Wrestling Headcanon Season 4: The Monday Night Wars

4/22/2025

The Attitude/NWO era of wrestling really revs up this season. Swerving storylines, corrupt referees, announce teams barely paying attention to the matches that they’re calling, employees taking revenge on their bosses a bit too far…. If I were including the headlining matches of this era, everything would be Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and the NWO. I’m not doing that to you, though.

While there are some matches that involve the NWO, I’m skipping almost all of their Main Event matches. They were a slog to watch. Bad stories, lazy wrestling, unsatisfying conclusions. It’s a pity. I didn’t even include their one great angle: Sting in the rafters, watching down over WCW and NWO, only to swoop down and try to play hero for the WCW. I left it out of the chronology because his matches with Hulk Hogan from this era are excruciatingly bad from beginning to end. So you will see him occasionally in the rafters, and in a small handful of matches but not the BIG MATCHES that were supposed to be Events but ended up being patchy, broken wind.

There is a LOT of Steve Austin and Vince McMahon. Not all of it. Probably not even half of their material. But enough to really give you a feel for what it was like watching their feud over several years.

There will also be a ton of Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Kane, and The Hart Foundation. We’ll even see Bret Hart, poster boy for WWE get screwed out of his title, and show up in WCW in the next episode. The WCW episodes we see will be filled with Cruiserweight matches and the rise of Goldberg. Goldberg’s Streak was the one constantly good thing in this era of WCW, aside from Chris Jericho’s amazing promos. We also have our last ECW episode in this season. Don’t worry, though, Paul Heyman and his crew will continue to pop up in other seasons until the end of time.

Season 4:
The Monday Night Wars

Sorbet Episode: AJW Super Women

I’m very sorry about the representation of women in this entire season. WCW eventually got around to building a three women division around Alundra Blayze, similar to that in the WWE. They gave her the title, then she lost the title, then she retired, then they closed the division. All in about five televised matches.

Meanwhile, at the WWE, there were zero actual womens matches. Sure, there were women, some who stepped in the ring but they used Chyna, and Terri Runnels (aka Marlena) purely as valets in this season, and Sunny and Sable were there only to take their clothes off and behave as though men were the most important things in the world to them.

As an attempt to balance the scales a little bit, we’re going to have our sorbet episode be only wrestling matches featuring women. Not tee-hee, aren’t we so sexy, wet t-shirt, pudding match women, nor the well-intentioned but not athletically impressive GLOW-style wrestling. This is Japanese women who could put on matches with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Goldberg and you’d think, realistically, there was at least a chance they could win.

We’ve seen some of them in WWE during our Seasons 2 and 3 but they’re unleashed in Japan, putting on killer matches that don’t even need commentary to be impressive watches.

1. Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami (WWWA Tag Team Champs) vs Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota in a 2/3 Falls Match.

2. Bull Nakano (WWWA World Champ) vs Aja Kong in a Steel Cage.

3. Manami Toyota (IWA World Champ) vs Toshiyo Yamada in a Hair Vs Hair Match.

4. Aja Kong & Bull Nakano vs Akira Hokuto & Shinobi Kandori.

MAIN EVENT: DEFINITELY NOT A SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH.
Devil Masami, Dynamite Kansai, Mayumi Ozaki & Plum Mariko vs Las Cachorras Orientales (Akira Hokuto, Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda) & Suzuka Minami

Season 4, Episode 1: New World Order (1996)

Last season ended with Hulk Hogan and The Outsiders obliterating WCW talent and declaring themselves The Future Of Wrestling, despite being centered on someone more associated with Wrestling’s Past.

While they did eventually collapse in on themselves like a house of out-of-shape, antique cards with substance abuse problems, they did have a strong run in the beginning. Not Hogan but the rest of the crew.

What really buoyed them was the WCW cruiserweight division which was chock full of future WWE Hall of Famers who hit their peak but were still relegated to the undercard while Hogan, Piper, and some of their lazier friends lightly pawed at each other in the poorly choreographed main events.

In this episode, we see some of the more athletically inclined NWO members battle a rejuvenating Four Horsemen but mostly we see some killer cruiserweight matches.

1. The Four Horsemen vs The Dungeon Of Doom from Nitro.

2. Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit at Fall Brawl 1996.

3. Rey Mysterio (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Super Calo from Nitro.

4. WCW vs NWO in a War Games Match at Fall Brawl 1996.
Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Konnan, XPac (as Syxx) vs Chris Benoit, Mr Perfect (as Curt Hennig), Ric Flair, Mongo McMichael

5. Chris Jericho vs XPac (as Syxx) at Halloween Havoc 1996.

THE MAIN EVENT: REY MYSTERIO (WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP) vs DEAN MALENKO at HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1996.

Season 4, Episode 2: Cruiserweight Rules (1996)

Sticking with the Cruiserweight Division of WCW, we get a dozen amazing matches, usually featuring luchadores or Japanese wrestlers. Plus, our first silly gimmick match of the season as Chris Jericho gets screwed by a crooked NWO referee, so challenges him to a match where he battles the ref with one hand behind his back. It’s very silly but well done.

Ultimo Dragon, Juventud Guerrera, La Parka, Hector Guerrero, Ciclope, and Akira Hokuto debut for us in this episode. We’ll be seeing them all again, multiple times. Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero mostly put on killer ECW matches last season, they are going to absolutely dominate WCW in this one.

1. The Four Horsemen vs The Faces Of Fear at Halloween Havoc 1996.

2. Ultimo Dragon (NJPW J-Crown Champ) vs Rey Mysterio at World War 3 1996.

3. Dean Malenko vs Chris Jericho from Nitro.

4. Chris Benoit vs Scott Steiner from Nitro.

5. Nick Patrick vs Chris Jericho with one hand tied behind his back at World War 3 1996.

6. Brad Armstrong vs Buff Bagwell from Nitro.

7. Chris Benoit vs Hector Guerrero from Nitro.

8. Rey Mysterio vs Ciclope from Nitro.

9. Juventud Guerrera vs La Parka from Nitro.

10. Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero from Nitro.

11. William Regal (as Steven Regal)(WCW TV Champ) vs Psicosis from Nitro.

12. Aludra Blayze (as Madusa) vs Akira Hokuto for the WCW Womens Championship at Starrcade 1996.

MAIN EVENT: ULTIMO DRAGON (NJPW J-CROWN CHAMP) vs DEAN MALENKO (WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP) at STARRCADE 1996

Season 4, Episode 3: Cold Day In Hell (1997)

Our first WWE episode of the season begins with…ECW? Yea, Paul Heyman’s Little Indie That Could invades Raw to show the mainstream some of the characters they’ve been missing by not watching the poorly-lit high school gymnasium and poolhall VHS tapes from ECW. It’s great to see what these matches look like with better production. I also enjoy that it’s ECW star vs ECW star. There are no angles with WWE yet, unless you count heel-commentator Jerry Lawler.

Around those ECW bouts are some of WWE’s best matches from 1997, including the first match ever voted into WWE’s Hall Of Fame Matches: Steve Austin and Bret Hart’s double turn classic from Wrestlemania 13 featuring our first look at Ken Shamrock, who serves as special guest referee.

1. Stevie Richards vs Little Guido from Raw.

2. Taz vs Mikey Whipwreck from Raw.

3. Steve Austin vs Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 13.

4. Ahmed Johnson and The Legion of Doom vs The Nation of Domination at Wrestlemania 13.

5. D-Von Dudley vs Tommy Dreamer from Raw.

6. Undertaker vs Mankind at In Your House 14: Revenge of Taker.

7. Vader vs Ken Shamrock at In Your House 15: A Cold Day In Hell.

MAIN EVENT: BRET HART vs STEVE AUSTIN at IN YOUR HOUSE 15: A COLD DAY IN HELL.

Season 4, Episode 4: Radical Ascendance (1996, 1997)

More cruiserweight action! More luchadores!

We also have some main eventers having matches here as DDP starts to climb the ladder of WCW success, The Outsiders have at least one actually good tag team match,and XPac (as Syxx) shows he hasn’t lost a step since he was the high flying 1-2-3 Kid last season.

Whenever I use the word “Radical” in an episode title, I’m not referring to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but to a group of prominent WCW cruiserweights who eventually grew tired of their lack of opportunities and left for WWE: Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn.

1. Rey Mysterio vs Jushin Thunder Liger at Starrcade 1996.

2. Chris Benoit vs Jeff Jarrett at Starrcade 1996.

3. Eddie Guerrero vs Alex Wright from Nitro.

4. DDP vs Mark Starr from Nitro.

5. Dean Malenko vs Eddie Guerrero from Nitro.

6. The Outsiders (WCW Tag Champs) vs The Steiner Brothers at Souled Out 1997.

7. XPac (as Syxx)(WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero in a Ladder Match at Souled Out 1997.

8. Konnan, La Parka, and Villano IV vs Cicople, Super Calo, and Juventud Guerrera at SuperBrawl 7.

9. Prince Iaukea (WCW TV Champ) vs Rey Mysterio at SuperBrawl 7.

MAIN EVENT: THE OUTSIDERS (WCW TAG CHAMPS) vs THE BIG SHOW (as THE GIANT) and LEX LUGER at SUPERBRAWL 7.

Season 4, Episode 5: Have A Nice Shotgun Saturday Night! (1997)

Shotgun Saturday Night was a late night wrestling show that Vince McMahon thought was the next logical evolution of WWE. It was definitely modeled after ECW, and filmed in poorly lit night clubs and mall basements around New York, instead of stadiums and arenas. It lasted eight weeks before it devolved into a show filled with recaps of Raw with a few unaired matches filmed before or after Raw events.

The back half of this episode features excellent matches that went on to become major storylines that produced even better matches. One of these matches even has one of the guys from The Nation of Domination (who we saw earlier this season) spread his wings in the singles scene. Meet, The Rock.

1. Goldust vs Rikishi (as The Sultan) from Shotgun Saturday Night.

2. Bret Hart vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) from Shotgun Saturday Night.

3. Triple H (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) vs The Undertaker from Shotgun Saturday Night.

4. Steve Austin vs Goldust from Shotgun Saturday Night.

5. Triple H (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley)(WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs The Rock (as Rocky Mahavia) from Raw.

6. Triple H (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) at King of The Ring 1997.

MAIN EVENT: OWEN HART and THE BRITISH BULLDOG (WWE Tag Champs) vs STEVE AUSTIN and SHAWN MICHAELS (WWE CHAMP) from RAW.

Season 4, Episode 6: Nitro (1997)

Rey Mysterio is the MVP of WCW’s 1997. He has another set of spectacular matches here, as many of the former Cruiserweights level up to the US title scene.

There really aren’t any storylines in this episode. We’ll see several Randy Savage vs DDP matches but the story is really just “They don’t like each other” with a bunch of dumb misogynist things floating around it, so we skip the promos and story and just watch them batter each other, which they were both excellent at.

1. Rey Mysterio vs Super Calo from Nitro.

2. Chris Jericho & Eddie Guerrero vs Faces of Fear from Nitro.

3. Rey Mysterio vs Juventud Guerrerra from Nitro.

4. Dean Malenko vs Ultimo Dragon from Nitro.

5. Alundra Blayze (as Madusa) vs Malia Hosaka from Nitro.

6. Rey Mysterio vs Ultimo Dragon at Spring Stampede 1997.

7. Akira Hokuto (WCW Womens Champ) vs Alundra Blayze (as Madusa) at Uncensored 1997.

8. Eddie Guerrero (WCW US Champ) vs Dean Malenko at Uncensored 1997.

9. XPac (as Syxx)(WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Rey Mysterio from Nitro.

10. Dean Malenko (WCW US Champ) vs Yuji Nagato from Nitro.

MAIN EVENT: RANDY SAVAGE vs DDP at SPRING STAMPEDE 1997.

Season 4, Episode 7: Ultimate Jeopardy, Pigfuckers (1996 - 1999)

Alas, we have reached the end of our time with ECW. I am probably missing out on some
underrated matches and storylines that resonated with ECW fans but by the end, ECW had stopped producing new stars, and the stars they had created either fled to WCW or WWE so they could actually get paid for their work or they stagnated in the company.

This episode begins with the announcement that ECW is being taken off weekly television soon because the channel they were on, TNT, got the rights to WWE Raw. Paul Heyman doesn’t take it very well, hence the name of this episode.

1. Sandman (ECW Champ) vs Konnan at ECW House Party 1996.

2.They Dudleys (ECW Tag Champs) vs The Eliminators at Barely Legal 1997.

3. RvD vs Lance Storm at Barely Legal 1997.

4. Super Crazy vs Tajiri at Guilty As Charged 1999.

5. RvD vs Tommy Dreamer at November to Remember 1997.

6. Sabu vs Sandman in a Tables & Ladders Match at November to Remember 1997.

7. Taz (FTW Champ) vs Bam Bam Bigelow at Heat Wave 1998.

MAIN EVENT: SANDMAN vs SABU in a STAIRWAY TO HELL MATCH at HOUSE PARTY 1998.

Season 4, Episode 8: Blayze of Glory (1997)

This is the swan song for the hardest working woman in 90s wrestling, Alundra Blayze. She might pop up again for a nostalgia moment or two but in 1997, she retired from being overlooked by her wrestling bosses and ended up becoming a professional monster truck driver.

We get two NWO/WCW matches: one a typical multi-man affair, the other a tag team match that includes NWO Japan, which means The Great Muta is back! Other than that, it’s luchadores, Randy Savage, and DDP using only the slightest narrative framework as an excuse to put on some excellent grapplefests.

1. Alundra Blayze (as Madusa) vs Luna Vachon at Slamboree 1997.

2. The NWO vs Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Kevin Greene at Slamboree 1997.

3. Randy Savage vs DDP at Great American Bash 1997.

4. Super Calo, Juventud Guerrerra, and Hector Garza vs La Parka, Ciclope, and Damien 666 from Nitro.

5. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Ultimo Dragon at Bash At The Beach 1997.

6. Randy Savage vs DDP (as La Parka) from Nitro.

7. NWO Japan vs The Steiner Brothers at Bash At The Beach 1997.

8. Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, and Lizmark Jr vs La Parka, Psicosis, and Villano IV at Bash At The Beach 1997.

9. Ric Flair vs Roddy Piper at Bash At The Beach 1997.

MAIN EVENT: AKIRA HOKUTO (WCW WOMENS CHAMP) vs ALUNDRA BLAYZE (as MADUSA) at BASH AT THE BEACH 1997.

Season 4, Episode 9: Canadian Stampede (1997)

Apart from the opening match, this entire card is from one pay-per-view. Probably the best wrestling pay-per-view of all time: Canadian Stampede.

The five-on-five main event is definitely the highlight but there’s also the resurrection of the Light Heavyweight Division to compete with WCW’s cruiserweights. Was it successful? Hell, no. But it did bring us some great matches, most of them featuring Taka Michonoku.

1. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs Steve Austin at King Of The Ring 1997.

2. Triple H (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) at Canadian Stampede.

3. Taka Michonoku vs Great Sasuke at Canadian Stampede.

4. Undertaker vs Vader at Canadian Stampede.

MAIN EVENT: STEVE AUSTIN, LEGION OF DOOM, GOLDUST, and KEN SHAMROCK vs THE HART FOUNDATION at CANADIAN STAMPEDE.

Season 4, Episode 10: Souled Out (1997)

We’re halfway through the season, and apart from Savage and DDP, we’ve been avoiding most of the “main eventers” of WCW. In this episode, we meet the future headliner of the company as Goldberg arrives to begin his undefeated streak, which will take us into next season. While his matches ended up being very formulaic, he tries out some interesting techniques before he figured out his Two Moves Of Doom.

The War Games Match between WCW and NWO is very “of the Attitude Era” but it uses some entertaining wrestling before arriving at the chaos.

This is likely to be the last time Scott Hall will be in the main event. I think from this point
forward, he’s mostly just cannon fodder.

1. Goldberg vs Hugh Morris from Nitro.

2. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio from Nitro.

3. Harlem Heat vs The Steiner Brothers at Fall Brawl 1997.

4. Alex Wright (WCW TV Champ) vs Ultimo Dragon

5. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero at Fall Brawl 1997.

6. Adam Bomb (as Wrath) and Chris Kanyon (as Mortis) vs Faces of Fear at Fall Brawl 1997.

7. Team WCW vs Team NWO in a War Games Match at Fall Brawl.
Chris Benoit, Mongo McMichael, Mr Perfect, and Ric Flair vs Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Konnan, and Syxx

8. Booker T vs Lex Luger from Nitro.

9. Eddie Guerrero (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Rey Mysterio in a Title Vs Mask Match at Halloween Havoc 1997.

MAIN EVENT: SCOTT HALL vs SCOTT STEINER from NITRO.

Season 4, Episode 11: Raw Is War (1997)

More Canadian domination, as well as Mick Foley being utilised outside of Spooky Matches vs The Undertaker.

1. Owen Hart (WWE Intercontinental Champ) and the British Bulldog (WWE European Champ) (WWE Tag Champs) vs Steve Austin and Mick Foley (as Dude Love) from Raw.

2. The Undertaker (WWE Champ) vs Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1997.

3. Triple H (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) vs Mick Foley (as Dude Love as Mankind) in a Steel Cage Match at SummerSlam 1997.

4. Owen Hart (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Steve Austin at SummerSlam 1997.

5. Shawn Michaels vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) from Raw.

6. Taka Michonoku vs Jerry Lynn from Raw.

MAIN EVENT: BRET HART (WWE CHAMP) vs THE UNDERTAKER from RAW.

Season 4, Episode 12: Perfect Flair (1997)

Flair vs Perfect was a lovely endpoint for Flair’s 1991-1993 run in the WWE. It’s nice to see it pop up back here and make both of them more relevant again.

We also see a rare (for this season) Hulk Hogan match, as he actually puts some effort into a TV match with DDP.

Steven Don’t-Call-Me-William-Yet Regal also gets a chance to show off his tag team chops as The Blue Bloods make a lovely, violent appearance.

There’s also a small miracle when Goldberg, of all people, somehow manages to get a good match out of Disco Inferno. I'm kidding. The match is forgettable but ends in storyline-important interference.

1. Ric Flair vs Mr Perfect (as Curt Hennig) at Halloween Havoc 1997.

2. Randy Savage vs DDP at Halloween Havoc 1997.

3. Fit Finlay vs Chris Benoit from Nitro.

4. Hulk Hogan (WCW Champ) vs DDP from Nitro.

5. Disco Inferno (WCW US Champ) vs Goldberg from Nitro.

6. Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio from Nitro.

7. Perry Saturn (WCW TV Champ) vs Scotty Riggs from Nitro.

8. Ultimo Dragon vs Yuji Nagato at World War 3 1997.

9. The Steiner Brothers vs The Blue Bloods at World War 3 1997.

10. Eddie Guerrero (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Rey Mysterio at World War 3 1997.

MAIN EVENT: MR PERFECT as (CURT HENNIG)(WCW US CHAMP) vs RIC FLAIR at
WORLD WAR 3 1997.

Season 4, Episode 13: The Montreal Screwjob (1997)

This episode is almost entirely the same set of superstars as the last episode with one giant twist, It’s Kane! It’s Kane! It’s gotta be Kane! The Undertaker’s brother’s arrival set up a lot of cool story ideas that mostly fizzled out but his debut, which is also the first ever Hell In A Cell Match, was epic.

Unfortunately, the end of this episode is the last time Bret Hart is in WWE for a while, as Vince McMahon is outed as The Worst Boss In Wrestling By A Wide Margin. It’s a shame because Bret had been a great wrestler for years but had only been an interesting character for a few months at this point.

1. Owen Hart vs Vader at In Your House 16: One Night Only 1997.

2. The British Bulldog (WWE European Champ) vs Shawn Michaels at In Your House 16: One Night Only 1997.

3. Triple H vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) from Raw.

4. Shawn Michaels (WWE European Champ) vs The Undertaker in Hell In A Cell at In Your House 17: Badd Blood 1997.

5. Kane vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) at Survivor Series 1997.

MAIN EVENT: BRET HART (WWE CHAMP) vs SHAWN MICHAELS at SURVIVOR SERIES 1997.

Season 4, Episode 14: Thunder (1997, 1998)

Don’t feel too bad for Bret, though, he’s already in WCW, main eventing this episode. While his original story is a crass reference to The Montreal Screwjob (which became a trope in both wrestling companies that has never been fun to watch), he quickly flips to a feud with Ric Flair and, as expected, puts on much better matches than Hogan did when he arrived.

The worst and most difficult part of editing this era of WCW wrestling together is that, during these exciting luchadore and cruiserweight matches, the announcers tend to ignore the action to prattle on about the stale NWO storylines that always ended with matches that stank like fresh turds. In this episode, I couldn’t cut around the fact that, during a six-luchadore spotfest, the announcers spend most of the match talking about how one of them is going to wrestle non-wrestler, Eric Bischoff. Bischoff is known for doing three good things during his decades long career in wrestling, and one of them was retiring.

On a more fun note, Raven from ECW transfers into WCW and assembles a flock to do his bidding against other wrestlers. This proved to be possibly the best long-term storytelling in WCW history.

1. Fit Finlay vs Dean Malenko from Nitro.

2. La Parka and Psicosis vs Rey Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera from Nitro.

3. Chris Benoit vs Kidman from Nitro.

4. Rey Mysterio, Hector Garza, Juventud Guerrera vs La Parka, Psicosis, Silver King from Nitro.

5. Eddie Guerrero (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Dean Malenko at Starrcade 1997.

6. Perry Saturn vs Chris Benoit at Starrcade 1997.

7. Mr Perfect (as Curt Hennig) (WCW US Champ) vs DDP at Starrcade 1997.

8. Chris Benoit vs Dean Malenko from Nitro.

9. Goldberg vs Jerry Flynn from Nitro.

10. The Steiner Brothers (WCW Tag Champs) vs The Ousiders from Nitro.

11. Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Chavo Guerrero, and Lizmark Jr vs La Parka, Silver King, Psicosis, and El Dandy at Souled Out 1998.

MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR (WCW CHAMP) vs BRET HART from SOULED OUT 1998.

Season 4, Episode 15: Degeneration X (1997, 1998)

The Light Heavyweight Division finally gets a title and a champion but we have to sit through obnoxious and racist commentary from Jerry Lawler to get there.

Road Dogg and Billy Gunn both kind of got lost somewhere near the end of Season 3 and neither of their personas were much loved by fans. In this episode, they team up and become one of the most quotable tag teams of all time. For whatever reason, Mick Foley is their first target, even though they are a tag team and he is just one person (ok, with three different personalities but only one physical body).

1. Taka Michonoku vs Brian Christopher for the WWE Lightweight Championship at In Your House 19: Degeneration X.

2. The Rock (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Steve Austin at In Your House 19: Degeneration X.

3. Shawn Michaels (WWE European Champ) vs Ken Shamrock at In Your House 19: Degeneration X.

4. Legion of Doom (WWE Tag Champs) vs New Age Outlaws from Raw.

5. Road Dogg vs Mick Foley (as Dude Love) from Raw.

6. Legion of Doom vs DX from Raw.

7. New Age Outlaws vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) from Raw.

MAIN EVENT: SHAWN MICHAELS (WWE EUROPEAN CHAMP) vs OWEN HART from RAW.

Season 4, Episode 16: Model Behavior (1998)

I don’t know if any wrestling fans could have predicted that Rick Martel, mostly known for his heel work in WWE at the beginning of our Season 2, was going to have a comeback in 1998 that would involve him in multiple title matches. It was a pleasant surprise, as he had several matches that were way better than WCW’s main event fare.

Goldberg continues his streak here, and Booker T has several stellar solo matches as he evolves from Harlem Heat’s best talker to superstar.

Our main event sees Raven’s Flock ascending into the title scene for a bit.

1. Booker T (WCW TV Champ) vs Rick Martel at Souled Out 1998.

2. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) and Eddie Guerrero vs Dean Malenko and Chavo Guerrero from Nitro.

3. William Regal (as Steven Regal) vs Goldberg from Nitro.

4. Ultimo Dragon vs Kidman from Nitro.

5. Hugh Morris vs Goldberg from Nitro.

6. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) and Eddie Guerrero vs Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit from Nitro.

7. Rick Martel (WCW TV Champ) vs Booker T at SuperBrawl 8.

8. Booker T (WCW TV Champ) vs Perry Saturn at SuperBrawl 8.

9. Goldberg vs Brad Armstrong at SuperBrawl 8.

10. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Juventud Guerrera in a Title vs Mask Match at SuperBrawl 8.

11. DDP (WCW US Champ) vs Chris Benoit at SuperBrawl 8.

12. Booker T (WCW TV Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero at Uncensored 1998.

13. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Dean Malenko at Uncensored 1998.

MAIN EVENT: DDP (WCW US CHAMP) vs CHRIS BENOIT vs RAVEN at UNCENSORED 1998.

Season 4, Episode 17: The Three Faces Of Foley (1998)

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, and The Rock vs Steve Austin are two of the most iconic feuds in wrestling, and it’s great to see both of them represented here. The real story, though, is that within a fun but underwhelming Royal Rumble, Mick Foley entered three times, once as each of his personalities.

1. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs The Undertaker in a Casket Match at Royal Rumble 1998.

2. Royal Rumble Match 1998
8-Ball, Ahmed Johnson, Chainz, D-Lo Brown, Faarooq, The Godfather (as Kama), Goldust, Henry O. Godwinn, The Honky Tonk Man, JBL (as Blackjack Bradshaw), Jeff Jarrett, Ken Shamrock, Kurrgan, Marc Mero, Mark Henry, Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack), Mick Foley (as Dude Love), Mick Foley (as Mankind), Mosh, Owen Hart, Phineas I. Godwinn, The Rock (as Rocky Maiavia), Savio Vega, Steve Austin, Steve Blackman, Terry Funk (as Chainsaw Charlie), Thrasher, Tom Brandi, Vader

3. Taka Michonoku (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Pantera from Raw.

MAIN EVENT: THE ROCK (as ROCKY MAIVIA)(WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMP) vs STEVE AUSTIN from RAW

Season 4, Episode 18: Spring Break of 1004 Moves (1998)

The Flock storyline is the most interesting storyarc in late 90s WCW, but the best promos all came from Chris Jericho. He has one of his all-time best, at the expense of Dean Malenko, in this episode after absolutely squashing everybody’s second favorite Rocker, Marty Jannetty (third favorite if we include Al Snow).

This episode begins at a club where the wrestling ring is set up in a pool, which makes for some fun visuals that enhance the usual WCW wrestling. Mainly, we get several good Jericho matches, several great Booker T matches, an intensification of Goldberg’s streak, and a great title vs title match between Sting and DDP.

1. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Juventud Guerrera in a Title Vs Mask Match at SuperBrawl 8.

2. Goldberg vs Lodi from Nitro.

3. Scott Steiner vs The Big Boss Man (as Ray Traylor) from Nitro.

4. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Juventud Guerrera from Nitro.

5. Mr Perfect (as Curt Hennig) vs Bret Hart at Uncensored 1998.

6. Sting (WCW Champ) vs DDP (WCW US Champ) from Nitro.

7. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Marty Jannetty from Nitro.

8. Booker T (WCW TV Champ) vs Chris Benoit from Nitro.

9. Goldberg vs The Big Boss Man (as Ray Traylor) from Nitro.

10. Goldberg vs Perry Saturn from Nitro.

11. Ultimo Dragon vs Chavo Guerrero from Nitro.

12. Booker T (WCW TV Champ) vs Chris Benoit from Nitro.

MAIN EVENT: BOOKER T (WCW TV CHAMP) vs PSICOSIS from NITRO.

Season 4, Episode 19: Tyson’s Fury (1998)

Mike Tyson gets slotted into the Shawn Michaels/Steve Austin feud in a realistic way that
manages to improve the story, rather than distract from it.

We also have a couple of matches involving the glorious pairing of Mick Foley and Terry Funk reliving their hardcore deathmatch days from Japan and ECW.

1. Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) vs Terry Funk (as Chainsaw Charlie) in a Hardcore Match from Raw.

2. Taka Michinoku (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Essa Rios (as Aguilar) at Wrestlemania 14.

3. Triple H (WWE European Champ) vs Owen Heart at Wrestlemania 14.

4. The Rock (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Ken Shamrock at Wrestlemania 14.

5. The New Age Outlaws (WWE Tag Champs) vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) and Terry Funk (as Chainsaw Charlie) in a Dumpster Match at Wrestlemania 14.

6. The Undertaker vs Kane at Wrestlemania 14.

WWE SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: SHAWN MICHAELS (WWE CHAMP) vs STEVE
AUSTIN at WRESTLEMANIA 14.

Season 4, Episode 20: The Streak (1998)

Each season of the Headcanon ends on a historic match. Usually the retirement of a famous wrestler or a title change that heavily influenced the industry. This episode has a truly FeelGood finale for long-term WCW fans as Goldberg puts his streak on the line against NWO champion, Hulk Hogan.

1. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Chavo Guerrero from Nitro.

2. Fit Finlay (WCW TV Champ) vs Chris Benoit at Slamboree 1998.

3. Cruiserweight Battle Royal at Slamboree 1998.
Billy Kidman, Chavo Guerrero, Damien666, Dean Malenko (as Ciclope), El Dandy, El Griot, Evan Karagias, Johnny Swinger, Juventud Guerrera, Lenny Lane, Marty Jannetty, Psicosis, Silver King, Super Calo, Villanos 4

4. Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Dean Malenko (as Cicople) at Slamboree 1998.

5. Goldberg (WCW US Champ) vs Perry Saturn at Slamboree 1998.

6. Billy Kidman vs Juventud Guerrera from Nitro.

7. Booker T vs Chris Benoit from Nitro.

8. Goldberg (WCW US Champ) vs La Parka from Nitro.

9. Booker T vs Chris Benoit at Great American Bash 1998.

10. Goldberg (WCW US Champ) vs Scott Hall from Nitro.

11. Eddie Guerrero vs Chavo Guerrero at Great American Bash 1998.

SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: HULK HOGAN (WCW CHAMP) vs GOLDBERG (WCW US CHAMP) from NITRO.

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