Souled Out
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Souled Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January from 1997 through 2000. The 1997 and 1998 WCW Souled Out PPV events were held on Saturdays, and the 1999 and 2000 shows were held on Sundays.
The event was originally conceived in 1997 as an nWo PPV, but did not generate the revenue that WCW had hoped it would, due to a low buy rate and a lack of ticket revenue from hosting the event in such a small facility. The PPV was also created as an nWo event in order to see if there was enough demand to having two PPVs per month (one as a WCW event and the other as an nWo event). Despite the initial poor review, WCW elected to keep the event on its calendar (as prior to 1997 it did not have a regular January PPV event) and Souled Out became a co-branded WCW/nWo event in 1998. This established a practice WCW used throughout 1998, as all of its pay-per-view events that year were co-branded. The co-branding continued until the following Souled Out, when interim WCW President Ric Flair declared that WCW pay-per-views would no longer carry nWo branding.
The final Souled Out event was held in 2000, and WCW renamed its January PPV WCW Sin for 2001. Since its 2001 purchase of WCW, World Wrestling Entertainment has owned the rights to the Souled Out name, but have not used it for a pay-per-view.
Souled Out dates and venues
| Event | Date | City | Venue | Main Event | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Souled Out (1997) | January 25, 1997 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Five Seasons Center | Hollywood Hogan (c) vs. The Giant for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. | [1] |
| Souled Out (1998) | January 24, 1998 | Dayton, Ohio | Hara Arena | Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair Lex Luger vs. Randy Savage. |
[1] |
| Souled Out (1999) | January 17, 1999 | Charleston, West Virginia | Charleston Civic Center | Goldberg vs. Scott Hall in a Ladder Stun Gun match. | [1] |
| Souled Out (2000) | January 16, 2000 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Firstar Center | Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. | [1] |
1997
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The first edition of Souled Out[2] took place on January 25, 1997 from the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The pay-per-view was (kayfabe) presented by the nWo and the official title of the event was nWo Souled Out. The event was displayed with an "nWo dictatorship feel," and featured an nWo-themed stage and wrestling ring, a "mystery voice" that called wrestlers "losers" and other insults instead of their ring introductions as well as anti-WCW propaganda. The mystery voice would also say, "loser" if a WCW wrestler appeared to be "hurt". Stable members Eric Bischoff and Ted DiBiase provided play-by-play and analysis. The nWo's official referee, Nick Patrick, officiated all of the matches, and gave slow counts to WCW wrestlers and fast counts to nWo wrestlers. None of the WCW wrestlers had their theme music played, nor did they receive on-screen graphics during their entrances. The event also featured a "Miss nWo" contest. Fan reaction to the event was generally negative.
Scott Norton won his match after Buff Bagwell, Big Bubba Rogers, Vincent, and Mr. Wallstreet came to the ring to try to recruit Page to join the nWo. Diamond Dallas Page initially accepted, but then hit Norton with a Diamond Cutter and fled the ring, tearing off his nWo t-shirt in the process. WCW referee Randy Anderson counted the fall in the WCW World Tag Team Championship match instead of Nick Patrick, who was knocked out during the course of the match.. On Nitro two nights later, Eric Bischoff reversed the decision and fired Anderson for his actions. The belts were returned to Scott Hall and Kevin Nash as a result. Eddy Guerrero hit Syxx in the head with the title belt after both wrestlers had unhooked it simultaneously; Syxx fell and let go of the belt, giving Guerrero the victory. The nWo had been in physical possession of the belt since it was stolen from then-champion Ric Flair in the fall of 1996 and claimed by The Giant as his own. Flair was forced to vacate the title due to injuries sustained in the attack where the nWo stole the belt and a tournament was conducted to crown a new champion. After Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page in the tournament final at Starrcade, Syxx and The Outsiders beat him up and Syxx stole the belt again.[3] The Giant appeared to have won the main event against Hollywood Hogan, but nWo referee Nick Patrick refused to make the 3-count. The match soon ended when the entire nWo came out and attacked The Giant.
| No. | Results[1] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masahiro Chono (nWo) defeated Chris Jericho (WCW) | Singles match | 11:08 |
| 2 | Big Bubba Rogers (nWo) defeated Hugh Morrus (WCW) (with Jimmy Hart) in a Mexican Death match | Singles match | 09:03 |
| 3 | Jeff Jarrett (WCW) defeated Mr. Wallstreet (nWo) | Singles match | 09:22 |
| 4 | Buff Bagwell (nWo) defeated Scotty Riggs (WCW) | Singles match | 13:51 |
| 5 | Scott Norton (nWo) defeated Diamond Dallas Page (WCW) by count-out | Singles match | 09:39 |
| 6 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) (WCW) defeated The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) (c)(nWo) | Tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. | 14:43 |
| 7 | Eddy Guerrero (c) (WCW) defeated Syxx (nWo) | Ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship[2] | 13:48 |
| 8 | Hollywood Hogan (c) (nWo) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no-contest | Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship | 10:52 |
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1998
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Souled Out 1998 took place on January 24, 1998 from the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio and featured a double main event.[1]
1999
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Souled Out 1999 took place on January 17, 1999 from the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia.[1]
| No. | Results[1] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Benoit defeated Mike Enos | Singles match | 10:34 |
| 2 | Norman Smiley defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. | Singles match | 15:44 |
| 3 | Fit Finlay defeated Van Hammer | Singles match | 07:54 |
| 4 | Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Wrath | Singles match | 09:23 |
| 5 | Lex Luger defeated Konnan | Singles match | 09:31 |
| 6 | Chris Jericho (with Ralphus) defeated Perry Saturn | "Wager match" (If Jericho lost, he would leave WCW for 90 days; if Saturn lost, he would be forced to wear a dress.) | 11:44 |
| 7 | Billy Kidman (c) defeated Rey Misterio Jr., Juventud Guerrera and Psychosis | Fatal Four-Way match for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship | 14:24 |
| 8 | Ric Flair and David Flair (with Arn Anderson) defeated Barry Windham and Curt Hennig | Tag team match | 13:56 |
| 9 | Goldberg defeated Scott Hall | Ladder Stun Gun match | 17:47 |
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2000
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Souled Out 2000 took place on January 16, 2000 from the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1]
The originally scheduled card was heavily changed, due to the serious injuries of Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett.[1] Hart, who was scheduled to wrestle Sid Vicious, suffered a severe concussion at Starrcade, which forced him to vacate the WCW World Heavyweight title, and eventually retire nine months later. Jarrett, who was scheduled to wrestle Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Theater series (Dungeon Rules, Bunkhouse, Caged Heat), suffered lingering headaches from Benoit's diving headbutt off the top of the steel cage on the January 10 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, which forced him to vacate the WCW United States Heavyweight title. Benoit was instead moved to take Hart's place against Vicious and the Triple Threat Theater series was contested between Billy Kidman and three separate wrestlers. Kidman won the first match because Dean Malenko forgot that the match rules stated that a wrestler could win by having his opponent's feet touch the floor; Malenko had rolled out of the ring to collect himself in the early stages of the match, thus losing the match per the rules.[1] The second match of the show was originally scheduled to be a WCW World Tag Team title match between Flair & Crowbar and Vampiro & a partner of his choosing; when Flair and Crowbar jumped Vampiro during a backstage interview, Vampiro wanted to take them on himself.[1]
| No. | Results[1] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Kidman defeated Dean Malenko (with Shane Douglas) | "Triple Threat Theater" match 1: Catch-as-Catch Can match | 02:36 |
| 2 | Vampiro defeated David Flair and Crowbar (with Daffney) | handicap match | 10:32 |
| 3 | Big Vito and Johnny the Bull (with Disco Inferno) defeated The Harris Brothers (Ron and Don) | Tag team match | 09:33 |
| 4 | Oklahoma defeated Madusa (c) (with Spice) | Singles match for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship | 02:56 |
| 5 | Brian Knobs (c) defeated Fit Finlay, Norman Smiley and Meng | Fatal Four-Way match for the WCW Hardcore Championship | 06:11 |
| 6 | Billy Kidman defeated Perry Saturn (with Shane Douglas) | "Triple Threat Theater" match 2: Bunkhouse match | 10:05 |
| 7 | Booker T (with Midnight) defeated Stevie Ray by disqualification | Singles match | 06:30 |
| 8 | Tank Abbott defeated Jerry Flynn | Singles match | 01:39 |
| 9 | Buff Bagwell defeated Diamond Dallas Page | Last Man Standing match | 11:19 |
| 10 | The Wall (with Shane Douglas) defeated Billy Kidman | "Triple Threat Theater" match 3: Caged Heat match | 05:03 |
| 11 | Kevin Nash defeated Terry Funk | Hardcore match, WCW Commissioner role vs. The nWo disbanding | 07:59 |
| 12 | Chris Benoit defeated Sid Vicious | Singles match for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Arn Anderson as special guest referee | 14:53 |
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See also
References
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