It's a big one today, folks, as I review one of the most momentous nights in wrestling history, one who's impact is still felt today and one that will be immortalized for the rest of time itself. But this show is more than just one match, and for as big as the main event is, there's still eight other matches on the card. Let's see what WCW has to offer on perhaps the biggest night in company history.
- Straight away, one big part of this show is just how often the commentary team of Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Dusty Rhodes discuss the main event. They talk about it before, after and during every match, Gene Okerlund brings it up multiple times backstage, even unassociated wrestlers bring it up in promos. I'm in two minds about all this promotion; on one hand, it does make the final match feel truly special, the most important match in the history of the company, bar none. On the other hand, it gets extremely grating very quickly, especially during what could otherwise be compelling matches. One of my favorite parts of watching Great American Bash '89 was how dialed in the commentary team was, how intense they made everything feel, and you don't really get that here for most of the night. It's not enough to downgrade my perception of the show, but just one aspect of it that did get on my nerves a little bit.
- You can reliably count on WCW to put the best match on first, and lucha libre breakout stars Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psychosis absolutely knock it out of the park to start the night. The in-ring action is stellar, not a surprise when it comes to these two who had a long-standing, legendary rivalry, but I was also impressed with how much trust the company seemed to place in them. This isn't a spotfest or anything, they get a solid fifteen minutes to work and effectively use the time to focus on a bit more psychology then I'm used to in cruiserweight matches. The finish, which sees Rey counter a top rope crucifix powerbomb into a hurricanrana in mid-air was picture perfect, beautifully executed and got a great pop. You can tell that these two are going places, and I have a healthy respect for WCW for allowing them a solid spotlight.
- Right into the gimmicks we go, as John Tenta(not a Shark or an Avalanche) faces Big Bubba in a Carson City Silver Dollar match. The framing of this match is wild, as these two big bruisers fight to attempt to climb a skinny a** giant pole to retrieve a sock. Of course, neither man actually attempts it, thank God, and Jimmy Hart climbs the rickety pole instead, before being caught on the way down by Tenta. A knockout shot to Bubba ends the contest, and while I thought the concept was silly, it was actually executed reasonably well and put Tenta over nicely.
- I can't say the same about the following Taped Fist match, featuring Jim Duggan and Diamond Dallas Page. It's a nothing encounter between two guys with very little chemistry, and even five minutes was probably too generous. DDP wins with a Diamond Cutter, and we can all move on, I don't need to see Duggan wrestle again anytime soon.
- On paper, the Double Dog Collar match between the Nasty Boys and Public Enemy sounds like a disaster, but this was actually one of the more enjoyable contests of the night. Both teams just take turns having fun with props, like an inflatable shark, some chairs and a lifeguard's tower. Ultimately, Sags and Knobbs team up to take down Rocco Rock with a chain assisted clothesline, and that's that. Not too bad, to be honest, a pretty fun watch and provided some great comedy.
- In the literal exact opposite match in every conceivable way, Dean Malenko is here to beat up Disco Inferno, with the Cruiserweight belt at stake. I really, really enjoyed this match, Malenko brings an air of intensity in the ring that was sorely lacking on this show. I also loved Disco's character work, as he tries valiantly to keep pace with Malenko in the ring by attempting to become more of a serious challenger. This match is worked quite stiff, and genuinely does provide a few nail biting near falls, as Disco comes so close to pulling off the upset. In the end, he's put away with a double underhook powerbomb into the Texas Cloverleaf, a very cool finish to one of the highlights of the night.
- And back down we go, as Steve "Mongo" McMichael is here to stink up the joint with Joe Gomez. Nothing McMichael does in the ring looks particularly good, and the Daytona crowd loses interest very quickly. If WCW really wanted to put McMichael over as a serious threat, which it seems like they are by having him join the Horseman, he really should've just squashed Gomez. Instead, they work a back and forth six minute affair, which ends with a Tombstone Piledriver.
- This next match looks promising, as Konnan defends his US title against Ric Flair. Unfortunately, Flair isn't the same performer I saw put on a classic with Terry Funk seven years previous, and this match is mostly just shtick. Miss Elizabeth and Woman interfere multiple times, making the official look like an absolute dolt as he totally loses control. Konnan does hit a nice rolling thunder lariat, but goes down in meek fashion is a shoe. A very disappointing watch for me, not the worst match of the night but nothing close to what I thought it could be.
- The WCW champion is stuck in tag team action on this night, as The Giant teams up with his Dungeon of Doom leader Kevin Sullivan to face Horseman representatives Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit. No Dungeon shenanigans on this night, as this is a very basic match that feels like a waste of all four men's talents. Benoit and Anderson work on Sullivan for the entire match, building up to the hot tag. Giant comes in, takes down everyone and pins Arn totally clean with a chokeslam. At least this match does succeed in putting the future Big Show over as a true threat, but he's already the champion, he shouldn't be just treated as muscle for Sullivan. On a show as big as this, you've got to give your supposed top guy who's over massively with the crowd something interesting to do, and this just wasn't it.
- Main event time, as the Outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, attempt to complete their hostile takeover of WCW. Their much hyped third man is a no show, an odd booking decision in theory but one that succeeds in adding a ton of intrigue and paranoia into the match. The WCW representatives of Lex Luger, Randy Savage and Sting have a brief numbers advantage before Lex is quickly stretchered out. The match is nothing special, mostly consisting of Nash and Hall beating up Sting, but the tried and true formula works on this night because of the story they've told. Everyone's just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and drop it does. Two drops in fact, from the atomic leg of WCW's newest villain, Hulk Hogan. There's absolutely no mentions of Hulk throughout the night, but the company does an excellent job dropping clues, with Okerlund recognizing his voice backstage and Nash giving Gene a "let me tell you something" line. I also appreciated Hogan turning heel on Savage, that was a nice touch.
- Hulk's post-match promo is a thing of beauty, likely the greatest in the career of a man who's always been fantastic on the stick. He ties everything back to the day he signed his contract with WCW, and blames the fans for turning on him, a great way to incorporate the genuine hatred for his character into this storyline. Even looking back, knowing all the controversy surrounding Hulk as a person and the New World Order's mere existence playing a part in the downfall of the entire company, it's an awesome moment. Hulk is at home as a heel and the fans have bought into all of it hook, line and sinker, throwing trash into the ring, while the announcers walk off in disgust. Great booking, perfectly executed, as WCW is on the path to becoming the top company in the US.
- I did just want to address one final thing before delivering a verdict, and it's Bobby Heenan on commentary during the main event. Heenan's infamous "who's side is he on?" line is one many fans have taken issue with, as it does essentially spoil Hogan's heel turn and the culmination of everything WCW had been building up to all night and for the past couple months. I will defend Heenan to some extent here, as after the third man was a no show, all three commentators are bringing up all kinds of different possibilities as to what might be going on. Heenan and Hulk had a storied rivalry across many years and two different promotions, and it absolutely makes sense that he should immediately suspect Hulk of being up to no good. I think in retrospect, it's a line that he likely should've taken back, but it's not something that diminishes the moment.
7/10
Bash at the Beach '96 is a tough show to grade, as the undercard is wildly inconsistent, and everything on the show is dragged down by the focus on the main event. That being said, the final match and the payoff of the build is executed to perfection, and if you're going to nail anything, it better be the ending. It's a pretty interesting show to watch, but it's not one that really lives up to it's own legacy unfortunately.
Up next on Henry's Pay-Per-View Reviews: WCW Spring Stampede 1999.
- Straight away, one big part of this show is just how often the commentary team of Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Dusty Rhodes discuss the main event. They talk about it before, after and during every match, Gene Okerlund brings it up multiple times backstage, even unassociated wrestlers bring it up in promos. I'm in two minds about all this promotion; on one hand, it does make the final match feel truly special, the most important match in the history of the company, bar none. On the other hand, it gets extremely grating very quickly, especially during what could otherwise be compelling matches. One of my favorite parts of watching Great American Bash '89 was how dialed in the commentary team was, how intense they made everything feel, and you don't really get that here for most of the night. It's not enough to downgrade my perception of the show, but just one aspect of it that did get on my nerves a little bit.
- You can reliably count on WCW to put the best match on first, and lucha libre breakout stars Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psychosis absolutely knock it out of the park to start the night. The in-ring action is stellar, not a surprise when it comes to these two who had a long-standing, legendary rivalry, but I was also impressed with how much trust the company seemed to place in them. This isn't a spotfest or anything, they get a solid fifteen minutes to work and effectively use the time to focus on a bit more psychology then I'm used to in cruiserweight matches. The finish, which sees Rey counter a top rope crucifix powerbomb into a hurricanrana in mid-air was picture perfect, beautifully executed and got a great pop. You can tell that these two are going places, and I have a healthy respect for WCW for allowing them a solid spotlight.
- Right into the gimmicks we go, as John Tenta(not a Shark or an Avalanche) faces Big Bubba in a Carson City Silver Dollar match. The framing of this match is wild, as these two big bruisers fight to attempt to climb a skinny a** giant pole to retrieve a sock. Of course, neither man actually attempts it, thank God, and Jimmy Hart climbs the rickety pole instead, before being caught on the way down by Tenta. A knockout shot to Bubba ends the contest, and while I thought the concept was silly, it was actually executed reasonably well and put Tenta over nicely.
- I can't say the same about the following Taped Fist match, featuring Jim Duggan and Diamond Dallas Page. It's a nothing encounter between two guys with very little chemistry, and even five minutes was probably too generous. DDP wins with a Diamond Cutter, and we can all move on, I don't need to see Duggan wrestle again anytime soon.
- On paper, the Double Dog Collar match between the Nasty Boys and Public Enemy sounds like a disaster, but this was actually one of the more enjoyable contests of the night. Both teams just take turns having fun with props, like an inflatable shark, some chairs and a lifeguard's tower. Ultimately, Sags and Knobbs team up to take down Rocco Rock with a chain assisted clothesline, and that's that. Not too bad, to be honest, a pretty fun watch and provided some great comedy.
- In the literal exact opposite match in every conceivable way, Dean Malenko is here to beat up Disco Inferno, with the Cruiserweight belt at stake. I really, really enjoyed this match, Malenko brings an air of intensity in the ring that was sorely lacking on this show. I also loved Disco's character work, as he tries valiantly to keep pace with Malenko in the ring by attempting to become more of a serious challenger. This match is worked quite stiff, and genuinely does provide a few nail biting near falls, as Disco comes so close to pulling off the upset. In the end, he's put away with a double underhook powerbomb into the Texas Cloverleaf, a very cool finish to one of the highlights of the night.
- And back down we go, as Steve "Mongo" McMichael is here to stink up the joint with Joe Gomez. Nothing McMichael does in the ring looks particularly good, and the Daytona crowd loses interest very quickly. If WCW really wanted to put McMichael over as a serious threat, which it seems like they are by having him join the Horseman, he really should've just squashed Gomez. Instead, they work a back and forth six minute affair, which ends with a Tombstone Piledriver.
- This next match looks promising, as Konnan defends his US title against Ric Flair. Unfortunately, Flair isn't the same performer I saw put on a classic with Terry Funk seven years previous, and this match is mostly just shtick. Miss Elizabeth and Woman interfere multiple times, making the official look like an absolute dolt as he totally loses control. Konnan does hit a nice rolling thunder lariat, but goes down in meek fashion is a shoe. A very disappointing watch for me, not the worst match of the night but nothing close to what I thought it could be.
- The WCW champion is stuck in tag team action on this night, as The Giant teams up with his Dungeon of Doom leader Kevin Sullivan to face Horseman representatives Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit. No Dungeon shenanigans on this night, as this is a very basic match that feels like a waste of all four men's talents. Benoit and Anderson work on Sullivan for the entire match, building up to the hot tag. Giant comes in, takes down everyone and pins Arn totally clean with a chokeslam. At least this match does succeed in putting the future Big Show over as a true threat, but he's already the champion, he shouldn't be just treated as muscle for Sullivan. On a show as big as this, you've got to give your supposed top guy who's over massively with the crowd something interesting to do, and this just wasn't it.
- Main event time, as the Outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, attempt to complete their hostile takeover of WCW. Their much hyped third man is a no show, an odd booking decision in theory but one that succeeds in adding a ton of intrigue and paranoia into the match. The WCW representatives of Lex Luger, Randy Savage and Sting have a brief numbers advantage before Lex is quickly stretchered out. The match is nothing special, mostly consisting of Nash and Hall beating up Sting, but the tried and true formula works on this night because of the story they've told. Everyone's just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and drop it does. Two drops in fact, from the atomic leg of WCW's newest villain, Hulk Hogan. There's absolutely no mentions of Hulk throughout the night, but the company does an excellent job dropping clues, with Okerlund recognizing his voice backstage and Nash giving Gene a "let me tell you something" line. I also appreciated Hogan turning heel on Savage, that was a nice touch.
- Hulk's post-match promo is a thing of beauty, likely the greatest in the career of a man who's always been fantastic on the stick. He ties everything back to the day he signed his contract with WCW, and blames the fans for turning on him, a great way to incorporate the genuine hatred for his character into this storyline. Even looking back, knowing all the controversy surrounding Hulk as a person and the New World Order's mere existence playing a part in the downfall of the entire company, it's an awesome moment. Hulk is at home as a heel and the fans have bought into all of it hook, line and sinker, throwing trash into the ring, while the announcers walk off in disgust. Great booking, perfectly executed, as WCW is on the path to becoming the top company in the US.
- I did just want to address one final thing before delivering a verdict, and it's Bobby Heenan on commentary during the main event. Heenan's infamous "who's side is he on?" line is one many fans have taken issue with, as it does essentially spoil Hogan's heel turn and the culmination of everything WCW had been building up to all night and for the past couple months. I will defend Heenan to some extent here, as after the third man was a no show, all three commentators are bringing up all kinds of different possibilities as to what might be going on. Heenan and Hulk had a storied rivalry across many years and two different promotions, and it absolutely makes sense that he should immediately suspect Hulk of being up to no good. I think in retrospect, it's a line that he likely should've taken back, but it's not something that diminishes the moment.
7/10
Bash at the Beach '96 is a tough show to grade, as the undercard is wildly inconsistent, and everything on the show is dragged down by the focus on the main event. That being said, the final match and the payoff of the build is executed to perfection, and if you're going to nail anything, it better be the ending. It's a pretty interesting show to watch, but it's not one that really lives up to it's own legacy unfortunately.
Up next on Henry's Pay-Per-View Reviews: WCW Spring Stampede 1999.
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