It’s time once again for a homework assignment from the At Odds with Wrestling podcast. Every week that there is not a pay per view to discuss, Adam and Joe assign a past wrestling event for discussion. This is an Adam week, which means we’re in for some pain. Pain in the form of WCW booking. Pain that comes in threes. Pain from the three level cage. It is the infamous Doomsday Cage match pitting the Alliance to End Hulkamania (where was that t-shirt?) against the Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Let’s get into the action. 

Dusty Rhodes, Tony Schiavonne, and Bobby “the Brain” Heenan tell us all about tonight’s card. The graphics department messed up, or the announcers played musical chairs. Either way, a great start to the night. 

Eddie Guerrero vs Konnan (US champion). 

I loved this version of Konnan. Mexican superhero style, not consumed in his own hype yet. I’m also shocked this is the only title match on the show. This match is good but it takes a while for the wrestlers and the crowd getting on the same page. It seems like Konnan and Eddie started off wrestling one style of match and then listened to the crowd and changed it up. Not that either half of the match was bad. I was enjoying what they were doing and when the action changed it flowed naturally out of the first half of the match. This is a hidden gem of a match on this card. The announcers aren’t doing a good job of calling this new to them style. Where’s Mike Tenay? Lots of great near falls until the end which I watched multiple times and I’m still not sure what happened. This really seemed like an accidental headbutt to the groin as Konnan ran into Eddie. But then the pin happens right away and Eddie is upset. I assumed it was an unplanned ending due to Eddie being hurt and both men wished they could have done better. As the evening continues though, I think this is the first of many bad endings. 

Mean Gene is in the locker room hyping up the 1-900 number. Col. Robert Parker comes in for a promo interview, along with Dick Slater. Parker talks way too much about his Dick and I should have seen this coming, because it is exactly how I would have written it. Gene is losing it here, trying to hold in his laughter and amusement. Parker crows, “I’m the rooster!” He certainly is cock of the walk. 

Lord Steven Regal (with Jeeves) vs the Belfast Bruiser (AKA Fit Finlay) in a Grudge Match. 

I remember hating the Bruiser because this look is terrible. So bad that I ignored the talent and probably ignored lots of his matches. Then he lands a huge hit to Regal to start the match and my attention is fully grabbed. What was I enjoying in wrestling instead of this? This match is so physical, so brutal, so violent without blood (well, for most of it) and without weapons (well, mostly). For those that love Pete Dunne’s style, watch this match. Regal surprises the hell out of me with arguably the best dropkick of the night. I love when Bobby reacts to a move he really loves. It’s rare but when he is impressed it means something. The announcers discussing Finlay’s gluteus maximus is the on-purpose funniest part of the night. The fight goes down to the cage and this is enough to send out the Blue Bloods to fight Finlay. The referee calls the match as Finlay chases after them. 

Mean Gene interviews Jimmy Hart and the Giant. The announcers talk. Then Mean Gene hypes the hotline and interviews Loch Ness. There are a lot of interviews and cuts to the announcers. What was being done ringside in between? Were there travel issues? Were some people late to the arena? Is the locker room that far away? Was the ring apron being changed? 

Col. Robert Parker vs Madusa in a Man vs Woman match. 

Madusa deserves so much better. “He locked up with her!” Madusa with the airplane spin. Gets a two count. Slams Parker. She’s so good and never got the credit or attention she deserves. Parker attempts to leave and Dick Slater meets him in the aisle. Parker comes back with more confidence and tosses Madusa around a bit. Madusa is too quick and keeps hitting dropkicks. She hits a belly to belly suplex but Slater grabs her feet so Parker can shift his weight and get the pin. Such a disappointment here. Madusa leaves WWF for this? Another finish that makes no one happy. 

Lee Marshall interviews the Road Warriors. The announcers talk. Also, on the House Show we discussed the opinion that DDP had too many gimmicks. I forgot that this story line involved him pawning off his rings, coats, and more when he was broke. 

Diamond Dallas Page vs the Booty Man. 

This was supposed to be a Johnny B Badd feud but Badd just left WCW to become Marc Mero in WWF. Booty gets put into this prime spot. He also has his entire heel turn as the Butcher and Zodiac retconned into the new plot line that he was a spy within the Dungeon of Doom for Hulk Hogan. This entire card starts to feel more like a house show. The match is bad, but it is DDP making Booty look good. Page plays the clown to make Booty look like a star. Kimberly the Diamond Doll comes out dressed in Booty Man’s colors. “He’s so cute.” Best acting of the night. Match is much better when Page is in control. Page kisses Kimberly, she slaps him, and this allows Booty to hit the high knee (hiney) for the pin. Booty kisses Kimberly. Doug Dillinger, head of security, comes out to remove DDP from the building and from WCW. 

Kimberly looks amazing here and it makes sense to start pushing her more and making her look even better. Odd that a feud that changed because someone left the company now involves someone leaving the company for the story. Booty Man showing the benefits of being Hogan’s friend. 

Mean Gene interviews Jimmy Hart and Lex Luger. I am so confused and I don’t understand what is going on with Lex’s character right now. He’s committed to Hart and the Dungeon some how but also teaming with Sting as a face? 

The Giant (with Jimmy Hart) vs Loch Ness in a Giant vs Giant match. 

This is a #1 contender match. THIS is a #1 contender match?! Loch is surprisingly tall. Giant’s speed and agility is on display here. Yes, I just wrote that sentence. Loch is good at clubbing someone’s back, and that’s about it. Also, no way he’s 700 pounds. Loch hits one elbow but misses the second and that’s about it for him. Giant drops Loch Ness and I thought Nessie was going to fall on top of the referee and crush him. Giant hits a leg drop and gets the pin. Well, that was easy. 

Lee Marshall interviews Sting and Booker T. 

Road Warriors vs Sting and Booker T in a Chicago Street Fight. 

The fight starts during Sting and Booker’s entrance. Hawk is the most impressive wrestler in this match. He hits an amazing dropkick on the floor. No sells a piledriver. Jumps off the apron and lands feet first on Booker’s head. Take a chair and catches Booker with it as T comes off the top. He’s on fire the whole match. Animal looks like hell though. Something definitely off with him. The match is shown as a split screen most of the time to catch all of the action, but it ends up being distracting and I can’t focus on either side. This match would have been more enjoyable as a straight up tag team match. It flows like a 4 way match where everyone is in for themselves. There is no psychology in this fight and it stretches so long it feels like just time filler. Sting has to leave the ring and walk backstage for a weapon and just leaves Booker on his own for far too long. Sting comes back and attacks with two brooms. Booker T looks to walk out on Sting but Animal chases after him. Animal and Booker bump into Lex Luger getting ready and ruin his sheen! Lex goes berserk and attacks Animal. Stevie Ray gets in on the action. Everyone beats the hell out of Animal and handcuffs him to a post. Booker comes back to the ring where it’s been one on one Hawk and Sting. That’s not enough though and Stevie Ray had to come out to hit Hawk with a chair. Booker gets the pin and his team the win. 

Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk some more. 

Doomsday Cage Match. 

The Alliance to End Hulkamania – Ric Flair (with Woman and Elizabeth), Arn Anderson, Taskmaster, Lex Luger (with Jimmy Hart), Meng, Barbarian, Z-Gangster, and the Ultimate Solution (where’s Brian Pillman?) vs Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. 

Immediate thought, WTF. Why is Arn in sweats? Are they the Mega Powers or the Mega Force? So the faces climb the scaffolding and have to fight their way down. Flair and Arn are in the top level. Split screen again, which is really not well done. So far even though this is in a cage it looks just like the previous tag match. Flair passes something down to a lower level. Smoke starts to appear in the second tier. Hogan and Savage throw powder and use the confusion to escape to the next level. Meng and Barbarian attack Savage while Sullivan and Lex get Hogan. Until they switch. Hogan locks the room that Meng and Barbarian are in and this is less a match and more of a puzzle solving maze. Hogan and Sullivan fight on the scaffolding and this is the most dangerous looking part of the evening. Lex and Savage get out and these four men now fight on the floor. Which means they escaped the cage. Yet the match continues. The fight moves into the main ring as all four men battle and now it’s just like the previous tag match. Lex has some great over selling here. Savage has to go back to the cage to retrieve some lumber. Does no one plan these spots out in advance and have things at the ready? Finally Jimmy Hart brings out Z Gangster and Ultimate Solution. Where the hell were they? Now the action returns to the bottom level of the cage which has a second ring inside. Nothing like two immobile big men in the main event. Bobby with a great WTF line, “he picked him up like a child, like a hundred pound infant.” What kind of big babies is Bobby familiar with? Savage pulls something from his trunks. Flair and Arn break into the bottom level. Does Savage lose the powder? Booty Man runs in and slips Hogan and Savage some frying pans. Powder goes up in the air. Luger comes back into the cage. Luger has a weighted glove, of all the odd things. Savage ducks, Luger pauses, Then Luger hits Flair. Savage hits Luger. Hogan and Savage escape but Savage runs back in to pin Flair. Hogan and Savage run away. The Alliance stays in the ring and looks upset. 

Tony, Bobby, and Dusty close up. 

So what the hell is this ending? None of it makes sense. I can count multiple possible botches, bad booking, and general screw ups. I feel like all the men showed up for the match and no one wanted to call the match. This looks like the booking committee said Hogan and Savage win and that was about it. I put more thought into this write up than was put into the card.