31 Days of Vince Russo "Special Matches" in 1999/2000 WCW - #12: Powerbomb Match (Kevin Nash vs. Sid Vicious) at Starrcade 1999 - 12/19/1999
The 12th entry of this 31-day series features Kevin Nash vs. Sid Vicious in a Powerbomb Match at WCW Starrcade 1999 on December 12, 1999.
A clip of the match is also available on the WWE Network here, starting at the 1:15:24 mark.
At Starrcade 1999, Kevin Nash faced Sid Vicious in a powerbomb match as one of the three "main events" of the evening. Dave Meltzer gave this match -1 star. For most of the match, I didn't know why Meltzer gave this match minus-1 star (the match sucked, but not that badly). However, the ending justified Meltzer's match rating.
The rules of this powerbomb match as explained to Tony Schiavone are very simple. The man who gets a powerbomb on the other man first will be the winner of the match. I repeat, The man who gets a powerbomb on the other man first will be the winner of the match.
The rules are simple and easy to understand. The match and Vince Russo's booking on the other hand...not so much.
Before I get into the match itself, here’s some brief context:
Kevin Nash (and Scott Hall) is in the middle of a feud with Sid Vicious. Both Kevin Nash and Sid Vicious have the powerbomb as their finishers; thus, they are referred to the "Masters of the Powerbomb".
This is the same feud that saw the Texas Tornado Ladder Match for the U.S. Title that included Scott Hall and Sid with Nash as the special referee. This match was highlighted by me as Day #2 of the series.
This is also the same feud where Sid Vicious cut a promo on Kevin Nash in which Sid said, "See, I've had enough of you two! See, you've screwed me - you've taken my title - you look like a jackass! See it all stops tonight. See Nash, you can wear any Halloween costume you want to, but you know and I know that you're only half the man that I am - and I have half the brain that you do."
BONUS CONTENT OF THE DAY: Click here for that classic Sid promo, starting at the 4:36 mark.
Now, onto the match itself.
Sid's music starts, and he walks down to the ring. As Sid gets in the ring, Tony Schiavone states the rule of the powerbomb match. "The man who gets a powerbomb on the other man first will be the winner of the match." (Spoiler Alert: It doesn't.) Then, Kevin Nash's music starts, and he gets into the ring.
Kevin Nash and Sid tieup in the middle of the ring. Nash gets Sid into a corner and knees Sid in the chest thrice, then elbows him in the chest thrice. Nash clotheslines Sid to the mat. Kevin Nash then goes for a pinfall (why?), and the ref counts to 2 (why?) before Sid kicks out. As a reminder, the only way to win a powerbomb match is to be the first man to powerbomb his opponent.
Sid then tries to powerbomb Nash, but Nash hits a low blow on Sid. Sid rolls out, and Nash follows. Nash sets up Sid for a powerbomb on the outside, but Sid reverses this with a boot to the chest. At this time, Scott Hudson says you don't have to have a pinfall or a DQ, the powerbomb ends the contest. Schiavone tries to provide cover for Kevin Nash by saying Nash went for the pin out of instinct.
Sid attacks Kevin Nash on the outside in slow motion. Sid grabs a chair, and hits Nash in the back. Sid gets Nash back in the ring, and clotheslines Kevin Nash to the mat. Sid is in control after hitting a big legdrop onto Nash. Sid calls for the powerbomb and tries to get Kevin Nash up. Nash counters with a poke to the eyes.
Nash whips Sid, but Sid reverses the whip. Nash is sent into the corner while a ref bump occurs. The ref is on his hands and knees in the corner. Sid then powerbombs Kevin Nash, but the ref is down and didn't see the powerbomb hit. Sid tries to get the ref up (still on his hands and knees in the corner) when Jeff Jarrett runs in and hits Sid with a guitar. Jarrett gets rid of the evidence and leaves the ring. Sid is out on the mat.
Kevin Nash sets up Sid for the powerbomb, but Nash's back gives out (actually selling Sid's targeting of his back earlier in the match). The ref is still on the hands and knees in the corner. Kevin Nash sets up Sid for the powerbomb a second time, but again, his back gives out. Nash then looks to the referee.
At this point, I feared that Kevin Nash was going to revive the referee and get a pinfall to win the powerbomb match. I was wrong. Vince Russo and WCW actually thought of an even dumber finish.
Kevin Nash picks up the referee, who had been in the corner of his hands and knees for two minutes. TWO MINUTES! Nash tells the referee, "I picked him up, I stuck him." The referee looks at Sid lying motionless on the mat, and raises Kevin Nash's arm as the bell rings to end this match.
Let's add all this up. Referee bump? Check. Run-in interference? Check. Foreign object used? Check. Wrestlers/referees/announcers being unsure of the match rules? Check. A screwed-up illogical finish to a match? Double check. Of course all these items are checked...this is WCW with Vince Russo as the booker.
Before the ending, I thought this was a lousy match, but not one that merited a negative star rating. After the ending, I concur with Meltzer negative star rating, and I knew I had to include this match on my list.
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
Day 5: 8-16-2000 Thunder - Kamloops Street Fight: Gene Okerlund vs Mark Madden
Day 6: 7-9-2000 Bash at the Beach PPV - Graveyard Match: Vampiro vs The Demon
Day 7: 7-9-2000 Bash at the Beach PPV - Wedding Gown Match: Stacy Keibler vs. Daffney
Day 8: 8-13-2000 New Blood Rising PPV - Canadian Rules Match for the US Title: Lance Storm vs Mike Awesome
Day 9: 7-24-2000 Nitro - 4-Way Tag Team Caged Heat Match: Filthy Animals vs MIA vs Perfect Event vs JIndrak/O'Haire
Day 10: 8-28-2000 Nitro - "Prisoner of War" Table Match: Lance Storm vs General Rection
Day 11: 6-5-2000 Nitro - 1-on-12 Gauntlet Match: Kevin Nash vs. 12 members of the New Blood
Posted Dec 13, 2018, 12:27 AM UTC