Background: Vince Russo Mania was running wild as he, Jeff Jarrett & Scott Steiner defeated Booker T. to win the WCW World Heavyweight title the week prior; drawing the ire of Kronik, Sting & Bill Goldberg to set the stage for a rather random variation of the infamous Wargames match.
Monday Nitro
Dallas, TX
September 4, 2000
Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner & Vince Russo vs. Sting, Bill Goldberg, Booker T. & Kronik
Sting and Jeff Jarrett started this one with a brawl that “The Stinger” won and gave him the chance to whip “Double J” against the cage on retrieve a ladder. Rather than climb, Sting set up the ladder in the corner for some Irish whips against the steel as the counter ticked down to reveal Scott Steiner was next out. Sting tried to make a climb to the second cage during Steiner’s entrance, but got caught and hit with the ladder. Steiner was directing traffic, placing a much taller ladder in the corner near the cage’s exit. Like Sting, Steiner tried to exit the bottom cage as Kronik arrived to help Sting. Steiner made it to the second cage, trying to cut through the cage. Unfortunately for “Big Poppa Pump”, Kronik downed Jarrett and were able to catch Scott to double team the former champion. With the Harris Bros. in tow and wielding a baseball bat while decked in hockey gear including a helmet, Vince Russo entered the bottom cage as the Harris Bros. fought with Kronik in the second cage. Sting gained a hold of Russo, putting him in the Scorpion Deathlock. Suddenly, the champ’s music hit to officially bring out Kevin Nash.
Rather than save Russo, Nash tried to help Steiner get up. This left Nash prone to the Stinger Splash. Nash avoided the second Splash, utilizing the choke slam to down Sting. But Nash didn’t want to help Russo in any way, shape or form. As Nash argued with his own men, Booker T. made his way to the ring while Ron & Don Harris somehow exited the second cage and were fighting with Kronik in the crowd. Booker was on fire, hitting the Scissor Kick on Steiner after dropping Jarrett. Cheap shot from Russo had no effect on Booker, but Nash’s big boot did drop the former World champion after Booker drilled Russo and pulled off the spinaroonie. It was four on two in the bottom cage as the fans chanted for Goldberg – and that’s whom they got after the countdown. Goldberg ran through everyone until Russo cracked him in the back with the baseball bat. Nash took to guarding the doorway as Booker scaled the cage and Russo handcuffed Goldberg to the top rope. Booker, Steiner, Sting and Jarrett found themselves using the plunder of trashcans, kendo sticks, and the infamous lead pipe atop the bottom cage. Booker broke free of the action, making it to the top of this structure to retrieve the belt. But Booker still had to climb down and exit the bottom cage in the same way he entered with the belt in his possession to win. Whacking Jarrett and Steiner with the belt, Booker tried to make a break for the exit. Unfortunately for Booker, Sting had been handcuffed to the second cage and couldn’t stop Steiner and Jarrett from attacking the physical titleholder and handcuffing Booker across from Sting. Steiner retrieved the belt, dropping it down to Russo. Ernest Miller came out, roundhouse kicking Russo into unconsciousness.
Miller couldn’t celebrate as Nash kicked him into the Jackknife Power Bomb. Furious over these turn of events, Goldberg broke free from his handcuffed position prior to knocking out all of his opponents. To a thunderous ovation, Goldberg grabbed the title belt in hopes of leaving as the new champion. When Goldberg went to step through the door, Bret Hart slammed the door in his face. Stunned, Goldberg was prone to being bashed with the lead pipe. With Goldberg down Russo handed the title belt to Nash where the champion happily left the ring with his partners to retain the gold.
Winner: Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, & Vince Russo (18:47)
Is It A Classic: It’s sad that such a classic concept ended in such a confusing and disappointing manner. The match had no flow or substance like the others using the original rules and the ending was ridiculous as the “swerve” ending left a lot to be desired. In a lot of ways, this was the epitome of WCW’s final year.
