Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was held in the month of May. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" because many retired legends from Jim Crockett Promotions attended the PPV and other events scheduled for that weekend. The first three Slamborees saw inductions into the WCW Hall of Fame and also included matches with the legends participating. In 2015, all WCW pay-per-views were made available on the WWE Network.
1993
1994
Slamboree 1994 took place on May 22, 1994 from the Philadelphia Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to the pay-per-view portion of the show WCW introduced a group of "Legends" to the crowd: Ole Anderson, Penny Banner, Red Bastien, Tully Blanchard, The Crusher, Don Curtis, Terry Funk, Verne Gagne, Hard Boiled Haggerty, Larry Hennig, Killer Kowalski, Ernie Ladd, Wahoo McDaniel, Angelo Mosca, Harley Race, Ray Stevens, Lou Thesz, Mr. Wrestling II, Tommy Young. Later in the night The Assassin, Ole Anderson, Harley Race, Ernie Ladd, The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser were inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame
Cactus Jack replaced an injured Dave Sullivan in the WCW World Tag Team Championship match. Vader was originally scheduled to wrestle Rick Rude, but Rude had to be replaced by Sting as Rude had suffered a career-ending back injury in Japan, in a match against Sting.
1995
Slamboree 1995 took place on May 21, 1995 from the Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, Florida. Eric Bischoff filled in on commentary for Tony Schiavone at this event, Schiavone took time off to undergo neck surgery. Wahoo McDaniel, Angelo Poffo, Terry Funk, Antonio Inoki, Dusty Rhodes, Gordon Solie and Big John Studd were inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame during the show.
The "Legends match" between Wahoo McDaniel and Dick Murdoch was shown in black and white, during the pay-per-view telecast. For the match Gordon Solie joined on commentary with Bobby Heenan to further the "old school" aspects of the match.
1996
Slamboree 1996 took place on May 19, 1996 from the Riverside Centroplex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Every non-title match was a Lethal Lottery match with wrestlers being randomly paired together, and the winning teams would advance to the Battlebowl battle royal. "Hardwork" Bobby Walker was originally scheduled to compete in the "Lethal Lottery", but was replaced by Diamond Dallas Page due to an injury. At the end of the night Page was crowned "Lord of the Ring" and earned a shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash. The title shot was revoked the next night on WCW Monday Nitro, after footage shown that Page was thrown over the top rope by the Barbarian and one foot touched the floor
1997
Slamboree 1997 took place on May 18, 1997 from the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1998
Slamboree 1998 took place on May 17, 1998 from The Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts and featured a double main event.[2]
The winner of the Cruiserweight battle royal received an immediate WCW Cruiserweight Championship opportunity against champion Chris Jericho. Ciclope and Juventud Guerrera were the last two competitors in the match; the two wrestlers shook hands and Guerrera climbed out over the top rope to give "Ciclope" the victory. Ciclope then unmasked, revealing himself as Dean Malenko. Malenko would later be stripped of the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship two weeks later on Nitro for his actions in the battle royal. Goldberg was originally supposed to wrestle a gauntlet match against each member of The Flock, where if Goldberg lost to any of the Flock members, Raven would regain the United States Championship Goldberg had taken from him. However, that stipulation was changed on the night of the show. Eric Bischoff had made a challenge on the episode of WCW Monday Nitro six days before Slamboree for Vince McMahon to show up and wrestle him. McMahon did not show up and Bischoff ordered the referee to start the match and count to ten, then was awarded the win by countout.
Originally Bret Hart forced Randy Savage to submit with the Sharpshooter, but the following night on Nitro, special guest referee Roddy Piper changed his decision and declared Savage as the winner by disqualification. In the main event, Sting and The Giant defeated The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship when The Giant pinned Nash after Hall hit Nash with one of the WCW World Tag Team Championship belts. After the match, Hall, Dusty Rhodes and The Giant celebrated as Hall and Rhodes then joined nWo Hollywood. When the match was signed, both Sting and Giant were representatives of WCW. However, Giant joined nWo Hollywood shortly before Slamboree. As a result of Giant's defection, Sting no longer desired to be his partner. This led to a singles match at The Great American Bash the next month with control of the titles at stake.
1999
Slamboree 1999 took place on May 9, 1999 from the TWA Dome in St. Louis, Missouri.
Ric Flair originally won his match against Roddy Piper by pinfall, but Eric Bischoff came out and disqualified Flair for hitting Piper with a foreign object. Following the match Piper immediately fired Flair.[3] Sting fought Goldberg to a no contest. The match was declared a no contest after Bret Hart came out and attacked the referee. After the match, the Steiner Brothers came out and attacked both Sting and Goldberg. In the main event Kevin Nash originally pinned Diamond Dallas Page after a Jacknife Powerbomb. Randy Savage interfered in the match to assist Page, assaulting Nash and hitting him with the title belt. Eric Bischoff came to the ring after Savage interfered, ordered Doug Dillinger to escort Savage out of the building, and then told referee Nick Patrick to restart the match as a no disqualification match.
2000
Slamboree 2000 took place on May 7, 2000 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.
The match between Mike Awesome and Chris Kanyon was declared a no contest after Kevin Nash, Billy Kidman, Vampiro, Chris Candido, Shane Douglas, Ric Flair, and Sting all interfered in the match. During the match between The Total Package and Buff Bagwell Elizabeth interfered on Package's behalf with a baseball bat in her hand. After the match, Chuck Palumbo attacked The Total Package and put him in the Torture Rack. Shane Douglas pinned Ric Flair after David Flair, Ric's son, in a Sting disguise hit Ric with a baseball bat. In the main event Jeff Jarrett grabbed the WCW World Heavyweight Championship belt to win the match after David Arquette hit Diamond Dallas Page with a guitar. After the match, Kanyon came out in an attempt to save Page from a Jarrett and Mike Awesome beatdown, only to have Awesome toss Kanyon off the second tier of the cage onto the entrance ramp.
See also
References
- ↑ Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. p. 272. ISBN 0-06-103101-1.
- ↑ Martin, Finn (1998-07-30). "Power Slam Magazine, issue 48". Hall goes Hollywood (Slamboree 1998). SW Publishing. pp. 18–21.
- ↑ "WCW Slamboree". The history of WWE. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
Notes
- ↑ Order of elimination from first eliminated: Damián 666, El Dandy, El Grio, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Marty Jannetty, Billy Kidman, Lenny Lane, Psychosis, Silver King, Super Caló, Johnny Swinger, and Villano IV
