Starrcade XIX is tomorrow night, and the last stop isn’t technically Nitro, its right here with WCW Velocity! Another Saturday night alone in the dark must mean its time for generic rock music and to be welcomed by the voices of WCW Velocity, Scott Hudson & Don West!
The match kicks off as Karagias immediately catches Guido with a deep arm drag and a spinning heel kick that drops Guido to the canvas. Evan goes to the top rope looking to fly early, but Palumbo leaves his spot on the outside to slightly shake the ropes, causing Karagias to lose his footing. Guido capitalizes instantly, going to the 2nd rope and ripping Evan off the top rope with a big top rope arm drag. Guido begins systematically softening up Karagias' left arm and shoulder with sharp knee drops and arm bars. Karagias mounts a desperate comeback, hitting a jawbreaker and then heading to the apron to hit a springboard crossbody for a very close 2. Evan shoots Guido into the ropes and looks for a back body drop but Guido sees it coming, grabs Karagias by the left arm and drops with a vicious Single Arm DDT. Guido immediately locks in a Fujiwara Armbar and Karagias has no choice but to tapout.
Cruiserweights on Velocity! It just feels right. Karagias seems to have fallen back onto hard times after a brief run earlier this year, but Guido has not-so-quietly gained a lot of momentum as of late, and seems a possibly candidate to actually win the 25-Grand Gauntlet tomorrow.
Backstage we are in Arn Anderson office. CW Anderson, Pete Gas, Marc Mero, Disqo, Mike Sanders, Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo (I think that all I saw) are all milling around and talking at once to Anderson as he writes names down on a paper, telling people they are in the 25-Grand Gauntlet. Skipper & Romeo are up last, and Anderson tells them there is only one spot left. Skipper quickly grabs the pen out of Arn’s hand and writes his name down. Romeo and Skipper exchange a long glare before Skipper turns and walks away.
Stasiak and CW Anderson open the contest with a heavy exchange of chops and European uppercuts. Anderson gains the upper hand with a neckbreaker, quickly tagging in Pete Gas. Gas enters the ring full of energy, hitting a series of running stomps on Stasiak before tagging CW back in to maintain the isolation. The Portraits of Poise switch the momentum when Jindrak receives a blind tag and intercepts Anderson with a thunderous dropkick. Jindrak and Stasiak cut the ring in half, putting a beating on CW while Stacy Keibler cheers them on from the floor. Anderson eventually escapes a suplex attempt from Stasiak and hits a desperation clothesline, leaving both men down. CW crawls and makes the hot tag to Pete Gas just as Stasiak tags Jindrak. Gas comes in swinging wild, dropping Jindrak with a clothesline and yelling at the crowd. Gas backs up to hit a running body block on Jindrak, but Jindrak leap frogs a charging Gas, who then runs directly into his own partner, CW Anderson, violently knocking Anderson straight off the apron and into the steel barricade. A stunned Gas turns into a massive Dropkick from Jindrak. Jindrak hooks the leg and gets the victory.
I keep saying I’m done with Anderson & Gas, and it looks like WCW may finally be done with them too as Gas was made to look like a fool here and Anderson showed signs of being fed up with his partner. I’m down for an Anderson heel turn. Interesting that they are teasing tension with Anderson & Gas and The Primetime Players at the same time.
We are backstage again and Kid Romeo is shown leaving the arena angry and getting in his car. Elix Skipper comes running out and asks Romeo what his problem is. Romeo says it should be obvious; Elix is being selfish and putting himself above the team. Skipper says he did, and he’s sorry, but that doesn’t mean they still can’t party. Skipper then starts to dance, and Romeo slowly gets a smile on his face and joins in before Skipper yells its time to go clubbing, and he and Romeo jump in the car together and leave.
Coming to the ring is Steve Corino. Corino has a microphone as he walks down the ramp and yells for his music to cut. Corino goes on a tangent about how at Starrcade he is going to walk all over Joanie Laurer and then finally be free of this feminist and equality crap he’s been faced with ever since helping Jazz win the Women’s championship. Corino says tonight, he’ll beat any man in the back to prove he’s not only the “King of Old School” but the future of this business.
Jason Jett answers the open call and starts off at an incredible pace, catching Corino completely off guard with some nice chain wrestling and ends up hitting a Springbaord Back Elbow that takes Corino off his feet. Jett lands a standing moonsault for a very close 2-count. Corino answers back with a sharp thumb to the eye, followed by a vicious short-arm clothesline that turns Jett inside out. Corino punishes Jett with stomps and a big knee drop before locking in an abdominal stretch. Jett tries to fight back, but Corino is using the ropes for extra leverage that the referee doesn’t see. They run the spot where Corino keeps doing it and almost getting caught, until he eventually is. Referee Nick Patrick then kicks his hand off the ropes allowing Jett to counter with a big hip toss, then he drops Corino hard with a big enzuigiri. Jett unloads with a flurry of strikes and looks to finish it off with by setting up the Crash Landing, but Corino slips out of the hold thanks to a well-timed tug of Jason Jett’s ponytail. Jett turns and eats a Super Kick from the “King of Old School” and seems out cold. Corino isn’t done, and lifts up the dazed young gun, sets up and nails an Old School Expulsion, and that’s enough for the pinfall.
I really enjoyed that. I called Jett the Savior of Velocity some weeks ago, and I still stand by guys like him, Crowbar, Kwee Wee and even someone like D’Lo Brown should be anchoring this show along with the cruiserweights. Corino looked great here too and I don’t know what to expect from him and Joanie at Starrcade.
Corino is celebrating when Joanie Laurer’s music hits. Out comes the “9th Wonder” and she marches right into the ring and his nose-to-nose with Corino. Corino laughs it off and pretends to back away but instead charges at Joanie with a lariat. Joanie ducks, kicks Corino in the gut and sets him up for a Powerbomb! Corino quickly shoves and wiggles his way free and scampers to the outside in fear. Laurer stands tall in the ring and stares down Corino who looks fazed on the outside.