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Guest Columns | Mr. Mean |
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CAN STING BE A HEEL? The bookers of WCW need to get it right. If they want Sting to be a heel, they need to make him act like one. Sting was at the center of attention Monday night but the heel act isn't catching on with everyone. It takes more than some fancy video package and overselling my Tony Schiavone. I've got to say that WCW put on a decent show Monday night as the post-Bischoff era continues to move ahead. The angles are starting to get more compelling and more wrestlers are stepping up. Finally, WCW is DOING something with Shane Douglas and Scott Steiner is back. The first reference to Sting cam when Ric Flair cut a promo with Gene Mean. It seemed that the Nature Boy wanted a shot at Sting - now. But they were interrupted by Chris Benoit, who said it's his turn to get Sting - now. Benoit said he was tired of Flair's broken promises. Wasn't that angle dropped a long time ago? Flair ignored Benoit and said he was going to look for Sting. But Benoit's title shot was still a go. When Sting came down to the ring, it sounded like the cheers were louder than the boos. Sting didn't help manners any by playing to the crowd. When the ref called for a break, Sting broke cleanly instead of getting in cheap shots like heels are supposed to do. It was a good match, though. Benoit nailed a tremendous tombstone piledriver. But the inevitable ref bump happened. Come on, you didn't think they weren't going to screw over Benoit, did you? After that Lex Luger came in and nailed Benoit with the baseball bat and Sting got the pin. Sigh. Flair ran in to save Benoit only to be followed by Diamond Dallas Page, who dropped Flair with a diamond cutter. Luger and DDP stomped away at Flair. Finally, Hulk Hogan made the save. Sting didn't do a whole lot here. I really don't see how a baseball bat shot from LEX LUGER is going to get Sting over as a heel. Sting should swing his own bat. It didn't get any better in the DDP-Flair main event. Sting ran in but missed with an elbow drop and Flair promptly slapped the figure four on him. Luger once again struck with the bat and DDP got DQ'd. Hogan ran in for the semi-save. Let's see. If Sid Vicious counts run-in powerbombs as victories, Luger can strike 71 times in a year with the bat and claim he broke Mark McGwire's record! In the opening match of the show, Psychosis earned a surprising pin over Kidman in a tag team match. Eddie Guerrero and Konnan did a post-match run-in and attacked Psychosis and Juvi. For some reason, Kidman tried to tear off Psychosis' mask. I thought the filthy animals were faces. Chavo Guerrero then jumped in on the side of Psychosis and Juvi. After all the shouting, a mask vs. hair match was agreed upon between Kidman and Psychosis. Interesting. Kidman may get his punishment after all. After watching Goldberg dispense of Brian Knobbs, it really hit home as to who has the stroke backstage. The acronym is now FOH (Friend of Hogan). Knobbs is a FOH. Why else did Goldberg have to sell five chair shots and six megaphone shots before winning? Speaking of friends, what happened to the Cat and Sonny Onoo? The Cat was a FOB (Friend of Bischoff). Since Bischoff left, no Cat. I don't understand why. The Cat is a heel heat machine. They need to get him back in the ring. The mishandling of Alex Wright continues. His opponent was Scott Armstrong, a jobber from WCW Saturday Night. Berlyn still needed outside interference from his thug bodyguard to win. Then, Brad Armstrong ran in to save his brother and Berlyn and the thug backed off. This segment didn't do anything for Berlyn's heat. I was starting to get worried. No Sid run in and the show is almost half over. The appearance of Blitzkrieg and Even Karagias brought a smile to my face. Evan actually won a well worked match to earn a shot at the cruiserweight title. Then Sid showed up, along with sidekick Charles Robinson. Blitzkrieg resisted but got chokeslammed. Evan got powerbombed. Sid is now 85-0, so sayeth the sign held by Robinson. Sid ranted and then powerbombed Evan again. The ref counted two pins. Robinson is still wearing the U.S. belt. When is his first title defense? Eddie Guerrero and Saturn had another good match. Their respective Revolution and Filthy Animals mates were at ringside. Both men had their finishers blocked. The ref was distracted by a Saturn-Konnan skirmish. That allowed Douglas to smack Eddie with a chain wrapped around his first. Saturn, clearly angry, reluctantly pinned Eddie. Saturn loudly said, "You didn't have to do that." It's about time! Douglas is getting primed for a heel turn. Now he can get some heat. Lenny successfully defended the cruiserweight title against the ICP's Shaggy 2 Dope. Yet another great match! Shaggy hit a superb running Ligerbomb. Late in the match, Lodi was on the ring apron, holding the title belt and facing off Violent J and Vampiro. Shaggy got whipped into the ropes, knocking Lodi into a plancha-like fall that took out Violent J and Vampiro like bowling balls. Lenny rolled up Shaggy for the pin. Great stuff! Gene Mean brought out Rick Steiner for a promo. Steiner's getting over as the crowd woofs and keeps on woofing. Then out came Scott Steiner! Big Poppa Pump is back. It seems that he hasn't forgotten the nWo. The "4 life" stuff still holds true, he said, warning Hogan. Booker T beat Kanyon in a match that almost seemed like an afterthought. Where was the DDP run-in? Or Bam Bam for that matter? Scott Steiner's return and challenge to Hogan seems to cement Hogan in the top babyface slot. That means Sting is going to have to learn to play the heel. That may be difficult. Douglas said on WCW Live Wednesday night that not everyone knows how t play a heel. But Sting is going to have to try if WCW hopes to gain ground on the WWF. Mr. Mean |
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