World War 3 1996: One Great Opener, Three Tiny Screens, and a Giant Payoff

Ultimo Dragon and Rey Misterio Jr. open World War 3 with the only match on the show that feels remotely close to elite. Dragon controls with powerbombs, kicks and grounded pressure, forcing Rey to fight from underneath instead of simply sprinting through spectacular offense. Rey's comeback gives the match its energy, but Dragon keeps cutting him off until the final powerbomb ends it cleanly. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 7.94 and the Observer awarded four-and-a-half stars. Leighty went to four stars. It is excellent cruiserweight wrestling and a reminder of how deep WCW's roster had become by late 1996.

Chris Jericho against Nick Patrick exists almost entirely to pay off months of crooked officiating. Patrick leans into the heel role, celebrates tiny advantages and uses the stipulation to keep a real wrestler from simply flattening him. Jericho eventually works around the tied arm and wins, giving the crowd the comeuppance it wants. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 4.04, and Leighty rated it one-and-a-half stars. The character work is better than the wrestling, which is probably the point. It is watchable sports entertainment, but eight minutes is a long runway for a referee match.

The Giant versus Jeff Jarrett is short, functional and completely overshadowed by Sting. Jarrett bumps around enough to make Giant look powerful, while Giant works a simple monster structure and never needs to expose his limitations. The decisive moment comes when Sting appears in his new darker presentation, drops Jarrett with the Scorpion Death Drop behind the referee's back and leaves Giant to finish with a chokeslam. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 3.52, while Leighty gave it two stars. The wrestling is ordinary. The Sting appearance is historically meaningful because WCW is still teasing whether he belongs with the company or the nWo.

Harlem Heat against the Amazing French Canadians is a serviceable television-level tag match stretched across pay-per-view. Booker T gives the bout most of its athletic spark, while Jacques Rougeau and Carl Ouellet work deliberate heel control before the match breaks down around an elaborate table-and-steps setup. The Canadians miss the contraption, Booker lands the Harlem Hangover and Sherri earns her promised revenge on Colonel Parker. CAGEMATCH currently has the match at 4.84, while TJR rated it two stars. The right team wins and the crowd understands the story, but the wrestling never becomes important enough to escape the midcard.

Sister Sherri versus Colonel Robert Parker is a comedy payoff rather than a meaningful wrestling match. Sherri attacks immediately, lands clotheslines and a top-rope crossbody, while Parker's entire strategy is survival. The Amazing French Canadians eventually pull him away and he loses by countout after only ninety seconds. The segment works because the crowd wants Sherri to punish him and Dusty Rhodes sells every shot like a championship finish. There is not enough wrestling to grade generously, but it does accomplish the storyline goal with admirable efficiency. It is silly, brief and much easier to tolerate than if WCW had actually used all five advertised minutes.

Dean Malenko versus Psychosis is one of the night's bigger disappointments because the talent suggests a much stronger match. Malenko controls the mat with leg work and submissions, while Psychosis tries to change the pace with aerial offense. A slip on a dive damages the rhythm, and the crowd never fully reconnects once the bout settles back into methodical holds. Malenko eventually retains with a bridge. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 5.77, and Leighty gave it two-and-a-quarter stars. The technique is sound enough to avoid being bad, but the match feels dry and disconnected from the energy WCW's cruiserweight division usually creates.

The three-way tag-title match is chaotic but occasionally charming because the teams lean into a rough heavyweight style. Faces of Fear bring the hardest strikes, the Nasty Boys turn everything into a fight, and Hall and Nash spend stretches letting the challengers exhaust each other. The cleverest moment comes when Hall and Nash are tagged in against one another and briefly try to game the rules. Eventually the match dissolves into a six-man brawl and Hall's megaphone shot sets up Nash's Jackknife. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 4.59. Leighty enjoyed it more at two-and-a-half stars. It is messy, long and still reasonably entertaining.

The World War 3 battle royal remains a concept that is more impressive on paper than on television. Three simultaneous rings force WCW into a split-screen presentation where individual eliminations become tiny moving shapes, and the first two-thirds of the match is closer to inventory management than drama. Once the field condenses, the match finally works. Lex Luger survives against Hall, Nash, Syxx and Giant, eliminates Hall and Syxx, racks Nash and nearly creates a miracle before Giant dumps both men. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 2.19, while TJR gave it one-and-three-quarter stars. The final minutes are hot. The route there is visual noise.