December 28, 1997

Tony Schiavone, Mark Tenay, and Bobby Heenan welcome everyone to the "biggest night in our sport". But before we get to our first match, lets go to the back where a limo has pulled out. Out of the limo steps...Jim Neidhart. Followed by...Davey Boy Smith. Neidhart and Smith start to walk away from the limo but after a moment they stop and Neidhart laughs. And then at last out of the limo comes Bret Hart! The announcers speculate on what he'll do here tonight.

BILL GOLDBERG vs STEVE "MONGO" MCMICHAEL
Mongo puts up a tough fight and even cradles Goldberg on an early Jackhammer attempt. He also gets unexpected help from Disco Inferno?! But in the end it's spear, Jackhammer, splat.

Bill Goldberg pinned Steve McMichael with the Jackhammer in 0:07:17.
Rating: -* 1/2
[Disco Inferno interfered against Bill Goldberg.]

Goldberg goes to 18-0.

In the back, Bret, Anvil, and Bulldog meet with the nWo. Hogan welcomes them to the family and thanks Bret for watching his back.

THE RENEGADE vs "THE MONSTER" MENG (w/ JIMMY HART)
Lots of brawling and too many restholds from Renegade. He finally hulks up, hits FIVE clotheslines to finally knock Meng down, and nails two Flying Splashes to pin Meng. Crowd was really not into this match.

The Renegade pinned Meng with the Flying Splash in 0:06:57.
Rating: -**

GLACIER vs ERNEST "THE CAT" MILLER
Glacier promptly kicks Miller out of the ring and they brawl on the floor. When they finally get back into the ring, Miller DDTs Glacier after a missed leg lariat. Then James Vandenberg comes out and sends Mortis and Wrath to attack.

Ernest Miller defeated Glacier by disqualification in 0:03:42.
Rating: * 3/4
[Mortis interfered against Ernest Miller.]

Miller gets pummelled by Vandenberg's duo, but Booker T comes running down to make the save. But Booker gets nailed with a Cryonic Kick from Glacier! Booker gets beaten down as well. Vandenberg eventually deciedes enough damage has been done and leads away his troops.

Bret, Anvil, and Bulldog come out and take front row seats.

"THE TOTAL PACKAGE" LEX LUGER vs "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE (w/ MISS ELIZABETH)
Lots of brawling and some nice reversals. Macho Man gets a piledriver and his flying elbow for the win. Crowd really didn't care about Luger but they certainly hated Savage.

Randy Savage pinned Lex Luger with the Macho Elbow in 0:09:28.
Rating: DUD

WCW CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
EDDIE GUERRERO (c) vs DEAN MALENKO
Malenko starts off firing away and gets several two counts. But then Raven comes out of the crwod with a chair and nails Malenko, which the ref misses. Guerrero tries to capitalize with the Frog Splash but Malenko just barely kicks out. However, the damage is done and Guerrero controls the rest of the match, hitting a brainbuster and another Frog Splash to retain his title. Crowd really hates Eddie.

Eddie Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko with the Frog Splash in 0:04:34.
Rating: ** 3/4
(Eddie Guerrero retained the WCW Cruiserweight Title.)
[Raven interfered against Dean Malenko.]

"ROWDY" RODDY PIPER & "THE NATURE BOY" RIC FLAIR (w/ ARN ANDERSON) vs
THE OUTSIDERS (w/ SYXX)
Brawling with some power moves from the Outsiders. The match spills out out of the ring and Nash tries to hit the Jacknife on the floor, but Piper backdrops out of it. Both teams nearly get counted out before they finally get back into the ring. The Outsiders teamwork stops Piper from tagging out. He gets worked over pretty good and finished with the Jacknife. Crowd really hates the Outsiders.

The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated Roddy Piper and Ric Flair
when Nash pinned Piper with the Jackknife Power Bomb in 0:10:25.
Rating: 1/2*

CAGE MATCH FOR THE WCW TV TITLE
SATURN (c) vs "THE CRIPPLER" CHRIS BENOIT
Crowd is really into this. Cage isn't really relevant except for preventing The Flock from being able to interfere. Lots of suplexes and near falls. Benoit hits a power bomb and applies the Crossface, but Saturn fights out. Saturn gets the Rings of Saturn but Benoit fights out and gets the Crossface. More brawling and Benoit gets the rolling German suplexes to set up another Crossface. Saturn fights out of that one too. Asai moonsault by Saturn is caught by Benoit, who plants him with a Tombstone. Crossface is locked on tight in the center of the ring and Saturn finally taps.

Cage Match
Chris Benoit made Saturn submit to the Crippler Crossface in 0:16:01.
Rating: ****
(Chris Benoit won the WCW TV Title.)

After the match, as the cage is being raised, Benoit offers a hand to Saturn and says he's better than the Flock. Saturn refuses the handshake.

WCW TAG TEAM TITLES MATCH
THE STEINER BROTHERS (c) (w/ TED DIBIASE) vs VICIOUS & DELICIOUS (w/ VINCENT)
Pretty standard stuff. Match ends up on the floor at one point and Vincent and Dibiase get involved without much impact on the match. Rick wants to hit their Steiner Bulldog tag finisher, but Scott doesn't oblige and hits his screwdriver instead.

The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) defeated
Vicious & Delicious (Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton) when S. Steiner pinned Bagwell
after the Steiner Screwdriver in 0:09:09.
Rating: 1/4*
(The Steiner Brothers retained the WCW World Tag Team Titles.)

Scott Steiner and Davey Boy Smith have a bit of a confrontation after the match. Scott goes the intimidation route showing off his freakish biceps.

WCW US TITLE MATCH
CURT HENNIG (c) (w/ RIC RUDE) vs DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE
DDP has angry words for Bret Hart in the front row before he gets in the ring, which allows Hennig to attack him from behind before the match officially starts. Crowd is red hot for this one. Rude interferes repeatedly, but DDP kicks out of the Hennig Plex twice. Hennig dumps Page and distracts the ref so Rude can attack with a chair, but DDP dodges the chairshot and takes out Rude with a Diamond Cutter. Back in the ring, Hennig goes for another Hennig Plex but DDP blocks it and hits the Diamond Cutter for the win.

Diamond Dallas Page pinned Curt Hennig with the Diamond Cutter in 0:15:13.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Diamond Dallas Page won the WCW United States Title.)
[Rick Rude interfered against Diamond Dallas Page.]

WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
HOLLYWOOD HOGAN (c) vs STING
Eric Bischoff tries to accompany Hogan to the ring but JJ Dillon orders him to the back. Sting rapels from the rafters, coming down between the ring and the front row where Bret Hart is sitting. Sting removes his trenchcoat and harness and has a staredown with Bret. The announcers hype this match as the most important event in WCW history which a huge impact on the future. Crowd is fired up. Hogan goes for the big boot early, but it misses. Hogan takes a Stinger Splash but blocks the Scorpion Death Drop. They brawl in and out of the ring; Sting keeps away from the Hart Foundation's seats. Sting gets two off a superplex and a flying cross body. After another brawl outside the ring, Hogan is back into the ring first and stomps away on Sting as he slides back in the ring. Bodyslam sets up the Big Leg Drop...for two! Hogan's had enough and signals Bret to help. The announcers are aghast as the Hart Foundation cross the guardrail...and stand there. Hogan yells at Bret, who just smiles at him. Hogan is LIVID. So it's Plan B for the nWo as here comes Randy Savage. The Hart Foundation blocks his path to the ring. Savage shoves Bret and Bret responds by decking Savage! That brings out Hall, Nash, and Syxx but DDP attacks them before they get to the Hart Foundation. Bret, Anvil, and Davey Boy Smith join the fight. Hennig and Rude are next, but Ric Flair comes up from behind and low blows Hennig while Arn Anderson clocks Rude with a tire iron. The rest of the nWo locker room empties as Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Konnan, and Vincent try to make to the ring but can't get past the massive brawl in the entraceway. Lex Luger comes to WCW's aid followed by Ray Traylor. The announcers are extactic that WCW has finally come together to fight the nWo. Meanwhile, in the ring, Sting mounts his comeback on Hogan culminating in a Stinger Splash in one corner then a Stinger Splash in the opposite corner and finally a Scorpion Death Drop.

Sting pinned Hollywood Hogan with the Scorpion Death Drop in 0:11:12.
Rating: -1/2*
(Sting won the WCW World Heavyweight Title.)

The crowd goes wild as Sting wins with a clean three count in the middle of the ring! The nWo retreats to the back as other WCW wrestlers mob the ring to celebrate Sting's win.