WCW Bash at the Beach 1997
I believe this PPV drew a monster buyrate (or at least WCW alluded to it doing well) and it was all due to the mainstream attention of Dennis Rodman wrestling on the show, so lets give it a watch as Ive never seen it before. This recap is less about spoiling the outcome and more about seeing if something is actually worth our time watching.
Match: Glacier & Ernest Miller vs. Wrath & Mortis
Thoughts: Its like if the Mortal Kombat cast were pro-wrestlers and to be fair it is an interesting set of ring gear on display here. Plenty of energy keeping the crowd interested along with cool looking strikes especially the kicking variety making for a totally watchable match, add in high impact moves and you have an unexpectedly fun tag encounter.
Rating: ***
Match: Ultimo Dragon vs. Chris Jericho (c) (WCW Cruiserweight Title Match)
Thoughts: These two mesh so well and have competed against each other plenty of times before this point, the crowd werent the overly interested at the start but by the end they seriously had them engrossed. They seemingly both wanted to prove themselves by going that extra step creating something that was exceptionally exciting and entertaining.
Rating: ****
Match: The Steiner Brothers vs. Masahiro Chono & Great Muta
Thoughts: On paper this looks like a fucking incredible match up yet it wasnt what I was hoping for and it sorely lacked any structure to really help build up the comebacks and pinfall attempts. There were plenty of big moves and slams though, along with an amazing finishing move but it felt more like a spot fest rather than a competitive match.
Rating: **
Match: Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza & Lizmark Jr. vs. Psychosis, La Parka & Villano IV (Lucha Libre Rules)
Thoughts: What an insanely chaotic match, it had the kinetic energy you would expect and everyone had their moments to shine with bodies flying everywhere and high risk moves a plenty but the execution just really hindered the final product. It was honestly fun, it was full of great visuals and it was enjoyable in its own special way making for a good one-off spectacle that you would never need to watch a second time.
Rating: ***
Match: Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan (No DQ Career vs. Career Match)
Thoughts: Crazy brawl all over the place at the start including fighting on the beach set by the entrance way, which they incredibly destroyed. It really could have done with someone bleeding to add to the drama as it lost a bit of its sparkle once they got back in the ring but it still was a modest fight.
Rating: **1/2
Match: Mongo McMichael vs. Jeff Jarrett (c) (WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match)
Thoughts: Offered no redeeming qualities what so ever beyond the crowd shitting all over Jarrett.
Rating: *
Match: Scott Hall & Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page & Curt Hennig
Thoughts: Savage and DDP had amazing chemistry against each other, which they showcased constantly throughout 1997 and the crowd loved their few interactions here. It was a terrible tag match with very little effort from either Hall or Hennig topped off by a typical WCW style finish that would have best been suited for Nitro.
Rating: *
Match: Ric Flair vs. Roddy Piper
Thoughts: Dusty comments that no wrestler is ever past their prime to justify this match up happening in 1997. It begins with Piper being full on aggressive punching and chopping Flair with no care in the world, which Flair sells wonderfully. Neither guy progressed beyond what they know best, falling into some of the classic routines they have done hundreds of times before but it never got boring as they portrayed it more of a fight while the crowd kept it extremely lively. I found this match to be far less insulting and more of a holy shit these guys are still willing to try eye opener.
Rating: **3/4
Match: Lex Luger & The Giant vs. Dennis Rodman & Hollywood Hulk Hogan
Thoughts: The power of Rodman hitting an armdrag is enough for the crowd to lose their minds. It is a crazy display of hype delivering more than the workrate, the spectacle and anticipation of the match is enough to keep everyone happy and mask the obvious downfalls. It was totally inoffensive especially if you keep your expectations in check but it did take a while to get going.
Rating: **
Overall: WCW post 1994 was known for having shockingly poor uppercard matches and looking solely at the stars it would seem to hold true but the Flair vs. Piper match was much better than I ever dreamed possible and the main event, while it was too long didnt really offend because its not as if you were expecting a 5 star classic. It was a decent show and had a wide range of match styles that I never found myself wanting to skip over a match. Match of the card goes to Jericho vs. Dragon and give the opener a look if you want a pleasant surprise.
