Bash At The Beach 96 Review

Tonight were gonna take a look at one of thes most historical wrestling ppvs in history. This is the ppv where the NWO was born. This is also one of the few WCW ppvs worth looking back on since it doesn't lose it's luster like nearly everything else they put on.


Match #1


Singles Match


Rey Mysterio Jr Vs Psychosis


Mysterio making his WCW ppv debute here. Mike Tennay gives a history lesson on Luchadores for the American viewers. This was back when Mysterio was 100% healthy and was in matches where him winning was believable. Mysterio and Psychosis do their thing and make alot of slouches look like asses in the process. Psychosis suicide dives over the top rope onto Mysterio outside and hits his head on the railing in the process. Later on Mysterio runs down the apron and huricinrana's Psychosis who is on the floor but smacks his head too. Psychosis drops Mysterio outside the ring then goes up top for a senton splash to the floor. Psychosis with an enzuiguri and he gets a 2 count. Mysterio sends Psychosis outside with a headscissors then while Psychosis is on the apron he huricinrana's him from the top rope to the floor!!! Crowd loves it. Mysterio knocks Psychosis outside then hits a corkscrew asai moonsault on Psychosis on the floor!!! Back inside Mysterio tries a spring off the tope rope but gets caught by a powerbomb. Psychosis tries a splash moutain on Mysterio from the top rope but Mysterio counters into a super huricinrana and gets the pin at 15:15!!! Great opener. 3 1/2 stars. Crowd errupts.


Match #2

Silver Dollar Match


John Tenta Vs Big Bubba w Jimmy Hart


After his title match against The Giant (which he lost) The Shark was kicked out of The Dungeon Of Doom and Bubba added insult to injury by shaving Shark's head. Later on Shark ditched the dumb gimmick and annnounced he was John Tenta. Since then he's been beating on Bubba whenever he can. This is an item on a pole match. A sock filled with Silver Dollars. Kinda boring, one guy tries climbing then gets thrown off, then the other guy tries and gets thrown down, rinse and repeat. Bubba uses his belt to hang Tenta. Bubba tapes Tenta to the ropes then whips him. Then the idiot pulls out a pair of scissors to cut Tenta's hair. Tenta drops Bubba of course and uses to scissors to cut himself loose. Bubba catches Tenta with a spinebuster. Bubba sends Hart up to get the sock but when he comes back down, Tenta is waiting on him. Tenta grabs the sock and pastes Bubba and pins him after 10 minutes. The Crowd cheers. 1 1/2 star.



Match #3


Lord Of The Ring Match


DDP won battle bowl at Slamboree to become Lord Of The Ring which is basically a King Of The Ring knockoff. He spent about 3 months defending the title then WCW just said fk it. Not much to this match. Duggan's got tape fists but it doesn't prevent him from eating the diamond cutter and getting pinned after only 5 minutes. 1 star.


Match #4

Dog Collar Match


The Nasty Boys Vs Public Enemy


Theyve had a mini feud going on at this time and this is the blowoff. Clubberin. Lot's of clubberin going on here. Saggs and Rocco are chained together and Grunge and Knobbs are chained up. They fight down the entrance way to the beach diorahma and Saggs bashes Rocco with a surfboard. Knobbs throws sand in Grunges face. Cookie sheets everywhere!!! Saggs piledrives Rocco on the floor!!! Nasties owning most of it. They finally get back into the ring and Rocco props Saggs on a table and tries diving onto him but Saggs rolls off and pulls Rocco off but instead of going through it be bounces off the table. Saggs lays him on it then jumps off the second rope and hits the elbow but the table still won't break. Knobbs hangmans Grunge over the ropes then Nasties use the chain to clothesline Rocco and pin him after 11 minutes. The fight continues. Fun little match, the commentary was great. 2 stars.


Match #5


Cruiserweight Championship Match


Dean Malenko Vs The Disco Inferno


Malenko works over Disco's leg and controls most of this match. This is the Malenko that I liked, not that lush womanizer gimmick WWF stuck him with in late 2000. Malenko goes to an STF but Disco still doesn't quit. He's had no offense yet. Dean catches a suprise sunset flip and almost gets the 3. Disco gets fired up and starts jabbing away. Disco hits a stun gun then gets a 2 count. Battling outside. Dean puts Disco into the railing. Dean goes up top for a double axe handle but Disco pulls out a unique arm block then spins him around for a falling neckbreaker but Disco goofs off TWICE, losing precious seconds!!! Dean dropkicks him in the back of the head then goes for the cloverleaf but Disco with a small package for 2!!! Dean finally finishes Disco with a double armhook powerbomb into the clover leaf and Inferno quits at just over 12 minutes. Another good little match 2 1/2 stars.


Match #6


Singles Match


Steve Mongo McMichael w Debra Vs Joe Gomez


Well I guess every ppv needs a stinker for a piss break. The newest (and possibly worst) horsemen McMichael making his ppv singles debute. Mongo controls most of this thing. I can't comprehend how Mongo got picked for the Horsemen over Dean Malenko and Jarrett was booted out before McMichael was. These two look like twin brothers fighting. Mongo gets the win after 6 minutes with the tombestone piledriver. 1 star. What's fascinating is Mongo's botched moves frequently and still got cheered by the crowd.


Match #7


United States Championship Match


Konan Vs Ric Flair w Miss Elizabeth and Woman


Konan gives Flair more trouble than the Nature Boy planned on. He finally gets the upper hand after Woman interferes to muck up Konans offense. Flair distracts the ref and Woman gets into the ring and kicks him where she should of kicked Benoit. Crowd goes nuts. Flair pitches Konan out and Woman gouges his face. Shiavone once again reminds us about the hostile takeover happening tonight, yeah Tony why else would the majority have ordered this ppv??? Konan fights back and Flair does his face first flop on the mat. Flair tries a figure four but Konan counters with a small package then slaps on his own figure four!!! Flair fights out of it and things break down as Elizabeth distracts the ref while Konan has a backslide pin, Woman lands a WEAK shoe shot on Konans nogging and Flair pins him easy with the ropes for leverage to win the title. 2 stars.


Mean Gene is backstage and says the third man is with the Outsiders in their dressing room but can't find out who the third mystery man is. Heenan tells Gene to bribe the security guards:)


Match #8


Tag Team Match


World Champion The Giant and Kevin Sullivan Vs Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit


ALL HELLS BROKE LOOSE!!! The Dungeon jump The Horsemen on their way to the ring and Mongo is out to help. Sullivan gets caught in the ring and worked over by AA and Benoit. Sullivan and Benoit scrapping in the ring. They fight on the floor for a bit. Arn and Benoit kick Kevin's ass for a good 6 minutes then they try for a spike piledriver but Kevin gets an extremely sh***y slingshot on Arn into Benoit on the top rope then hottags The Giant who is in the ring for the first time. Benoit and Sullivan fight back to the broadcast location while Giant easily overwhelms and chokeslams AA and pins him around 8:57. 2 stars. Benoit beats up Sullivan postmatch and Woman tries to stop him for some screwy reason. Giant makes the save and takes the knocked out Sullivan home.


We get a nice montage of the Hostile Takeover. Now the match weve waited for.


Match #9

6 Man Tag Team Match

Sting, Machoman Randy Savage and Lex Luger Vs Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and ?????


Mean Gene quickly interrupts the entrances and calls The Ousiders on where their third man is??? They say he's here and they can handle the match without him. So the match starts. Disaster strikes early for WCW as the match falls apart quick. Luger is struggling with Nash in the corner and Sting splashs Nash who in turn crushes Lex against the turnbuckle gear and Luger is ko'd. The EMT's with the stretcher show up to take Luger out. Outsiders try putting the boots to him while he's strapped down. Now it's a 2 on 2 with a third guy in the back. Hall mocks Sting who goes ballistic and hands Hall his ass. Macho and Nash are in next and Nash knocks down Savage then drops an elbow, but Savage sits up and Nash actually catches him on the top of the head in a dangerous botch. Macho immediatley tags out and Sting gets overpowered for a few minutes. Hall and Nash working over Sting at this point, Sting with a suprise small package for 2. Nash tags in and uses an abdominal stretch with optional punches in the ribs. Hall back in and Sting is getting punched stupid at this point. Sting fights back and hottags Macho who goes bonkers and sends Hall outside then drops the double axe handle on Hall driving him into the railing. Savage goes after Nash who drops him with a nutshot. HULKAMANIA IS HERE!!!! Hogan chases The Outsiders out!!! WHAT???!!!! HOGAN DROPS THE BIG LEG ON SAVAGE!!!! Heenan, Shiavone, and Dusty are shocked. Just like that Shiavone wants everyone in the back to kick Hogans ass. Hogan drops another leg on Savage and Heenan says he's been saying all these years that he knew Hogan was garbage, as a matter of fact the ring is filling up with trash and as Sting helps the ko'd Savage to the back Mean Gene interviews Hogan who tells the fans to stick it and that this is the new order of wrestling. The crowd loves it when Hogan turns heel. Shiavone tells Hogan to go to hell to conclude the ppv. One of the most pivotable moments in wrestling history. I give it 3 1/2 stars.


Overall Opinion: Point blank. One of WCW's best ppvs. The beginning of the NWO's three year existance. All the matches are good to great with one mediocre match in the mix.


Final Score: Im giving this ppv a solid 5.9 on my scale of 1 to 10. Too bad it's one of a very few great WCW ppvs.