#WCW NWO SOULED OUT 1997 PRO#

Like Norman Smiley before him, Finlay brought plenty of European-style offence to the table. That was particularly evident here as he went up against Fit Finlay in a tremendously tedious contest. Towering over most of his opponents with his well-defined body and long, blonde hair, the WCW veteran had always had 'the look.' Unfortunately, he'd never had much of anything else, especially not the ability to put on an exciting match. Nothing says 'top-level PPV quality' quite like a Van Hammer match. Whichever it was, he didn't come off well. Konnan sounded either super stoned or super tired here.

He was going to hunt that person down and, when he caught them, he was going to beat them up.

Out in the Internet Location, Konnan told Mark Madden that he was going to find out who made the call to kick him out of the nWo. In the end, Guerrero looked to be mounting a comeback so Smiley threw Pepe dust in his opponent's eyes and locked him in a chicken wing for the count. Though not a technical classic, Smiley's larger-than-life personality and unique offence made it a tremendous watch. Sure, Chavo got some offence in, but this was 90% Norman and 100% fun.

#WCW NWO SOULED OUT 1997 PRO#

Smiley controlled the bulk of this really enjoyable match, using a combination of European-style stretching and some typical American pro wrestling spots to hurt his opponent from bell to bell. Unfortunately for the third generation star, he wouldn't get it. Tonight, he brought that sawdust with him in an urn, leaving Chavo to come out horseless and looking for revenge. That time was now over because, apparently, Norman Smiley had kidnapped said toy horse and ground it down into sawdust. Remember that time Chavo Guerero's gimmick was that he was crazy and rode around on a wooden hobby horse called Pepe? Let's head to Charleston, West Virginia to find out. Would they seize that opportunity tonight on this, their first Pay-Per-View of the new year? Or would Souled Out 1999 prove to be just another step towards the eventual demise of one of what was formerly the hottest wrestling company on the planet? Yet the disastrous, laughable finish to that match would serve as the catalyst for the company's gradual decline.ДЄs 1997 turned into 1998, the brand would begin to lose their stronghold over the pro wrestling industry and, as the year went on, one bad decision after another saw the company spiralling out of control.Д«ut hey, that was then, and this was now.ДЎ999 was upon us, and World Championship Wrestlin g had a whole new opportunity to prove that they could turn things around and reestablish their dominance. In December 1997, they promoted Starrcade 1997, headlined by a match between Hogan and Sting which had been a year in the making and which still gets talked about today as one of the most perfect examples of long-term booking ever carried out in pro wrestling. It seemed as though they could do no wrong. When that particular band of Outsiders were joined by Hulk Hogan at Bash at the Beach 1996, a New World Order of wrestling was formed (brother) that catapulted WCW into the stratosphere.ДЇor over a year, the Turner-owned enterprise was seemingly untouchable. & Chavo Guerrero versus La Parka, Psychosis, Silver King & El Dandy.Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, West VirginiaДЇrom the summer of 1996 to the winter of 1997, there was no hotter wrestling company on the planet than World Championship Wrestling.ДЄlready giving the World Wrestling Federation a serious run for its money with their flagship Monday Nitro broadcasts, the company found all new levels of success with the arrival of Scott Hall & Kevin Nash. defending the WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Chris Jericho, Raven versus Chris Benoit in a Raven's Rules match, and an 8-Man Tag Team luchador match between Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Lizmark Jr. Also on the card was Kevin Nash (with Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff) versus The Giant, The nWo (Konnan, Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell) versus The Steiner Brothers & Ray Traylor, Scott Hall vs Larry Zbyszko, Booker T defending the WCW World Television Championship against Rick Martel, Rey Mysterio, Jr. The first main event was Bret Hart versus Ric Flair and the second was Randy Savage versus Lex Luger. Souled Out 1998 took place on Janufrom the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio and featured a double main event.

Wcw nwo souled out 1997