Big Bubba won the match via count out after running over Demott with his bike, a moment that summed this match up as the bloated Bubba tried and failed numerous times to drag his hefty frame atop the Harley up the ramp. The match was trashy with the WCW trying its best to keep with the times in this hardcore bout that never took off. In a moment that almost seemed like one big joke on Easy E, Matt Lucas in drag was crowned the winner with Bischoff deciding to swallow her tongue in a moment that should never be seen by human kind again.ДЄfter washing my eyes with bleach, the pay per view lurched into its next match, the Big Boss Man moonlighting as bike enthusiast Bubba against everyoneвЂ™s favourite sexually abusing trainer, Bill Demott. After rounds of gruelling questioning, the contest was to tight to call with Bischoff being tasked with choosing the winner. The entrants, all straddling motorbikes per BischoffвЂ™s yearning desire, were far from what you would think the NWO could afford as the contest was seemingly populated by the residents of a local care home. Throughout the night, we are treated to the search for Miss NWO as the NWOвЂ™s resident announcer Jeff Katz interviews some of IowaвЂ™s finest вЂbiker chicksвЂ™ which is a very loose term for the women on show in the effort to crown the first Miss NWO. In a short affair, Chono wins with a pretty brutal mafia kick to put us out of misery. The bout suffered from a lack of communication with both men fluffing numerous moves with the NWO referee intervening numerous times slowing the match to a crawl. In reality, this match stunk and was hard to watch as a big fan of Jericho. Jericho was well versed in the Japanese style of wrestling and his fluid, high flying style would complement the strong style of Chono. On paper, this match looked like it couldвЂ™ve been a great way to start the show. His opponent was Masahiro Chono, a recent international addition to the NWO. On to the show, we emanate from an arena largely devoid of colour and emotion as the black and white of the NWO emblazons practically everything like they were seemingly trying to remind their ageing roster where they were.Д¬hris Jericho comes out for the opening bout to silence as a disembodied announcer berates him as he walks to the ring ladies and gentleman, we have truly entered the Twilight Zone.

In Bischoffs infinite wisdom, this was his idea of avoiding catastrophic ratings, a futile one. Ah! ThatвЂ™s another important thing to state, this event is taking place on a Saturday as the Super Bowl took place the next day. See, as a fan, you put two and two together and get the answer: the WCW wrestlers havenвЂ™t got a snowballs chance in hell!Д®ric Bischoff heads up the commentary team alongside Ted Debiase seeing as he has nothing better to do on a Saturday night. officiated and presented by NWO officials. This event was set up as an NWO event with NWO members facing off against wrestlers from the WCW roster. Bischoff wanted to make the NWO look strong with this event but fell at the first hurdle, if there was ever a metaphor for WCWвЂ™s convoluted and over the top booking this was it.

The show opened with Hogan and his lackeys riding into the arena on the back of a parade of garbage trucksвЂ¦I shit you not! What I would have given to have been a fly on the wall during the meeting for this one. Ultimately, as is probably obvious today, this did not go to planвЂ¦ BischoffвЂ™s eventual idea was to split the NWO and WCW in two with each brand producing their own respective shows against each other, creating a kind of in house Monday Night War.

Eric Bischoff was delving deep into the pockets of WCW owner Ted Turner to finance this show making the assumption that with the NWO being so popular, that a separately branded show would pull in big bucks. At the time, the NWO was at the height of their power with NWO merchandise flying off the shelves thanks to the brash and cocky antics of Hogan and co. The attendance on hand to witness this debacle just about crept over the five thousand mark with the NWO taking control of every aspect of the show. NWO Souled Out was held on January 25th 1997 at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As time has gone by, I have built up enough testicular fortitude to go through with it and bring to you the NWOвЂ™s first foray into pay per view events. You see, as my keyboard has slowly accumulated dust, I have been sat wrestling with my own conscience whether to even watch the next event that the great randomizer in the sky (internet) has bestowed upon me. Now, it has been a while since I wrote about the escapades of the wrestling world but that is all for good reason. The time has come for another installment of Tales From The Network where I, your charismatic host, Bob Johnson take you on a magical mystery tour through the sights and sounds of the vast WWE video vaults one event at a time.

Wcw souled out 1997 full show