Uncensored 1997: Sting Finally Picks a Side and Saves the Last Impression

Dean Malenko versus Eddie Guerrero is the night's best match and an immediate reminder that WCW's deepest strength in 1997 was not the nWo. Guerrero works Malenko's leg, Malenko answers with increasingly urgent counters, and both men make the United States title feel more important than it often does elsewhere on the card. Syxx's involvement creates the finish without swallowing the match, and Malenko using the dropped camera to win gives the title change a little edge. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 7.55 with the Observer at three-and-three-quarter stars. TJR rated it four stars. It is crisp, physical and worthy of opening a major pay-per-view.

Ultimo Dragon versus Psychosis gives the show a second straight strong match before the card heads into rougher territory. Dragon controls the pace with kicks and technical transitions, while Psychosis brings reckless-looking aerial offense without losing the thread of the match. Sonny Onoo adds heel noise around the edges, but the action is strong enough that the interference never becomes the point. CAGEMATCH currently places the match at 6.72 and the Observer at three-and-a-half stars. It is not one of the all-time cruiserweight classics from WCW's peak, yet it comfortably clears the bar for good pay-per-view wrestling and makes the first half-hour of Uncensored feel much better than the event's reputation suggests.

Glacier versus Mortis is better than the gimmick's reputation because both wrestlers work hard enough to turn expensive costumes into a functional midcard match. Mortis bumps aggressively and gives Glacier's kicks a little more impact than the character usually earns, while Glacier is at his best when the pace stays moving and nobody asks him to act mysterious. James Vandenberg provides the expected ringside distraction, but the match largely stands on its own. CAGEMATCH's current guide is 5.53, which feels exactly right. The bout is competent and occasionally lively without ever creating the sense that WCW discovered the next great franchise. It is a respectable result from a deeply overproduced premise.

Buff Bagwell against Scotty Riggs is where the show noticeably slows down. The breakup story gives the wrestlers a reason to dislike one another, but the strap stipulation reduces that emotion to a sequence of tugging, choking and corner-touching that never becomes especially violent. Bagwell has grown into his nWo persona, and Riggs works hard enough to keep the match moving, yet the crowd gradually checks out. CAGEMATCH's current guide is 3.47, one of the lowest marks on the card, and that fits the experience. Nothing is catastrophically botched. The match simply feels longer than its idea and less personal than the feud should have made it.

Harlem Heat and The Public Enemy use the Texas Tornado stipulation as permission to abandon structure almost immediately. Chairs, tables and ringside chaos replace conventional tag rules, which should theoretically help Public Enemy. Instead, the match becomes difficult to follow because everyone is fighting somewhere different and the camera is constantly choosing which mess matters most. Booker T remains the best athlete involved, and Sister Sherri's willingness to become part of the chaos adds energy. CAGEMATCH sits at 4.40, while modern reviewers vary depending on their tolerance for garbage brawling. There are moments of fun. There is also a lot of clutter between them.

Prince Iaukea versus Rey Misterio Jr. is technically sound and emotionally awkward. Rey can create movement and danger almost by himself, and Iaukea is athletic enough to follow the sequences without embarrassing the championship. The problem is credibility. Iaukea's sudden Television title push never feels secure, so the audience is more interested in Rey than in whether the champion can survive. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 4.73, while TJR was more generous and liked the back-and-forth work. The wrestling is better than the reaction suggests, but fifteen minutes around a champion the crowd has not fully accepted creates a ceiling. Iaukea retains, and the title still feels temporary.

The three-team main event is complicated enough that commentary spends real time explaining the rules, and the wrestling never completely escapes the paperwork. The early eliminations feel rushed, Team Piper disappears without much emotional weight, and Scott Steiner's behavior is oddly unfocused after the nWo injured Rick before the show. Then Lex Luger gets the match's best stretch, rallying alone against the nWo and eliminating Savage, Nash and Hall in rapid succession before Hogan survives through interference. CAGEMATCH currently scores the match just above five. The action is serviceable and the Luger comeback works. The enduring moment comes afterward, when Sting rappels from the rafters and attacks the nWo, finally showing where he stands.