the reaction is proof.
This kind of story line is not possible today with truly one organization, unless somehow the can hide Kurt Angle or Sting or even Goldberg returning to the WWE ring...but I dont think that will ever happen.
Enjoy this, because it is one huge happy wrestling memory for me...at time when we all believed.
This week in 1999 the WWF held its annual SummerSlam pay per view. The Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. August 22nd 1999
- Jeff Jarrett pinned D-Lo Brown (7:27) to win the WWF I-C and European Title. - The APA won a tag team elimination match: * Edge & Christian defeated Matt & Jeff Hardy when Christian pinned Matt. * Edge & Christian defeated Mideon &; Viscera when Edge pinned Mideon. * Edge & Christian defeated Droz & Prince Albert when Edge pinned Albert. * Faarooq &; Bradshaw defeated Edge & Christian when Bradshaw pinned Christian. * Faarooq & Bradshaw defeated Hardcore & Crash Holly when Faarooq pinned Hardcore to win the match. - Al Snow defeated Big Boss Man to win the WWF Hardcore Title. - WWF Women's Champion Ivory defeated Tori. - Ken Shamrock defeated Steve Blackman via knockout in a Lion's Den match. - Test defeated Shane McMahon. - The Undertaker & Big Show defeated Kane & X-Pac - The Rock defeated Billy Gunn in a Kiss My Ass match. - Mankind defeated Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a Triangle match to win the WWF World Title when he pinned Austin. Jesse Ventura was the special referee. Prior to the match, Ventura, the Governor of Minnesota who had been heavily criticized in the media for participating in the event, took the mic and told the crowd and PPV audience that he has always been proud of being a professional wrestler, and he was proud to be a part of the event.
From Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. I took my family to see this live in person on Tuesday night July 31st. We all had a great time. Decent show and much better in person because you dont have to suffer through Michael Cole for 2 hours.
The WCW Great American Bash of 1990 featured some legendary talent and talent that would become legendary in the WWF/WWE.
Most striking in "Mean Mark" who left WCW and found fame and fortune as "The Undertaker" in the WWF.
During the Match, The Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff and The Junkyard Dog (the "Dudes with Attitudes") surrounded the ring to prevent outside interference by the Four Horsemen.
Also during the entirety of the match, Ole Anderson was handcuffed to El Gigante