Bash at the Beach 1996: The Night Hulk Hogan Blew Up Wrestling

Rey Misterio Jr. and Psychosis deliver one of the great pay-per-view openers of the 1990s. The first few minutes establish the speed difference and Psychosis's willingness to turn every counter into something violent, then the match accelerates into dives, headscissors and a spectacular finishing sequence. Rey's top-rope hurricanrana out of the Splash Mountain attempt still looks outrageous. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 8.77 and records a four-and-three-quarter-star Observer rating. John Canton gave it four-and-a-half stars. It is not merely the best wrestling match on the show; it is essential cruiserweight history.

John Tenta against Big Bubba is a lumbering gimmick match whose central visual is a pole strapped to the ring with a bag of silver dollars hanging above it. Both men spend too much time reaching for the prize and not enough time creating believable urgency around the fight. Jimmy Hart eventually retrieves the coins only for Tenta to take the bag and use it as a weapon. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 3.62. TJR gave it 1.25 stars. The crowd reacts to Tenta's victory, but the stipulation is more memorable than anything the wrestlers do with it.

Diamond Dallas Page versus Jim Duggan is a short feud match built around taped fists and Page's Lord of the Ring prize. Page does most of the actual wrestling, including a clever sequence where Duggan's legs are taped together around the ringpost, while Duggan supplies punches and crowd familiarity. The Diamond Cutter finish is clean enough, but the match never develops beyond a few comedy-violence ideas. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 3.69 and records a one-and-three-quarter-star Observer rating. The post-match taped-fist punch gets a bigger reaction than the contest itself.

The Nasty Boys and Public Enemy have a chaotic Double Dog Collar Match that is easier to remember as a pile of weapons than as a wrestling contest. The chains create a few brutal-looking collisions and Rocco Rock's table spots provide the biggest visual moments, but the match frequently becomes difficult to follow because all four wrestlers are fighting in separate directions. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 3.58 and the Observer went to one-and-a-quarter stars. TJR rated it 1.5 stars. The violence is committed; the structure is nearly nonexistent.

Dean Malenko and Disco Inferno have a better match than the pairing initially suggests because Disco plays the underdog seriously and Malenko gives him enough openings to make several counters believable. Malenko controls the leg, mixes in a brainbuster and eventually forces the submission with the Texas Cloverleaf. Disco's inside cradle reversal of the first Cloverleaf attempt gives the closing stretch real suspense. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 5.76 with a three-and-a-quarter-star Observer rating. It is not a cruiserweight classic, but it is a competent title defense that adds needed stability to the middle of the show.

Steve McMichael against Joe Gomez is a developmental match placed on pay-per-view before either man is ready to carry one. McMichael has charisma and physical presence, but his movement is awkward and several transitions look rehearsed rather than fought for. Gomez provides basic offense and bumps without giving the match much identity. The tombstone finish is decisive and at least keeps the segment short. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 2.05 and records a negative half-star Observer rating. The historical curiosity of Mongo's early singles work does not make the wrestling good.

Ric Flair versus Konnan is an interesting matchup that never quite becomes the strong title match the names suggest. Konnan uses power and submissions to establish that he can compete with Flair, while Flair gradually takes control through familiar shortcuts. Woman's low blow and Elizabeth's distraction make the finish crowded, and Flair ultimately steals the pin with his feet on the ropes. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 4.97 and records a two-and-a-half-star Observer rating. Flair winning the United States title has storyline value, but the interference keeps Konnan from receiving the clean showcase he needed.

The Giant and Kevin Sullivan against Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit is largely a continuation of the Horsemen-Dungeon story rather than a self-contained tag match. Giant disappears briefly after Steve McMichael hits him with the briefcase, allowing Anderson and Benoit to isolate Sullivan before Giant returns and eventually chokeslams Arn for the win. Benoit's post-match assault on Sullivan is more intense than much of the official contest. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 4.52 with a two-star Observer rating. The angle advances; the wrestling mostly fills space before the main event.

The Hostile Takeover Match is not a technical masterpiece, but scoring it only as bell-to-bell wrestling misses what the match is designed to do. Luger is removed early, Sting sells most of the danger and Savage provides the frantic comeback while Hall and Nash keep the third-man question alive. Then Hulk Hogan walks to the ring, drops the leg on Savage and turns his long-running heroic persona heel. The arena explodes in garbage and hostility as Hogan names the New World Order during the post-match interview. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 7.74. The execution, shock and consequence make the complete segment an all-time wrestling moment.