Raven vs. Diamond Dallas Page (WCW Slamboree 5/18/97)

This is a Bowery Deathmatch which is a last man standing match in a cage with a roof and with weapons. Raven has a riot squad with him to watch the aisle as he gets into the ring. That seems unnecessary with the cage but it is WCW.

Raven misses a clothesline and DDP hits some punches before running Raven into the turnbuckle ten times. Raven pops up and runs DDP into a garbage can that is hanging on the cage. He tries running Page into the cage but Page elbows him off. Page goes for another garbage can but Raven runs him into it then sends him into the cage a couple times. Raven runs DDP across the ring and sends him into a garbage can before taking it off the cage and dumping out the weapons inside it. Raven takes down the second garbage can and dumps it out too before grabbing the bullrope.

Page ducks a cowbell shot and takes Raven down with the discus lariat. DDP gets the rope, chokes Raven with it and throws Raven into the cage. He pulls Raven up by the neck and runs him across the ring and into the other side of the cage. DDP runs the rope through the roof of the cage to add some more pressure to the choke. Everything stops for the count and Raven gets up at 8. DDP smashes the VCR over his head but argues with the referee which delays the count.

DDP tries to catapult Raven but Raven kicks him into another garbage can and the ref counts again. Both guys get back up and Raven hits DDP with the trash can to the back of the head. The ref counts to six, Raven hits another trash can shot, and the ref starts counting again. Raven gets a cookie sheet and waits for DDP to get up at which point he hits him and hits a low blow for good measure. Raven alternates shots between the back and the head before waiting for another count.

After a three count, he starts kicking DDP toward the corner and sets up a chair for the drop toe hold. Page counters that but Raven ends up putting DDP into the sleeper. DDP backs Raven into the corner and they bump the referee in the corner. Raven tries another sleeper which lets DDP hit the jawbreaker and a drop toe hold into the chair.

The Flock hits the ring and they beat up the riot squad. Riggs uses bolt cutters to open the cage but they all get fought off by Van Hammer with a stop sign. Hammer handcuffs Reese to the guardrail before the riot squad sends him to the back. Kidman and Horace hit the ring and dressed as riot squad members. Kidman accidentally hits Horace with the stop sign which lets DDP hit the Diamond Cutter on Horace and on Kidman. Raven gets back up and hits DDP with the fire extinguisher and the Evenflow DDT.

DDP rolls over at 8 at which point Raven starts stomping him. They slug it out, Raven goes low and hits a Diamond Cutter on DDP. That one flurry had more energy than anything else in the match. DDP is up at 9 and avoids a chair shot. DDP hits a Diamond Cutter of his own and both guys are down. DDP gets up at 9 and wins the match.

Another riot squad member goes around the ring handcuffing Flock members to the cage. He also gets into the ring to handcuff Horace and Kidman and Raven. He unmasks as Mortis, then takes that mask off too, then hits Raven in the head with a chair. I’m not sure why he didn’t stop the Kidman & Horace interference or help Van Hammer, but I guess it was nice for him to be there too.

Final Thoughts: In general, I don’t like Last Man Standing matches, because they end up being a lot of nothing happening while a referee counts. The parts of this that were about DDP and Raven wrestling were actually pretty good. The opening brawl had some intensity and the last couple minutes were awesome. The problem is that the middle of the match was nothing but guys hitting a weapon shot then waiting around which doesn’t make for a compelling match. The Flock run in being thwarted by Van Hammer expect for the riot squad ruse didn’t add much and there are some real logical issues if you break the whole thing down. Why were only two of the four members of the riot squad flock members instead of all four? How was Mortis able to also be on the riot squad to set up the post-match attack on Raven? Why was there one actual riot squad member? All of that aside, this wasn’t a bad match, it just didn’t overcome the problems weaknesses of last man standing matches. **1/2- An ok last man standing match with a really good last couple minutes.