31 Days of Vince Russo "Special Matches" in 1999/2000 WCW - #15: 2-on-1 Handicap "I Quit" Match with a Special Guest Referee (Roddy Piper vs Creative Control) from the 12/13/1999 Nitro episode
The 15th entry of this 31-day series features "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs Creative Control in an "I Quit" Match with a special guest referee on the 12/13/1999 Nitro episode.
A clip of the match is also available on the WWE Network here, starting at the 1:01:44 mark.
On the 12/13/1999 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, a 2-on-1 Handicap "I Quit" Match was scheduled by the Powers That Be (an off-camera Vince Russo). "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would face Creative Control, the WCW World Tag Team Champions. The two men who made up Creative Control were named Gerald and Patrick (ribs by Vince Russo on Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson - Vince McMahon's "Stooges" in the WWF at the time). Gerald and Patrick would go on to be the Harris Brothers, Ron and Don, the following year in WCW.
A special guest referee was added to this match. The Powers That Be named..."Rowdy" Roddy Piper as the special guest referee. Yes, you read that right. One of the participants in the match is the referee of the match.
Before I get into the match itself, here’s some much needed context:
In late 1999, the big storyline in WCW was the Powers That Be (Vince Russo) trying to phase out the older wrestlers in WCW (looks like the test version of The New Blood vs The Millionaire's Club feud). As part of this storyline, Ric Flair was left for dead in the desert outside Las Vegas, Hacksaw Jim Duggan became a janitor, and Roddy Piper became a referee on Nitro.
Roddy Piper cut a promo on "the writers" two weeks before this match on Nitro, saying that they write about T&A and sex because they can't get any (admittedly funny). Piper's mic was cut, and he went backstage to confront Russo. Russo told Piper he had a contract, and he would sue Piper if Piper didn't show up to be a referee.
The following week, Piper got Creative Control involved in a mud match Piper was the referee in. Later in the show, Piper covered Goldberg and protected him from a Kevin Nash attack while Piper was the referee of the main event.
Now, onto the match itself.
Piper's music hits, and he comes down to the ring. Creative Control, the reigning WCW World Tag Team Champions, come down to the ring as their music plays. Piper gets on the mic, and tells Gerald and Patrick to get in the ring.
Piper says the Powers That Be told him he was the referee of the match. Until the bell rings, Gerald and Patrick have to do what Piper says Piper says he will pat them down and check for foreign objects. The first guy gets patted down by Piper in such a way that Piper would win TSA Employee of the Month. Piper tells the second guy to come over to get patted down. The second guy is hesitant, but finally walks over to Piper after Piper threatens to disqualify the team. Piper then pats down the second man in such a way that Piper would win TSA Employee of the Year. Piper gets on the mic, and says he's "having a ball."
Roddy Piper says the match is very simple. This is an "I Quit" Match. The first rule is the only way you can win the match is to get the other man to say "I quit." The second rule is there is no rule, as Piper kicks one of the guys in the testicles. While Piper and the first guy start to grapple, the bell never rings. Technically, Piper could still order the team to do anything, but this is probably just a mistake due to WCW Production.
Piper is fighting with the first guy. The second guy is back in the ring, standing up, and trying to hit Piper...13 seconds after getting kicked hard in the testicles by Piper. The crowd is chanting "Roddy" at this time. Eventually, the 2-on-1 advantage by Creative Control is too much for Roddy Piper. One of the twins gets a chair from ringside and comes back to the ring. He lies the chair down in one of the ring corners. The team sets Piper up for a piledriver onto the chair.
Suddenly, Bill Goldberg comes running down the entrance ramp and into the ring. The crowd stands to their feet, since Goldberg is still a big name in WCW at this time (Russo had not ruined him yet). Goldberg spears one of the guys while Piper delivers a back bodydrop to the other. The camera catches someone on the WCW Production Team handing Piper a strap to use on one of the guys on Creative Control. (Way to go, WCW Production.) Goldberg botches a jackhammer on one of the guys (hello Maffew) while Piper begins choking out the other member of the tag team. The crowd is chanting "Goldberg", as the guy Piper is chocking says "I quit".
The bells rings after a couple of minutes with Piper as the winner. Piper's music hits. Goldberg leaves the ring, but Piper yells and points at Goldberg. Piper leaves the ring and gets nose-to-nose with Goldberg. Piper raises Goldberg's hand. Goldberg says "now we are even", a callback to Piper saving Goldberg the previous week.
The show then cuts to Lash LeRoux and Disco Inferno preparing to tar and feather Tony Marinara of The Mamalukes.
The WCW World Tag Team Champions were made to look weak and foolish, thus tarnishing the championships. The match was a bit rushed and very brief. There is the illogical nature of an active participant of a match being the referee of the match. They all being said, this was not the worst match I have reviewed so far. I liked Piper's comedy. The crowd seemed to enjoy parts of it. And, it was nice to see Bil Goldberg still get a massive reaction when he came down to the ring.
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
Day 12: 12-19-2000 Starrcade PPV - Powerbomb Match: Kevin Nash vs Sid Vicious
Day 13: 12-19-2000 Starrcade PPV - Crowbar on a Pole Match: DDP vs David Flair
Day 14: 8-13-2000 New Blood Rising PPV - Mud ROTC Match: Major Gunns vs Miss Hancock
Posted Dec 16, 2018, 12:41 AM UTC