The Build To & WCW Bash At The Beach 2000

Hulk Hogan earns a shot at Jeff Jarrett, Goldberg targets Kevin Nash, and The Cat takes command as Commissioner. Plus, a best of list!

Goldberg makes a deal with the devil

June 2000 - World Championship Wrestling (WCW) is coming off The Great American Bash PPV. Hulk Hogan is the top contender for Jeff Jarrett’s World Heavyweight Title at Bash At The Beach after beating Billy Kidman. Russo is threatening to retire Ric Flair on Nitro after Ric’s family helped him defeat his son, David. Sting is out after being set on fire by Vampiro. Goldberg has joined forces with Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff’s New Blood in their feud with the increasingly decimated Millionaire’s Club.

There are four weeks of first-run television (Nitro airing live on TNT Mondays, and Thunder airing taped on TBS Wednesdays) on the road to Bash At The Beach 2000 on July 9th at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The champions heading in are Jeff Jarrett (World Heavyweight Champion), Scott Steiner (United States Heavyweight Champion), The Perfect Event of Chuck Palumbo & Shawn Stasiak (World Tag Team Champions), Lt. Loco (World Cruiserweight Champion), and Big Vio (Hardcore Champion).

JARRETT, HOGAN, AND THE WORLD TITLE

The Build: Hogan is given his World Title shot on the first Nitro following Great American Bash. Champion Jeff Jarrett ambushes him and his nephew Horace backstage then Goldberg destroys Hogan in the match leading to him being stretchered out. It’s unclear if Hogan will even make it to BATB. Jarrett makes a lot of cracks about Hogan’s age and does some bits with women singing goodbye to Hogan. He beats Horace. Finally on the last Thunder before BATB, they really hype up the match with Jarrett wanting to retire Hogan. On that Thunder, Booker T earns a World Title shot and nearly beats Jarrett until he gets himself disqualified. It’s still unclear going into BATB if Hogan will show up.

BATB: Earlier in the show, Jarrett interferes and costs Booker T his match with Positively Kanyon. Hogan arrives in full gear and calls Jarrett a punk. Jarrett lays down and Vince Russo returns to thow the belt at Hogan. Hogan pins Jarrett with one foot. Hogan is visibly confused and leaves with the belt. Russo comes back out later on and unleashes a scathing rant on Hogan blaming his “creative control.” Russo makes Jarrett against Booker T for the real World Title to end the show. Booker T wins and leaves BATB as the recognized WCW World Champion.

Commentary: It’s strange to watch this all play out on the TV leading up. Hogan and Bischoff vanish from TV and he’s hardly mentioned. Bischoff is only there on the “phone” to The Cat giving orders. Russo is out “injured” after the first Thunder and there’s no real word of him at all on TV. Jarrett is made to look like a joke and it feels like there’s no way Hogan should lose to him based on how they set it up. It’s not a slight on Jarrett as a wrestler, just how he was presented. Based on their own angles, the World Title going from Jarrett to Hogan to Goldberg and finally to Booker T makes most sense and accomplishes something. To his credit, when Booker T drops the GI Bro gimmick and gets serious, the fans seem hungry to get behind him as a top guy. The surprise in all of this is Horace Hogan giving a spirited effort in defense of Uncle Hulk on TV. There’s a ton of coverage out there on what happened between Russo and Hogan but from a viewer’s experience, it was all a waste of time. I find wrestling bookers and promoters way overthink these scenarios. Take the public “loss” and move on to spending your time trying to put on a good show.

GOLDBERG TARGETS NASH

The Build: Goldberg makes a deal with the devil and joins forces with Bischoff and Russo so they will serve up his enemies, like Kevin Nash. Russo takes Nash’s nephew Hunter and makes him watch Goldberg beat up Nash until Scott Steiner, Nash’s friend, makes the save. Nash hunts down Russo on the next Thunder, zip tying Jeff Jarrett, but Russo uses the absent Scott Hall’s contract as leverage. Goldberg is a monster, destroying Horace Hogan for sticking up for his uncle Hulk, and Hacksaw Duggan by targeting his damaged kidneys. The two are put in a 20-man battle royal on the final Nitro where the faces help Nash eliminate Goldberg.

BATB: Second from the top, Goldberg beats Nash in a short match after Scott Steiner turns on Nash. Goldberg and Steiner rip up Scott Hall’s contract and seem to be working together.

Commentary: They get the bulk of the prominent TV time and this feels like the true main event of the show heading in. I liked much of the feud on TV. The fans don’t really want to boo Goldberg but he’s just such an awesome, next-level presence even after his heel turn. Nash remains a very over babyface even though this all would have made more sense with the roles reversed.Goldberg does some of his best promo work and the Duggan angle is very strong. The PPV match itself is a huge disappointment. It lacks any intensity and the Steiner turn doesn’t even hit that well.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED

Commissioner Cat: On the first Nitro, Russo and David Flair retire and shave the heads of Ric Flair and his son Reid. Russo goes out ‘injured’ after the next episode of Thunder while Bischoff is in LA, leaving The Cat in charge. A “no interference” rule is instituted on the show. Cat mainly wants to make big money matches and get big ratings. Cat even stages a “Karate Demo” and pays off the Jung Dragons to make him look good. Cat’s main issue is with Scott Steiner throughout the build and he bans Steiner from using the Steiner Recliner. At BATB, Cat strips Steiner of the US Title for using the hold against Mike Awesome.

Commentary: A top highlight of the TV. Cat was hilarious and felt fresh as an authority figure. I liked that he even started to lean face after being upset at the heels for breaking his rules. The no interference rule helped the TV both in kayfabe and in reality. They stuck to it pretty well on the TV and addressed it when they didn’t.

Booker T and Positively Kanyon: Kanyon is doing his gimmick that’s making a mockery of DDP. At the start he has Kimberly with him but she disappears shortly into the build. DDP also leaves saying that the business has taken everything he has. Meanwhile, Booker T sheds the GI Bro gimmick and reverts to his old self. There’s a fun segment where Kanyon is hitting cutters on random people all night long. Booker T is the one guy to stand up to Goldberg during a battle royal and nearly beats Jeff Jarrett for the World Title on the final Thunder before BATB. At BATB, Booker T has Kanyon beat until Jarrett costs him the match. Then to end the night Booker wins the WCW World Heavyweight Title for the first time from Jarrett.

Commentary: The fan reaction to Booker T getting serious and going back to his old self tells me all I need to know. They are hungry for him to be in the top spot and to do something serious. The quick reboot is handled well with the Goldberg moment being a sign of a possible future money direction. The World Title is rushed onto him but all things considered, he is probably the best choice. Kanyon’s pretty funny in the Positively Kanyon gimmick and when the bell rings, the BATB match is among my favorites of this timeframe.

Scott Steiner and Mike Awesome: Mike Awesome is mainly The Cat’s heavy, trying to get the US Title from Steiner. Scott reunites with brother Rick. The Cat bans Steiner’s use of the Steiner Recliner. The Cat helps Awesome beat Steiner in a non-title match and suspends him until the PPV. Awesome sprays something in Rick Steiner’s glasses and blinded him in a match. At BATB, Steiner seemingly wins the match but is disqualified by The Cat for using the Steiner Recliner and is stripped of the US Title.

Commentary: Scott Steiner is incredibly popular as a face. Awesome waffles in between being a goof and being a serious ass kicker. The BATB match is pretty fun before the finish. I probably wouldn’t have turned Steiner at this point but there is a lack of credible top heels and your top heel (Goldberg) is someone who no one wants to be a heel.

The Perfect Event and Kronik: Despite Lex Luger and Curt Hennig being gone, Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak still use the team name derived from their feud. They’re complete comedy characters, first feuding with Tank Abbott and Rick Steiner. They hijack the production truck and pull pranks. They are able to cheat to retain against Tank and Steiner, their apparent first win as tag team champions. Meanwhile, Kronik (Brian Adams & Bryan Clarke) are destroying everyone in front of them. Adams helps Woody, the production guy who Perfect Event bullied get revenge on them in a non-title match. He locked Palumbo & Stasiak in a tanning booth so they came out burned. At BATB, Kronik dethrones Perfect Event to become new World Tag Team Champions.

Commentary: On a surface level, Palumbo and Stasiak were amusing as meatheads but definitely not a champion-level act. In the ring, I found them to be competent, especially Palumbo. Kronik is really over and it’s hard to go wrong with big guys doing power moves. I thought the title match at BATB way over delivered and the titles went to the most credible, pushed team.

Big Vito and the Hardcore Title: Vito winning the Hardcore Title causes a split with Johnny The Bull. Terry Funk takes Johnny under his wing throughout the build and does things like hitting him with trash can lids and surprise attacks. Johnny outsmarts Vito by posing as the masked Jamie-San of the Jung Dragons and beating Vito in an unofficial match. The final test is a Hardcore Match with Funk himself. Johnny wins but gets severely hurt in the process. Funk is supposed to take his place at BATB but doesn’t show up. Instead, Screamin’ Norman returns and loses to Vito.

Commentary: An enjoyable undercard feud with Funk being particularly hilarious throughout it. I thought it was doing a decent job of elevating Johnny. Unfortunately this is where Johnny The Bull gets his infamous injury that puts him out of action.

Daffney and Miss Hancock: After retiring his father Ric, security footage reveal that David Flair and Miss Hancock were flirting. This upset Daffney who was supposed to marry David. Crowbar defends Daffney while David tries to smooth things out. At BATB, Daffney beats Miss Hancock in a Wedding Gown match and everyone ends up in the cake.

Commentary: I thought this was very poorly handled. The only redeeming parts are Crowbar in ring and Daffney’s character. It’s unfair putting people in spots they’re not ready for.

Vampiro and The Demon: Following taking out Sting, Vampiro next targets The Demon. It’s revealed that Dale Torborg portrays The Demon and wants to destroy the suit to live a normal life with his wife Asya. In response, Vampiro kidnaps her to try and get Torborg to embrace The Demon. A Sting-masked figure helps out Torborg and appears a few times. It’s actually Vampiro in a Sting mask who gives Torborg The Demon costume but another cloaked figure lurks. At BATB, Vampiro defeats Demon in a Graveyard Match that starts in an actual graveyard.

Commentary: I thought this was very goofy and the idea to make Vampiro into a “spooky” or supernatural type character is misguided and a misunderstanding of what made him a star to begin with. All the “shoot” real name usage somehow makes this feel more phony. The Graveyard Match is worth a watch at least once as a curiosity.

Lt. Loco and Juventud Guerrera: Lt. Loco (Chavo Guerrero) puts together a string of title defenses to bring action back to the Cruiserweight Division. His group, the Misfits In Action, vow to take a more serious approach. Juventud Guerrera of The Filthy Animals earns a title shot late in the build after getting a cheap win over Loco in a mixed tag team match. At BATB, Loco and Juvy opened the show with Loco retaining the Cruiserweight Title.

Commentary: In spite of maintaining the gimmick, Chavo’s work shines through and I appreciate them committing to more action in the Cruiserweight Division. They still have a crew who can go and the crowd still wants it. The BATB match is good enough.

The Franchise and Buff Bagwell: Buff Bagwell returns to team with his former partner The Franchise but after they lose to Kronik, Franchise turns on him and blames him for being out. Franchise brings Chris Candido and Bam Bam Bigelow back together as The Triple Threat. They respond by losing to Buff Bagwell and Kronik. Franchise helps them beat Buff in a handicap match. At BATB, Franchise gets the win over Bagwell when Torrie Wilson returns to help him out.

Commentary: The twists and turns early on felt very rushed but Bagwell’s popular with the crowd. Candido still has something to give in the ring. Franchise feels like he’s rehashing old plays and trying to find something that will stick. The BATB match is just ok. Franchise especially seems pretty beat up physically in 2000.

Lance Storm and The Filthy Animals: A big development on the TV is the debut of Lance Storm from ECW. He comes out of the crowd several times attacking 3Count and then The Filthy Animals. Meanwhile, Kidman turns face following his feud with Hulk Hogan and is soon targeted by his old friends in The Filthy Animals. Kidman helps Storm take out the Animals so only Disco is left for Storm to beat in his official WCW debut. This leads to a series of matches with Storm and Kidman feuding with Rey Mysterio Jr., Juventud Guerrera, and Disco Inferno of The Filthy Animals. Konnan is more of a mouthpiece for the group.

Commentary: Kidman gets a good reaction for turning back face and getting his old music back. The turn is lost in the shuffle of the initial Hogan stretcher job on Nitro, though. Storm’s TV debut is really well handled and he feels like a big deal with all the surprise attacks. He’s more naturally suited to be a heel but this feud produced some of the better TV action. I wish they would’ve gotten a spot on the PPV.

Jung Dragons and 3Count: These two groups face off in some action packed matchups and are consistent presences on TV. The Jung Dragons did some comedy with Ernest Miller and were involved in the Big Vito-Johnny The Bull feud. The big development for 3Count is gaining a new superfan in Tank Abbott. The former UFC fighter insists they sing for him even after getting beat up by Kronik. He also forces Perfect Event to defend the tag team titles against them and protects them from Kronik.

Commentary: Again there’s an insistence on almost everyone on the show doing something comedic. These two groups killed it in the ring and were pretty enjoyable in their other appearances. Tank with 3Count is probably one of the better bits from this period although I think it lowers the group’s ceiling.

Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire debut: The two Power Plant graduates make a big splash upsetting Rey Mysterio Jr and Juventud Guerrera in their Nitro debut then follow it up with a win over 3Count. They ultimately lose their first match to M.I.A.

Commentary: Jindrak & O’Haire instantly get over. While still very raw, they have a ton of athleticism and bring an injection of potential to the show. I didn’t really see the need to beat them so soon to M.I.A.

Closing Thoughts:

The first episode following Great American Bash felt like a loaded show with a lot of good ideas but the execution and formatting was lacking. From there, I generally thought the TV was decent in isolation.

They let matches breathe a little bit more after that first week even if there weren’t many that were substantial. Most of what happened on TV was connected to Bash At The Beach. Plus, they did seem to be putting effort into Thunder.

The tone of the shows is very comedic and bit heavy. It seems like a competition over who can come up with the funniest shtick rather than emphasizing the strengths of different performers. Some things were genuinely amusing but it also runs its course fairly quickly when everyone is doing it.

There are signs of what the WCW crowd that remains is hungry for. When Booker T ditches the GI Bro gimmick and get serious, the fans respond. When the Cruiserweights get some more time to do their thing, they respond. When the big wrestlers do power moves, they respond. When Goldberg does anything, they respond. It feels like the fans are telling them that they want the 96-97 style of Nitro just with some fresh faces in new positions.

I feel like there’s enough talent on the roster in July 2000 to make a compelling promotion. The big issue is that there isn’t a big difference between TV and PPV. The two biggest hyped feuds both ended in ways that would leave me not trusting the company with PPV dollars for quite some time.

Best Of The Build To & WCW Bash At The Beach 2000

1. Goldberg vs. Jim Duggan (Jun. 26 Nitro)

2. Booker T vs. Positively Kanyon (Jul. 9 BATB)

3. 3Count vs. Jung Dragons (Jun. 19 Nitro)

4. Goldberg vs. Horace Hogan (Jun. 19 Nitro)

5. GI Bro is back to Booker T (Jun. 19 Nitro)

6. Big Vito vs. Jung Dragons (Jun. 28 Thunder)

7. Tank Abbott is a fan of 3Count (Jun. 21 Thunder)

8. Scott Steiner vs. The Cat (Jun. 14 Thunder)

9. Goldberg warns Nash (Jun. 21 Thunder)

10. The Perfect Event vs. Kronik (Jul. 9 BATB)

Honorable mention: Lance Storm & Billy Kidman v Rey Mysterio & Juventud Guerrera (Jul. 3 Nitro)