Bischoff beats McMahon...sort of

Bischoff beats McMahon...sort of

Click above to see the Slamboree '98 video clips.

By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Sports
They had the choppers out combing the area. No sign of Vincent K. McMahon. They had the "Vinnie Mac cam" tapped into the Centrum's security system scoping out every hallway, alley way, entrance way and walkway. No Vince McMahon. WCW security head honcho Doug Dillinger carried an all-access pass with the WWF president's name on it as he stood waiting in the back parking lot. Still, no Vince McMahon to be found.

Knowing full well that rival wrestling promoter Vince McMahon wouldn't be accepting his challenge for a match on a WCW pay-per-view (Well, duh.), WCW prez Eric Bischoff did the next best thing on the Slamboree '98 broadcast out of Worchester, Mass. He went on with the match anyway in an attempt to embarrass the WWF owner in public.

In past weeks, the WWF has sent their D-Generation X wrestling gang and a video crew out to cause disturbances at WCW wrestling events and their headquarters in Atlanta. The footage was then aired on their Monday Night Raw show. Responding to the latest salvo in the Big Two wrestling federation war, Bischoff called McMahon out on the Monday Night Nitro challenging him to a bout at Slamboree. On the following Thunder TV show, Bischoff reiterated the challenge and read a letter by McMahon's lawyers stating he wouldn't be attending the event and that it was unprofessional of Bischoff to promote or speculate about the supposed "appearance".

Ring announcer Michael "Let"s Get Ready To Rummmble" Buffer made the ring introduction saying "He calls himself the most important star of the WWF. From Connecticut, the president of the World Wrestling Federation and Titan Sports...Vincent K. McMahon!".

A smirking Bischoff bobbed to and fro in his corner. The cameras panned to an empty entrance way. Bischoff playing dumb said "Where the hell is he?". Buffer read the intro again. Nada Vince. Bischoff and the ref conferred then the WCW prez grabbed the microphone addressing the crowd.

"It looks like we are going to have to count Vinnie Mac out. Why don't we all do it together?", said Bischoff as the WCW announce team berated his behavior. The fans in attendance helped lay down the count and Bischoff was declared the winner by forfeit.

NWO

In a REAL surprise of the evening, Outsider and Wolf Pac member Scott Hall returned to the ring after a lengthy absence turning on his partner Kevin Nash. During the dying moments of the World Tag Team Title match against the unlikely team of the nWo Hollywood Giant and Sting, Nash prepared The Giant for his Jack Knife Power Bomb while Dusty Rhodes left one of the tag belts on the ring apron and distracted the referee.

Scott Hall plucked the belt off the canvass smashing it over Nash's head. With Nash off in La-La Land, The Giant covered him for the pinfall. Hall laid his nWo Wolf Pac shirt over the fallen Nash. Rhodes, The Giant and Hall whooped it up in the ring begging Sting to come join them. A shocked expression on his face, Sting stood on the apron motionless.

The next WCW/nWo pay-per-view is The Great American Bash on June 14th.

WWCW / nWo Slamboree '98 Results

Chris Benoit (challenger) vs Fit Finley (champion) (WCW Television Title Match)

: The fans booed Finley chanting..Finley sucks! Finley sucks!
: At 10:05, Benoit labels Finley with a steel chair. His Suicide Dive onto Finley fails when the champ puts the chair between him and a flying Benoit.
: Booker T ambles down the entrance way at 13:27. Benoit jumps outside the ring challenging Booker T. What the hell does the "T" stand for anyway? Finley lands a baseball slide into a distracted Benoit's back. A Tombstone and it's nighty-night for Benoit.
: What can I say? I'm appalled and disgusted at the outcome. Is there no justice for Chris Benoit or is it a plan to get him ticked off enough to join his real life pal Bret Hart?

Winner: ...and still WCW Television Champion...Fit Finley at 14 minutes and 45 seconds.

Brian Adams vs Lex Luger

:Luger punks Vincent throughout the encounter every time he climbs up on the ring apron.

Winner: Lex Luger at 4 minutes and 45 seconds.

: An interview airs with Saturn. Saturn complains about Raven being selfish. He says there isn't going to be a Goldberg-Flock Gauntlet match as he wants to face Goldberg alone. "Nobody can do anything about it, not even Raven," says a grim-faced Saturn.

Cruiserweight Battle Royal (Winner to face champion Chris Jericho)

: Jericho is a riot as he makes snide comments while he intros each of the competitors.

Order Of Elimination

1. Even Courageous (1:23).
2. Johnny Swinger (1:48).
3. Super Calo (3:00).
4. Silver King (3:19).
5. The Cricket (4:27).
6. Marty Jannetty (4:58).
7. Vilano IV (5:08).
8. Lenny Lane (5:28).
9. Damien (5:55).
10. El Dandy (6:12).
11. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (6:45).
12. Psychosis (7:16).
13. Billy Kidman (7:29).
14. Juvie Guerrera (8:23).

: Ciclope and Juvie are the last two men. They stare at each other for about a minute then Juvie eliminates himself by jumping over the top rope to the floor.
: Ciclope removes his mask..and lo and behold..it's Dean Malenko!

Winner: At 8:23, Dean Malenko as Ciclope.

Chris Jericho (champion) vs Dean Malenko (challenger) (WCW Cruiserweight Title Match)

: Juvie stays at ringside to cheer Malenko on. Jericho complains about a "conspiracy".
: At 6:12, Malenko and Jericho are on the top rope. Malenko puts Jericho in a fireman's carry does a knee breaker on Jericho from the top rope.
: Malenko slaps on the Texas Cloverleaf at 6:36. In a valiant attempt, Jericho is inches from reaching the ropes but Malenko pulls him back to the center of the ring.
: Jericho submits. Malenko holds the belt up and dedicates the win to his deceased father and legendary wrestler, Boris Malenko.

Winner: ...and new WCW Cruiserweight Champion...Dean Malenko at 6 minutes and 56 secondsr.

Diamond Dallas Page vs Raven (Bowery Steel Cage Match)

: DDP arrives climbing right on top of the roofed steel cage to salute his fans.
: Raven's riot squad blocks the aisle.
: The fans boo Raven not realizing he is one of the best workers in the biz.
: There are two trash cans chained up inside the cage.
: Surprisingly, there is no blood spilt during the entire match.
: At 3:28, DDP chokes Raven with a bullrope and swings him by the neck into the cage.
: DDP hangs Raven from the top of the cage.
: Raven uses a steel garbage can and metal cookie sheets on Page.
: Heenan comments..."Stick around. After eleven we're going to have a garage sale".
: At 10:02, the Flock storms down. Reese pushes the riot squad out of the way. Riggs uses bolt cutter on the cage's lock. Van Hammer nails Reese and Riggs with a Stop sign then handcuffs Reese to a ring railing and Riggs to the cage.
: Kidman and Boulder enter the cage but DDP Diamond Cuts them. Raven lands The Evenflow. DDP stands before the ten count.
: Raven lands the Diamond Cutter on DDP. Page gets up and executes the Cutter on Raven.
: Raven can't stand before the ten count at 14:32.
: A riot squad member enters the cage cuffing Kidman, Sick Boy, Boulder and Raven. He takes off the riot helmet to reveal himself as Mortis then tears off the Mortis mask as well.
: Before leaving, Mortis chair shots Raven in the head and spits on him.

Winner: At 14:32, Diamond Dallas Page.

Ultimo Dragon vs Eddie Guerrero

: If the DRAGON wins, Chavo is free from Eddie's bullying.
: Two of the best technicians wasted in a heatless feud.
: Ultimo is still using the "dragon" gimmick. So there, "Tricky" Ricky Steamboat.
: The DRAGON misses Eddie with a karate kick hitting Chavo. Chavo does a flip off the apron to the floor. Eddie completes a brain buster and a Frog Splash for the victory.
: An irate Chavo beats on the DRAGON in the corner as Eddie tries to pull him off.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero at 10 minutes and 55 seconds.

: A dressing room made up for Vince McMahon is shown. The sign on the door reads...Vince "He's the reason for the ratings" McMahon.

Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage

: Roddy Piper is the special guest ref.
: At 5:24, Hart tries to drop the ring steps on Savage. Savage rolls out of the way and hurls Hart into them as well as the ring fence.
: Hart and Savage brawl into the crowd. Hart hits an axe-handle off the top of the ring fence. Savage bashes Hart twice into the covered hockey boards.
: The Hit Man eggs the crowd on directing most of his attention to a fan wearing an old Hulk Hogan shirt at ringside.
: Hogan sneaks to ringside, clips Savage's knee and wraps it around a post.
: At 13: 41, Savage hits the Flying Elbow Smash but the impact hurts his knee and he can't make the cover.
: Hart locks on the SharpShooter. Savage reverses it. Miss Elizabeth argues with Roddy Piper.
: Hart puts on brass knuckles clobbering Piper from behind. Savage takes the 'nucks off Hart. The Hit Man re-applies the SharpShooter. Piper sees the knuckles in Macho's hands and believing Savage is the one who hit him, he DQ's Savage while he taps out.
: Hart spits on Savage.

Winner: At 16 minutes and 37 seconds, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart .

Sting and The Giant (challengers) vs The Outsiders (champions) (WCW Tag Team Title Match)

Winners: ...and new WCW Tag Team Champions...Sting and The Giant at 14 minutes and 37 seconds .

Total event time: 2 hours and 40 minutes.