It’s March 1998 which means we’re starting with WCW Uncensored 1998 from March 15 in Mobile, Alabama. This pay-per-view saw Kevin Nash and The Giant square off again, Scott Hall challenge for Sting’s WCW World title, and Hollywood Hogan fighting Randy Savage in a steel cage.
The Best of WCW Uncensored 1998
We kick things off with a really good TV title bout between champion Booker T and Eddie Guerrero. Again, it’s very rare when a Television title match doesn’t deliver on PPV.
I really enjoyed Konnan versus Juventud Guerrera. This was primo Konnan in the U.S as his style kind of changed over the years starting with WCW. You could say he found what worked stateside and stuck with it but he actually had so much more in the bag. Meanwhile, Juvi usually went full-on against whichever opponent in the company.
Jericho versus Malenko was the first actual feud in WCW’s cruiserweight division. There was something to really follow each week with these two and not simply a series of matches between two competitors or two teams.
That’s mostly down to Jericho’s high obnoxious factor. The guy does obnoxious, weaselly heel very well. The match itself was pretty damn good and worth the watch. Actually, I’d say their whole feud is worth the watch.
A triple threat match for the U.S championship? You said that it features Diamond Dallas Page defending against Chris Benoit and Raven? “Yes” to all of the above! This match was better than it looked on paper. These three went at it as if the World title was on the line and it made for a better match than the actual World title match.
To be honest, that is pretty much expected from a WCW pay-per-view in the late 90s. Once you figure out that formula, the overall show is actually damn enjoyable. Anyway, mark this match under “worth the watch” and “time well invested”.
During the first leg of his WCW run, Curt Hennig was putting on some pants-crease-crispy matches. Nothing stands out as amazing but there were a few bangers you wouldn’t be blamed for missing during the original airing.
One match was against Bret Hart. That explains why it was a match that could be missed easily as Hart’s WCW run was no baker’s dozen either.
If the show ended on this match that would’ve been perfectly fine with me.
The Rest
Lex Luger taking on Scott Steiner was a TV Luger match. I’m digging early heel Scott Steiner. That’s one pro for this match but for the most part, it’s skippable. Kevin Nash loses to The Giant by DQ—expected. Honestly, not a bad match. It was just meh when the anticipation was all on the first bout.
Also, this raises a point that it’s hard to really get fans into a returning giant. I was interested to see him back after seeing that Jackknife Powerbomb but for the most part, if it’s a super large wrestler and they return from whatever, their return has to have some extra razzle-dazzle on it.
I actually didn’t mind the main event too much. It wasn’t great or anything but it did tell a story that was working. Savage is being uncontrollable and the new World order works on cohesiveness. With one major star and part of the machine doing whatever, that faction is always on implode warning.
It’s a common story with stables and while the path to that wasn’t executed perfectly here, it was executed decently enough to not throw out the whole story.
To be 100-percent honest, the main event between World champion Sting and Scott Hall should’ve been slightly better than it was, folks. I wasn’t expecting an in-ring display that would blow me away 26 years later and when I first watched it I remember enjoying it. After all, I’m a Stinger at heart.
However, this was mid-at-best. As a continuation of the Sting versus nWo portion of the WCW versus new World order feud, it was a fine chapter or stopover. Another part of the nWo story is the implosion between the former Mega Powers of Hollywood Hogan and The Macho Man.
I’ve seen cage matches that were just long and boring. Hogan’s specialty is the cage and you’d think that even with his decline, Savage would deliver something worth remembering positively. As a whole, the match was meh-at-best.
I can’t say with all seriousness that this was a good match worth catching. I’d say the only reason to not change to another PPV after Hart-Hennig is to follow the rest of the story between these two. It’s definitely a main event storyline and a pivotal part of the whole new World order saga, it just doesn’t cut it as something to end a PPV on.
WCW Uncensored 1998 Verdict: Bronze Medal (2.3/5)
WCW Uncensored 1998 is a case of a few bad and mediocre matches dragging the whole thing down. Actually, it’s another case of this when it comes to WCW pay-per-views. A solid silver medal was hinging on the semi-main event World title bout and the main event being a little more than mediocre since Luger vs. Steiner was a toss-up while The Giant vs. Kevin Nash II just wasn’t going to do it.
I’m giving match of the show honors to the Jericho-Malenko Cruiserweight title showdown with Booker T defending the TV title being a runner-up.
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