Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 106: Scott Hall/Giant vs. Sting/Kevin Nash (Nitro 7/20/98)

This match exemplifies the reasons I began to hate WCW in 1998. I’m not even talking about the match itself, but simply the contextual set up. Nash and Sting come out. They’re the WCW tag champs. Champs despite the fact Sting was the resistance to Nash’s NWO invasion, and they spent a very long time feuding by proxy through Hogan. Put that away for a second and realize the stoic Crow Sting is now IN THE NWO, except this is the fun loving NWO, because their colors are red and black. If that’s not enough, their opponents are Scott Hall, traditionally depicted as the best of friends forever and never as adversaries. Why are Nash and Hall Feuding? Well, because WCW couldn’t pull off a brother vs brother feud I suppose. And Hall’s partner? The man he mocked for years, who jumped in and out of the NWO more times than anyone else, The Giant. These four guys shouldn’t be in the ring together without some seriously memorable angles where forgiveness and bonds were formed. But this is WCW, so you just hope for a good match from some main event personalities, then expect a run in.

This is a fun, exciting match that benefitted from a really hot Salt Lake City crowd. They picked a solid formula, and while the work wasn’t quick or tight, it was good and made sense. About my only complaint, other than not liking WCW finishes, is the tone of Hall and Sting’s characters. Sting resembled and acted like a a modern day Jeff Hardy at his most pluckiest. He was jumping around doing ridiculous crotch chops. It was such a goofy alteration from what his Crow character had been and I didn’t feel connected to it in the least. It wasn’t a huge problem, and the fans loved him coming from underneath, but he felt like a poser to me. Odder was Hall, who did all his typical over the top histrionics. That’s fine, and he’s a good bumping big man (sort of how you might admire the versatility of a Karl Malone in basketball), but as a character he didn’t play up any anger or betrayal issues with Nash. There was nothing palpable about these two best friends ripped apart, Hogan in Hall’s ear, or his drinking problems used for storyline issues. I thought it could have been played more intensely to maximize the match up.

Overall this was a good 12-13 minute match, of which we got 10 minutes shown. The Giant was really on here, and he had it as a big man. Nash wasn’t lazy either, which was nice to see. Sting brought a lot of energy (part of which I liked). Bret Hart came out, distracted Sting, and Hall hit the Razor’s Edge for the win. New tag champs. Did a mention the crowd really helped make this match? I’m done. 3 and 6/10.