SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Wrestling
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WCW New Blood Rising PNE Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.
Sunday, August 13, 2000.
Another WCW pay-per-view held on Canadain soil? Beauty, eh? Making Canada darn proud for years, Lance Storm gets to prove why he and other Canucks like him (Benoit, Jericho, Edge, Christian) deserve to lead the charge as the future of pro wrestling. Defending the newly-designated WCW Canadian Heavyweight Title (Ha. Ha.) this Sunday at the New Blood Rising pay-per-view against his former ECW stablemate - Mike Awesome - will be a true test of Storm's true grit. If an appearance by Storm wasn't enough, wrestling fans get treated to another wicked bout between popular WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Booker T. and the crafty traditionalist, Jeff Jarrett. Also on the card, WCW fans will find out who the legit challenger to Booker's belt will be when Kevin Nash, Goldberg and Scott Steiner collide in a three-way match.
WCW World Heavyweight Title Match
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Booker T (Champion)
Best Moves: Missile dropkick, his spinning axe kick.
Fav saying: Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Best Moment: Winning the WCW World title from Jeff Jarrett.
Advantage: Consummate pro. Even headed.
Disadvantage: How will he react in first big title defence?
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VS
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Jeff Jarrett
Best Move: The Stroke.
Fav saying: Numbnuts!
Best Moment: Winning the Intercontinental title more than anyone in WWF History. Tagging with the late Owen Hart.
Advantage: Shows no mercy to either sex. Comes from a traditional wrestling family.
Disadvantage: Underestimates his opponents. Cocky.
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SLAM! Predictions
John Powell: Kick ass! Though not as memorable as the Booker versus Benoit series, this feud holds a special place in my heart. Here are two of the most talented individuals in the biz who have been held down and put down for years. Finally, they getting the recognition they so richly deserve! Booker as WCW Champion has injected so much new-found interest in WCW, I can't see them pulling the rug out from under him just yet. Jarrett will lose but this won't be the last of their rivalry.
John Molinaro: The Booker T experiment has proven to be a success so far. He's
restored some credibility to the title and has had some fantatsic
matches. I'm reallly surprised that WCW has gotten behind him and given
him the ball to run with. They appear to be commited to giving him a
decent run on top. That's why I look for him to go over here. It would
be stupid to derail him now just as he's built some momentum.
Eric Benner: Tough one. Booker T is the People's Champ and Jeff Jarrett is the Chosen
One, after all. It's like an epic or something. Jeff Jarrett doesn't gain
much from another title win, but the title is benefitting from Booker's
stability. The question is, can he wrestle on that gimp leg? I think Booker
will pull this one out of the fire, but I'm hoping we don't get another
injury-stall match.
Ryan Robson: These two put on such great matches and they complement
each other so well that this should be an incredible match. I don't really
care who wins, as long as it's a clean victory. I have a good feeling that
Booker T will continue his title reign.
Canadian Title Match
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Lance Storm (Champion)
Best Move: Cradle-Piledriver, Super Kick.
Fav saying: That one's from Calgary.....Alberta, Canada!
Best Moment: Becoming WCW Canadian champion.
Advantage: Complete, total wrestler.
Disadvantage: Is new to WCW and his opponents.
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VS
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Mike Awesome
Best Move: Awesome Bomb.
Fav Saying: You are going to be awesomely destroyed.
Best Moment: Winning the ECW World title in an impromptu Three Way Dance at Anarchy Rulz '99.
Advantage: His size and help on the outside of the ring.
Disadvantage: The bigger they are...
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SLAM! Predictions
John Powell: By pushing a lot of the younger guys, WCW is heading down the right path to a brighter future. It may take time but if they keep the faith, WCW will be rewarded...just you wait and see. Obviously being a proud Canadian, I am VERY curious about what type of reaction Lance Storm is going to get in B.C. It should be a moment wrestling fans and Lance himself won't soon forget. Like Booker in the previous match, Lance is generating intrigue so WCW will leave him alone. The U.S. title thingy is such a BIG part of his gimmick and for that reason I believe Awesome will walk away empty-handed.
John Molinaro: Really looking forward to this one. Kind of funny that for so long,
both these guys were non-entities in North America and plyed their trade
in Japan. I love the push Lance is getting. I think it's one of the
few things I really like in WCW. No way Lance will job in Canada. This
is his show. Look for him to have a breakout performance here.
Eric Benner: Canadian son Lance Storm will defend at least one title against Mike
Awesome, and I wonder whether Vancouver will be behind him (a la Bret Hart
whenever he wrestles here) or against him (a la Owen Hart's ultra-effective
nugget heel character, who was so over as a heel that even Canadians booed
him - sometimes). Either way, I can't see Lance Storm walking out with
anything less than a decisive victory. If he loses the Canadian title,
what's he left with? Hardcore and cruiserweight? Yay.
Ryan Robson: Hmm, Storm announced that he would not defend the Canadian
heavyweight title on U.S. soil, so that either means that he will be
stripped of the title, or lose it at New Blood Rising. Come to think of it,
WCW is making other stops in Canada this week, so let's have Storm win at
NBR, but by cheating, and Awesome gets a rematch and the title the following
night.
No. 1 Contender for the World title
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Scott Steiner
Best Move: Frankensteiner.
Fav saying: I'm Big Poppa Pump
Best Moment: Any number of World Tag title wins.
Advantage: He's the champ. You have to beat him clean to get the belt.
Disadvantage: Complete egomaniac in love with himself.
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VS
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Bill Goldberg
Best Move: The Jackhammer slam. Standing inside the fireworks during
his ring entrance.
Fav saying: Who's next?
Best Moment: Creamed Hogan for the WCW World Title.
Advantage: Power personified. Invulnerable to pain.
Disadvantage: Not the greatest ring general on the planet.
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VS
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Kevin Nash
Best Move: The Jack-Knife Powerbomb.
Fav saying: Outsiders in da Houuuuuuse!!!!
Best Moments: Winning the WCW Title. Ending Goldberg's streak. Breaking The Giant's neck. The Kliq incident at Madison Square Garden.
Advantage: His size.
Disadvantage: Can't keep up with smaller opponents.
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SLAM! Predictions
John Powell: Yawn! Steiner is the only one with talent in this group but I predict Big Lazy will score the win just because of his political stroke.
John Molinaro: Ugh! Three stiffs. The whiner (Goldberg), the moron (Steiner) and Big
Useless (Nash). I could care less frankly. None of them can work their
way out of a wet paper bag. Look for Big Useless to come out on top in
light of all the political moves he's pulled lately.
Eric Benner: Okay, let's review. Vince Russo likes two of the three men here. We know he
tolerates Nash now, and Scott Steiner probably hasn't threatened him yet. So
he doesn't like Goldberg. And he said the result will be "good for WCW". So
that means "good for Vince Russo". That must mean Goldberg jobs, I say to
Kevin Nash.
Ryan Robson: This has tons of intrigue, Nash hates
Goldberg, Goldberg hates Nash, and Steiner hates everyone. So much talk has
been made between Nash and Goldberg, it seems fitting that they should have
another one on one match, thus give the match to the wild card Scott Steiner.
Under card matches
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Match |
John Powell |
John Molinaro |
Eric Benner |
Ryan Robson |
| Kronic vs. The Perfect Event vs. General Rection & Corp. Cajun vs. Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire (4 corners tag title match) |
Kronic |
Perfect Event |
Jindrak & O'Haire |
Jindrak & O'Haire |
| Major Gunns vs Ms. Hancock (Mud Pit Boot Camp Match, winner must rip camouflage off) |
Don't really care. |
Whatever |
Major Gunns |
WCW (great booking!). Officially, Miss Hancock |
| Shane Douglas vs Billy Kidman |
Douglas |
Douglas |
Douglas |
Douglas |
| 3 Count vs Jung Dragons (Double Ladder Match) |
Jung Dragons |
Jung Dragons |
3 Count |
Jung Dragons |
| Sting vs The Demon |
Sting |
Sting |
Sting |
Demon (sadly) |
| Buff Bagwell vs Positively Kanyon (Judy Bagwell on a pole match) |
Judy on a pole?? Bah. Ha. Ha. Kanyon |
Kanyon |
Kanyon |
Kanyon |
WCW New Blood Rising will be broadcast live on pay-per-view and home satellite and is available in Canada on Viewers Choice. Check with your local cable company for availability.
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