The Rebirth of WCW 1998 Vol. 1
Souled Out ’98
Saturday, January 24, 1998
United Center — Chicago, Illinois
WCW Preview
The New World Order is finished.
Sting begins WCW’s rebirth as World Heavyweight Champion, but Scott Hall still possesses the opportunity he earned at World War 3.
Hall is no longer protected by a faction. At Souled Out, he intends to prove that he never needed one.
Elsewhere, Bret Hart makes his WCW in-ring debut against Randy Savage, Kevin Nash finally faces The Giant, and DDP challenges Curt Hennig inside a steel cage.
Every WCW championship will be defended.
Champions
WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Sting
WCW United States Champion: Curt Hennig
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Steiner Brothers
WCW World Television Champion: Konnan
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Eddie Guerrero
The Build
The Outsider’s Final Claim
The Nitro following Starrcade opens with WCW celebrating its victory.
Scott Hall appears in the stands carrying his World War 3 contract.
«“Sting! Sting! The conquering hero.
“The revolution is over, and now we go back to WCW—good ol’ Southern wrasslin’.
“I think not.
“We changed this business forever. At Souled Out, I rise above everyone who came before me.
“The Bad Guy became the Outsider.
“Now the Outsider becomes the champion.”»
Hall raises the contract. Sting raises the World Heavyweight Championship.
Hall later recruits Raven as a temporary partner against Sting and Lex Luger. Raven strikes Luger with a chair, causing the disqualification. Sting drives Raven away, but Hall delivers the Outsider’s Edge to Luger before escaping.
Luger retaliates by defeating Scotty Riggs. The Flock surrounds the ring, allowing Raven to attack from behind and deliver the Evenflow DDT.
«“You spent eighteen months fighting nWo because WCW told you they were the enemy. Now the war is over and you have nothing left to fight for. You wanted to punish the nWo. Instead, you stepped into my world.”»
Luger challenges Raven to face him at Souled Out.
Sting defends the championship against Curt Hennig. Rick Rude is caught attempting to interfere and removed. Sting retains with the Scorpion Death Drop.
Hall watches from the stage and raises his contract.
Page’s Final Opportunity
Hennig retained the United States Championship at Starrcade after Rude delivered the Rude Awakening while the referee was unconscious.
J.J. Dillon refuses to reverse the result but grants Page one final opportunity.
DDP proposes a steel cage.
«“Lock the door. Keep Rude outside and Hennig inside.”»
On the final Nitro, Dillon books Hall and Hennig against Sting and DDP. Both men enter separately and pursue their own opponents.
Hall and Sting fight into the aisle. Page catches Hennig with the Diamond Cutter, but Rude attacks DDP.
Ric Flair returns for the first time since Hennig and Rude targeted his injured ankle. Flair drives them from the ring.
«“At Souled Out, it won’t be two-on-one. There won’t be any Rude Awakening for me. There will only be you, me and four walls of steel. That means there’s a Diamond Cutter coming for you. Bang!”»
Hart and Savage
Bret Hart says he has not come to lead another invasion. He has come to wrestle against the world’s greatest competitors.
Randy Savage interrupts.
«“You call yourself the best there is, the best there was. In WCW, you don’t get to just say it. You have to prove it, Hitman.”»
Savage challenges Hart to make his WCW in-ring debut against him.
«“Everybody’s been talking about the screwjob. But after one match with the Macho Man, Bret Hart, you won’t have been screwed over. You’ll just be screwed. Oh, yeah!”»
Nash and The Giant
Kevin Nash returns but keeps his distance from Hall. Both men are pursuing separate careers after the nWo’s dissolution.
Nash says a medical issue prevented him from facing The Giant at Starrcade.
«“You didn’t beat the biggest man in wrestling. You beat the man who answered the phone.”»
Nash attacks The Giant’s knee and promises to lift him into the Jackknife Powerbomb.
The Championships
Booker T earns a Television Championship opportunity through consecutive victories. Konnan, now competing independently, dismisses him as a tag-team wrestler beginning a singles career.
The Faces of Fear defeat Public Enemy to earn a World Tag Team Championship match. Jimmy Hart calls Meng and The Barbarian a two-man army.
Rey Mysterio Jr. reminds Eddie Guerrero that he defeated him for the Cruiserweight Championship at Halloween Havoc. Eddie says Rey produced one perfect performance before losing the championship back to him. At Souled Out, he intends to prove which victory represented the truth.
Goldberg follows his destruction of Vincent with several decisive victories. Steve McMichael challenges the undefeated newcomer to face an established WCW athlete.
Souled Out ’98
Venue: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 18,000
PPV buyrate: 1.35
Estimated buys: approximately 500,000
Goldberg vs Steve McMichael
The bell rings as McMichael attacks Goldberg with heavy forearms.
Mongo sends him into the ropes.
Goldberg rebounds.
Spear.
Jackhammer.
One.
Two.
Three.
Goldberg defeats Steve McMichael — 0:48
Goldberg demolishes his first established WCW opponent.
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Rey Mysterio Jr.
Rey frustrates Eddie with speed and movement.
Springboard arm drag.
Headscissors.
Plancha.
Eddie catches Rey returning to the ring and slows him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and abdominal stretch.
Rey escapes.
Springboard dropkick.
Split-legged moonsault.
One.
Two.
No!
Eddie attempts a powerbomb, but Rey counters with a hurricanrana.
One.
Two.
No!
Rey climbs onto the apron and launches himself from the top rope for another hurricanrana.
Eddie catches him across his shoulders.
Powerbomb.
One.
Two.
No!
Eddie immediately pulls Rey upright.
Brainbuster.
Frog Splash.
One.
Two.
Three.
Eddie Guerrero defeats Rey Mysterio Jr. — 15:12
Eddie retains after surviving another exceptional performance from Mysterio.
WCW World Television Championship
Konnan (c) vs Booker T
Konnan displays his lucha background before cutting Booker off with a rolling lariat.
Booker fights back with strikes, slams and a spinebuster.
Booker attempts a missile dropkick.
Konnan moves.
Cradle DDT.
One.
Two.
No!
Tequila Sunrise.
Booker reaches the ropes.
Konnan charges into the corner, but Booker moves.
Konnan strikes the turnbuckles.
Harlem Sidekick.
Axe Kick.
One.
Two.
Three.
Booker T defeats Konnan to win the World Television Championship — 12:24
Booker captures his first singles championship in WCW.
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The Steiner Brothers (c) vs The Faces of Fear
The Steiners dominate The Barbarian until Meng enters and cuts Rick off with a thrust kick.
The Faces of Fear isolate Rick and batter him with strikes and double-team attacks.
Hot tag.
Scott levels both challengers with a double clothesline.
Belly-to-belly suplex on The Barbarian.
Another on Meng.
Tiger Bomb on The Barbarian.
Meng catches Scott in the Tongan Death Grip. Rick breaks the hold and all four men brawl.
Rick and Meng spill outside.
Frankensteiner on The Barbarian.
One.
Two.
Three.
The Steiner Brothers defeat The Faces of Fear — 13:42
Lex Luger vs Raven
Luger establishes his strength early before Raven raises his boot during a corner charge.
Raven takes control while members of the Flock strike Luger whenever the referee is distracted.
Raven attempts the Evenflow.
Back-body drop.
Raven collides with the referee.
Riggs and Saturn enter. Luger clotheslines both men before catching Kidman with a military press slam.
Luger traps Raven in the Torture Rack.
Sick Boy clips his knee.
The referee sees the attack and calls for the bell.
Evenflow DDT.
Lex Luger defeats Raven by disqualification — 11:36
Raven sacrifices the decision to leave Souled Out standing over the winner.
Steel Cage Match
WCW United States Championship
Curt Hennig (c) vs Diamond Dallas Page
Before DDP enters the cage, Rick Rude emerges from the crowd and attacks him.
Rude drives the cage door into Page’s head and rolls him inside, already bleeding heavily. He disappears before officials reach him.
Page refuses medical assistance and demands that the door be locked.
Hennig grinds Page’s face against the steel and dominates for several minutes.
DDP eventually fights back.
Hennig lowers his head for a back-body drop.
Kick to the face.
Kick to the stomach.
Sit-out powerbomb.
One.
Two.
No!
Both men exchange near falls.
Hennig hooks the Hennig-Plex.
Page breaks the grip, spins Hennig out by the wrist and pulls him back.
Diamond Cutter.
One.
Two.
Three.
Diamond Dallas Page defeats Curt Hennig to win the United States Championship — 16:38
Bloodied but victorious, Page raises the championship.
The cage opens and DDP slowly makes his way up the ramp.
Ric Flair emerges to meet him.
Flair embraces the new champion and raises his arm as Page holds the United States Championship above his head.
Kevin Nash vs The Giant
The Giant wins the opening exchange and clotheslines Nash outside.
He drives Nash into one guardrail and whips him into another. Nash catches the advancing Giant with a drop-toe hold into the steel steps.
Back inside, Nash controls until he fails to lift The Giant for a sidewalk slam.
Big boot.
Scoop slam.
Missile dropkick.
One.
Two.
No!
The Giant grabs Nash by the throat. Nash pulls the referee between them, forcing The Giant to release him.
Low blow.
Jackknife Powerbomb.
The ring shakes beneath the impact.
One.
Two.
Three.
Kevin Nash defeats The Giant — 12:08
Nash has done what he promised and powerbombed the largest athlete in WCW.
Bret Hart vs Randy Savage
Bret Hart’s WCW In-Ring Debut
Hart frustrates Savage with takedowns, counters and technical precision.
Savage answers with right hands and clotheslines. Hart regains control with a backbreaker, Russian legsweep and precisely placed elbow drops.
Hart dives from the middle rope.
Savage raises his boot.
Savage attacks Hart’s neck and lower back before connecting with a diving double axe handle.
He attempts the diving elbow, but Hart moves.
Backbreaker.
Russian legsweep.
Middle-rope elbow.
Each earns two.
Hart attempts the Sharpshooter, but Elizabeth climbs onto the apron.
Savage rolls him up.
One.
Two.
No!
Piledriver.
One.
Two.
No!
Scoop slam.
Diving elbow smash.
One.
Two.
No!
Savage climbs again.
Hart cuts him off.
Superplex.
Sharpshooter.
Savage submits.
Bret Hart defeats Randy Savage — 22:18
Hart wins his first WCW match without controversy.
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Sting (c) vs Scott Hall
Sting overwhelms Hall early. Hall repeatedly retreats, but Sting follows him outside with a dive over the ropes.
Hall returns to the ring first and attacks Sting as he follows.
Chokeslam.
One.
Two.
No!
Fallaway slam.
Sting rises immediately and beats his chest.
Hall freezes.
Right hands.
Leaping DDT.
Clotheslines.
Hip toss.
Spinebuster.
Running splash.
One.
Two.
No!
Sting dives from the top rope, but Hall punches him in the stomach.
Outsider’s Edge attempt.
Sting counters with a back-body drop.
Stinger Splash.
Scorpion Death Drop.
One.
Two.
Three.
Sting defeats Scott Hall — 18:36
There is no interference and no disputed decision.
Hall receives the opportunity he earned. Sting defeats him in the centre of the ring.
The nWo is gone.
Sting stands alone and raises the World Heavyweight Championship as Souled Out ends.
