31 Days of Vince Russo "Special Matches" in 1999/2000 WCW - #5: Kamloops Street Fight (Gene Okerlund vs Mark Madden) from the August 16, 2000 edition of WCW Thunder
The fifth entry features “Mean” Gene Okerlund taking on Mark Madden in the Kamloops Street Fight from the August 16, 2000 episode of WCW Thunder.
The link to the video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw8xYjYVWcs. As far as I know, this episode is not on the WWE Network yet.
I apologize in advance for the match you are about to witness.
This is a street fight with standard street fight rules. The only ways to win this match are by pinfall or submission. No DQs, no countouts, anything goes. There are no other special stipulations in this street fight match. The main unique quality of this match are the two combatants.
Who would think that a match involving a 57-year-old announcer who had only wrestled twice in his career and a 39-year-old color commentator whose in-ring debut was seven days prior was a good match to air on television? Enter Vince Russo.
Gene Okerlund was (and still is) the best backstage interviewer in pro wrestling history but had only wrestled twice before this match. Once in 1984 teaming with Hulk Hogan against George Steele and Mr. Fuji, and once with Buff Bagwell against Kanyon and Mark Madden (believe it or not, as part of the buildup to the Judy Bagwell on a Forklift Match).
Mark Madden debuted with WCW earlier in 2000 as Bobby Heenan’s replacement in Nitro. My Mom always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, then don’t say anything at all.
Before I get into the match itself, here’s some context:
On an episode of Nitro in July/August 2000, Positively Kanyon hits Gene Okerlund with a Kanyon Cutter backstage. This is during the buildup of the Judy Bagwell on a Pole/Forklift Match between Buff Bagwell and Kanyon at the New Blood Rising PPV in August 2000.
On the 8/8/2000 episode of Thunder, Buff Bagwell teamed up with Gene Okerlund to face Kanyon and a mystery opponent. The mystery opponent was Mark Madden in his first ever wrestling match. Long story short, Buff and Gene win the match.
Afterwards, Mark Madden wants a one-on-one match against Gene Okerlund. The match occurs on the August 15, 2000 episode of WCW Thunder.
Now, onto the match itself.
Mark Madden comes out to the ring in an oversized Pittsburgh Steelers jersey which is somehow still too snug for Madden. Madden steals Scott Hall’s gimmick and flicks a toothpick at the camera while Tony Schiavone calls this the “Match of the Millennium”. Madden gets in the ring and cuts a promo on Gene Okerlund.
Gene Okerlund then comes to the ring in Kamloops Blazers gear (Thunder is in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada). The announcers aren’t taking this match seriously, because they have brains. Before the match starts, Gene is trying to start a pose-down with Mark Madden including Madden taking the Steelers jersey off. Madden then lifts his shirt partly up to expose his stomach.
The match finally starts. When Madden has Gene down and applies a choke hold/nerve hold, the referee starts a 5-count several times…in a street fight…where anything goes. Norman Smiley runs down to the ring and climbs to the apron. Carl Oulette attacks Norman Smiley at ringside. Big Vito then comes down and attacks Oulette at ringside until Oulette decides to walk back to the locker room.
While Madden sets up Okerlund for the Madden Bomb (a crappy version of the Vader Bomb), WCW interviewer Pamela Paulshock runs down to the ring. Big Vito and Norman Smiley stay outside the ring as a heavily obese man is about to splash onto a nearly 60-year-old man, but Pamela saves the day when she gets in the ring, rolls Gene out of harm’s way and delivers a low-blow to Mark Madden.
Gene then just pins Mark Madden for the 1-2-3 in just under three minutes of match time. Big Vito and Norman Smiley (who did nothing to save Gene) and Pamela Paulshock (who saved Gene Okerlund’s butt) get in the ring and celebrate with Gene Okerlund.
Previous entries:
Day 1: 11-15-1999 Nitro - House of Pain Match: Saturn/Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero/Konnan
Day 2: 11-8-1999 Nitro - Texas Tornado Ladder Match for the U.S. Title: Bret Hart vs Goldberg vs Scott Hall vs Sid Vicious
Day 3: 1-16-2000 Souled Out PPV - Catch-As-Catch-Can Match: Billy KIdman vs Dean Malenko
Day 4: 10-2-2000 Nitro - Tag Team Ladder Match for Disqo Duck: Rey Mysterio, Jr/Konnan vs Disqo/Alex Wright
Posted Dec 5, 2018, 11:34 PM UTC