The engine never stops as WCW continues its monumental relaunch into 2002. We are LIVE from the Black River Coliseum! The familiar tune of Andrew WK’s “Party Hard” opens the show over the video package, cue the pyro and we are welcomed to WCW Nitro by Joey Styles & Jerry “The King” Lawler!
Is it weird to already have nostalgia for Shane McMahon’s WCW? Because we are opening the show with The Foundation on their way to the ring. Diamond Dallas Page leads the charge followed by Kanyon, Mike Awesome and the lone champion, Billy Kidman. The Foundation takes the center of the ring and DDP has a microphone.
Kanyon rips the mic away next, looking completely unhinged.
Billy Kidman steps up last, raising his Cruiserweight Title.
The Foundation’s music hits again, and the group stand in the middle of the ring united, raising each other’s hands.
This is a purist's dream to kick off the wrestling action. Chavo tries to use his speed early on, but Hennig immediately grounds him with a textbook drop-toe hold and works into a crisp side headlock. Chavo fights up, hits the ropes, and gets leveled by a Hennig dropkick. Hennig is wrestling with an absolute point to prove tonight, chopping Chavo brutally into the corner. Chavo fires back with a thumb to the eye and goes for a quick roll-up for a two-count. Beautiful technical wrestling from both guys here. Chavo goes for a tornado DDT out of the corner, but Hennig blocks it mid-air, thrusts Chavo hard into the ropes, catches him on the rebound, and executes a flawless Hennig-Plex! Bridge and all, 1—2—3!
Winner: Curt HennigHennig celebrates in the ring after the match when out of nowhere, Jeff Jarrett slides into the ring and smashes a guitar over Hennig’s head! Jarrett is yelling at Hennig before posing with the broken remnants of the guitar.
Scott Hudson is backstage with Elix Skipper. Hudson asks Skipper why he attacked his friend, Kid Romeo, last week. Skipper says that its been a long time coming. Skipper is a former Cruiserweight champion, and everyone seems to forget its him who is Primetime material. Romeo was holding him back, and it’s time to cut the fat.
Romeo enters looking to take the head off his former partner and friend, sprinting down the aisle and taking Skipper down on the floor before the bell even rings. Once they get inside, Romeo unloads with a flurry of right hands and a beautiful dropkick that sends Skipper to the corner. Romeo charges, but Skipper smartly telegraphs it, pulling the referee into harm's way just enough to create a distraction before raking Romeo’s eyes. Skipper takes over, hitting a stiff back breaker and slowing things down with a tight chinlock. Romeo rallies, hitting a vertical suplex and looking to set up a big move. But Skipper counters out, hits a quick jawbreaker, and instantly transitions into the Overdrive out of nowhere! He hooks the leg, and the ref counts a rapid three.
Winner: Elix SkipperBack from commercial and here comes the “King of Old School” Steve Corino with the WCW World Heavyweight championship belt! Corino is all smiles as he walks down the ramp, wearing the belt around his waist and taunting the fans at ringside. He enters the ring and has a microphone in hand.
That’s enough from Corino as Booker T comes charging to the ring to his music. He slides in and Corino quickly bails and sprints up the ramp. Booker T grabs the discarded microphone.
The familiar music of Ric Flair hits and here comes the WCW President, Ric Flair! Corino is now sandwiched on the ramp, with Flair at the top and Booker T at the bottom.
Corino has a big grin on his face as he begins saying this is all he wanted. Corino then gestures he’ll give Booker T the belt back. Corino slowly begins making his way to ringside and even more cautiously enters the ring with Booker T. He takes the title off his waist and extends it to Booker T. Booker reaches for it, but Corino instead kicks him square in the family jewels! Booker is down to a knee, and Corino clobbers him with the WCW World Heavyweight championship right between the eyes! Flair is now running to the ring, but Corino has already high tailed it again, taking the championship with him as he runs through the crowd, leaving Flair and a now bloodied Booker T in the ring.
La Sharka starts off by hitting a series of arm-drags on Sanders, stopping to do a little dance that gets the crowd unglued. Shark Boy tags in and hits a series biting headbutts on Disqo. Disqo and Sanders manage to isolate Shark Boy for a bit, utilizing quick tags and cheap shots behind the referee's back to slow down the fun. Shark Boy fights out and makes a hot tag to La Sharka, who goes on a house-cleaning spree.
Suddenly, out of the crowd, the WCW Women's Champion Jazz sprints down and absolutely levels Shark Girl at ringside with a vicious clothesline! Inside the ring, La Sharka and Shark Boy see the attack and completely abandon the match, sliding out to defend Shark Girl. Disqo and Sanders join the fray, and within seconds, all six people are in an absolute, chaotic brawl on the floor. The referee throws his hands up in despair and calls for a double disqualification as officials rush out to separate them!
Winner: No One (Double DQ)The brawling continues after the match, with Jazz, Disqo & Sanders eventually breaking free and ending up outside the ring while The Shark Squad stands united within it. Jazz ends up with a microphone and calls the Shark Squad a joke, and that Jazz could destroy them herself, but she thinks it might be more fun to do it with Disqo & Sanders.
We are backstage and Rob Van Dam is walking in a down a corridor with his WCW United States Championship. “Little” Guido Maritato then shows up and stands in his way. Guido asks if RVD is ready to be a former champion again. Rob Van Dam simply smiles and goes to walk around Guido, but he is quickly surrounded by Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli as well as all of the FBI are here. Rob Van Dam turns back to Guido and tells him his friends must be here to pick him up from school. Guido says Rob Van Dam is a punk, and tonight, if he had any guts, he’d go down to that ring and fight one of Guido’s associates. RVD says “cool” and turns and walks off.
Stamboli tries to use his massive power advantage early, catching a flying RVD out of mid-air and slamming him hard with a military press slam. Stamboli looks incredibly motivated here, keeping Van Dam grounded with powerful bearhugs and a textbook suplex that earns a close two-count. But you can't keep RVD down for long. Van Dam uses the turnbuckle to launch into a beautiful spinning heel kick, breaking Stamboli's momentum. RVD hits his trademark rolling thunder, but Palumbo jumps on the apron to distract. Van Dam ignores him, hitting a springboard side kick to knock Palumbo to the floor. Stamboli tries to capitalize from behind, but RVD ducks, hits a series of kicks and knocking Stamboli down with a big spinning kick. Stamboli is perfectly in the center of the ring. Van Dam scales the turnbuckle, leaps, and connects beautifully with a picture-perfect Five Star Frog Splash for the clean 3!
Winner: Rob Van DamWe get a video package showing some ominous trees and candles and then flashes of a decrepit church. Inside the church looks empty as a lone figure stands at the altar near the front. The camera quick cuts between things showing flashes of a bald preacher, what looks like the Sinister Minister from ECW, Viscera and Mortis? The bald preacher reveals himself as “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels and says the congregation of The Lost Church is going to bring a reckoning to WCW. We get a final shot of all four men standing together as the light in the church seems to fade away.
Scott Hudson is backstage with Rey Mysterio and asks him what he thinks about his former friend Billy Kidman. Mysterio says friendships are mysterious things and walks off. Okay.
An absolute car crash of a main event as all six men explode into a massive brawl to start it off. When the referee finally gains control, General Rection showcases some serious power, leveling Mike Awesome with a running clothesline. Cajun tags in, hitting a flying crossbody on Kanyon for a near fall. The Foundation quickly showcases the standard isolation tactics, cutting the ring in half and trapping Cajun in their corner for a prolonged stretch. D'Lo gets the hot tag and completely cleans house, dropping DDP with a Sky High spinebuster and knocking Awesome off the apron.
Chaos erupts again as all six men spill into the ring at once, trading finishers left and right. Rection hits a Sit-Out Powerbomb on Kanyon, but Awesome hits Rection with an Awesome Bomb. Amid the absolute anarchy, Corporal Cajun scales the top rope looking for a flying something, but DDP catches him mid-air on the way down with a shocking Diamond Cutter! DDP hooks the leg and the referee counts the 3!
Winners: The Foundation