The Great American Bash 1997: Savage and DDP Save the Best Fight for Last

Ultimo Dragon and Psychosis open with the kind of match WCW could almost manufacture on command in 1997: athletic enough to feel special, grounded enough to stay coherent, and over enough that every acceleration matters. Psychosis spends the early minutes slowing Dragon down and using Sonny Onoo as an extra obstacle, which gives the inevitable comeback more weight than a pure move exhibition would have. The final stretch is excellent, especially once Dragon survives the moonsault attempts and Onoo accidentally kicks his own man. CAGEMATCH's matchguide sits just above seven with a three-and-three-quarter-star Observer rating, while TJR gave it 3.5 stars. It is not the division's best match, but it is a strong opener.

Harlem Heat and the Steiner Brothers have enough chemistry to make twelve minutes feel substantial even when the booking has no intention of producing a satisfying winner. Scott Steiner brings the power, Booker T brings the speed, and the middle stretch shows how naturally these teams can shift between heavyweight offense and quick double-team sequences. The crowd is especially hot for the Steiners, which makes the finish more frustrating. Vincent runs in and elbow-drops Booker, deliberately getting the Steiners disqualified so the Outsiders can avoid them. CAGEMATCH has the bout just under six, but the Observer went only one-and-a-half stars because of the finish. The wrestling is respectable. The result feels like a committee meeting.

Konnan versus Hugh Morrus takes a simple betrayal story and somehow turns it into ten minutes of waiting. Morrus has the size and surprising athleticism to make a short fight work, while Konnan can be compelling when he has a clear opponent and a reason to accelerate. Instead, the match leans into slow grappling, awkward transitions and long stretches where neither man appears interested in making the feud feel personal. Morrus eventually misses the No Laughing Matter moonsault and Konnan wins with the Tequila Sunrise. CAGEMATCH's matchguide is below three and the Observer actually went negative at minus half a star. TJR gave it one star. That consensus is fair. This is the card's easiest skip.

Glacier and Wrath are working hard, which is almost unfortunate because the match lasts long enough to expose every limitation of the program. Wrath's size gives Glacier a useful obstacle, Glacier adds a few dives and strikes beyond his usual karate routine, and Mortis being handcuffed at ringside gives the match a clean visual hook. The pace still drags. By the time James Vandenberg fights for the keys and Mortis throws in a chain, the audience has already seen most of the useful ideas twice. Glacier steals the chain, hits Wrath and follows with a superkick. CAGEMATCH is in the mid-threes and the Observer gave it three-quarters of a star. It is more effort than entertainment.

Akira Hokuto and Madusa wrestle the card's most emotionally straightforward match: if Madusa loses, her WCW career is over. The crowd understands that immediately and gives Madusa one of the strongest reactions of the night. Hokuto targets the knee with increasing cruelty, Madusa sells the damage convincingly, and every comeback feels temporary because the champion keeps returning to the same injury. The finishing brainbuster lands after the knee has effectively betrayed Madusa, giving the result a clean internal logic even if WCW's women's division had been handled inconsistently for months. CAGEMATCH rates the match above seven and the Observer gave it three stars. The post-match tears give the title more gravity than the company usually allowed it.

Chris Benoit and Meng pick up where their Slamboree fight left off, leaning into stiff strikes, submissions and the basic idea that neither man should appear eager to quit. The label is misleading because WCW's version of a Death Match is closer to a no-disqualification endurance fight than anything suggested by the name. Within that limitation, the match works. Meng absorbs punishment like a tank, Benoit keeps returning to the Crossface, and the finish borrows the unconscious-submission drama that had become famous at WrestleMania 13. CAGEMATCH sits above six and the Observer gave it two-and-a-half stars. It is a good fight, just not the spectacle the stipulation promises.

Kevin Greene versus Steve McMichael works best when neither man tries to prove he has become a polished wrestler. Greene brings frantic energy, tackles, punches and the kind of raw athleticism that keeps the crowd with him. McMichael is more comfortable than he had been a year earlier, but he still needs structure around every transition. Debra and Jeff Jarrett eventually provide it. Jarrett tries to use the briefcase, hits Mongo by mistake, and Greene takes the win. TJR gave the match one-and-a-half stars, while CAGEMATCH sits a little above four and the Observer gave it two. The angle matters more than the wrestling, but the celebrity athlete at least looks like he belongs in the ring.

The Outsiders against Ric Flair and Roddy Piper looks like a major match when everyone is standing still, which is useful because standing still occupies a meaningful percentage of the runtime. Flair can still inject urgency through chops and frantic selling, Hall understands how to feed him, and Nash is perfectly content to use size and shortcuts. Piper gets the hottest reactions but also exposes the match's limitations once the pace slows around him. Syxx draws Flair away from ringside, leaving Piper alone for the Outsider's Edge. CAGEMATCH is below five while the Observer gave it two-and-a-half stars. The story progression is clear. The wrestling never rises to the level of the names on the poster.

Randy Savage and Diamond Dallas Page take the rivalry that elevated Page at Spring Stampede and make the rematch feel larger without simply repeating it. They brawl through the crowd, use the entrance area, fight around a picnic setup and keep returning to Page's injured ribs as the emotional target. Savage is magnificently unhinged, attacking referees and a photographer because apparently the Falls Count Anywhere clause also covers workplace misconduct. Page finally lands the Diamond Cutter, but Scott Hall destroys the pin attempt, hits the Outsider's Edge and gives Savage the opening for the elbow. CAGEMATCH is above 7.5 and the Observer gave it three-and-three-quarter stars. Page loses and somehow looks more like a main-eventer afterward.