This Day in Wrestling - Last WCW PPV [March 18, 2001]

WCW held its “Greed” pay-per-view event at the Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida. Greed would be the final pay-per-view event from the company, as it was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation later that week. The next WCW pay-per-view event was scheduled (and was even advertised in the final issue of WCW Magazine) for May 6, and entitled “The Big Bang”, billed as “the creation of the new WCW”, most likely after Eric Bischoff’s intended purchase of WCW from AOL-Time Warner, along with investment group Fusient Media Ventures. Greed got a 0.1 buyrate, and its results were:
- Jason Jett pinned Kwee Wee after a Crash Landing.
- Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper defeated Billy Kidman and Rey Misterio, Jr., when Romeo pinned Misterio after a Last Kiss, to become the first WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions.
- Shawn Stasiak (with Stacy Keibler) pinned Bam Bam Bigelow after a Hangman’s Neckbreaker.
- Team Canada (Mike Awesome and Lance Storm) defeated Konnan and Hugh Morrus, when Awesome pinned Morrus after a Awesome Bomb.
- Shane Helms pinned WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, Jr. after a Vertebreaker to win the title, ending Guerrero’s second reign.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Natural Born Thrillers (Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo) defeated Totally Buff (Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger) to retain the title. O’Haire pinned Luger after a Jungle Kick from Palumbo and Palumbo pinned Bagwell after a Seanton Bomb from O’Haire.
- Ernest Miller (with Ms. Jones) pinned Kanyon after a Roundhouse kick.
- Booker T pinned WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Rick Steiner after a Book End to win the title.
- Dusty and Dustin Rhodes defeated Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett, when Dustin pinned Flair with a roll-up. The match stipulation was that the loser of the fall would have to kiss the butt of the winner of the fall. Although Dustin pinned Flair, Jarrett ended up kissing Dusty’s.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner (with Midajah) defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Falls Count Anywhere match, when Page passed out while in the Steiner Recliner, to retain the title.

Former WCW Wrestler Rips John Cena & Randy Orton

Former WCW Wrestler Scotty Riggs was recently interviewed. Here are some highlights: 

John Cena: "Every single match is the same, and it is sickening. Five simple moves every match. When it is time for Cena's comeback it is the same moves, boom, boom, boom. That does not suspend any disbelief. That is what wrestlers are supposed to do, have the craft to anywhere in the match a finish can come up. 

"Cena has mixed himself with the Super Cena thing, which is what Vince McMahon has a hard on for, he is a good guy that is so good that it is sickening. That is why so many people don't like him. Cena is WWE's cash cow. When I am watching Cena I feel like I am watching a TV commercial. Everything he is doing, he is selling cereal, he is selling t-shirts, he is selling something in everything he does." 

Randy Orton: "Randy Orton just can't seem to find something that fits. He's got all the tools in the world, and every opportunity, but he is not allowed to be himself." 

The difference between WWE and WCW: "WWE is a TV show about wrestling, WCW in their prime was a TV show that had happened to have wrestling on it." 

WWE Network: "I'm one of those guys that I rarely ever watch my old matches. The only thing I think would be really good about WWE Network is finding stuff that fans don't know that used to be wrestling like is different than what WWE is giving them now. If WWE gives them what USWA used to be, what World Class used to be, what Florida Championship Wrestling was, if what wrestling really was in the '70s, '80s, I think it would be good because it will teach fans what wrestling was. It could hurt them (WWE) because fans can say I like 'wrestling' not 'sports entertainment' stuff." 

Hulk Hogan returning to WWE: "Hulk Hogan, even at his age, still has the 'It Factor'. The crowd loves the nostalgia that he brings. It's the same old thing, over and over again, but the fans still dig that. It still captures their childhood imagination." 

Recently catching up with Dennis Rodman: "He is the most personable, charming person you will ever meet. When Dennis Rodman walked in to the bar, he said 'Riggs, I didn't know you had a beard.' For him to remember me was a really cool moment. It was a really good time." 

Perry Saturn: "Perry Saturn is the only guy I know who is a Ranger that has had 103 successful jumps out of a perfectly good airplane and wear a dress in the ring." 

Almost signing with WWF instead of WCW: "I was being groomed as a protege of Lex Luger in the WWF. Little did we know that on the first Nitro Luger has crossed over to WCW, if I had listened to Jerry Lawler and stayed on as Lex's protege, Lex wouldn't have been there anyway. I would have been lost." 

The American Males theme song: "The great thing about that song is, the song as wacky as it is, it still stands alone today. Fans still remember that song."

Big Van Vader defeats Sting to become WCW World Heavyweight Champion - March 17, 1993

21 years ago on this day, Big Van Vader defeated Sting to win his 3rd WCW World Heavyweight Championship. In subsequent weeks, Vader successfully defended the title against Davey Boy Smith, Sting, and Dustin Rhodes. He went on to hold the title for 285 days before losing it to Ric Flair.

Dean Malenko captures the WCW US Title on March 16, 1997

On this date 17 years ago on WCW Uncensored, Dean Malenko defeated Eddie Guerrero to win the WCW United States Title when Syxx came to ringside to try and steal the U.S. Title belt, distracting Guerrero, who had Malenko in a Texas Cloverleaf. Malenko picked up Syxx’ video camera and hit Guerrero with it for the pin.