Anytime I’m feeling low and need a pick me up, there’s nothing like 2000 WCW to turn the day around. Even better if it’s something featuring Sid Vicious. While today’s induction honestly doesn’t hold a candle to the lunacy of the time Goldberg turned Sid’s car into a cube, it’s another only in the dying days of the company moment in time that we should all cherish…as it also features one of the last times Hulk Hogan ever stepped foot in the WCW ring.
Set the wayback machine to March 20, 2000, as we are heading to the Nitro following the Uncensored PPV the night prior. And that there was also a humdinger of an event, featuring the legendary YAPAPI STRAP MATCH, one in which Hogan defeated Ric Flair. Right before that, we also go Sid retaining the WCW championship over Jeff Jarrett thanks to Hogan’s help. So Hogan and Sid were on the same page and the fans of course loved that big lug of a title holder – just look at them celebrating outside the arena with him!
Naturally it wouldn’t be WCW 2000 without Jeff Jarrett showing up and running his mouth demanding a title shot…
…nor could such a show take place without “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner making his way to the ring with a couple of skanks. Have to love that he has tape covering his mouth that says “CENSORED” on it which he immediately removes and begins talking. Unlike these two, I will quickly cut to the chase: they want a tag team match tonight with Sid and whoever he wants, and if Jarrett’s team wins, they get a title shot.
Sid gladly accepts and tells them his partner will be none other than the immortal Hulk Hogan! Have to love overjoyed Sid giddily dancing about the ring doing Hogan’s mannerisms like a two year old. One day maybe he’ll even learn to put his hand to his ear!
These two are pals through and through I tells ya! Why look, here comes Hulk interrupting Sid’s press conference and stealing his limelight. For those of you newer to the game, Hogan did that ALL. THE. TIME. I never understood it, because it always painted Hogan as kind of a narcissist. And not in the Lex Luger style. It’s weird because Hogan was always being painted as a master manipulator behind the scene. Rest assured if >>I<< had creative control, I sure wouldn’t book myself to look like a douchebag all the time.
But hey, Sid and Hulk are buddies now! Did I mention that yet? Because if not, Sid is doing his darndest to get that point over! He even catches up with Hulk’s manager, Jimmy Hart, backstage and tells Jimmy that he knows those nogoodniks will be up to, well, no good. With this he pleads with Jimmy to make sure that no one can interfere tonight. Jimmy of course pledges his allegiance to this man who has turned on Hogan at least twice before.
So they get in the ring and the give each other high fives! Well, kinda more a low five. And Hogan completely no sold the second attempt by Sid, who wound up patting thin air like a mentally challenged doberman.
Hogan comes in and is of course a house of fire, no selling Jarrett’s fisticuffs and bouncing Jarrett around like a ping pong ball. I never bought Jarrett as a main eventer, but he could throw a good ol’ fashioned Memphis punch with the best of them.
Sid tags in and the pair keep working like a well-oiled machine, with Hogan lifting his hands into the air triumphantly. What a team these two are!
Jarrett scales the rope and attempts to make a comeback, only to be felled by Sid. This action is so thrilling it causes a dude in the fourth row to hold up a sign that reads, and I quote, “WHO FARTED”. Those WCW fans could make signs with the best of them – I recall my all time favorite was one that had a cut out for where the guy’s head stuck through out adorned with the words “I HAVE HEMMORHOIDS” in giant block letters. It truly was a magical era.
Back to the match and Sid and Hogan continue to lay waste to Jarrett. Heck, I don’t think Steiner’s even got in yet. Who can blame him – would you want to face the HulkaPsychos?
At last Steiner gets in, and Hogan of course makes short work of him. But Sid can’t do the same, and soon enough is taken down to the mat. He crawls over to Hulk who comes right back in and destroys both guys. Of course he does. I mean, I remember one time when he beat down NINE guys at once. So two ain’t no problem for the largest arms in the world, brother!
At this point Sid is just watching on and getting more and more ticked off. And really who can blame him? Hogan is a Mary Sue of the highest order.
So Sid turns on Hogan, grabbing him by the throat and giving him a mighty chokeslam. Now if that would have been it, who cares, no big deal. People turn on Hogan all the time honestly for the exact same reason we’ve seen so far in this induction.
But we all expect more from WCW 2000, right? So then we get Sid PINNING HOGAN FOR A THREE COUNT. He didn’t chokeslam him and Jarrett pinned him. He didn’t clobber Hogan and Steiner got the win. In fact, I am not sure which team actually won this match – Sid pinned Hogan, so that would indicate that Sid and Hogan won, but Hogan was pinned, so that would indicate that Sid and Hogan lost.
God bless you WCW 2000! You are the gift that never stops giving!