NORMAN SMILEY (C) VS. MENG

 Before the match, Norman Smiley is backstage with “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He says he’s not scared of Meng, he’s just cautious. Then is terrified when the producer tries to count him down for interview time. Norman Smiley says Meng will find out that Smiley’s a coiled spring ready to explode. Meng makes his way out first to barely any reaction, but Norman Smiley gets a pop, he wheels a container of items to the ring and puts on his football helmet. He throws a trash can in the ring and Meng starts bouncing it off his own head. He throws it back out at Smiley and uses a barrel to parry the raining weapons.

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Scott Hudson and Tony Schiavone are on commentary for this match.

 

NORMAN SMILEY © VS. MENG

(WCW Hardcore Championship)

WCW Starrcade 1999 (19^th December 1999)

    Meng exits the ring as the bell rings, sending the container into Smiley and hitting him with the trash can.

  Norman Smiley makes his way up the ramp as the trash can is used again, Meng throws it and it bounces off the Hardcore champion’s head. Meng gets in some right hands but Smiley makes another break for it. Meng clotheslines him backstage, but Smiley uses the cover of the curtain to grab a chair. Norman Smiley hits Meng in the ribs and the head with the chair. Meng is sent into the interview set but a trash can to the head does nothing. Smiley tries a slap to the face, but Meng chops Smiley and I’m convinced it hurt through the padding. “Screaming” Norman Smiley shows how he got the nickname as Meng knocks him down with a headbutt and stomps him into the ground.

  Norman Smiley is sent through to catering and he throws food at Meng, then hits him with the steel tray, but it was a headshot so it did nothing. They destroy the catering area and Meng puts Norman Smiley through a random table backstage. Norman Smiley survives enough to empty a fire extinguisher over Meng, but he has to scramble back through the curtain to the catering area. Fit Finlay and  Brian Knobbs appear, attacking Meng. Knobbs throws coffee in Meng’s face and is sent into a wall of cardboard. Meng kicks Knobbs and puts him in the Tongan Death Grip, but Finlay hits Meng in the back with a chair. Meng absorbs another chairshot and then knocks Finlay down. He fights them 2 on 1 as they assault him with various weapons.

  Fit Finlay trips on the sound box as he hits Meng across the back with a lead pipe. Norman Smiley checks that Meng is really down and out before covering for the win.

WINNER: NORMAN SMILEY (STILL WCW Hardcore Champion)

This was just Norman Smiley’s gimmick at the time, he lucked his way to the Hardcore Championship and he was scared of everything, but beat guys that he had no right being in the ring with under hardcore rules. [*] 1.5/10

 

After the match Meng puts referee Nick Patrick in the Tongan Death Grip from the floor.