As an interesting note, with this included I now have more Eric Bischoff matches here than I do Bam Bam Bigelow, with Jay Leno having just as many. Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff represent the New World Order and they went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, disrespecting the host. Diamond Dallas Paige made the save bringing us to this match at Sturgis motor rally. Yeah, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan were able to persuade Turner to let them hold an event at the famous Sturgis event every year. Mike Tenay, Tony Schiovane and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan are on commentary tonight. Tenay even calls the match nWo vs. The Tonight Show. Hogan and Bischoff enter to NWO's music, accompanied by The Disciple (Brutus Beefcake) and Miss Elizabeth. Diamond Dallas Paige gets credit as the man that trained Karl Malone during his team's entrance, he isn't associated with any group or cult either, which is always good to know. Kevin Eubank accompanies them to the ring. Jay Leno gets first blood, dumping his drink over nWo before they get back in the ring.
HULK HOGAN & ERIC BISCHOFF VS. DIAMOND DALLAS PAIGE & JAY LENO
WCW Road Wild 1998 (8th August 1998)
After a bit of deliberation, Hogan and Paige start for their respective teams. Hogan shoves Paige away from a lock up. Schiovane and Tenay swoon over Eubank's arms as the second lockup sends Paige into the corner. Hogan throws his bandana at DDP. Hogan grabs DDP's wrist but it gets countered and DDP drives his shoulder into Hogan. Hollywood Hogan drags Paige to the mat by his hair, DDP gets to his feet and gets slapped by Hogan. DDP with a slap of his own, Hogan turns into a slap by Leno too! Hollywood Hogan reverses an irish whip but DDP comes back with a swinging neckbreaker sending Hogan out of the ring. DDP grabs Hogan by the hair but Hogan breaks free before getting sent into the ringpost by Eubank. Eubank throws Hogan back into the ring and DDP rolls him up but only gets 2. Team Tonight Show celebrate with high fives all around as Eubank dares The Disciple to go over. Hollywood tells Disciple to shine Eubank's bald head, Hogan kicks DDP in the gut as they go to lock up again, then knocks him into the corner with a right hand. Hogan rakes the back of DDP and chokes him in the corner with his boot. Hogan boots at DDP before going for a more traditional chokehold and tagging Bischoff in.
Bischoff and Hogan double-team Paige. Jay Leno rushes the ring but the referee holds him back, allowing nWo more than the 5-second allowance. Eric Bischoff uses martial arts kicks on Paige in the corner and sends him across the ring. Eric Bischoff charges but Paige gets a boot up and he tags in Jay Leno to a huge response! Eric Bischoff backs out and tags to Hogan, escaping the wrath of the talk show host. Leno circles with Hogan but doesn't tag out, he avoids a lock-up and taunts Hogan. Hulk Hogan tries to lock up with Leno again, but again Jay Leno shows his agility, crossing the ring to tag Paige back in. DDP attacks Hogan with rights and lefts and chokes him in the corner. Hogan uses a thumb to Paige's eye to break the hold which I'd say is fair and sends Paige across the ring, knocking him down with a clothesline. DDP rams himself into Hogan's shoulder again before reverses an arm wringer, he drops Hogan to the mat and straddles his shoulder, pulling back at the arm and tags back out to Leno. Jay Leno continues the arm ringer as commentary lap it up. Hogan makes his way to his feet and uses Leno's hair to send him back to the corner. Hogan chokes Jay Leno before the referee backs him off. Jay Leno avoids an ax handle and quickly tags DDP back in.
DDP goes back to the arm ringer and punches at Hogan's arm. Jay Leno gets another tag, he's probably missing his desk job by now, he fluffs a double clothesline, so only DDP hits Hogan really, Leno was just present. Jay Leno covers Hollywood Hogan for a nearfall. I repeat. JAY LENO GETS A NEARFALL ON HOLLYWOOD HOGAN. Hogan rolls out to the floor as Jay Leno tags DDP back in. DDP goes after Hogan, who has a chair in his hands. Kevin Eubank grabs the chair from Hogan and Paige brings it back in the ring. Hogan sends DDP into the ropes and Bischoff mistimes his martial arts kick. DDP knocks Bischoff off the apron but turns around into a clothesline. A right hand by Hogan sends Paige into the corner and he pulls at Paige's face in the corner Hogan sends DDP across the ring and follows with a clothesline before tagging Bischoff back in, Eric Bischoff waits out the 5-second period and goes after DDP with martial arts kicks in the corner. Bischoff celebrates for too long so DDP sends him into the corner for lefts and rights. The Disciple hands Hogan an illegal object and distracts the referee as he clocks Paige with a loaded right hand. Hogan drags Bischoff over DDP and the referee turns around 1, 2, 2.99 no! Hogan tags back in, hitting DDP with rights and spitting at Jay Leno. Hogan brings the referee to the other corner as Bischoff chokes DDP in the corner.
Jay Leno again distracts the referee trying to assist his partner, allowing Hogan to use the illegal object around his fist again and throwing it to The Disciple. Hogan chokes DDP with his boot in the corner then sends him off the ropes into the big boot. Eubanks and Jay Leno try to cheer DDP on as he gets to his feet. He tries to boot Hogan but it gets caught. DDP hits a discus clothesline on Hogan but they're both down. They both make the tag, Bischoff knocks DDP out of the ring before he notices the tag. Jay Leno pulls at Bischoff's hair so Bischoff rakes the eyes before telling the camera Leno will be the Queen of Talk shows without a hint of irony (1998 was a different time, folks.) Jay Leno gets Bischoff with a low blow and knocks him down with a hybrid of a right hand and a clothesline. The second one knocks Bischoff down again then Leno sends him into the turnbuckle. Jay Leno brings Bischoff to the opposite corner and sends him into the turnbuckle again. The crowd counts along for 10 more and Bischoff drops to the mat. “bring on Goldberg!” - Heenan on Jay Leno's performance. Hogan enters the ring behind Leno's back. Bischoff holds Jay Leno in place as he turns around but Leno avoids a right hand by Hogan so it connects with Bischoff. Diamond Dallas Paige clears Hogan from the ring with a clothesline, going out with him. Kevin Eubanks enters the ring and hits a Diamond Cutter on Eric Bischoff, Jay Leno covers Bischoff for the win.
WINNERS: DIAMOND DALLAS PAIGE & JAY LENO
Jay Leno got the best reaction, not just of the match, but of the whole show. I had some fears about this match but it worked well, with the atmosphere helping it out. They stuck to basic moves and having Eubank get the crowd-pleasing Diamond Cutter saved Jay Leno, Not an amazing match but I was pleasantly surprised by it. Even if Jay Leno's clotheslines did suck donkey dick.– WORKRATE: 1/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.5/5 OVERALL 3.5/10
Team Tonights Show celebrate their victory, but NWO isn't taking it laying down, ruining the party. The New World Order has Team Tonight Show grounded until Goldberg makes the save. He hits Hogan and Bischoff with a double spear! Kinda! The four faces celebrate to end the show as we get highlights of the match.
This match is available on WWE's “Diamond Dallas Paige: Positively Living” DVD release
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