Souled Out 1997: The nWo Gets Its Own Pay-Per-View and Learns Why Variety Matters

Masahiro Chono and Chris Jericho open with a match that is better than the show's reputation but never fully escapes the event's gimmick. Jericho supplies most of the pace, including the springboard attack and Lionsault, while Chono works more deliberately and lets the crooked-referee story color nearly every near fall. The table spot gives the finish a memorable visual without turning the match into a full stunt show. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 4.79, while the older 411 review was much harsher. There is enough competent wrestling for a passing grade, but the presentation keeps interrupting the rhythm instead of helping it.

Big Bubba Rogers and Hugh Morrus get an anything-goes structure with a ten-count finish, which sounds like the kind of stipulation that should hide both men's limitations. Instead, the bout drifts through weapon use, slow counts and a trip up the entrance area before finally reaching the motorcycle finish. Morrus deserves credit for trying to add athleticism with the No Laughing Matter and the missed moonsault, while Bubba mostly supplies blunt force. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 4.58, and most retrospectives land around the same territory. The finish is memorable because a motorcycle is involved. The match surrounding it remains sluggish and only intermittently convincing.

Jeff Jarrett versus Michael Wallstreet is the point where the crooked-referee concept stops feeling novel and starts becoming a tax on every match. Jarrett tries to create movement with quick offense and the figure four, but Wallstreet's control periods are slow and filled with holds that drain the crowd. Nick Patrick repeatedly protects Wallstreet, which should generate heel heat but mostly reinforces how predictable the officiating has become. Steve McMichael finally changes the equation with the briefcase and forces Patrick to count the pin. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 2.79, TJR gave it one star out of five, and the older Blog of Doom review graded it F. That consensus is hard to argue with.

Buff Bagwell versus Scotty Riggs has a legitimate personal story because Bagwell betrayed his partner to join the nWo, but the match stretches a simple grudge across far too much time. Riggs supplies the better athletic bursts and a credible late comeback, while Bagwell settles into extended control sections and pauses to pose. The crooked-count routine resurfaces often enough that the audience knows exactly how every near fall will be handled. The most important moment is the finish, where Bagwell debuts the Blockbuster as a signature move. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 4.25. The historical footnote is useful. The thirteen-plus minutes required to reach it are not.

Scott Norton against Diamond Dallas Page exists primarily to advance Page's refusal to join the nWo, and that angle is far better than the match. Norton controls with power offense while Page keeps finding short counters, but neither man develops a strong competitive rhythm. The crowd becomes much more interested when nWo members arrive and offer Page another shirt. DDP appears to accept, drops Norton with the Diamond Cutter and escapes through the crowd, taking the count-out loss while winning the larger story. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 3.89. The wrestling belongs in the lower half of the card. The angle belongs near the beginning of Page's rise to main-event status.

The Outsiders versus the Steiner Brothers is structurally slow but dramatically useful. Hall and Nash spend long stretches controlling Rick, the Steiners answer with explosive suplexes, and the crowd gradually becomes invested because this is the first match where WCW appears capable of taking something valuable from the nWo. The finish is the key: Nick Patrick is down, Randy Anderson runs in from the crowd, and the Steiners get the three-count. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 5.44. The decision is reversed on Nitro because Anderson was not sanctioned, which weakens the payoff in hindsight. On the night itself, the title celebration is one of the few genuinely satisfying moments.

Eddie Guerrero versus Syxx is the clear match of the night and the one bout that feels like it belongs on a stronger card. Both men use the ladder as an obstacle and weapon without making every sequence revolve around climbing, and the action escalates naturally from strikes and dives into larger risks. The simultaneous climb creates a clever final struggle, with both men reaching the belt before Guerrero uses it to knock Syxx away and reclaim possession. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 6.55 with a four-star Observer rating. TJR gave it three-and-a-half stars, while other retrospectives consistently call it the standout. It is fast, inventive and badly needed.

Hollywood Hogan versus The Giant is built around a simple and potentially effective idea: the former nWo giant finally gets his championship shot against the leader who expelled him. The match itself is slow but understandable until the finish destroys any remaining competitive logic. Giant survives Hogan's biggest offense, lands the chokeslam and covers, only for Nick Patrick to stop counting despite Hogan being clearly pinned. Giant attacks Patrick, the nWo floods the ring and Hogan eventually uses a guitar before the match is thrown out. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 2.08, TJR called it a dud and KB graded it D-minus. The angle preserves Hogan. It does not preserve the audience's patience.