And so we reach the end in an appropriate manner. They wrestled on the first Nitro, and they wrestle on the last. Before we begin the reassessment of the top 30 Nitro matches with MFP (My Friend Paul), we give some slack to Flair and Sting and try to enjoy the final Nitro match EVER.

I’ll be blunt. I’m a huge Flair mark, but he looked like hell here, and had to wrestle in a shirt. Sting looks alright. I don’t think either man had been wrestling in the final months of WCW. Essentially the whole match is the typical Sting/Flair match, with the basic Flair formula. Flair even sneaks in the ref shove spot. Sting gets to look like a million bucks, Flair draws some great reactions, and everyone is sorta happy. It’s not always pretty, but for long time fans it probably was a bittersweet moment these men pulled off. Flair gets the figure four after selling 85% of the match. Sting won’t give up. Sting ends up with the win in about seven minutes via the Scorpion Death Lock and the old rivals embrace. Schiavone has never sounded so shoot talking about his job. All’s well that ends well, and it ended kinda thumbs in the middle. 2 ½ and 5/10.

An odd pairing of faces and heels, with the Jarrett/Booker team fighting against each other in a single later in the night. Seems Russo-rific to me. One question: Will anyone sell on the Steiner/Sting team given the other team is the motivated one and neither member is known for wanting to show weakness, at least well.

Steiners valet was hot as hell, if a little plastic. Someone took the time to make a “Slapnuts Country” sign. Wow. Lots of stalling and crowd baiting to start. Stings offense was the forerunner for the weakest of John Cena’s stuff, but Jarrett sold it valiantly. Steiner goes up against Booker T wearing a black face protector that is simply ridiculous. Steiner works the crowd quite a bit too. Steiner doesn’t move well at this point, but he does take an effective bump for Booker. Sting and Booker have an ugly communication breakdown at one point, but it’s slow enough that they recover.

While I’m not in love with the actual early work, I will say it’s being build slowly and smartly, playing to the star aspect rather than taking a thousand bumps. I’m so sad that Madden has been using the phrase “Sports Entertainment” at will. I guess everywhere he goes Russo wishes he was back in New York. It breaks down to The faces fighting each other and the heels doing the same. Steiner’s stuff is really held back by his size and bulk. He still pulls out the odd suplex here and there to remind us what he once was. Nothing about this match is compelling, especially the Steiner ring time. Sting and Jarrett have a more motivated volley, as even Booker T looks sluggish tonight. Perhaps it’s the repetition of moves. It’s not that no one is trying, but it feels relatively dull. Ref bump 10-12 minutes in. Jarrett with the guitar. Booker tries to save Sting, but Jarrett nails him and pins him. 2 ¼ and 4/10.

Okay, we have officially entered the era where I was giving up and barely watching, but still following online. I don’t remember this match or it’s context in the slightest. Sting had apparently turned heel, which you’d think was a big deal, but there were almost playing it like he was a tweener coming to the ring. He’s still doing his face shtick. Benoit is wearing a shirt that has to do with some group called Revolution, but I don’t remember what it was, and he’d be gone to the WWE within months. Honestly, this was during some weird holding pattern if I remember correctly, as Bish was fired and Vince Russo and Ed Fererra had been hired, but weren’t starting until October.

One thing this set teaches me is how frustrating Sting was a wrestler for the time he did bother to wrestle (exclude Fall ’96 almost to Jan. ’98). Essentially he rules Benoit here in the early part of the match, causing Benoit to bump like crazy for him and roll out several times. When he does get hit with a big move he simply no sells it. Thanks bud. Benoit’s working hard. Sting is being Sting.

Benoit works on the legs of Sting, and Sting sure doesn’t make it easy with his selling and movement. A moment of Zen arrives in the form of a perfect Muta Lock by Benoit. This is like pulling teeth for Benoit, who isn’t seen by the fans as being in Sting’s league, while trying to pull a logical match out of the guy. Maybe it’s a style point I just don’t get. Sting comes back and is perfectly fine. You better believe Benoit sells the balls to the post, etc. On the positive side it looks like sting worked light on guys, so no one is getting injured.

Sting’s control segment is ostensibly the heat segment, but that confuses me as Benoit was acting like the heel earlier. Benoit’s hope spots rule, but Sting won’t really sell much of anything to lend credibility. He’s never in danger, this guy! He’s firmly the heel now though, and he gets some react for it. Benoit makes his offense look like a million bucks. This has really picked up as far as the structure and psychology is concerned. Benoit’s comebacks and fails are fun, and the fans are behind it. Oddly enough, they don’t care as much about Sting’s offense. The real comeback is quick, Benoit nails the diving head butt, and we’re into the near falls 13 minutes in. It’s been well paced.

Two suplexes into the Crossface. Sting grabs the ropes. Lots of reversals and moment, but we got a ref bump. Benoit hits a sick pile driver. Sting is actually letting Benoit hit his stuff here, though I can’t say he’s committed to selling it. Lex Luger in to kill this match with a baseball bat shot. Sting wins. Lots of famous wrestlers come in. This is all to set up next week’s six man tag. That doesn’t help me. Got good for a while, but nothing that’s gonna shoot it to the moon with that finish. 3 ¼ and 6/10.

Nash, Sid, and Steiner is the oddest team I’ve seen in some time. Why did Sid have a job, why did Nash bother to show up, and isn’t that the wrong Steiner for 1999 WCW? The faces all get separate entrances because they’re bigger starts and apparently this makes the entrance less weird. Goldberg comes out to some Megadeath song, which has me puzzled as hell. 1999 WCW. Hogan comes out to his original crappy Hogan face theme, the belt, and the red and yellow. This was the re-debut of the look. I could care, but that’s probably why it’s on the set. I usually like six man’s, and here I’m trying to figure out who is gonna carry this – and I should with SIX guys there.

The atmosphere is pretty awesome at the start. That gains it some credit and leeway with me. The first few minutes is Hogan in there laying out what would later be his Rock match from Mania, in the sense it’s all well layed out to pop a ready and willing nostalgic crowd. Hogan clears the ring of all three opponents and it’s 1985 again. I’ll go with it even if it’s not my thing. Nash versus Goldberg is next. It’s simple and awesome, thanks to the crowd, and I like everything until Sid is tagged in. That’s kept short too, and now the workhorse – believe it or not – named Sting gets in.

The do a ref bump after the initial short match ups that is terrible, and it sets off a clever, but mistimed chain of events that ends with Hogan killing people with chair shots while Sting gets the Scorpion Death Lock on Nash. A new ref comes in to see Nash quickly pass out. That’s your super star studded main event. A good lay out with bad timing that was a bit short. The crowd gets the 7th man award. 2 ½ and 5/10.

Sting is still really over as a Crow-like babyface, and DDP is coming off a good heel turn with an even better heel persona. Plus, he’s got the big gold belt. Let’s hope Sting feels like working hard and selling, because his whims make matches very good or only decent.

One of the under-rated DDP attributes is how he played the opening minute or two. He was great with the confrontations, especially as a heel, and going back and forth before losing and bailing to the outside. He had a good sense of pacing that he deserves some credit for. Sting ends up beating Page “pillar-to-post” for a minute and they tease the Scorpion Death Lock (Sting finisher submission). DDP goes on offense and the crowd really reacts to Sting. Page is good at handling it, but Sting won’t sell for much. Sting during this era tried to be to much like Goldberg for my liking, and it’s fine if he’s gonna do this in a Flair match (maybe fine is even to definite), but I’m not a fan of the face is so above the heel stories, even if the crowds stay with it.

Sting beats DDP down the aisle way, and I’m reminded that this walk around brawl style was very in vogue at the time. Unfortunately I don’t feel quite the intensity as when Steve Austin, Bret Hart, or the Rock did it. Sting finally sells a desperation low blow and DDP soaks up the heat as he goes on offense. I really like this section, and not because it is nearly action packed, but because it’s a necessary and good part of the story. And of course Sting’s comebacks get the fans going. Great crowd for these guys. Page cuts him off well. The story is being told well. I like it, even if I’m not a fan of Sting’s selling.

I should mention that Toney S. and Mike Tenay do a pretty good announcing job in this one. Nothing over the top, and some good detail in painting the picture. Sting gets a comeback and near fall that really works, and DDP is in the home stretch as he works Sting over on the outside. Both men throughout the match have trouble getting on the same page at times, so don’t think this will be the greatest match you’ll ever see, but there is nothing that sticks out as awful either.

There’s a dramatic ten count on both, and you can tell they’re nearly spent. This is a typically good effort from DDP, but Sting did work hard too. They run through a bunch of near falls, which get over to varying degrees. There’s a weird pile driver in there for a near fall where Page decides to let go early and nearly gets his neck smashed. A great reversals sequence into a tombstone pile driver, and DDP AGAIN kicks out. Now it’s exciting, but a bit silly, because when Sting does his kick outs he barely tries. Sting blocks two Diamond Cutters and perfectly hits a Scorpion Death Drop for the win in twenty minutes. A new champ in Fargo, ND of all places. Last stretch really helped this match out, but DDP’s heel stuff in the middle is what made this stand out. 3 ½ and 7.2/10.

Flair is out with Arn Anderson. Is there ever a time they aren’t together? Why would I even ask? Sting is still the Crow, complete with dramatic music, no longer part of the Wolfpack faction. This was a great match that made Sting a decade before, and it was decent when they ran it at the onset of Monday Nitro. Today though (today being 1999), I have doubts.

Flair bumps around like a pinball for Sting early, and I’m actually impressed. One thing I’ve always loved about Flair’s style is it had a slickness and tightness to it, but it was so simple that you could perform it well into his fifties. It’s timeless, without even a drop kick to the ol’ moves. The first two minutes of this match is a testament to this match. He makes Sting look like a million bucks.

Flair, it should be noted, is not only the on-air heel WCW president, he’s also in great shape for his age. The match, unfortunately, gets dull as Sting stays on offense. All of Flair’s offense is cheating grab bag stuff. Entertaining little match that would be a period piece if it were a movie. This is almost comedy, with Flair doing no less than two “Flair flops”. He does more eye gouges too before taking the offense with a pretty bad chop block. Flair goes to his work for the heat segment, pretty much for two seconds, before Flair let’s himself get put in the Figure Four. This is all Sting plays Superman to Flair’s heel gags. On some level it’s charming.

Sting’s big contribution is committing to an over the top rope bump off a missed Stinger Splash. Even after a trademark low blow Sting is still coming back every few seconds. I’m having trouble taking this match as anything but a wink-wink legend’s exhibition, like Flair and Hogan would do every two years from 99-04. As such, it’s perfectly fine, but not to be taken too seriously. Sting no sells everything by the end. I give up. This is a bit of a timing mess by the end, but I’ll definitely admit the crowd enjoyed it. Over booked to boot. Sting wins clean. 2 ½ and 5.5/10.

This has the potential to be one of those great surprising Nitro main events, in the same vain of the earlier DDP vs Sting match that didn’t go over ten minutes, but had a solid story and work ethic. Goldberg really did have a great run, be simply never progressed past the gimmick and/or formula of his matches.

This is a championship match with a great crowd atmosphere (same night as the Flair return), but neither guy seems interested in selling for the other. I know that was part of Goldberg’s charm for some, but at least shake a move off or reaction before you no sell it. More interesting might be the way Sting meanders through the match. When there’s movement it’s good because they’re both athletic, but they certainly aren’t on the same page through some of this. They do a lot of power moves, but nothing registers as far as damage. Sting completely ignores an ankle submission put on him. Sting’s no sell of moves and lack of projecting when he does sell led to a sense of them just doing moves and having an interesting moment, as opposed to a compelling match. Again, the crowd really helps the perception so it seems a tad better than it is.

It does get more exciting and have somewhat of a flow roughly six minutes in, when Sting gets a pile driver and a few Stinger Splashes in. Sting looks lazy as he supposedly struggles to get the Scorpion Death Lock on Goldberg. It ends up looking like crap. Hogan comes in, right in front of the ref, kicks Sting in the head, and we’re supposed to believe Ref Silverman didn’t see it. Ugh. Crowd almost turns on Goldberg when he hits the spear/jackhammer combo for the win in under ten minutes. The Hogan interference killed the reaction. Bret Hart, who you never know throughout is face or heel, saves Sting or Goldberg from a weak Hogan attack. Boy, you take out the crowd reaction and this was pretty weak stuff. 2 ¼ and 5/10.

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.

A world title match with two babyfaces facing each other. Only on NITRO will you find the greatest night in our sport – every night!

As a random note they are at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, which I believe was the site of the May 2000 WWE Judgment Day PPV with the great HHH-The Rock Iron man match which I loved at the time. I need to dig that up and review it. This will hopefully be half as good, which is still great.

DDP has taken to wearing a furniture movers back supporter around his waist for support. They do a fun lock up spot where they take it outside and then get back in for a second go around. Then Sting goes for his finisher submission, the Scorpion Death Lock, twice, which pops the crowd and pisses off Page. He’s bothered. Diggin’ the layout so far. Page comes back with a swinging neck breaker and goes for the Diamond Cutter, but Sting shoves him off. Awesome stare down as both men now know the other can end it at any time. I like the idea of doing one big move and then going for a pin, submission, or a rest hold. It’s a simplistic formula that only main eventers can get away with where the match gets better with the less you do.

Sting gains the advantage off a move or two (everything cleanly and well executed), and they go to another sleeper. Page hulks up a minute later and makes a comeback, but it’s basically back and forth. This is really good stuff from two heavyweights. These guys move well, and Page was always big on planning out matches. You can goof on the guy, but that’s what all WWE matches have been for the most part this decade.

Sting goes for a splash and Page gets the knees up, so they do the double ten count. Fans build with anticipation, as is the plan. Page tries to take Sting out of the corner twice while having him hooked in the Diamond Cutter, but Sting blocks it and transitions into the Scorpion Death Drop for the clean win in about 12 minutes. Awesome finish. Sting looked very good here and DDP doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his late WCW run, like I’ve said before. Oh, and Schiavone says “what a moment in time”. Well, I wouldn’t go that far. 3 ½ and 7/10.

The big guns from the NWO against a bunch of WCW main event babyfaces. Cool with me. I like the personalities, not to mention Sting’s epic entrance music. Somehow Sting is the champ, the Giant has a neck brace, and Macho is back face with Liz at his side. WCW was/is so confusing.

They start off with everyone doing a hot brawl. Hogan and Macho go at it. Hall sells like crazy for Sting. The Giant and Nash cancel each other out. Hogan gets Sting all alone in the ring once everyone gets to their tag corners. Hogan sells as well as Hogan can sell, and then we get the big men. Nash vs Giant. Heels cheat to win in a cool spot where Giant picks up Hall/Hogan and Nash gets him from behind. I’m really hoping The Giant won’t be the one selling during the heat since they already gave away Sting/Hogan right away. If anything it should be Macho selling, since he’s the best out there other than maybe Hall.

The heels tag in and out a lot and it has movement because of that. Hogan stuff against the Giant is wholly bad. Also, Bischoff at ringside during matches sucks. He has no idea what to do out there and draws no heat, helps in no spots, and isn’t a great mouthpiece for all this talent. What a mark he is/was. Anyways, this heel control segment goes on forever with logical triple teaming because he’s so big, but it’s horribly boring because Giant couldn’t sell BEFORE the neck brace. It’s worse now.

Macho gets the hot tag and Giant stops selling. So while Macho is milking that he wants at Hogan, Nash runs all the way to the back while Giant slowly walks after him. The crowd is distracted from the Macho/Hogan match up. Macho does make this a great “tag match” for about 30 seconds, than Hogan cronie Beefcake runs in. Schiavone has to pretend he doesn’t know who this new NWO recruit is, and all of us just wish we could forget him forever. Crap finish with Hogan covering Macho after the interference to a less than average match. 2 ¼ and 4/10.